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July 26, 2013
Stepping into the ring
Lev Jackson is a self-described “boxing geek.”
OLGA LIVSHIN
“Boxing turned me into a better human being,” said Lev Jackson, a 21-year-old Vancouver boxer. The young sportsman is training for the WBC (World Boxing Council) Canadian National Championship being held in Langley this September. He talked to the Jewish Independent about his background, how he chose to pursue boxing and the benefits of the sport.
Jewish Independent: How did a Jewish boy become a boxer? It’s not a common occupation for Jews.
Lev Jackson: On the contrary, boxing is a Jewish sport. Some of the best and brightest boxers of the 1920s and 1930s were Jewish: Benny Leonard, Maxie Rosenbloom, Max Baer. More recently, we have guys like Yuri Foreman, the first Israeli world champion – who is just shy of completing rabbinical school.
I was always attracted to the sport and was always into singles sports. The idea of being held responsible for your triumphs and falls is a part of that. I was a kid in need of a bit of structure and discipline as a teen, along with medical difficulties. Boxing was the perfect way to stay busy [and to] build a better, healthier lifestyle.
The atmosphere at a boxing gym is unlike any fitness facility. The people I train with, we see each other grow up through the gym and become much better people. Through that you share a special bond, no matter what your situation is outside the gym.
JI: You’re competing on a high level. How do you train?
LJ: Training is three times a week, year round. During fight time, we do it four or five times a week. Training in the gym includes sparring, shadow boxing, hand pads, bag work and cals (conditioning drills). We also make sure to change things up each session, work on different things that need addressing.
Any day I am not at the gym, I’ll be running; either a simple jog or a sprint. Sprinting is very important; certain sprinting drills can pretty much simulate a boxing match for your lungs, it helps you understand your body and improve it.
We also train with a mirror, so we can see our mistakes and fix them, like dancers. There are many parallels between boxing and dancing, including discipline and the need to watch your weight.
JI: What are you going to do after you retire from sport? Are you studying?
LJ: I’ve finished the first-year journalism program at Langara. I am a freelance journalist at the moment. I contribute to the Province, in both their print edition and online. I write for the Gastown Gazette and Beacon News. I love my journalistic job because it gives me the ability to keep my schedule open to train as much as possible.
JI: Tell me about your involvement with the Aprons for Gloves Boxing Association.
LJ: Last year, the Astoria Boxing Club, the gym I had trained at since I started, lost its funding. One day, we came to open the gym and the [locks] were changed. This left all of us without a place to train and, for some of the kids at the gym, without a place to go.
Aprons for Gloves was started by a group of Gastown service-industry members who came up with the idea of a fundraiser that had them go through a boxing training camp and compete against each other on a big fight night.
It was a good idea in theory, but it took off to levels we could not imagine. Without a gym, the people at Save On Meats let us use the space upstairs, as well as Action Boxing Club to coach our new group of boxers, who in actuality were all cooks, bartenders, barbers and what not.
To get your match on a fight night, each participant had to raise $2,000 to the new gym. Last year, we raised over $100,000 to open our new home, Eastside Boxing Club. This year, we have had over twice as many people participating.
For Aprons for Gloves, I help in any way I can. Many kids at the gym may not necessarily get support from other places. It can mean a lot to a teen to hear someone tell you, “You know what, you’re getting really good at this.” I was never an athletic kid. Getting the encouragement at the gym gave me the confidence I needed in life. For so many years, my coach Dave Schuck and other members of the gym have given me their time, asking nothing in return, so I want to contribute in whatever way I can. I, and other longtime members of the gym, have been coaching the Aprons for Gloves classes. I [was also] the TV commentator for the fights on the fight night on July 24.
JI: Do you have a role model or mentor?
LJ: There are many boxers I look up to. That does not mean I try and box with their style, that’s a big mistake people make. I have my own style in the ring, but do admire many of the world-class professionals who present themselves with class and dignity. Yuri Foreman won the world championship in his second year of rabbinical school. He walks to the ring to the sound of shofars, so it’s easy to admire his passion for both his faith and his sport. It’s also a perfect example of what the sport is about. Foreman is a holy man and is competing at the highest level, while being a terrific influence on youth.
My coach, Dave Schuck, has also been a big reason for me staying committed to the sport. A big part of being ready to fight at a high level is your preparation. Having a coach like Dave, I couldn’t ask for better training. Not only do we gel in training sessions, we have a close relationship as well, which is paramount to success. He and the members of the gym are family to me.
JI: What do you do to get away from work?
LJ: The gym has always been my escape. If I’m swamped with work, school, personal things, when I get to the gym for two hours, everything just goes away for that time.
Olga Livshin is a Vancouver freelance writer. She can be reached at [email protected].
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