Boxing with a traditional punch

FORT DEFIANCE

With his boxing mask on and boxing pads on each hand, Darrell Smith prepares to put himself through the rigors of becoming a human punching bag for his young would-be boxers.

Boxing training is about to begin.

Outside of Smith’s house, three punching bags are hanging on a cottonwood tree next to the “Black Cloud truck,” a 1974 Chevy pickup truck. Smith says the truck was used in Ricky Shroder’s 2004 movie about a Native American boxer given a chance to box in the Olympics.

“It’s been everywhere hauling kids to boxing tournaments,” Smith said of the pickup truck.

Smith begins to work with a couple of brothers who are newcomers to the sport, Elias Kee, 11, and Matthew Kee, 9, both from Tse Bonito, New Mexico.

Smith begins practice with carefully wrapping both of their hands with a strip of cloth which helps prevent injuring the wrist and hand.

After a brief warm up, Smith begins to work them through a series of punches and movements.

“Hands up! There you go, work, work,” Smith yells through his mouthpiece.

After a two-minute drill, Smith counts down from 10 and ends with “mos macho,” which he said means “more courage.”

They move the workout to the boxing ring, which Smith says, intimidates his young boxers who’ve never been inside one.

Smith says Damon Boxing originated in 1961 under a smaller and younger cottonwood tree. That’s where the boxing ring was set up, close to where it now sits.

Smith instructs the brothers how to stand when throwing a punch as he prepares to become their punching bag once again.

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