Re: New Boxer and i have a match...need advice
Pierce, I am definitely not an authority on boxing. But I took a few lessons and have done a little fighting. Here's all the help I can give you.
The first punch you should concentrate on learning is the left jab. It sets up
your opponent for other blows. If you are right-handed, you should lead with your left hand and leg. They should be sticking out in front of your right side.
Being right-handed is called "orthodox". If you're left-handed, or "southpaw",
lead with your right side.
As for the rest of the stance, I never got it completely right. But try to keep your head down, or don't lead with your jaw. That makes it a target. Someone told me to keep the feet a shoulders width apart. An experienced boxer could tell you how to position your shoulders. I think they should be slightly down, but relaxed, not tightly hunched.
What is very important to remember is NOT TO LET DOWN YOUR RIGHT! That
leaves you open. Nature abhors a vacuum but a boxer loves one.
The punches other than the left jab are the straight right, the crosses, hooks
and uppercuts. Putting together these punches are called combinations. As for the footwork, you may have to learn that after the punches. Different fighters have different approaches. Some back up and are just as defensive as offensive. Others charge in to their opponents or stand their ground and can't be forced to backpedal easily.
From what I've heard, a good cardio exercise is small bag punching. You could do it in fast repetitions, first with one hand and then the other. It's good for the circulation in the upper body as well as your speed.
Boxers do roadwork and are sometimes accompanied by partners with watches to time them. This increases your endurance. Get the right kind of
shoes if you're going to jog. There is a risk to your knees. To avoid such injuries, I use a stationary unicycle. That is a cycle with one wheel fixed to a base with a clock on the handlebars that shows how far you would have gone if you had been cycling.
Weight training and calisthenics are essential too, if you are serious about boxing. The power to a hit is increased by the muscle behind it. Also, your midsection can take blows more easily if you harden the abdominals.
Taking a punch is what you will have to learn. It may take awhile to overcome your fear. The hardest part of boxing to me is not giving up after my head feels like it's just been struck by a bag of rocks. As you are starting,
try to avoid sparring partners who are a lot heavier than you or who have done a lot more fighting. You might also use sixteen-ounce gloves because they have the most padding. Also, be sure to use a mouthpiece.
But don't be overconfident. If you land a hard blow on your opponent and he looks weakened, don't automatically think you're on the verge of victory. Follow up with more punches. But some fighters can recover fast.
Your are smart to realize that jerking your head back after going towards your opponent is bad. It is a wasted motion. You must learn to block a punch.
Afterwards, you should learn to duck one.
If you can afford to take lessons from an experienced intructor, the yellow pages of your phone book or the internet might direct you to one. Such a person could tell you a great deal more than me. If you are lucky, your boxing
teacher will be just as good at teaching as he is at pugilism.
Above all, don't be disappointed or give up if you lose at first or take a beating. Your adversary can be just as scared as you. If you never become
a champion, boxing still has taught you to stand up to and face your fears.
