Went to a boxing gym...

[NPMantis]

Hi all,

I just thought I'd share my experience with you. I finally went to a boxing gym last Monday (after a long time of putting it off!) with a mate, it was a little different to expected.

After training in Kung Fu and Muay Thai where you have an instructor telling you what to do, it was very different to go to a boxing gym and basically get ignored by the instructors, although I was expecting this - I have heard that boxing coaches only really coach their fighters that have been going for a long time.

When we arrived we spent the best part of half an hour skipping and eventually plucked up the courage to ask one of the instructors what we should be doing and he was really helpful, he showed us how to stand, shadow box and jab/cross so we spent the remainer of our time there doing this.

There were quite a lot of kids there (teens) with a bit of an attitude problem with a few older people who were more focussed on training. It was quite clicky and we were obviously the new boys, although we're not going there to socialise it did have a bit of an atmosphere. I didn't feel 100% comfortable there, although I guess that just adds to the motivation to train and not let yourself down. We didn't use any of the heavy bags as we obviously don't know how to do, has anyone here been boxing? Should we just dive right in and learn the technique as we go along or what?

The fitness of the other boxers is unbelievable, everybody was covered in sweat. The workouts were pretty tough. Essentially from what the coach was saying, most people there did :

- 4 rounds of skipping
- 4 rounds of shadow boxing in a mirror
- 4 rounds of boxing bags/focus pads
- 4 rounds of pressups/etc. in a circuit they had which was 30 secs of 6 kinds of exercise - burpees, pressups, crunches, rev pressups, etc.
..etc.

It is very hard training but it is something I have wanted to do for a long time so I'm glad I finally did it. I think everyone should try it at least once, however hard I thought I was training before it has showed me that I need to train harder!

Although many people argue boxing is not complete, it's very good training for anyone in terms of fitness, footwork and power and speed of strikes and I'd highly recommend it.

Anyway, I hope this has been useful for someone and if anyone has any ideas for me it'd be great!

Many thanks,

NPMantis

[yuanfen]

NP Mantis- I do not know the boxing gym that you went to-
and some things can be different in a US versus Uk gym... even in the US there are gyms and there are gyms.

I am glad that you went. Boxing fitness is a world into itself and training regimens can vary fro amateur and pro. Boxing can be a useful base for learning self defense and good boxers ahould not be underestimated by MA folks.
But for the sorting life- a boxer's prime is over for the most part by 30- though by careful nurturing some skills can remain for some time- if neural damage has not occurred...from too many matches.

Nest time you go spota friendly trainer and ask him to show you how to hit the bags properly- heavy, light, speed bag etc.
Depending on trainer there will be variations about where to have the hands and footwork. A good trainer will also analyse your strengths and weaknesses and make individualised recommendations on training, bag work, shadowboxing and sparring.

Some important qualities can be duplicated in other ways in TCMA but boxing teaches a lot about composure under fire, distance,
non telegraphing,
non flinching amoung other goodies.

Like many subjects-getting a wise teacher is better than reading Dempsey, watching videos and television etc. And a good trainer will bring you along rather feeding you to the wolves.
A problem can be that good teachers are more oriented to the golden gloves, police atletic leagues or the pros. rather than to kung fu stylists.

[maccajim]

The reason they train that hard is once u have put the mouth guard in and spared after the 3rd u wish u had done tonnes more skipping cardio, when the guy u were beating in the 1st starts slamming u cause u can't keep your hands up

[neit]

perhaps it would be good to keep in mind that you are not training for "large gloved combat" but more bare fisted. i know several boxers who have ended a streetfight with one punch, but at the same time broken their hand. i like to do some boxing on the heavy bag, but i keep it bare fisted or wraps only. even light bag gloves cause me the false sense that my hands are indestructable.

[Merryprankster]

Broken hands=target choice problem.

[Knifefighter]

Originally posted by yuanfen
But for the sorting life- a boxer's prime is over for the most part by 30- though by careful nurturing some skills can remain for some time- if neural damage has not occurred...from too many matches. This is true for almost all physical activities. Whether you are talking boxing, martial arts, self-defense, running, golf, or tennis. Whatever the activity, physical peak comes between 25 and 35 for the majority of people.

