Help me become a boxer!!!

SanoVitae

Hi everyone,

I've signed up for a White Collar Boxing Charity Event, which will involve me raising money for the Irish Motor Neurone Disease Association.

Of course, it'll also involve me taking part in a boxing match for the very first time so this is where I desperately need all the help you guys can give me!

The actual boxing training commences on October 24th and my fight takes place on Dec 3.

I'll post a thread on the fitness forum to discuss fitness and conditioning. Here, I'm looking for tips on how to prepare for it.

1) The gloves are 18 oz instead of the 10 oz gloves worn in amateur and professional bouts. Is it worth even throwing body shots? Would they have the desired effect if I landed them cleanly?

2) Are there any exercises which can strengthen your stomach so that you're not hurt so much by body shots? While I will be doing all the tried and tested exercises regardless, I just wonder if they actually help in any way. Or is it just a matter of building your resistance to body shots via sparring?

3) I have a few weeks before the actual boxing training begins. Apart from building a general base level of fitness beforehand, would it be a good idea to start some footwork drills?

Any feedback from those who have done the event or tips from the experts on here would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers!

Paul

colly10

SanoVitae wrote: »

1) The gloves are 18 oz instead of the 10 oz gloves worn in amateur and professional bouts. Is it worth even throwing body shots? Would they have the desired effect if I landed them cleanly?

They are 18's but it won't be all that light, chances are you will be caught by many flush shots and between an accumulation effect and not being used to taking shots you'll know your in a fight.
As for body shots, I think that a good body shot is technically a more difficult punch than a jab or cross and it all depends on the quality of the shot your throwing. I'd happily be hit with a good clean shot to the head over a good clean shot to the body.
Body shots aren't easy to recover from, id mix them in when your sparring and see what kind of success your having with them and if you throw good body shots then use them in the fight

SanoVitae wrote: »

2) Are there any exercises which can strengthen your stomach so that you're not hurt so much by body shots? While I will be doing all the tried and tested exercises regardless, I just wonder if they actually help in any way. Or is it just a matter of building your resistance to body shots via sparring?

Lots of core work is essential in boxing, I don't really think you get used to taking solid shots to the body, ye just need a strong core and it does make a big difference. A strong core will also improve the power in the shots you throw as well

SanoVitae wrote: »

3) I have a few weeks before the actual boxing training begins. Apart from building a general base level of fitness beforehand, would it be a good idea to start some footwork drills?

Id say just concentrate on your fitness for the moment as there's no trainer with you now to correct you if your technique is wrong, it can be difficult to spot your own mistakes.
The one thing I would try to learn before the fight, is to walk your opponent down with a high guard, it allows you to rest while your opponent is punching himself out. If you get it right it will also be mentally stressful for him if he's working hard throwing shots and not getting much success for the shots he's throwing.
If there's anything id remember is to never take your eyes off your opponent, it sounds obviously but you'd be surprised how many people are looking away when there throwing shots or have the eyes on the ground when there moving in with a shot. If your not looking at a shot chances are your going to be caught flush by it.

SanoVitae

Thanks for the tips - some very useful stuff there.

keane=cock

good advice above and all 3 answers to the questions posed by yourself are yes.

also.

take the advice given by your trainer.

throw STRAIGHT punches. practice this.

hands up. get used to it now cos its the worst habit people have when starting boxing or in white collar. its not as easy as it sounds especially when ur tired.

good luck

The Davestator

Sanovitae - you've ventured off the H&F forum! for charity boxing events, its all about fitness and bottle in my opinion. Its less about actual boxing skill as the gloves are so big and the refs are soooo cautious.

You know fitness, so concentrate on getting strong straight punches through the guard and moving your upper body out of the way.

colly10

The Davestator wrote: »

Sanovitae - you've ventured off the H&F forum! for charity boxing events, its all about fitness and bottle in my opinion. Its less about actual boxing skill as the gloves are so big and the refs are soooo cautious.

You know fitness, so concentrate on getting strong straight punches through the guard and moving your upper body out of the way.

True, you'll learn little or nothing in terms of skills within the time available and the better your prepared for high intensity work the better your likely to do

Jayob10

colly10 wrote: »

They are 18's but it won't be all that light, chances are you will be caught by many flush shots and between an accumulation effect and not being used to taking shots you'll know your in a fight.
As for body shots, I think that a good body shot is technically a more difficult punch than a jab or cross and it all depends on the quality of the shot your throwing. I'd happily be hit with a good clean shot to the head over a good clean shot to the body.
Body shots aren't easy to recover from, id mix them in when your sparring and see what kind of success your having with them and if you throw good body shots then use them in the fight



Lots of core work is essential in boxing, I don't really think you get used to taking solid shots to the body, ye just need a strong core and it does make a big difference. A strong core will also improve the power in the shots you throw as well



Id say just concentrate on your fitness for the moment as there's no trainer with you now to correct you if your technique is wrong, it can be difficult to spot your own mistakes.
The one thing I would try to learn before the fight, is to walk your opponent down with a high guard, it allows you to rest while your opponent is punching himself out. If you get it right it will also be mentally stressful for him if he's working hard throwing shots and not getting much success for the shots he's throwing.
If there's anything id remember is to never take your eyes off your opponent, it sounds obviously but you'd be surprised how many people are looking away when there throwing shots or have the eyes on the ground when there moving in with a shot. If your not looking at a shot chances are your going to be caught flush by it.

That really is an excellent piece of advice for a beginner, its one of the most common mistakes a beginner would make.

Jacket111001

What is your level of fitness and what age are you?