How do I develop? - How did you develop?

Nah mate, down under in Aus.

 

Aye, it's easy to forget that others had to learn from scratch as well!

 

Thats actually the thing that attracted me to boxing, the learning and listening.

I'd been playing soccer since I was five (27 years now). Through school classes came easy to me and thats the same in terms of my career, Ive been lucky that most things have come natural to me. at 30+ I needed a new challenge and pushed out of what is a natural comfort zone and boxing gives it to me.......... the chance to learn something from scratch. Something that takes time and practice and a lot of watching and listening!

One session sticks out in particular when we were practicing my slip followed by a right hook to the body and a right hook to the head. The hook to the head wasn't as quick as it needed to be so we spent ten minutes breaking it down, slowing it down and repeating. Some might find that boring and repetitive but for me it was invigorating as we analysed each movement until we identified I was having a slight lean to the left between punches that was causing me to readjust before executing the second punch. Might not sound like much, but for me it was exactly the type of small triumph that boxing now gives me each time I train!

 

The advice on this forum has been brilliant and has given me a boost albeit I have had to manage around an injured neck (with instructions being to limit weight bearing exercises). I've lifted my group sessions at the gym which helps with the cardio work I'm doing and means the home training can focus on my technique and round stamina. Home sessions tend to be as follows (happy to have feedback on anything I should change/add):

5 minute Warmup - at 33, I cant take any chances. This is just light movement and punches to get the blood flowing with a bit of running on the spot (until I get my new skipping rope).

3x2minute Rounds - Here I just shadow box, concentrating on my movement, basic punches that I learn with my trainer (Jab, Cross, Hook, Jab & Body with Slips). Im also working in with the jab (adding a combo) and then jabbing out with a pivot - have a question on that later!

1x2 minute Round - Here I have a rope between two poles and I bob and weave (in a stationery position, concentrating on form, bending at the knees and throwing single punches).

3x2minute Rounds - Heavy Bag work, because power punching and movement is difficult with the bag stand I have I have limited my bag work to three rounds of firstly a minute of jab cross and then switching to a minute of hooks. Then I did a minute of jabs then switching to a minute of right crosses. This is done with focus on speed and form. The final Round I mix it up moving in and out with different combos including moving in close for the body before jabbing back out. I've also started to add straight punches to the body (I figure at my level the body is an easy way to suck the life out of an opponent!) as well as plenty of body/hook combos and slips which I work on a lot with my trainer and I seem to have decent power and speed with these punches (for my level of experience anyway).

1x2minute round - speed ball.

One thing I am noticing is that my footwork is improving quite quickly for my level of experience (I daresay 27 years of soccer helps in that regard). One question I do have as per above, is that I feel very comfortable with a clock wise pivot away in my shadow boxing, however am wondering what the best way to move out of the way if I'm forced to the right?

The wife has promised to film my shadow boxing next week so I'll be able to have a better look and hopefully isolate the areas I need to sharpen up on.