Hello there I wanted to ask you guys what was the reason you began boxing. what motivated you to go to a gym and begin boxing. Where you forced by family or did you want to to do it for self defence. I began boxing for self confidence, in college I was bullied a lot and that feeling of having no self confidence and no control really made me depressed for a long time. Boxing has really given me hope and the belief I am somebody and do not let anyone tell you different.
I was lazy as **** and my parents being arab said I had to head out to a gym and do some sport. I asked if I can do football (soccer for your americans) and my mum said 'I want a real sport' and then offered a choice of boxing, kickboxing and squash so I took up boxing in the end and it's been two years so far. (y)
lol...did she really say squash??? I can understand the "real sport" aspect of boxing/kickboxing, but when she threw squash in there....did you look at her sideways, like I would? :blood Anyways, she seems to have a sense of humour, I can appreciate that. I had no intention of competing. I just always appreciated the sport and wanted to get in shape, and hated conventional gyms. So naturally, a boxing gym seemed like a good idea for getting in shape. I remember telling my coach I wanted to join the gym and was very clear about NOT wanting to compete. Long story short, 4 years later and over 20 amateur fights, I guess you could say I caught the bug.
I agree most commercial gyms are for posers etc. I go to the gym with my hoodie and headphones in no distractions, I basically zone out and train old school.
I started with my mate when I was 19 because I'd always been a fan of boxing and had had a few abortive attempts before. It took 8 months before I had my first fight in march 1977 but within 6 weeks I'd had another 5. I'm still involved in boxing as a coach btw
I'm not a boxer per se but I do try to train like one as best as I can. A few years back I really wanted to get in shape but I hated the way bodybuilder so look and didn't want that look for me so I thought to myself, "what exercises or sport can I do to keep slim, but at the same time be strong?", and boxing was the best option for me. I'm still a work in progress but I like the results and want to continue these exercises.
I was always a very short guy 5'5, who was fit but light framed ( I was probably 55 kgs/125 pounds in senior year HS). I could play sports but everyone was always twice my size, which sucks when you love basketball and baseball. I was never bullied or threatened at school. I noticed in basketball that when I defended guys my own size I was much stronger that them and I enjoyed the physical aspect of it more than actually shooting the basketball. That you control which way they moved and how frustrated they would be because they couldn't shake me off. I wanted to wrestle but they don't have that in my country for kids so I took up bodybuilding instead. Over a few years I started lifting heavy weights but there was always this nagging thought in the back of my "you think you are tough but you can't really fight". For some weird reason after weights I would throw punches at home in the mirror I had no idea about shadow boxing but I knew that was the start. In my senior year I saw a picture of Mike Tyson weighing in for the 2nd Holyfield fight. He just looked so powerful not in a muscular way but someone who would rip your head off in a real fight. I had never seen a boxing fight on TV at that point. A few years later in university, my weights gym made the whole top floor cardio with a heavy bag and speed bag. I was doing a back routine and half way through lat pull downs said, stuff this I know what I really want. I went upstairs and just boxed with no hand wraps and tried to skip. I did only boxing from that point on. After a few weeks doing these routines by myself I searched for a professional boxing gym and I just started going there. I was this skinny nerd guy around all rough criminals and bikies. Fast forward 12 years later I'm still a light framed short guy but I can properly fight now and I'm very happy. Even though I'm short and don't look like some killer I noticed that people started calling me a fighter and know me as a guy that will throw down and isn't a pushover. That's all I really wanted. Its so strange now, younger guys will say I look scary and ask if I'm from a rough neighbourhood. I'm not I just put myself in tough situations and realised that I could handle myself. You can't fake that realism that boxing gives you. People see it you even if you don't talk about it.
Hi all, I'm new here and I want to introduce myself and this seems like a good thread to do it in I started martial arts at 8 years old (on my own initiative) I wanted to do it more than anything because I was itching to become a man and to wise-up as fast as I could so I could be a person of influence and never back down I picked up boxing 8 or 9 years ago because it was the only martial art I hadn't really done and I wanted to give it a fair shot After starting it took a long while to adjust however now I have adjusted very well and know the true spirit of boxing and love it I aim to box professionally, not fight mma cuz I like the idea of being a boxer more But I am 31 so I have to do it asap Which is an anxiety enducing affair I am a light heavyweight extremely good on my feet, quick reflexes, and I got that crazy speed I'm trying to delve into forums cuz I gotta start setting up enough networks and knowledge to get into the game So yeah Hey all
I romanticized boxing way too much during puberty, always looking at pictures of Marciano smiling with bruises all over his face and Ali standing over his KO'd opponent made me think that what I needed to stop being an insecure and unhappy person was boxing. It worked even though now I know there are other ways to grow in character. I think I romanticize it more now as young man than I did as a preteen! There's lots of reasons, but I think my biggest motivator was trying to find a purpose in life and sticking to it.