[GunnedDownAtrocity]

i got too much on my plate right now to even think about getting serious at a boxing gym, but i firmly believe every man, woman, and child should be able to throw a decent jab, cross, hook, and uppercut.

[ewallace]

I thought you believed that every man should be able to throw a decent jab, cross, hook, and uppercut at a woman or a child.

[MatT3T4]

My old Muay Thai gym was like that, except my Kru showed me everything from day one, very cool guy. The people there were nice, and helpful, and willing to help you when you needed.

[fa_jing]

I'm honestly surprised that no one ever showed you how to train your mantis strikes on a heavy bag. I would think that at least some of these strikes would be related to Western boxing-type strikes, and wouldn't appear too out of place at the gym.

[NPMantis]

I went back again last night and I enjoyed it much more. I think I was just expecting too much out of it. I figure it'll take me a mont or two to start enjoying it, like when I first went to the gym!

I did 4 rounds of skipping, shadow boxing in a mirror and heavy bag, then did a circuit of crunches, pressups, squats, etc. and I'm not feeling too bad today, no muscular pain at all.

I think it's a very enlightening experience going to a boxing gym, I definately need to improve my footwork and punching power an technique... I was amazed at the footwork of the boxers, after doing Kung Fu and Muay Thai I have to say I've probably never met anyone who was as light on their feet as these guys.

Thanks a lot for your help guys, it really helped me a lot!

ps. I got some good boxing articles and a boxing manual if anyone in interested in learning a bit more about boxing please post a mail address and I'll send you some stuff or leave me a private message.

[Ravenshaw]

For a short time, some of my martial brothers and I were doing extra training in preparation for fighting competition. Though when I sparred, my techniques were kung fu, but when we trained for endurance we trained like Thai boxers (one of the guys doing it used to practice Muay Thai). Here's how we did it:

After the 2 1/2 hour Bak Sil Lum class (one hour conditioning, forty-five minutes teaching junior students, forty-five minutes lesson from Sifu), we changed and got out the equipment. Then we did:
-3 rounds of skipping rope
-3 round shadowboxing in front of a mirror
-4 rounds focus mitts
-4 rounds takedowns
-4 rounds Thai pads
-At least 1 round medicine ball

We usually finished at midnight and everyone had already been there since seven o'clock at the latest (I'd been there since three!).

What I got out of it was:
-Endurance in general
-Endurance specifically for punching/kicking
-Familiarity with a few good punching/kicking combos

[NPMantis]

Well, I'm still going and thought I'd update you all. I'm really enjoying it and I'm probably fitter than I ever have been, after the first month it becomes much easier but there's still an atmosphere which encourages you to train really hard, this is my standard current workout :

7 Rounds of skipping
3 Rounds of shadow boxing in mirror
5 Rounds on the heavy bags

(1 round = 3 minutes of exercise and 1 minute rest).

I would highly recommend anyone try it for the experience!

[ComeToJesus]

You shoud probably try and put the skipping rounds together. More like 20 minutes of constant skipping, rather than 3 minutes then rest. I'm not just talking out of my a$$, I used to kickbox.
The way I used to train was leaving the skipping for the end.

[fa_jing]

so when are you going to spar a boxer?

[SevenStar]

Originally posted by ComeToJesus
You shoud probably try and put the skipping rounds together. More like 20 minutes of constant skipping, rather than 3 minutes then rest. I'm not just talking out of my a$$, I used to kickbox.
The way I used to train was leaving the skipping for the end.

Nothing wrong with 3 and 1. I've kickboxed also, and I trained that way. You do it that way for several rounds. Why? because that's how the fights will go.

Now that I compete in grappling, I train 5 minute rounds, as that's how my matches go.

[bamboo_ leaf]

Some friendly advice, If you have any intention of going back to cma, you should quit the gym.

Boxing is a good art, no less so then any other cma art.

The tenants of boxing and cma are very different. Lesson learned under some real pressure as in the ring will stay in the body and mind, espeacly if you’re good at boxing. These habits are very hard to break..

;)

[tnwingtsun]

Originally posted by GunnedDownAtrocity
i got too much on my plate right now to even think about getting serious at a boxing gym, but i firmly believe every man, woman, and child should be able to throw a decent jab, cross, hook, and uppercut.


