Boxed in

Because I was boarding away and had yet to discover the joys of premarital sex and illicit drug use, I got involved in a number of different things during high school. Boxing wasn't particularly enjoyable and I really don't know what I was thinking of, taking it up. Apart from the inherent hazards there was also the memorable time when we were jogging round the block to warm up and I - shortsighted and not wearing glasses - thought the guy in front of me was going a bit slow. I promptly ran straight into a lamppost!

Whether it was the humiliation of being endlessly ragged about this, or just the fact that there was a more than adequate supply of biffo in our daily lives without going looking for it, but I didn't last long in that pursuit. So I switched to karate!!! At first I was taking instruction from Dean Bullock, who had a reputation as a bit of a bullshit artist so I don't know if I was getting the good oil or not, but I looked for more professional instruction when the punching bag I was laying into at the pavilion came off and the hook went into my hand (yes it's funny that I managed to hurt myself in fighting arts without even going toe to toe with anyone) The instructor in town was only a blue belt but that was fine as I didn't last long there either.
I think the only things I did stick with, besides hockey, were arty in nature.