- What are you doing?
- I feel like hitting.
- On what ?
- Not on what, on who.
- Why do you want to hit?
- I don’t know, I’m in pain, I’m not well. I want to hit.
- Who do you want to hit?
- Shut up, orI’ll hit you.
Boxing, boxing, boxing.
Droixhe. Suburb of Liège. A so-called “difficult” neighborhood. Youth. Fron Liège and everywhere. The ghetto. The zone. Street violence. Droixhe. Boxing. Droixhe. Boxing. Droixhe. Boxing.
The violence of absence. Of abandonment. Of distance. The violence of parents. Of school. The violence of the street, the violence of life.
Boxing, boxing, boxing.
- I’m in pain.
- Why are you in pain?
- I don’t know. Shut up.
- Why?
- You don’t understand.
- What don’t you understand?
- Nobody understands me. I’m going to hit you. Shut up.
Boxing, boxing, boxing.
In the neighbohood of Droixhe, Albert Syben, knownas Al Syben, one of the greatest Belgian boxers, takes charge of running a boxing gym at the request of an enlightened police commissioner. Al, himself a reconverted police officer, will develop and run one of the best boxing gyms in Belgium. And not just for the sport.
Boxing, boxing, boxing.
Discipline, Punctuality. Precision. Technique. Mastery. Skill. Accuracy. Justice.
Listening. Strength. Beauty. Fear. Courage. Boldness.
Boxing, boxing, boxing.
- Why do you go to the gym?
- To learn boxing.
- What I boxing?
- Mastered fear, courage and audacity.
- Why do you do this?
- To live. To give meaning to my life. To not hit you. To stop hurting myself.
- Do you make money?
- And maybe not.
- Then why?
Boxing, boxing, boxing.
Miko Khatchatryan. Armenia. 27 years old, 17 of them in Belgium. And when Dad boxes, Miko boxes. 17 victories. 7 by KO. Jumping. Dodging. Fear sticking to the stomach. Sweat dripping on the skin. The pleasure of a well-delivered blow. The pain and rage of the bmow received. The mind stepping into the ring. And coming andgoing. And in the end… Changing the world. Changing the mindset. Violence in the ring is peace in the city. Changing the mindset. And hitting. Always hitting. Fairly and well.
Jean-Claude Raskin
