What age is too late to start boxing?

[SAPFO]

I have a younger brother, he's 17. Black Belt in Karate (I know, I know. I mention it as an example of the dedication he has) at age 13, and has traveled the EU not just prancing around doing a Kata, but also 'fighting'. His striking technique is bang on. Messing around the other month and he landed a sharp straight right, and got out in a flash. I spent years trying to get him away from Karate, and now after a year off training, he wants to move in another direction, and has just started BJJ, with a view to picking up wrestling, & a striking art.

I am in 2 minds on what advice to give him regarding the striking. Do I send him to a Thai gym for his striking, or to a boxing gym to really hone those hands?

[Kalan]

It's never too late to start doing anything you love... I've seen guys in their 50's really excited about learning how to box and wanting to spar... They'll offer to pay you big money to train them and they're 10 times as excited as any kid is.. Not that they want to compete as an athlete.. They just want to get in there and do some "skillful" sparring for their own pleasure.. Why not? You have to match them carefully. A couple guys have actually started pro boxing after 50, as sick as that sounds ... Some people are certainly delusional, but people said Foreman was delusional when he said he wanted to be a better and more patient boxer after 10 years out of the sport.

I you want to refine striking skills, it depends on what KIND of striking... Boxers strike exclusively with the end of the fists... there's no elbows... forearms... back-fists... hammer blows... palm thrusts.. thumb or finger sticks.. or karate chops... But if you want to learn fisticuffs Boxing is the place to go.. There's tremendous amateur competition in Boxing and you can go as far as you want.. In the pro game you can make tons of money if you keep winning.

[mikeb686]

WHAT AGE IS TOO LATE TO START BOXING? (and be competitive in any major striking sport)


I started wrestling at 6 and boxing at 8 years old. I won the Junior Olympic Nationals in Raleigh, N.C. when I was 15 (1 month shy of 16). I easily beat Chris Byrd, who had 100 more fights under his belt than I did at that time. He, as we all know, went on to become a two time Heavy Weight World Champion. I used to spank John Ruiz at the Olympic training centers in Lake Placid, NY and Colorado Springs, CO. I ended up choosing wrestling in the end and getting a good education. The thing is before I won my first National tournament I was just a decent Regional fighter. Not even a National placer the one time I made it there in Peoria, Illinois. I was 1 and out the first day.

Less than two years before my J.O. National Title win I moved my training to Spokane WA. One of the top 3 best trainers in the U.S. was there. Dan Vasser Sr. (Tom Mustin from Tacoma, WA. was another) Both of Dan Vassar's sons won multiple national titles. When Dan passed a few years back he had a whole slew of National Champions he had created with his knowledge. A few of these guys, and Dan's two sons were also my new sparring partners. Or I was their new punching bag, and for quite awhile. So, anyway, after my first 5 years of boxing I was an average everyday boxer with some talent. Less than 2 years later I was a National Champion and virtually untouchable for years after. What happened?

My good friend Nik, with only Karate experience, was being beaten and bullied at school, and had finally had enough. He started coming to the same gym as me. Nik was very dedicated, and we were probably born with somewhat of an equal amount of natural talent, although I was 50 pounds heavier. At first he got his butt kicked by the dorks in the gym; guys who trained all the time, but had never had a fight. This went on every night for about six months. Then, week after week, he began overcoming these guys. Eventually to the point that at around the 9 month mark from his first day, these gym rats wouldn't even think of sparring him. This was the exact point in time when Nik's biggest bully and nemesis at school got dropped by Nik's straight right and didn't get up for a LONG time. As Nik's second full year of training approached, he was every bit as good as I was when I first joined the Spokane Howard Street Boxing Club. He had gained in 2 years, what it had taken me 5 years to gain. Why?? and WHAT so drastically changed my own boxing career in less than two years??? The answers are in the list below.

