Petty Officer 2nd Class Albert King of the Yokosuka Naval Base, Japan, security department spars with a local boxer at the Rodeo Style, an off-base gym. (David J. Carter / S&S)
Petty Officer 2nd Class Albert King of the Yokosuka Naval Base, Japan, security department spars with a local boxer at the Rodeo Style, an off-base gym. (David J. Carter / S&S)
Petty Officer 2nd Class Albert King wraps his hands before sparring. (David J. Carter / S&S)
Petty Officer 2nd Class Albert King jumps rope while training at the James D. Kelly Fleet Recreation Center. (David J. Carter / S&S)
Petty Officer 2nd Class Albert King says he is doing everything he can to ensure that he's ready for All-Navy camp. (David J. Carter / S&S)
Seaman Nelson Tatis helps Petty Officer 2nd Class Albert King with his boxing gloves. (David J. Carter / S&S)
YOKOSUKA NAVAL BASE, Japan — On most Friday nights at Yokosuka Naval Base, sailors are lining up at the ATMs, preparing to head out for a night on the town.
Petty Officer 2nd Class Albert King isn’t. He’d rather wrap up his hands and to go to war in the boxing ring.
"It’s just another Friday night," he said.
King, a two-year veteran of the All-Navy boxing program, recently returned to Japan after a round of boxing contests in the States.
Before returning, King won the middleweight division at the All-Navy National Box-Off Tournament in California, besting a Marine Corps pugilist for top honors in the 165-pound class.
The Navy security specialist had boxed for only two years when he was selected two years ago to the Navy team.
All-Navy boxing camp, located in Oxnard, Calif., lasts about three months and, as King puts it, is not for everyone.
"It’s brutal," he said. "The entire process at camp is very intense."
King’s weekly training consists of three or four sparring sessions as well as plenty of sprint training, long-distance running and bag work.
In November, King will be required to reapply for camp. He said he’s confident he’ll be selected to return.
However, he added, once there, there’s no guarantee he’ll be placed back onto the roster, so he spends most of the year ensuring his spot is safe.
"If there’s someone new in my weight class, I’ll have to box them for the spot," said King, who normally fights as a 152-pound welterweight. "That’s why I’m done with the partying and going out. My focus is on getting back to camp and being the best."
The top fighters from each service compete each year in the Armed Forces Boxing Championships. The winners there can advance to national and international competition and could have a shot at the Olympic trials if an Olympic year is approaching.
"2012, 2016 — that’s the goal," King said. "Competing at the Olympic level is the reason I’m doing what I’m doing."
Getting more ring experience in Japan has presented its challenges, said King, who has a pair of boxing gloves tattooed on his right arm.
"Amateur boxing in Japan doesn’t allow any tattoos, so it’s really hard for me to find fights around here," he explained
King said an alternative has been his training at an off-base mixed martial-arts gym, Rodeo Style, which incorporates boxing into its program a few nights a week.
The Navy boxer said the Navy and his department have backed his aspirations. But his top fan is at home.
"My wife has been the biggest support for me," he said.
King is now focused on diet, training and hard work — all part of what it’s going to take to make him better for All-Navy camp, he said.
"I’m definitely going to be ready."
