To become a good boxer

Boxing Important / Useful Posts
1

I took this quote from another topic, and thought it was necessary to post a new topic on this subject.

I have to disagree with what you said about training a fighter. It does kinda upset me. Mostly with the fact that you would encourage any type of training without the most important part of boxing training, SPARING!!!

I am a member of USA Boxing, and have had 44 amateur fights without a defeat yet. I am a member of the Gary Police Athletic League. My trainer is John Taylor, who brought up Angel Manfreddy, until Angel got into the King Circle.

When i first started boxing, i was afraid to spar, because i didnt want to get beat up by the same friends of mine who i could out run, lift, and hit the bags.

So for my first 5 fights, i must have sparred a total of 10 rounds. In those first 5 fights, i had 3 decisions, and two RSC’s (ref stops contest) in the first round.

The thing i most remember is that all i did was just go nuts in those fights. I would punch my ass off and be dead by round 3.

The only thing that saved me from getting my ass handed to me was that i was fighting in the novice division. That is a division for boxers in USA boxing who have less then ten fights.

It wasnt that i was a better boxer then my first five opponents, it was that i was a better athlete.

My coach took me aside after i fought fight 5 and said, “if you want to go anywhere, you have to spar. These fighters you beat are bums who didnt run or train as hard. They had no idea what they were doing just as you dont. After your 10th fight, your open and you will fight people with 100 fights under their belt. Your athletisism wont save you when a fighter knows how to roll corners, counter, and punch out of angles. You are gonna lose if you dont start training to box”

Next thing you know, I spar 9 rounds the next week, have another fight downtown, and have another first round rsc. I had 7 first round rsc’s by my tenth fight. After that, i have only knocked out 6 people in the first round. That is in 34 open division fights.

For everybody who wants to become a boxer who is a member of this site, or reads these posts. You play football, play basketball, lift weights, you dont play or lift boxing. The most important thing that can make you a better boxer is not all the other things out of the ring. Its what you do in the ring.

Through sparring you will gain reflex, stamina, and lose the fear of being hit (which is the first thing that an amateur has to do).

The only way you learn how to slip a jab is get hit by one about 100 times, then you say to yourself, thatpisses me off,im gonna try to move this time.

If you want to exercise and get in shape, thats great. But how does that help the people who come to this board who want to be better boxers? Coach Taylor has a new rule about his gym. If you dont want to spar, get out of the gym.

2

Good point ,but I think the posts in here are on a lot of different things that all help,its just sometimes that words can come across as being the be all and end all of something.

People come in here with “what if”? questions and the posters mostly all try to help useing their own experience.

You know for my money the number one thing you should look for when starting boxing is the right trainer.
And he is one who will study you in your natural form sparring lightly and moving and then he builds onto your natural abilitys while removing the weakness,adding removing fine tuning ,setting you the combos that suit you best etc etc.
We are all different and all need different direction to excell ,but your right ,its a fight and sparring and ring time is the big key that sort of goes without saying.

3

i couldn´t agree more, PAL. I have been training boxing for a month or so now. lots of push-ups, heavy bag, shadow boxing, combos.. but then I had my first few rounds of sparring today and, well, it gave a new dimension to my boxing life, sort of:)

i never imagined it could be so f*****g difficult to hit the other guy, i just thought we would enter the ring and beat each other as they do in the movies, but obviously, it´s not that easy.. outside the ring, everything seems kinda.. simple.. the bag jus´t wont slip aside, it won´t run and, most importantly, it won´t smash you:)

so all i can tell other boxer-wannabies is this: I learned more about fighting from four rounds of light sparring than from four weeks of hard training

4

I hate to be a pain in the arse as they are all worthwhile posts, but check out the quote, first paragraph, last word.

For the record I agree totally, initially sparring is the acid test for newcomers, after this most make up thier mind as to weather boxing is for them or not, some get a rush out of it and cant wait for the next session and some leave never to return.

5

Well, to become a good fighter you must have a good trainer and a strong mind, cause if your mind isn’t commited, then you have no business fighting, I don’t mean to say only committed people should fight, I’m saying something more deep, only few will know what I mean.

6

Ahh Purist ;
The minset,
new ground,
good point.

If you are down on your self for any reason in anything, even in boxing ,business or general life,
your asking for the beating and it WILL come.

Fear /guilt/loathing/jealosy/self doubt = mind /sickness.

Sickness = a self beating, that you set up.

Minset no #1.
you are at the controls
So take control.

Minset is habit ,if your not happy with something thats attracted to you , then change your mind and watch what happens.

7

Can somebody take the time to explain angles 100% to me please, I can understand if nobody wants to. I try to understand angles, but they are complicated.