The Beginner’s Guide to Boxing
So, you want to learn how to box? Great! Boxing is an incredibly rewarding and fun sport. It’s also a great way to get in shape and stay fit.
Boxing is a sport that both amateur and professional athletes can enjoy. In boxing, matched opponents try to land blows on each other with their fists. The goal is to either outscore the opponent or render them unable to continue the match. Boxing matches usually last for 3 to 12 rounds, each round lasting for three minutes. To ensure safety, boxers usually wear padded gloves. With these rules in place, boxing can be an enjoyable and safe sport for all participants.
In this beginners complete guide to boxing, we’ll teach you the benefits and basics of boxing so that you can start enjoying all that this exciting sport has to offer. Let’s get started!
The Benefits of Boxing
Boxing is an excellent sport that can help you get in shape and challenge your mind. Of course, everyone knows that boxing training is going to have massive benefits for your overall physical health. But, there are plenty of benefits of boxing training beyond the physical including boosts to your mental health and general wellbeing.
Here are our favorite benefits boxing has to offer:
Improves heart health
Boxing is a great source of cardio exercise, it gets your heart pumping and your lungs working harder so you burn more calories and reach a fat-burning threshold. Cardio exercise places additional stress on your body in a safe and managed way, which results in beneficial changes to the systems in your body to support this increased level of exercise.
Boosts whole-body strength
Boxing training is a great way to build strength. Every time you hit the punching bag or spar with an opponent, you’re using your body’s reserves of strength. And as you get stronger, you’ll be able to hit the bag harder and longer.
Improves balance
boxing uses all of the muscles in your body, including those in your core, legs, and arms. All of this movement helps improve your balance. In fact, studies have shown that boxing can help improve balance in people who are recovering from a stroke. Boxing can also be used to treat Parkinson’s disease, a debilitating neurological disease that affects a person’s ability to perform complex movements.
Decreases Stress
Research has found that exercise helps improve mood by the release of endorphins. Endorphins are the happy hormones that help to improve your mood. Regular moderate to intense exercises, such as boxing, can help to release these endorphins and reduce feelings of stress. So if you’re looking for a way to reduce stress, consider picking up boxing! You might just find that it’s a great way to improve your mood and overall well being.
“In combat sports, you never want to be up against the ropes; the same is true in life.”
Basic Boxing Gear
Boxing is a great way to get fit, build strength and hand-eye coordination, and release some stress. But before you can start throwing punches, you need to make sure you have the right equipment.
Essential Boxing Equipment
- Hand Wraps – Protect your hands and prevent injuries.
- Gloves – Choose the right gloves for your weight and training goals. Smaller boxers (below 120lbs) can train with 14oz gloves or less but otherwise get 16oz standard gloves.
- Mouthguard – Get a custom mouthguard for maximum protection
Boxing Stance and Footwork
It’s very important to have a solid foundation in boxing. This means your stance and your footwork. By not mastering these attributes, you’ll constantly be off balance when moving and you’ll decrease your punching power also. You must learn how to plant your feet and move around the ring effectively. If you know how to control the ring with your movement, then you can make your opponent fight at your own pace. Basic Boxing Punches Jabs, hooks, uppercuts, crosses are just a few types of punches. The more boxing techniques you have in your toolbox means that you can catch your opponents at different angles and positions as well as making them respect you a bit more in the ring. It’s always good to have a wide punch selection so that you can put your combinations together better.
Boxing Defense
Defense is just as important as offense. It’s often more difficult to defend than attack because it requires more focus. Blocking, parrying, slipping and footwork are all aspects of boxing defense and each one must be utilized effectively in order to become a decent all round fighter. This is especially important when you’re going up against someone who is physically stronger and can punch harder than you.
Boxing Gym & Coach
The fastest way to learn is to learn from somebody who knows what they are doing. The people and environment you surround yourself with have a great effect on your self growth. Training with trainers and better fighters will improve your skill level quickly. Training by yourself or with lower level fighters will slow your progress. With that said, being in a gym and working with a trainer is the best way to go. It will be tough and scary and out of your comfort zone but it will make you a better fighter
Martial Arts Coaches on Symposium
Britain Hart
Britain Hart is a bare-knuckle fighting champion and a boxing coach who loves combat sports and has found Symposium to be greatly helpful in connecting with her students. She is currently offering boxing classes online through Symposium. To find out more about her, check out Britain Hart on Symposium.
Nick Blomgren AKA One Kick Nick
Nicknamed One Kick Nick, Nick Blomgren is an expert in mixed martial arts as both an athlete and gifted instructor. Nick Blomgren is a world renowned and lifelong mixed martial arts practitioner specializing in Muay Thai kickboxing. In the city of Las Vegas, he is known as “One Kick Nick” where he is the CEO and Master Instructor at his gym One Kick’s. Check out Master Nick Blomgren on Symposium, and learn from one of the best in the mixed martial arts industry.
Ready to Hit the Ring?
If you’ve been thinking about trying boxing, there’s no better time to start than now! Symposium has everything you need to get started on your journey. Our experienced coaches will help teach you the ropes and provide support along the way. You’ll also be able to meet other members of the community who are passionate about boxing. So what are you waiting for? Get started today!
