Boxing training questions, experts please respond

[Ravenman]

Hi all, I'm excited because I'm starting my first boxing instruction this Wednesday.

I was wondering what to expect as far as different phases in my training. This looks like a pretty hardcore boxing gym, and I went here because two different people told me it was the best in the city. It's got three full-sized rings, a long row of heavy bags, and some other workout equipment, and an upstairs area where they have classes. I know that I will start off in a boxing class that, from the little that I watched today, looks mostly like a shadow-boxing punching technique class with no contact.

I'm fairly athletic and have been successful at wrestling, bjj, and kajukenbo, and I plan on doing the boxing about 3-4 times per week, assuming I end up really liking it and that I'll be able to handle the physical demands (I've never been in a full-contact stand-up fighting art).

My questions:
-When might I expect to graduate from the beginner class to working on the bags, focus mits, etc?
-When might I expect to graduate from there to actual sparring?
-How long before I'm a proficient boxer, one that might be ready for a first amateur fight?

Thanks in advance for the answers and any tips you might have to better my experience.

[Maxximus]

I'm not close to being an expert, but I think you should skip the "boxing class". That's just the place where they keep all the complete scrubs and the "I just wanna get in shape" crowd. If you actually want to learn how to box then you should really think about getting a personal trainer. If you have no background in full boxing at all, then chances are you'll be kept on the focus mitts/bag/shadowboxing/conditioning for awhile (of course it depends on your own level of skill and progression though). For the most part, when you start sparring really depends on your trainer. From what I've seen, some trainers will encourage you to at least spar light as soon as you feel comfortable doing it. But others are paranoid about it for some reason and will tell you not to spar until they see that you've reached a certain level. But anyway, you should definitely get a personal trainer.

[Ravenman]

Then I guess it's good that this gym also gives private lessons, though of course for more money than the regular price to use the club and go to classes (which is very reasonable at just $50/month, considering you could concievably be there for a few hours a day, 5 days per week).

By the way, this is the Neutral Corner gym in New Orleans, Louisiana, if anyone has input specific to this club.

[Pit Dog]

I agree with Maxximus.

I've never heard of a "class." You just have a trainer, he shows you a few things, and you prectice on a bag or the mitts, and then you try to apply them in the ring.

Once you get those moves down, you learn a few more things, and try to apply them in the ring, etc.

The only way to build savvy in the ring is to BE in the ring, over and over again. No "class" will give you that savvy.

[Ravenman]

That's the way I usually figure Pit Dog, to learn something well, there's no substitute for the real thing. Though I thought maybe other schools did the classes, too, before allowing you to spar; glad to have one misconception out of the way. So I'll try to get into the ring when I feel comfortable with a few of the basic movements. I'm sure there are plenty of the regulars around who'd like to try their latest stuff on some fresh meat Though I'm still planning to check out what the class is like.

Given that, how about my last question, that of proficiency? If any of you had fights as amateurs, how long was that after you began training? I usually define "proficient" as being solid enough in the basics to play the game, usually 3-4 months for bjj, a year for judo, a couple of months for wrestling, etc.

[festiva]

im no expert but have access to world class trainers... 3 months in each of those categories would be great...each building and continuing with the rest... the first three months will teach you proper body mechanics and movement specifically the ability to move without crossing your feet.... the next three months pads will teach you to hit a moving target or to move and hit with power ...harder than it looks...many can hit a heavy bag hard but it takes a while to hit a pad hard thats being held by a MOVING opponent also your much improved balance should be enhanced to the point where you usually have the option to move well laterally when you end up in trouble.. the next three months . sparring ..at this point you should be able to control a beginner with the jab and your movement never backwards always to the side..and during this phase youll be able to tell if your instructors are skilled youll either get hit hard all the time and quit frustrated. or youll take very very few real hits and realise that the science of boxing is about hitting without getting hit...a tip ...when you throw a jab move your head or dip at the same time the opponent always throws a punch where he LAST SAW your head...

[Ravenman]

Cool, thanks for the tips and info festiva

[Ravenman]

Okay, I had my first session, and it was awesome! It broke down like this:

I came in 45 minutes early to sign releases and give contact info, etc, and get oriented. I was then introduced to a trainer, who gave me a general idea about what I'd be doing, then had me watch a 5-minute video on how to put on my hand wraps. Then I put on my wraps in front of the trainer, who was impressed that I could do it after just seeing it done once . He spent about 15 minutes with me showing me proper stance, how to move right, and how to throw a jab and a straight right.

Okay, so then I went upstairs to an open area with a bunch of other people for a class of about 15-17 people. It seemed like a mix of the "I just wanna get in shape" people and the "I'm a serious boxer" people (and I saw a couple of the guys who were doing some heavy sparring earlier working out with us in the class). There were both men and women, white people and black people. We all grabbed little hand weights and basically did an aerobic punching workout/warm-up for about half an hour, set to music.

After that we paired up with a partner and everyone went to a station. There was a buzzer going off periodically through the whole two hours I was there; it would buzz once and a green light would come on; 2 minutes and 30 seconds later a 30-second warning buzzer would go off and the light turned yellow, and at the end of that thirty seconds the buzzer would signal a 1-minute rest period (during which we jogged and made our way to the next station), then start over again. Anyway, there were stations that we rotated around. I did jump rope for the first couple of rounds, then various medicine-ball routines, and then (YAY!!) I got in the ring with a trainer for a few rounds and worked with different combos on the focus mits.

After that, I spent about a half hour working on the heavy bags. The trainer came over several times and gave me a lot of great pointers, but not so many that I won't remember them next time (unlike when you first start jiu-jitsu where they show so many techniques that most of it you forget right away). Then I chatted with the trainer for awhile, and I told him about how I wanted to learn some boxing skills for nhb fighting. He said he'd seen a couple nhb competitions, and thought that after some good boxing training, going stand-up against most nhb guys "would be like target practice" for me .

By that point most of the class had left. I stuck around awhile longer and hit the heavy bags some more and then played on those little badda-da-badda-da-badda bags shaped like teardrops (what are those called?).

Another person there told me that they really don't hold your hand at this place. You don't have to do the class, and you can basically come in anytime between 4:00pm and 9:00pm on weekdays, and between like 9:00am and noon on Saturday. The trainer also said any of us are welcome to spar any time, as long as we have a trainer watching, so that's pretty cool. He also said there's no ego in this place, and I have to agree that the attitudes there were pretty cool.

All in all, I was very pleased. It was a moderate work-out (I could've gone harder but wanted to take it easy my first day), and I learned a LOT in just this session; I can probably throw a straight right almost twice as hard as when I walked in the door!! I'm looking forward to going back tonight.

[festiva]

just waiting for you to tell us how it went seems like your trainers are excellent to me....especially the part where u said that you felt like you punch much harder than before ...a trained LIGHT weight in boxing can punch with few exceptions.. as hard or harder as any street punk heavy weight.......its all in the HIPS and BALANCE .. it will take you a year or more before you can punch a moving target with that much authority USUALLY...keep up the good work...

[Goozeer]

I know a couple of boxers here in Denmark and one of them only took 4 months before he was ready to amateur fight, but some have taken longer. I can't say how long it will take you but be very serious about your training and you're in the ring before you know...
Good luck

[keiths]

I started training about December at a gym but my nose was broken the day before my first tourney in sparring so I didnt get to compete. But my friend who had only been training for 2 months placed 2nd in the Novice in the Regional tourney here in TX. The Novice guys are nothing special and are pretty wild and not real good conditioned. Good luck and enjoy it!

keith sutton