THE LIST BELOW WILL GIVE YOU THE CORRECT TOOLS NEEDED TO FORM THE ANSWERS TO YOUR QUESTION
1. A Great coach makes all the difference in the world. Make sure they have had at least a couple National Champions in their stable. A
Great coach can do in 4-5 years what a Good coach will take 7-10.
2. Natural talent. Without talent in your DNA you will advance very slowly, and will never go national or further. A great coach may get you to the
National tournaments eventually, but you'll never get a gold medal.
3. Grit: Perseverance, determination, mental toughness, absolutely hating to lose, willingness to put in the hours it takes. These and other
synonyms are basically all the same thing and are all required.
4. The older kids get the quicker they learn, and the faster they pick up and develop new skills. This really takes off around 12 and begins to taper
off in the latter teenage years, but it's been proven many times that our brains aren't fully developed until somewhere between 21 and 25.
Large mental spurts of acuity slow in the years 16-18. Anything after that is minimal at best.

[mikeb686]

MY PERSONAL ADVICE:

Wrestling is the most important defensive skill and takes the longest to master. An All-american can make a few minor adjustments and slide right into the UFC style ground game.

Boxing takes the longest of the striking skills to master correctly and out of the many many striking submissions they are almost always punches. Of course not always but over 85% would be my guess.

Since he is starting at an older age I would stick with the two most important, tried, true, and proven ways to become either a badass or a competitor.

I'm not counting Hoyce Gracies personal BJJ camp in this personal analysis of mine. Things happen in 5 years there, that don't occur anywhere else...

Kalan made an excellent point in his post. I do 40years+ Greco tournaments a few times a year and Ive heard of amateur boxing master programs that are getting popular.
Im new today and these are my first two posts so bear with me if Im a little off key. Im a fast learner, lol

[Bricks]

It's never too late to start doing anything you love... I've seen guys in their 50's really excited about learning how to box and wanting to spar... They'll offer to pay you big money to train them and they're 10 times as excited as any kid is.. Not that they want to compete as an athlete.. They just want to get in there and do some "skillful" sparring for their own pleasure.. Why not? You have to match them carefully. A couple guys have actually started pro boxing after 50, as sick as that sounds ... Some people are certainly delusional, but people said Foreman was delusional when he said he wanted to be a better and more patient boxer after 10 years out of the sport.

I you want to refine striking skills, it depends on what KIND of striking... Boxers strike exclusively with the end of the fists... there's no elbows... forearms... back-fists... hammer blows... palm thrusts.. thumb or finger sticks.. or karate chops... But if you want to learn fisticuffs Boxing is the place to go.. There's tremendous amateur competition in Boxing and you can go as far as you want.. In the pro game you can make tons of money if you keep winning.

Best most inspirational and accurate post ever

[AngryGoon38]

I will be 47 in may but i keep in very nice shape through a combination of my gym-membership,swimming membership,heavybag workouts,and my job is very physically demanding as well. I still feel i can throw down in a ring. I'd Love to get to box Zelenoff or certain managers at my job that i feel an insaitable need to vent my frustrations onto,in a Boxing,or MMA match. I sparred alot in TKD back in the day so i do have that competitive spirit,always did,and i aspired to box while in my pre-teens to early teens but that became a derailed dream/aspiration after my eyesight started rapidly getting blurier between the ages of 11-14.

I realized that i was way too nearsighted by the time i was 14,for boxing to be in the cards for me as a realistic goal/aspiration. As time has went on though,my eyesight has seemed to level out alot more,farsightedness is combining itself with my nearsightedness and i can squint my eyes into decent vision so long as the opponent is close enough,within reasonable measurable punching distance. I'd like to drop my gym and swim memberships and join a boxing gym. This MMA fighter that worked with me for awhile,he held up cardboard sheets and boxes for me to punch at,including jabs and hook shot punches, while at work, in the warehouse, and he was very impressed. He said he thought i should definately go for it. He was quite impressed with my naturally good form,power,and speed.

[Kalan]

You can't do it any younger -- but anger isn't a good reason to start boxing.. You're not going to get the people you're angry at into a ring.

Sportsmanship is part of any sport. So is humility. If you're matched fairly there's a possibility you will lose. Will that frustrate you even more? You need think about this. If you train real well and box well, but still lose -- are you going to enjoy the experience because you've made some progress and will probably win next time.. Or are you going to be emotionally down in the dumps? It's not worth it if it's the latter.