And be able to take one and recover,although thats not the goal ,if ya can't take a punch you might want to consider taking up
underwater basket weaving.

[jun_erh]

bamboo leaf = that's the type of advice that gets kung fu students beat up. ANYTHING you can do that teaches you to fight you should not hesitate to learn.

[ComeToJesus]

Originally posted by SevenStar


Nothing wrong with 3 and 1. I've kickboxed also, and I trained that way. You do it that way for several rounds. Why? because that's how the fights will go.

Now that I compete in grappling, I train 5 minute rounds, as that's how my matches go.

I find it better to do longer rounds than your normal rounds would last. That way you're more prepared.
Another thing that I find weird in boxing/kickboxing is that people train with "bag gloves", but then fight with sparring gloves which are heavier. To me it would make a hell of a lot more sense to train with gloves heavier than the gloves you spar with.
Anyways, what I'm trying to say is, do more than what will be expected of you in the ring beforehand. That way you can concentrate on your technique, and not your burning shoulders/cramps etc..

[Merryprankster]

I find it better to do longer rounds than your normal rounds would last. That way you're more prepared.

No you aren't. Training to go 15 minutes straight is way different than 5. Pacing is all wrong. Train instead to to go MORE rounds.


Another thing that I find weird in boxing/kickboxing is that people train with "bag gloves", but then fight with sparring gloves which are heavier. To me it would make a hell of a lot more sense to train with gloves heavier than the gloves you spar with.

Different gloves for different purposes. We trained with both heavy and light impliments in track and field for different purposes.


Anyways, what I'm trying to say is, do more than what will be expected of you in the ring beforehand. That way you can concentrate on your technique, and not your burning shoulders/cramps etc..

Agreed!

[NPMantis]

Hi,

Thanks a lot for all the great posts!

ComeToJesus - I am going to try to skip for longer, I have problems keeping motivated when doing the same thing for a long period of time but I definaely agree with you. I would like to be able to skip for 15 mins solid as well as in rounds, I guess it depends on my mood.

fa_jing - I have been sparring with my cousin a lot, he is a boxer and he used to do kung fu so we spar with different rules (and sometime none). To be honest I am mainly doing boxing for the fitness. I enjoy the sparring too, I haven't done it in ages (probably nearly a year) and definately need to improve as I am well out of practice! I am scared of some of those boxing guys, I am 240lbs but some of those guys - even the ones weighing 140lbs have such incredible power!

bamboo_ leaf - I probably wouldn't go back to CMA again, I am enjoying what I'm doing. I am fed up of learning loads of techniques, I'd rather practice a few regularly, I still practice kung fu in my own time - I miss the kicking, but I decided I needed to train my hands much harder for the next 6 months.

ComeToJesus / Merryprankster - I don't really like bag gloves at all, I know the foam is more solid than boxing gloves but I either use 12oz gloves or none (though rarely none when using the heavy bag).

Out of interest has anyone here trained in boxing for any length of time? I definately have a lot moe respect for boxers now than I did before, especially their fitness, footwork and power.

[SevenStar]

MP has bent the correct over and nailed it.

As far as gloves go, I'd spar with 16s, fight with 12s, and when I hit the bag, I do so bare handed.

[Merryprankster]

I boxed for about 9-10 months, going between 4 and 5 times a week.

I had a really great time. But I'm better at grappling and have more opportunity to really excel there, so I had to make a choice.

That said, it was really great fun.

And yes, good boxers hit very hard and very fast. Even average ones hit hard and fast.

[Ford Prefect]

NPMantis,

I trained Boxing for 3 years straight, 4-5 days/week, 2-3 hours/day when I was in college and even headed up my school's boxing team. I had a great time and it was my introduction to the martial arts. I weight over 180 lbs with very little fat, but I fought at 140 back in those days! Man! I was a bean!

[NPMantis]

What do you do now?

[ursa major]

Boxing ? I agree it is a MUST DO, go to a gym get in a ring and get wailed on by somebody who knows how to use their hands and lucky they use 16oz gloves eh? Go home lick your wounds and figure out how to deal with their style of attack. Get back in the ring and try again. Like a fish out of water -- not being able to use your knees or feet eh?

