Kazumichi

You never know what you might stumble across when you live in California .Harrison Ford , Andrew Bogut and Skip Engblom are just a few we’ve ran into . There are others , some we know and others that you know you know but you can’t quite recall from where . Tex , well he’s been a handful . To try and get him to do anything is a task in itself . He goes to Brazilian jujitsu and Muay Thai, but only under sufferance . I’m required to get him shin guards and gloves . It’s something I don’t want to really invest in as there’s no guarantee he’l stick to it . If only he would , this sport suits him . This brings me to the chase . Surely I can walk in and just buy equipment ; no it isn’t that easy , as it seems everything is online . Not even the biggest sporting goods joints like Dicks sell this stuff . Finally, as I was about to give up and hit up Amazon I saw a little add for a guy in Redondo Beach . I call up the the place and an old guy answers the phone , he’s pissed off that I found him . He tells me no one rings him by phone . He wants to know how I found him . I tell him , “Mate , it’s on your website. All I’m after is a pair of gloves and shin guards . Do you have any I can walk in and purchase ?” He says yes , he’l be there from 12 to 3 and then abruptly hangs up . Fuck , what do I do ? I sense this is a little different so I decide to do it . I drag Leroy and his mate Wesley along for the adventure after picking them up from school . Once finding the address, we are left looking at a multi-storey building looking for ‘Winning USA ‘ signage , but there doesn’t seem any such place . Eventually a lady directs us to central management . From here security looks at us with raised eyebrows and says , “Oh , Winning USA , you want to go there ?” Yes I say …. “Ok , then ….. follow me , says the female security guard . She shows us the glass front door to a small waiting lounge . Immediately I’m thinking this isn’t your average joint . There are a couple of young looking dudes sitting on a couch , another is signing a piece of paper with an old Japanese man standing with arms crossed . The walls are covered in photos of GGG , Many Paquio , Canelo Alveraz , some with the Japanese guy in the shot . And here’s me with two grade 2s looking for a pair of beginner gloves . Shit ….. how do I shuffle out of here , this joint is for real , and for real fucking boxers …. big time . I can’t , we are now at the attention of the old guy . He gestures with a nod of the eyes to sit . The kids are looking at all the photos , they find the WBO championship belt that a boxer has donated . The kids are running their fingers along on it , giving it a tug ….. Holy fuck don’t damage anything boys ,please . Eventually it’s our turn . Once again I’m interrogated about ringing his phone and how no one dares ring him , it’s email only . I do my best to disarm him with Australian twang but it’s the kids who do that for me . I sit down and write my details down . He writes Leroy and Wesley’s details down too . He asks them what they want to do and what sport they see themselves excelling in . It’s all written in Japanese. We are then escorted into the back room where all the equipment lies . He tells me that Manny Paquio will be in next month to pick his order up …. Okkkaay . That’s when I start seeing price tags ; gloves $250 upwards , head guards $500 and then there’s shoes with custom names ( the fighters) embroidered on them . Geezus , I’ve gotta muster the courage up to get outta here , and then bang the door opens and 3 Asian guys and a tough looking Mexican barge in . One guy looks very Asian mafia . They all greet the old man and comfort him . He doesn’t look impressed but they are all joking and poking fun at the old guy . Still , you can tell he commands their absolute respect . That’s when I cut in an apologise and explain that this isn’t the place for us . The old man says …. “yet , you don’t know .” I laugh and apologise , but before I leave I ask who the 3 fighters in the premise are . One is a top young amateur, Joshua Anton, who is about to have his 1st professional bout . The 2nd guys name was impossible to pronounce but I’m assured he is a potential title contender and the third guy is a two time world title holder in Alfredo Angulo. Angulo lost to Canelo Alveraz in 2014 . For those who don’t know who Alveraz is , he’s the best boxer on the planet , right now . This is a photo with the boys and Alfredo , the only one I was game to take . Check the title belt in the back ground Sometimes you never know where royalty resides . For boxing equipment it is an old man in an office that no one knows about , except champions and those who aspire to be . The man they want is Kazumichi , an ex boxer who supplies the best . How did I stumble onto this place ? Hell it was worth the adventure .