News

Boxer from 116th CSO competes in Armed Forces Championships

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Paul Ross
  • 116th ACW/PA
Robins Air Force Base, GA --  Troops around the Air Force are outfitted with different equipment that is essential to their occupations.

Pilots wear flight suits, civil engineering troops don steel-toed boots and Staff Sgt. Thomas Jacobs laces up his boxing gloves.

The 116th Computer Systems Operations technician has been studying the "sweet science" for the past few years. He represented the Air Force at the Armed Forces championships Feb. 3-8 at Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Although the fighter lost his bout, falling by decision to Army Specialist Zacchaeus Hardrick, he will continue to train and prepare for nationals, which will be March 8-16 at Colorado Springs, Colo.

"This is my third year with the team," Jacobs said. "I didn't get cut the first two years, but this is the first year I earned the number one spot."

The middleweight fighter has been exposed to the sport since he was young but only recently really started to focus on it. Part of the reason for his interest was his older sibling.

"My older brother was a boxer," Jacobs said. "Every little boy wants to be like his older brother."

The Milwaukee native doesn't consider himself a "knockout artist" even though he has tallied-up six knockouts and a 17-4 record.

"I hope to add a few more wins at the...upcoming nationals, but I definitely have my work cut out for me," Jacobs said.

When looking for a fighter's style to emulate he chose brains over brawn.

"Bernard Hopkins would probably be the one because of his intelligence in the ring," Jacobs said. "Roy Jones and other boxers were great in their time because they had speed, but once they got a little older and their speed faded, so did their careers. Despite Hopkins's age, he can still beat anyone out there because of his ring intelligence and how he always sticks to the fundamentals."

In order to earn a spot on the Air Force team, Jacobs participated in tryouts at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. The tryouts lasted three weeks and ended with a "box-off" Jan. 18-19.

"The trials are tough," Jacobs said. "You hit the ground running and it's definitely not for the weak hearted."

Tech. Sgt. Edward Rivas, head coach of the Air Force boxing team, has witnessed a big improvement in Jacobs over the past couple years.

"Jacobs has been coming to us for the past three years," Rivas said. "This year he came in at a higher weight class so he was stronger, not having to struggle with making weight."

Jacobs sums up the type of fighter coach Rivas looks for when evaluating talent.

"I look for fighters who are dedicated and who have the desire to compete," said Rivas. "(Jacobs) is a workhorse. His greatest asset is his mental toughness - something you can't teach. He also brings a lighter side to training with his jokes, great attitude and demeanor."

The workout regimen for the team is rigid. A typical day at camp starts off at 4:45 a.m. with a run. The run varies daily from distance to intervals and sprints. After the run the fighters will have plyometric training or a strength and conditioning workout.

Following that is usually skills and drills where the fighters practice different techniques and do bag work. The last workout of the day is usually sparring or more bag drills. The fighters normally work out four times a day, six and sometimes seven days a week.

"(Training) is pretty taxing on your mind and body," Jacobs said. "You put yourself through hell and misery hoping it will pay off when you're face-to-face with a guy that wants to take your head off. The guy with the most heart is going to win. You can teach someone how to punch and move and slip punches, but you can't teach someone how to have heart. Either you have it or you don't."

Another difficulty is on a social level; boxers at camp develop friendships with each other only to have to face-off in the ring.

"You train and make friends with the people who stick it out," Jacobs said. "After two weeks you are going to be fighting them. It's all business when you step in the ring though."

For the spectator sitting in the stands, boxing may seem like a sport anyone could participate in, but Jacobs begs to differ.

"Everyone wants to be a fighter, but not everyone wants to train." Jacobs said. "People change their mind real quick once they start eating a five-piece punch combination with a side of barbecue sauce for dinner. A lot of blood and sweat goes into boxing as it does in other fighting styles. An old man once told me, 'the more you sweat the less you'll bleed.'"

The 28-year old fighter has been fortunate to never have been knocked-out but says he has been "rocked" before.

"Getting rocked is basically the step before getting knocked out," Jacobs said. "It's almost as if your brain just shook inside your head. I got rocked today as a matter of fact; the team went to a local gym to fight their boxers and the guy I fought threw punches like he had bricks in his gloves. I have a black eye as a going away present from him."

Not only has boxing for the Air Force team allowed Jacobs the ability to earn a paycheck while competing in a sport he loves, but it's also given him tools to be just as successful in his military career.

"Boxing has helped me in my Air Force career mostly by giving me a way to release and get rid of the daily stresses of work," Jacobs said. "It helps me come in with a clean mind everyday and lets me focus on my tasks for the day. Not to mention on the PT tests. I'm trying to use my focus and determination I've learned from boxing and apply it to my goals that I want to achieve in the Air Force."