Boxing is one of the oldest sports in history. All the way to ancient Greece where it was introduced in the 23rd Olympus (688 BCE!!!) However, they fought until one person couldn’t fight anymore which was more crueler than it is now. Not only is it safer, but it will help teach or build on life skills during your commitment to boxing.
First of all, most of you reading this could try out boxing. It will be a new experience from the other ordinary sports. You’ll have to take hard blows to your head or be the one knocking someone out. Once in the gym, coaches are welcome to help you be comfortable and learn all the basics.
What You will need
Now to start with boxing, you’ll need gloves, hand wraps, and jump rope. If you are going to spar with a partner, you’ll need headgear, mouthpiece, groin protector, and a sparring glove. Go to a gym and learn the proper way to box. You will only enjoy it and get better at it only if you practice on every skill and take the feedback from other boxers in the gym.
Benefits
On the first day, your body will hurt from the hard training, but it will be worthwhile. Not only are you building your strengths and capturing most of your body muscles, but you will also build important life skills and relievers. During my first days at the gym, I felt really insecure and a feeling of regret that I tried to do boxing because of what others will say. However, after getting used to the environment, I connected with my peers, took feedback, and improved on every jab, cross, footwork, ect. This was a moving point, I felt much happier because before, I used to do nothing else and just stayed inside my house, so boxing was my first step to change. Today, I don’t regret my decision, it moved me, put me on track to be fit, built my confidence, built teamwork, and learned from my mistakes. As long as you put your full commitment, you won’t regret it because of the advantages it gives you in life such as stated before, and even more as losing weight, test your body to your fullest, have self-control, and your mental strength during fights and sparring.
Keep On Fighting
Finally, don’t worry about being judged or embarrassed. The gym is an inclusive space, where you feel supported and everyone will try to give feedback to make you a better boxer. Not only these benefits of boxing will teach and benefit your core life skills, moreover, it will make you prepared when you’ll have to use this as a form of self-defense. Hope you will consider trying out boxing! And most importantly have fun!
Alexander Zhunio – Walter Payton College Preparatory – DMSF
Photo by Johann Walter Bantz on Unsplash