I am 18, 6 foot 1 and 198 pounds, I do not know my exact reach but I believe it to be proportional to my height. I play division 3 college football, I play quarterback and am left-handed, so I am a natural southpaw. I was just wondering if you guys maybe had any tips for me as I plan to join a gym the minute I get home from college (about a week). Any tips, advice, personal experiences would be greatly appreciated. I just want to feel as prepared as possible because I believe that boxing is a lot about confidence and knowledge of one's strengths and weaknesses.
Go in with an open mind. Don't try to act like you know stuff. I get it, it's a little intimidating walking into a gym being a total noob and not wanting to come across like one. But guys who try and act like they know ****, are soooo easy to spot, it's embarrassing. They just embarrass themselves. Talk to those around you, and seek their advice. A little inquisitiveness goes a long way, and people will appreciate you 10 times more than someone trying to act like a hot-shot. If you do that, people will try to make your sparring experiences into a constructive learning experience. The 'other' guy well....let's just say, we have noooo problem taking liberties with those guys and giving them a big fat reality check. Attitude is everything. Guys that wanna learn, and are willing to work hard and push themselves get the most respect, even if they know absolutely nothing.
Walk in there like you own the place, go right up to the trainer and tell him you want to see what his best guy's got.
Be prepared to grind out the basics, as you're starting reasonably late in life, any good coach will spend the first six to eight weeks teaching you footwork high guard, and head movement. If your coach has you working mits or even bag as a big part of your novice training, he's the wrong coach. You need a guy who wants to give you the fundamental basis of good movement and defense because you can't easily un-learn bad habits. Also, be ****ing humble, absorb information and listen to your trainer.
Go on the internet and ask people to affirm your own beliefs if your coach's suggestions don't mirror your own ideas of what you should be doing. (Not a dig at the OP, but at a lot of people who start threads on this forum.)
Boxing is a commitment, more so than most other sports because the amount of training time that goes into it. Just realize that your gonna have to adapt a different lifestyle to have success in Boxing than you may have done for other sports. Can't count the amount of times I heard guys say, 'This is way tougher than any football training camp I've done. ' And there's a lot more to it than confidence and strengths/weaknesses but that is for you to figure out on your journey into boxing. :bbb
Protect your hands & wrists. Invest in proper gloves & wraps. Protect your head, eyes, face & nose. Invest in proper headgear. Protect your teeth, jaw & brain. Invest in a proper (custom) mouth guard.
Thinking of doing this at a new muay thai place that just opened up near me. It's gonna be a lot of fun :yep
Not only that, tell them that you do Jiu Jitsu, that you think Boxing is for poosays and look at the nearest Boxer to you and say 'You wanna grapple, Suzie?' Instant respect, IMO. It's a sure thing.
Oh man.....how did I miss that??? 18 years old?!?!? Just forget about boxing....lawn bowling, golf.....might be your thing. Don't want to agitate a hernia, or arthritis....might damn well break a hip....