Mike Weaver lost 3 of his first 4 fights -- and 6 of his first 12 fights... He said he didn't mind losing, because he knew he was getting better with each fight.. He kept driving to the gym every day after work, dreaming about being Heavyweight Champion of the World.. And one day the dream came true.

[DaNo]

I know there are boxers who started in their late teens and still had a good career. I believe Anthony Joshua started at 18 for example. But what do you guys think are some advantages in starting late (provided you want to get into competition)?

[northern]

I know there are boxers who started in their late teens and still had a good career. I believe Anthony Joshua started at 18 for example. But what do you guys think are some advantages in starting late (provided you want to get into competition)?

if you start late in competitive boxing :

Athleticism - Could already have an athletic background so the fitness side is already taken care of so it is just developing skill over monitoring weight/fitness etc.

Different background - Could come from a kickboxing / MMA / Martial arts background and have a unique style.

Maturity - People know when to commit and listen instead of taking risks and coasting when they feel relaxed.

Pressure - Either for better or worse you have no pressure on you to succeed since your competing to better yourself not to prove anything.

Personal drive - Starting late can give you something to prove, your older, you don't have the same amount of time as everyone else, you make it count more.

Easier to learn/teach - More mature boxers listen and develop technique easier then kids do, kids will get it right but need to be monitored and you need to make sure they do things right, an adult knows when to practise and when they make a mistake that needs fixing.

[Kalan]

I know there are boxers who started in their late teens and still had a good career. I believe Anthony Joshua started at 18 for example. But what do you guys think are some advantages in starting late (provided you want to get into competition)?

if you start late in competitive boxing :

Athleticism - Could already have an athletic background so the fitness side is already taken care of so it is just developing skill over monitoring weight/fitness etc.

Different background - Could come from a kickboxing / MMA / Martial arts background and have a unique style.

Maturity - People know when to commit and listen instead of taking risks and coasting when they feel relaxed.

Pressure - Either for better or worse you have no pressure on you to succeed since your competing to better yourself not to prove anything.

Personal drive - Starting late can give you something to prove, your older, you don't have the same amount of time as everyone else, you make it count more.

Easier to learn/teach - More mature boxers listen and develop technique easier then kids do, kids will get it right but need to be monitored and you need to make sure they do things right, an adult knows when to practise and when they make a mistake that needs fixing.

Those are all very good points... And you also have much better judgment when you're older than a little kid has.. It's easier to discern the quality of coaches as you watch them work with kids.. You ask better questions like how many fights your coach had. What titles did he win? If he was a successful boxer but is not a particularly articulate and intelligent coach you don't want him.. If you don't get the right answers look for another potential coach.

Other things maturity gives you: You've learned how to manage your time much better as you close in on adulthood. That discipline helps a boxer to no end.. You probably know more about eating and nutrition, which is very important.. You're much better at setting goals -- and that's the main skill that a 10-year-old doesn't have and an 18-year-old has: Setting goals and accomplishing goals are 2 things you know you can achieve.

You can break down all the elements of Boxing you want to learn and give yourself months and years to learn them and master them.. You might decide to try for a fight in 4 months. That lights a fire under your ass because you need to master the fundamentals very quickly or you'll embarrass yourself. Above all keep practicing and improving. Skills come slowly but they come with time, work, and patience. When you reach your first goal that will fire up your enthusiasm to reach your second goal. Keep setting goals. That's extremely important in Boxing. You won't hit all your goals in the time frames you want. You just keep re-planning and driving towards your goals with great passion and enthusiasm.

[Tomasino]

MY PERSONAL ADVICE:

Wrestling is the most important defensive skill and takes the longest to master. An All-american can make a few minor adjustments and slide right into the UFC style ground game.

Boxing takes the longest of the striking skills to master correctly and out of the many many striking submissions they are almost always punches. Of course not always but over 85% would be my guess.

Since he is starting at an older age I would stick with the two most important, tried, true, and proven ways to become either a badass or a competitor.

I'm not counting Hoyce Gracies personal BJJ camp in this personal analysis of mine. Things happen in 5 years there, that don't occur anywhere else...

