Getting into boxing

Bout to join a boxing gym and learn how to fight.

Been in some fights growing up but never learned shit about how to fight well. I don't want to go competitive but I am serious and I want it to become one of my main hobbies.

Is there any advice anyone out there can give to me as I'm starting out?

I'm already in decent shape. Can run a 6.5 min mile for time and routinely do 7 mile runs. I've also been lifting for some years and have alright stats. Pic related.

Keep your fucking hands up.

Don't panic. They will probably take it slow with you but if you spar the first time new people swing for the fences with shitty form because they panic.

Do what they tell you.

Keep your fucking hands up.

Alright thanks user. What about equipment? How much should I spend on gloves the first time?

don't be a pussy, even when someone better is beating your ass just look him in the eyes and keep fighting, try your best nigga

it's easy to get intimidated

also watch alot of fights from youtube or what ever, focus on footwork and angles rather than punching desu

Yeah I've been watching some videos already. Thank you for the advice. Same question to you that I asked the other user. How much should I spend on gloves? I figured I would wait till I had been doing it for awhile to invest in some nice ones but I don't want to get a completely shit pair or something.

I was gonna ask why you decided on boxing but then I saw your legs

Dont do it. Brain damage is real.

Be careful of your right side though, the liver is there. Hands too high, you take a hook to the liver and you're down.

What I can say (as a beginner, only started in September this year) is that the curve seems be really steep, don't expect to be really good in just 3 months. A guy from the place I go to told me "you have to be diligent. Boxing is about always correcting your flaws". And boy do you have flaws when you start.

Also, the perfect guard just doesn't exist. You either don't cover enough of your body, or you're too stiff and unable to throw useful punches. Just find one in which you feel comfortable BUT while also having a good offense and defense.

Speed. Speed will always prevail. When it comes to lifting, I may not be the worse in the club, but I tend to be really stiff. A boxer with a better explosiveness from his muscles and therefore a better speed will simply wreck me. So from now on, no more lifting heavy stuff. Body weight or light weight, but quick and with a good amount of reps to work your explosiveness.

Oh and lastly, in my case, there's a guy who boxes since 1974. He always let us get into the ring with him for a round. He doesn't go too hard on us (well, sometimes he does),but even if he hurts and is waaaay better than us, it's a good experience. Therefore, if you have a veteran in your club whom you can spar with, don't be scared. It might hurt, but you will learn A LOT in just 3 minutes. It's thanks to him that now I'm careful about my liver. Seriously though, protect your liver.

I really appreciate the input user. Thank you.

>I'm already in decent shape

You're not. Boxing will teach you that.

Just remember to breathe and keep your hands up.

Barbasol with Aloe. My nigga.

Merlin Vascularity.

>You're not

ok dude

Also while I'm at it, remember that the main goal of boxing is to touch without being touched. Meaning, even if you decide to go with an aggressive type of boxing (i.e.: infighting), it doesn't mean "just walk toward the opponent and punch him. I may get punch in the process but no big deal". Yes big deal.

As another user said, brain damage is serious. Secondly, you'll just end up getting K.O. before you can do any serious damage to the other guy. I'm not too good when it comes to the technique, but I can still tell you that you should work a lot on your footwork, not have the mindset of "meh, as long as my punching is good, I can just let the opponent come at me if my footwork is bad". Footwork is really important when you have to go on the defensive. When on the offensive, you can use weaving and bobbing, or moving your head sides to sides.

Basically, don't think "it's okay if I take some punches" but "I must avoid being punched as best as I can". I'm not saying you should just run away though, just don't be a retard. Tyson, Frazier and the likes were in-fighter but still, you can see they're not just rushing to their opponents like bulls.

if you havent already, add speed rope into your workouts

i do 5 x 5 min rounds on the rope with drop sets of 10 burpees, 20 secs rest in between sets. ive been practicing muay thai and boxing for a couple years and it makes a difference in sparring and training. obviously, you dont have do it exactly that way, but incorporating speed rope will help you stay light on your feet, which is probably one of the most important things in any fighting sport.

like the other anons are saying, keep your hands up.
dont try to get all stupid fancy like these first timer faggots who do their best impersonation of mayweather and try to slip every punch with their hands down to look cool, youll get your shit rocked.
follow your coaches instructions and always take advice from people who have more experience than you.

oh and good luck, dont get hurt

Thanks m8. Gotta keep dat face hydrated.

That guy wasn't me. I get what you are saying. I'm not conditioned for boxing.

I'll do that thanks.

Head movement
Head movement
Head movement
Its defi itly a very important aspect often overlooked. Learn it in the beginning of your training. I didnt, which is why i suck

Well, lifting may help on the strength side of boxing, sure and thanks to your running you also have some stamina, so it wasn't all worthless, of course.

But as you just said, you're not conditioned for boxing. Just to give you a few examples that will make you realise: you have to keep your arms up for 3x3 mins in the amateur and 3x12 minutes in the pros. It may seem doable (and it is with a lot of training), but it's really, really hard actually. Arms are heavy (knees weak palms are sweaty). Also, same arms will receive punches and send punches, putting even more strain on them. You only have 1min between rounds, which is a short amount of time compared to the effort you do.

Also, let's say you have the physique for it. You can keep your arms up and your stamina is good enough to not be too tired after let's say, 6 rounds. You still constantly have to think (well, until it becomes natural) about everything about your own body (leg positions, arms positions, making sure you're not stiff, making sure your movements aren't too wide, or too slow, or too predictable...) while concentrating on your opponent. You basically have to predict what he's going to do next, because if you count on your eyes... Well, by the time you see he's throwing a left, the punch has already landed on your face.

But don't worry, I underestimated this sport aswell and I guess we pretty much all do until we start actually boxing. Though it's still a really awesome sport to do and if I didn't prefer to concentrate on powerlifting, I would do more than just this year of boxing.

As I've said, just be diligent, don't be afraid to ask for advices to your coaches and other members with experience and from times to times, don't be afraid to spare.

Thanks man I really appreciate the input. I'm really looking forward to this.

>first time new people swing for the fences with shitty form because they panic.
Lol I was so scared of getting knocked out that I ran around the ring when I sparred the first few times. Once you get used to getting hit, it gets easier to focus on fighting though.

this. boxing will destroy you bt make u stronger

Just to add onto their comments, back when I took boxing and muay thai seriously, running 5-10 miles as a warm up was a matter of course. And that's before the intensely aerobic boxing training.