Toughening up process

[margaret thatcher]

One thing you notice a lot with the man mountain strong men types who try some boxing, and newbs in the gym, is that they seem shocked when getting hit

How much of a toughening up process is there for boxers you think, do you have to take some shots to really develop your resistance, and how long does it last. Just the first few fights/spars, or for years?

[Coco]

One thing you notice a lot with the man mountain strong men types who try some boxing, and newbs in the gym, is that they seem shocked when getting hit

How much of a toughening up process is there for boxers you think, do you have to take some shots to really develop your resistance

There is only one way to get used to being punched in the head

You need to get being punched in the head!

Prob even for guys like Hamed, he prob suffered a bit because he never got hit! And when he did it was a shock!

From working on the door I saw so many fighters and 9 times out of 10 the fella lost because of the shock rather than the force, rarely did you see someone laid out.

[Nightmare Roy]

Most boxers start as kids in the ams so they get used to getting hit with less power by other skinny kids with big gloves and head gear. A guy can be a 20 stone man mountain who can pick up a bus in each arm but if hes never fought before and gets hit off another big bloke who’s fought before and can punch he’s gonna know about it.

[banjo]

It's something which takes years and most never will toughen up. A lot of these big blokes talk the talk but never walk the walk, they reckon they could go far as a boxer because they can hit hard same as the eejits who reckon they could be an F1 driver because "it's just driving a car innit?"

[oogiebe]

Experience in getting hit is the only thing that prepares you for getting hit. AFter a while you know that the 'buzz' will end; that (body shots)you'll be ok in a few moments. First time I got the wind knocked outta me I thought I was going to die. The 100th time I knew I would recover in a few seconds.

[Stuarty]

You definitely need hit and hit again and again to become 'tough'... Getting hit helps you!

[gilgamesh]

Yep, this is basically just one of those things that comes with experience. You have to be mentally tough in the first place to even harden yourself to the process of toughening up to getting hit.

[Stuarty]

Experience in getting hit is the only thing that prepares you for getting hit. AFter a while you know that the 'buzz' will end; that (body shots)you'll be ok in a few moments. First time I got the wind knocked outta me I thought I was going to die. The 100th time I knew I would recover in a few seconds.

I boxed Junior Amateur and senior (for about 2 minutes) and in all the sparring etc i've done you don't get used to body shots! That wee theory you dropped there is good and something i've never really thought of tbh but it's still awful being hit there properly! Even when you're catching they shots they are fuckin murder!

[Stuarty]

Yep, this is basically just one of those things that comes with experience. You have to be mentally tough in the first place to even harden yourself to the process of toughening up to getting hit.

I remember my first time sparring. My old man boxed so me and my brother were always in a gym of some kind! I had been watching Naz on ITV (Terrestrial UK channel). I moved about quite well then got punched square in the face! I thought 'hold on a minute, this isn't meant to happen to me' Few years later i went to YMCA (not the gay bit ) and trained under a guy called Norrie Sweeney and another guy called Tony Lindie...

[Stuarty]

Always fought cautiously!

[oogiebe]

Experience in getting hit is the only thing that prepares you for getting hit. AFter a while you know that the 'buzz' will end; that (body shots)you'll be ok in a few moments. First time I got the wind knocked outta me I thought I was going to die. The 100th time I knew I would recover in a few seconds.

I boxed Junior Amateur and senior (for about 2 minutes) and in all the sparring etc i've done you don't get used to body shots! That wee theory you dropped there is good and something i've never really thought of tbh but it's still awful being hit there properly! Even when you're catching they shots they are fuckin murder!

yeah, they don't affect you less, but you know you can get through them. Liver shots on the other hand...um, no thanks.

[Muttley]

I boxed Junior Amateur and senior (for about 2 minutes) and in all the sparring etc i've done you don't get used to body shots! That wee theory you dropped there is good and something i've never really thought of tbh but it's still awful being hit there properly! Even when you're catching they shots they are fuckin murder!

yeah, they don't affect you less, but you know you can get through them. Liver shots on the other hand...um, no thanks.

solar plexus, ouch

[maninthemiddle]

Most boxers start as kids in the ams so they get used to getting hit with less power by other skinny kids with big gloves and head gear. A guy can be a 20 stone man mountain who can pick up a bus in each arm but if hes never fought before and gets hit off another big bloke who’s fought before and can punch he’s gonna know about it.

