The Sparta Club was founded in 1946 by Scottish Middleweight/Light-Heavyweight champion Jimmy Robertson. Robertson was an "old school" fighter whose career started in the 1920's; the era of Jack Dempsey, Gene Tunney, Primo Carnera and others. The gym is located in the part of Edinburgh known as Leith Walk. For many years this was one of the roughest parts of Edinburgh as it fronted on the harbor and was peopled mainly by transient sailors. Bar room brawls, knife fights and petty theft were a major problem. By far the most famous fighter to come out of the Sparta club is former wolrd lightweight champion,Ken Buchanan. Buchanan grew up in a housing project in Edinburgh and moved from the amateur to the professional level in 1965. In 1970 he captured the WBA Lightweight world title by defeating Ismael Laguna in the 100 degree heat of San Juan, Puerto Rico. Buchanan defended his title twice in the US before loosing in a controversial decision to Roberto Duran at Madison Square Garden in 1972. Afterwards, Duran refused a rematch. Buchcanan remains a local hero and he last visited the Sparta Club in 2000 after his induction into the Boxing Hall of Fame. He is the only living Scottish boxer to recieve that honor.
Today, the gym is open to "Senior" fighters on Tuesday and Thursday nights and to younger fighters on Monday and Wednesday. I have been training in the gym for almost two months now and I have gotten to know several of the figters and trainers. The gym itself is much smaller than most gyms in which I have trained; it is usually packed with figters which makes it difficult to find enough space to jump rope at the beginning of the session when everyone skips rope and does push ups ("press ups" here) under the timing and direction of the trainers. There are about ten fighters that have been to every night since I have been here and several others who come about half the time. The equipment used in the gym is very modern compared to gyms in Cuba and Mexico. There are several trainers, all former boxers, and they are uniformly supportive and encouraging of the fighters but are not above taunting and yelling when someone is not working as hard as he should.
Three fighters working the heavy bags. The bags can weigh anywhere from 40 to 100 pounds.
This is Angus (Gus) Will, age 20, from north Scotland. He trains very hard and says little. His girlfriend often comes to see him spar. He weighs 74 kilos.
A young fighter working on hand speed, rhythm and hand-eye coordination. This is one of the harder excerises and, along with the speed bag, takes some practice to be good at it.
As with most gyms there are always retired boxers who still come in to train. There is a former pro who fought in the US for a while who has volunteered to train the Senior boxers. He constantly tells the us to never stop training even when we are done with competitive fighting. "When I stopped training I got fat and felt like a slob all day long. I just felt terrible."
A bloodied and maybe broken nose from a left hook.
Angus and Fundo Mhura getting ready for the up-coming September 6th "show." Tickets to the show are 30 pounds (about 50 dollars) and the proceeds go to maintain the gym and pay expenses on road trips.
Warming up.
NO gloves on the heavy bag?
Whoops.....how did that get there!?