Kalan made an excellent point in his post. I do 40years+ Greco tournaments a few times a year and Ive heard of amateur boxing master programs that are getting popular.
Im new today and these are my first two posts so bear with me if Im a little off key. Im a fast learner, lol

Excellent posts sir!

[DaNo]

I know there are boxers who started in their late teens and still had a good career. I believe Anthony Joshua started at 18 for example. But what do you guys think are some advantages in starting late (provided you want to get into competition)?

if you start late in competitive boxing :

Athleticism - Could already have an athletic background so the fitness side is already taken care of so it is just developing skill over monitoring weight/fitness etc.

Different background - Could come from a kickboxing / MMA / Martial arts background and have a unique style.

Maturity - People know when to commit and listen instead of taking risks and coasting when they feel relaxed.

Pressure - Either for better or worse you have no pressure on you to succeed since your competing to better yourself not to prove anything.

Personal drive - Starting late can give you something to prove, your older, you don't have the same amount of time as everyone else, you make it count more.

Easier to learn/teach - More mature boxers listen and develop technique easier then kids do, kids will get it right but need to be monitored and you need to make sure they do things right, an adult knows when to practise and when they make a mistake that needs fixing.

Those are all very good points... And you also have much better judgment when you're older than a little kid has.. It's easier to discern the quality of coaches as you watch them work with kids.. You ask better questions like how many fights your coach had. What titles did he win? If he was a successful boxer but is not a particularly articulate and intelligent coach you don't want him.. If you don't get the right answers look for another potential coach.

Other things maturity gives you: You've learned how to manage your time much better as you close in on adulthood. That discipline helps a boxer to no end.. You probably know more about eating and nutrition, which is very important.. You're much better at setting goals -- and that's the main skill that a 10-year-old doesn't have and an 18-year-old has: Setting goals and accomplishing goals are 2 things you know you can achieve.

You can break down all the elements of Boxing you want to learn and give yourself months and years to learn them and master them.. You might decide to try for a fight in 4 months. That lights a fire under your ass because you need to master the fundamentals very quickly or you'll embarrass yourself. Above all keep practicing and improving. Skills come slowly but they come with time, work, and patience. When you reach your first goal that will fire up your enthusiasm to reach your second goal. Keep setting goals. That's extremely important in Boxing. You won't hit all your goals in the time frames you want. You just keep re-planning and driving towards your goals with great passion and enthusiasm.

Great advice guys, thanks.

[crusader]

17 is not really that old, especially if someone has previous striking experience.

I watched Loma-Sosa recently, and it was noted that Sosa didn't start until he was 21. That's not the norm among top fighters (I'm not sure how high your brother would be aiming), but there are many cases of guys doing well after taking it up in their late teens or even 20s.

[TheGreatBoxer]

There is No "Maximum Age" to start Boxing, last time I checked the oldest Person to ever Box professionally was 54 and Bernard Hopkins and Evander Holyfield were 50 when they have their last fight, In Ameteur Boxing, at least in the United Kingdom that Maximum Age to Box is 40, but in White Collar and Professional Boxing there is no Maximum Age if you can pass the required physical tests.

[littlepug]

I went from a martial arts background to boxing age 16, had my first fight at 17 and boxed for the next 10 years amateur and then pro, there are plenty that started later and had good careers. A lot of martial artists see boxing as a bit "basic" but once you start you soon realise its a complex skill.

[Alakey]

I have a question on the same topic, only, so to speak, on the other side. At what age can you start boxing? My younger brother (9 years old) is a huge fan of boxing. He does not miss a single match of his favorite boxer and just dreams of becoming a boxer too. Parents are certainly a bit terrified, but the enthusiasm of the child try to support (against boxing as a hobby they do not mind because the boy should be able to stand up for himself). The question is, is it a good idea to give him to any section now, or is it better to give it a little more time?
In addition, there is a problem with equipment, such as boxing gloves that in online stores, that there are enough offline stores, but the child's hand is not the hand of an adult formed man. Where can I find children's gloves, or can I simply change/customize the ordinary one?
p.s. Amazon is not suitable as parents with brother live in Ukraine, and the delivery there is too expensive, although I'm working in the UK, but I do not have the opportunity to visit the family so far. Did not even expect that to find gloves for the child such a problem)