I've spent time with boxers. My brother in-law was Golden Glove's some years back I was amazed at how fast he could go from long range to short range and nail my jaw. Later I learned how to deal with him by using upper and lower body which he called cheating hahaha.

Bottom line is he (my brother in-law) showed gaping holes in my martial arts. Glad I found out in the ring and not on the street.

UM.

[Ford Prefect]

NP Mantis,

After boxing, I hit Ba Gua for a little bit, but ended up focussing on BJJ for a few years. During this time, I also trained JKD, Muay Thai, Folkstyle Wrestling, and Judo to round me out. I was injured in early 2002 and right when I was finsihed rehabbing the injury I caught Lyme Desease which destroyed me physically and neurologically (partly paralyzed, lost 30-40 lbs of muscle, etc). I was just able to recover enough to consider myself healthy a little earlier this year. I haven't trained since my injury and probably won't until after I get married in June of next year. :) Them's the breaks. I figure when I go back, I'm going to focus on boxing again, and train a little JKD/Muay Thai to keep other skills fresh. I don't think I'll ever get as serious in MA as I once was.

[Shaolin-Do]

"until after I get married in June of next year."
Congrats. :)

I work the bag with no gloves, usually until I wind up breaking my hands open. (They stopped busting open for a while, then I moved and took the bag down for 2 months, now the break open again) Then just wear gloves when I break my skin. Sparring we wear 4oz gloves, nothing more. I plan on buying some 16 oz to spar with just to speed up my punches.

[FatherDog]

Originally posted by Ford Prefect
I was just able to recover enough to consider myself healthy a little earlier this year.


And congratulations on that again, by the way. I've been incorporating wind sprints into my workout lately, and upon looking at your daily workouts I realize that you're in far better shape than I am :D



I haven't trained since my injury and probably won't until after I get married in June of next year. :)

Hey, congrats.

[Ford Prefect]

Thanks guys.

FD, those wind sprints can be killer but you acclimate to them prety quick! :)

[NPMantis]

Well done mate, and congrats on getting married.

Boxing is very hard but I am enjoying it, I got with my cousin and we've decided to train very hard so that when we hit middle age we can looks back no how fit we were and how much we've lost...! I enjoy training this way so much more than the gym - and it's so much harder, I have grown a bit bored of weights I guess - I'd much rather have a more realistic workout.

I'd love to learn BJJ, I guess I'm only used to grappling with people I know really well so I have been putting it off (like I put off the boxing, and also kung fu before that) for ages!

What's this about your workouts? Is this on the fitness forum? I'm going to have a look....

[LEGEND]

What shocked me about boxing was the footwork. The striking wasn't the emphasis...it was the footwork. Before my boxing training, the movies and tv showed boxers emphasing on the punch. But the truth is footwork is what boxing is all about.

[fa_jing]

Originally posted by Shaolin-Do


I work the bag with no gloves, usually until I wind up breaking my hands open. (They stopped busting open for a while, then I moved and took the bag down for 2 months, now the break open again) Then just wear gloves when I break my skin.

you nasty

[Vash]

Originally posted by fa_jing


you nasty

Dang straight. God man, have some decency. Children are in the room.

[NPMantis]

If anyone is interested there are some good articles and a nice 10mb boxing manual for download at :

http://www.ringside.com/features.htm

Enjoy!

[IronFist]

Thanks for the link! That's probably the same boxing manual that I've been trying to download with Kazaa for a while now.

[IronFist]

Wtf? It says I can't download the boxing manual cuz there's not enough space on my HD. Um, I just checked it it says I have 2.5GB free. Htf is that not enough space?

Argh!

[IronFist]

I finally got it. Cool. I like the boxing manual. Thanks again for the link. :D

[NPMantis]

Glad I can be of help! As I mentioned earlier in this post I got a lot of boxing articles and stuff on my pc, if you got a decent sized inbox mail me your email to admin@freelondon.org and I'll post ou back whatever you want, I've got some really good articles on boxing. If anyone else wants any feel free to email me too, it's no problem!

I'm sharing them all on Kazaa Lite as well....