Very true..I started boxing as a 21 year old amateur heavyweight and after 5 or 6 fights was fighting open class boys and it’s a huge disadvantage missing out on that schoolboy grounding, both in terms of learning to receive punches and developing your technique.
I can remember in the first 2 months training getting grounded by body shots twice and thinking I was never going to cope with them, but it’s strange how you do..in terms of head punches you learn to avoid the worst by swaying back or completely slipping them or you get into a good habit of tucking your chin into your chest.
There’s many a time in Amateur boxing the more skilled boxer will lose due to either having less desire or a lower pain threshold than his adversary. In the pros there generally all tough.
I’d still recommend avoiding as many punches as you can

[TheGman]

One thing you notice a lot with the man mountain strong men types who try some boxing, and newbs in the gym, is that they seem shocked when getting hit

How much of a toughening up process is there for boxers you think, do you have to take some shots to really develop your resistance, and how long does it last. Just the first few fights/spars, or for years?

I reckon you gotta of started boxing early,you cant get teh age of man mountain or Eddie Hall or Freddy flintoff and then start thinking "i know ill give boxing a go" its easy throwing punches at bags and pads and being 6 foot plus and people say "wow your a big lad arnt ya" you gotta develop toughness from an early age,same on the street imho.

[GPTM1403]

Same for all contact sports, your body has to become conditioned to the contact and until it does the first noticeable impact is a shock.

[Coco]

Tommy Morrison tackles the subject at 3.20

[TheLeprechaun]

A lot of it is just muscle memory. You take a shot and then keep a poker face and get into your automatic stance with your hands up and then roll with whatever punches are coming to try take some sting off. This is drilled from an early age even if you haven't been hurt but are caught in a bad position up against the ropes or something. These bodybuilder guys don't have the fundamentals of boxing stance down at all.

[Delta Jay]

Sometimes young wee lads learn how to deal with punches before they start boxing.

Those are the proper good boxers. If you want a good defence, it helps to be afraid of being punched. If you want a great defence, you have to be fearless.

[margaret thatcher]

Tommy Morrison tackles the subject at 3.20

[THEBUTCH]

I think it's true, you just have to take a few thumpings and hope you come out the other side and keeping going back to the gym.

I can't believe anyone enjoys being hit hard in the head, but those killer body shots that cripple you are bloody awful

[THEBUTCH]

Slight break from the topic, but Morrison was a hell of fighter. Shame he made the choices he did in life, but at his peak he was a real danger man with thunderous punching power and a ton of bottle.

[THEBUTCH]

The Mercer loss was brutal, but Morrison started off like a rocket. He made some major improvements after that fight. Lennox outclassed Tommy and the damaged eyes didn't help matters at all.

The countless knockouts, wars with Joe Hipp, Razer Ruddock and Carl Williams, excellent stick & move tactics against Foreman...Morrison had a fantastic career

[oogiebe]

The Mercer loss was brutal, but Morrison started off like a rocket. He made some major improvements after that fight. Lennox outclassed Tommy and the damaged eyes didn't help matters at all.

The countless knockouts, wars with Joe Hipp, Razer Ruddock and Carl Williams, excellent stick & move tactics against Foreman...Morrison had a fantastic career

Agreed. He doesn't get the respect he deserves, probably because of his wasted talent and opportunities. The Mercer fight was a headscratcher. Had absolutely no idea what to do when he got hurt after dominating the first four.

[THEBUTCH]

Tommy had blasted his way into that fight with a string of impressive KO's and had a lot of expectation on his young shoulders. He was way too eager and threw the kitchen sink at Mercer. Morrison threw one of the best combinations I've ever seen at one point in that fight, but Mercer was an immovable object. A brick wall.

Morrison was already f*ucked by the 5th and then Mercer turned the tables. Mercer could also whack himself. Tommy didn't just run out of steam and call it a day. Mercer nailed him to the floor in stunning fashion.

As devastating as the loss looked, I think it did actually toughen up Morrison for future fights and taught him a lesson in pacing.

[littlepug]

What takes time to learn is proper footwork and head and body movement, once you’ve got proper balance and can roll with the shots they’re not as bad to take and you can get outta the way of the follow up shot, without those skills you’re just a sitting duck with your head being used as target practice