[littlepug]

I have a question on the same topic, only, so to speak, on the other side. At what age can you start boxing? My younger brother (9 years old) is a huge fan of boxing. He does not miss a single match of his favorite boxer and just dreams of becoming a boxer too. Parents are certainly a bit terrified, but the enthusiasm of the child try to support (against boxing as a hobby they do not mind because the boy should be able to stand up for himself). The question is, is it a good idea to give him to any section now, or is it better to give it a little more time?
In addition, there is a problem with equipment, such as boxing gloves that in online stores, that there are enough offline stores, but the child's hand is not the hand of an adult formed man. Where can I find children's gloves, or can I simply change/customize the ordinary one?
p.s. Amazon is not suitable as parents with brother live in Ukraine, and the delivery there is too expensive, although I'm working in the UK, but I do not have the opportunity to visit the family so far. Did not even expect that to find gloves for the child such a problem)

age 9 is perfectly fine

[Alakey]

I have a question on the same topic, only, so to speak, on the other side. At what age can you start boxing? My younger brother (9 years old) is a huge fan of boxing. He does not miss a single match of his favorite boxer and just dreams of becoming a boxer too. Parents are certainly a bit terrified, but the enthusiasm of the child try to support (against boxing as a hobby they do not mind because the boy should be able to stand up for himself). The question is, is it a good idea to give him to any section now, or is it better to give it a little more time?
In addition, there is a problem with equipment, such as boxing gloves that in online stores, that there are enough offline stores, but the child's hand is not the hand of an adult formed man. Where can I find children's gloves, or can I simply change/customize the ordinary one?
p.s. Amazon is not suitable as parents with brother live in Ukraine, and the delivery there is too expensive, although I'm working in the UK, but I do not have the opportunity to visit the family so far. Did not even expect that to find gloves for the child such a problem)

age 9 is perfectly fine

Mom will be unhappy, but I'll tell her your words) But what we shall to do with gloves? Just сhatted with them they were in several stores, but on his hand, they found anything.

[littlepug]

I have a question on the same topic, only, so to speak, on the other side. At what age can you start boxing? My younger brother (9 years old) is a huge fan of boxing. He does not miss a single match of his favorite boxer and just dreams of becoming a boxer too. Parents are certainly a bit terrified, but the enthusiasm of the child try to support (against boxing as a hobby they do not mind because the boy should be able to stand up for himself). The question is, is it a good idea to give him to any section now, or is it better to give it a little more time?
In addition, there is a problem with equipment, such as boxing gloves that in online stores, that there are enough offline stores, but the child's hand is not the hand of an adult formed man. Where can I find children's gloves, or can I simply change/customize the ordinary one?
p.s. Amazon is not suitable as parents with brother live in Ukraine, and the delivery there is too expensive, although I'm working in the UK, but I do not have the opportunity to visit the family so far. Did not even expect that to find gloves for the child such a problem)

age 9 is perfectly fine

Mom will be unhappy, but I'll tell her your words) But what we shall to do with gloves? Just сhatted with them they were in several stores, but on his hand, they found anything.

have a search online, there must be smaller gloves for kids somewhere, let us know how he gets on

[DaNo]

I just watched the Badou Jack-Nathan Cleverly fight and they mentioned Jack didn't start boxing until he was 17

[1024008]

There is no doubt that boxing is a physically demanding sport. boxers need to be in excellent physical condition to be able to withstand the rigors of training and competition.One of the most important pieces of equipment for a boxer is a good pair of gloves. Boxing gloves protect the hands and wrists from injury, and they also help to absorb the impact of punches.Another important piece of equipment is a mouthguard( https://mmafactory.com.au/blog/medicine ... e-strength ). Mouthguards protect the teeth and gums from damage, and they also help to prevent concussions.

[1033813]

its never too late

[1057147]

it may be challenging you can reach your boxing goals at any age and stage of life. It will take hard work and persistence but 24 years old is never too late to start boxing