How soon to box?

[tonyevs]

How soon would you suggest somebody is in the gym before they box?
Personally I was fighting within 3months.
Looking back I think this is too soon, I would recommend somebody is in the gym for at least 12months regardless of ability.

[prettyboyperez]

I think your natural athletic ability and your strength have alot to do with it. Some guys have the ability to just get in there and do it. (Kelvin Davis).
And some guys it takes more grooming in the gym. It took me 13 months before I steped into the ring.

[BigTex]

at our gym coach will throw you in there pretty quick to find out what he's working with..Usally after a month or so, you have to build a little endurance because you can't do shit if your tired. but usally new guys will get in there with the 16 oz and just start throwing haymakers which always fun to watch. I'd say over half of them never come back after that.

[babyhuey]

we recently tryed a new thing in our gym, we were getting full with ,
what i call bag boxers only,
anyway.......
we spar new guys with new guys,
six - thirty second rounds, they get a better understanding of what it is there doing there,
and why there there, 30 seconds its not enuff time for them to get hert, and it shows them the valus of conditioning and straight punches,
oh,
it weeds out the "bag boxers" too....
makes more room for the serious ones.

[prettyboyperez]

good idea!

[stujones]

I was 9 months, but that was only training at the gym once a week. I would have been before but for cancelations.

I think alot depends on the individual 1) His mental maturity 2) The type of sparring he has.

I knew a guy who has a big lad who fought within a month of stepping in the gym. My god that guy had talent and he was boxing well when he was sparring our welsh international light heavy (boxing his head off).

His first fight, he fought a guy of similar stature and got embarresed, he never came back to the gym.

[Sifutiger]

OK, From my point of view I believe it has a lot to do with the individual's personal attributes and the level of critical success factors he/she possesses. Are they mentally tough, are they fit, are they cool headed, are they committed, are they focused, do they have the time to invest to develop themselves as an athlete. Or do they just want to hit someone. The reason most people don't stay with boxing is because they are thrown in above their ability with little or no guidelines to develop within. They get the gloves on and their coaches let them beat the shit out of each other or they are overwelmed by someone above their skill level and experience. It doesn't have to be that way. My coach was like that and we had people drop all the time and then everybody would complain that there's not enough interest or funding because not enough people stuck with the program. The correct approach to fight training develops soldiers not gets them hurt or awol. Sparring should be done only after a boxing study learns how to cover, slip, b/w, catch, roll, jab on reaction and drills footwork, footwork and more footwork. At that point sparring should be controlled w/ no loading up, maintaining poise and working timing and counterpunching. If done right you should spar 6-8 light rounds per session until the coach is seeing a strong base. Then kick it up! I feel you should spar hundreds of rounds before you fight. Then you're ready to apply the sweetness of the science. What do you think????

[lumpymo]

I think your expecting way to much before someone "wants" to get into the ring. When I first started I was young, and after awhile all I wanted to do was spar, thats the most fun their is 'sparing". The training can get real boring, and if a person does not get to experience the inside of the squared circle then I feel your gona have AWOL's as a result. Teach them the basics, and let them hit the bag for a bit, but get them in their soon, then you know if they like it, if they can handle getting hit, cause they can look great on the bag, but as soon as they get stung, well thats usually when you get the ones that think "maybe this is not for me".
Let it be controlled to a point, but let them go at it still, some will get some bleeding noses, some will get the wind knocked out of them, and some may get a headache. It's all gona weed out the ones who want to and the ones who thought they did.

cheers M.O.

[vman]

its funny i can across this topic...
im 27... i know its a little old to start boxing, but on the other hand... im in better shape then i ever was.... never took lessons... (yet)... ive been watching boxing for a while now... finally in early 2004 got overly into it... played alot of fight night04... i know this sounds stupid, but u learn alot off games and tv... i now train in my basement daily, have a good set of weights, and a heavy bag... i know my cardio is low.. endurance is low as well... (last a desent 4 rounds lets say... average style fight) but i think i know how to box... ive been into a couple of street fights, so i know i can take a punch... (gotten hit hard and still kicked ass)... i know its not the same but hit in the head is a hit in the head...no?.

im thinking of joining this month, i think im ready... honestly im thinking of impressing people cause (to my knowledge) im a fast puncher, and good desent power... guess ill only know once i face someone....

what do u guys think?

[lumpymo]

You may learn something off of TV, but your never going to learn anything from playing a boxing "game". The only way to learn something is to do it, street fights are one thing but boxing is something completely different. The guys you fought in the street probobly didn't know anything about how to punch right, meaning there punches probobly were all arm, and no body behind it. I know your going to say yes they knew how to punch and they puched me real hard and "I" took it. Thats cause you don't know what its like to get hit by someone who knows how to. I am not trying to insult you, just trying to let you now the difference between one and the other, and their is a BIG difference. The only thing you can bring into the ring that you have developed on the street is your "cahoonas" BALLS! your toughness, your ability to endure pain, thats about it as far as I am concerned. Anyways good luck with your choice of clubs and your developement as a boxer.

cheers M.O.

[vman]

i dont dissagree, actually you are probably right... (just to add this in, i dont go to clubs... they were not drunk fights....i dont drink)... but back to the topic, i understand what your saying... street fights are usually sloppy... fists fliing around, with no precision and no power to back them up.... your post interests me alot... i think my knowledge of boxing is higher than the "beginner"...you follow me??.. and like you said "balls".. i do got guts, but im more worried about getting a full attack from my opponent then actually boxing it out... i got absolutely no experience.. if a boxer attacked and didnt back off--thats what im worried about faceing once i get in the ring... like i said, i can box.. or atleast i think i can, but the lack of experience... the "actual boxing" could get me in trouble... i guess thats where my trainer is gonna come in handy... anyways.. thanks for your reply...

also for beginner boxers... is ther a routine workout yous do... like pushups sit ups..whatever.. just to know if im keeping in shape the way i should...and not the way i could... thanks

[lumpymo]

Weight lifting can help alot with strength, but you need to do high sets and reps like 4 sets of 12. Chin ups are great as well, as are dips, if after awhile your doing alot of each, add some weight like hang it off your hips when doing them. Running is one of the most important, wind sprints are excellent as are hills for power. You should do weights for your legs as well, squats they are fantastic for you, use free weights, not a sitting machine for squats, big difference. Do them strict, with good form, do high sets and reps. Do your first set with just the bar lets say for weight, 1 set of 20. Then do 6 sets of 16 with weight, gradually build up, not to fast you don't want to get ahead of your knees. What I mean by this is the muscles in your legs may be able to handle the weight but your knees are gona get injured if you go to fast, they need to be conditioned, accustomed to the increase of weight, always do the exercises slow with good form. Stomach exercises very important, if you ever get hit in the stomach during sparing or during a competition you will wish to hell you did. One exercise we usto do when I was competing was some of us would get in a circle and throw the medicine ball at each others stomach, you would throw it at the other guys in an area he wanted you to, your side, your upper or lower stomach. I have recently been told that this is bad for the internal organs, but it does help to harden your body to punches, so each his own I guess, it was used for years in the sport, now I don't know. And one last thing learn to skip rope, and do alot of that.
Their is alot more but thats some stuff anyways.

cheers M.O.

[vman]

thanks bro... thats informative... im doing pretty much what youre saying, except for maybe one or two... but im on my way... its hard with a 10h day job, and everything else that comes after work, but hey, milliions of people do it so its no excuse...ill get there, thanks and ill let you know how my first sparring goes... i should be joining in less then a month...