I have fallen in love... with boxing

[Comvit]

I signed up to a 'Boxercise' class at my local community centre back in July.

I went along expecting an aerobics class vibe - everyone in a line doing cardio work with a bit of punching thrown in.

But I was wrong. We work in pairs, we glove up, we pad up, we learn techniques, we work on combinations, we rotate partners so everyone gets a chance one-on-one with the instructor, we throw punches so we learn to hold our hands high, we get punched, we get black eyes. Then every couple of weeks the instructor puts on a body guard/protector and lets us beat the fuck outta him.

I'm fitter, I'm stronger, I've toned up, I've got bags more confidence, I've got better posture, I've made new friends. In short, I'm in love.

I wonder if there are any other boxers on this thread? Want to chat - I'd love to hear how you got into it and how you find it?

I teach boxing, it's brilliant. Have full classes of women to every class.

Hi @VitalsStable
That's amazing. How long have you been teaching? What's your background? How did you get into boxing (as a sport and then in terms of teaching too)?

How many do you have in a class? We've had a maximum of 14 which was a bit rubbish because the instructor couldn't get around everyone. But we usually have 4-7 people which is great because you get one-on-one time with the instructor but it doesn't feel too intense.

Are your classes always all-women? We occasionally get men show up but they never ever come back. They nearly always do some form of male posturing, especially with the instructor who's a young and scrawny bantam/feather weight but is fit, lithe, strong and quick as hell with a killer punch. It's kind of hilarious.

Years ago I joined a karate school as I thought I may as well get some exercise instead of just sitting at the back feeling flabby waiting for DS to finish his lesson.
It was such good fun and so addictive. I'm not a sporty person at all but was fitter than I've ever been before or since. You were expected to do your personal best with women being treated no differently to men. It did wonders for my confidence which spilled out into other areas of my life. We also regularly did other disciplines, including boxing. I'd recommend this type of exercise to anyone. I had to stop due to other commitments but so wish I'd kept it up, it did wonders for me.
Enjoy your boxing class OP.

@3beesinmybonnet

Years ago I joined a karate school as I thought I may as well get some exercise instead of just sitting at the back feeling flabby waiting for DS to finish his lesson. It was such good fun and so addictive. I'm not a sporty person at all but was fitter than I've ever been before or since. You were expected to do your personal best with women being treated no differently to men. It did wonders for my confidence which spilled out into other areas of my life. We also regularly did other disciplines, including boxing. I'd recommend this type of exercise to anyone. I had to stop due to other commitments but so wish I'd kept it up, it did wonders for me. Enjoy your boxing class OP.

Wow, that sounds brilliant.

I love the way we're not treated differently from the men-folk in your karate class and in my boxing class. Like you, there's an expectation that everyone tries their hardest and everyone tries to improve week-on-week. No allowances are made for the fact we're women and I love that. In fact, I think my boxing class has the opposite - when men do come along they tend to go in all guns blazing, posturing and showing off whereas we women listen hard to the instructor, learn and practice. So I think the instructor pushes us women hard. Really hard because he know we can do it and we want to do it.

And, yes, I hear you about the confidence. I wonder where that comes from? There is something quite satisfying about knowing I could give someone a good right hook if I wanted to. But I think it's more than that, it's about harness your body's power, honing it, getting fitter, living in your body in a different way.

I love it too. Our gym had a refit a while back and a punch bag was installed. I asked my then PT to help me use it and we started doing pad work. I have been doing a weekly PT pad work session ever since; with him until he left, with an MMA pro, with an ex army guy - basically whoever would take my money and be a decent pad man.

What I don't do is the boxercise classes. I have watched the ones at our gym and they are pretty useless. Nobody is reminded to keep their guard up. Minimal attention is paid to technique. Basically it is just a fun way to get aggression out. Fine for them if they like it but I want to know about proper technique even if I never have to use it in the ring. I'm surprised to hear you get black eyes and get punched, OP, if you're not sparring. Clearly accidents can happen, I guess, but it sounds like it's a regular occurrence. Maybe I am misunderstanding.

I love it too! Did boxercise for years, then went to a boxing gym during lockdown. Now do pad work
With PT at the gym and he says we can actually spar one day- haven’t done that yet!

I am actually wondering about going to watch a boxing match with the guy from the boxing gym fighting, but am scared I’ll find it too violent..

Similar but rugby. I joined a development team about a month before lockdown with the intention of joining a few training sessions and getting a bit fitter. This week is my first league match and I can't bloody wait. It's brutal and painful but I love it! Seeing what your own body is capable of is such a confidence boost. I might not be skinny and toned but I can sprint halfway down a pitch and take out someone 6" taller than me!

Only women, used to have a few men but it's more a cardio work out and the 3 minutes choreographed rounds are hard to do if you're a man trying to hit as hard as possible. They blame the women for not being able to handle them but they can't keep up the 3 minutes hitting at full strength.

I did classes at the gym then took it up as something to do alongside PT job.

I have anything from 4-16 women in a class who all pair up, I try to swap around but everyone is pretty happy working with their partners usually. I also use it a lot with PT clients. I only have one who hates boxing and I think that's more of a coordination issue and not being confident but we're working on it.

Lots of women say that it helps them mentally as they get to get any stress and aggression out in a way that isn't detrimental to their normal everyday lives.

I do kickboxing and feel the same! It's really hard, but my god you get a good work out!

Great for stress too.

I've recently gone back to kickboxing after a 4 year break, we moved 3 hours away and I started doing something different then. I've never done it competitively or anything, just for fitness. It's the best and sweatiest workout ever!

And then I got pregnant... so I haven't been for over a month as I've been absolutely exhausted and felt like shit. But hope to go back soon as I feel like a lazy fat lump now!

I used to do exercise classes at a local gym. Before the lockdown, that is. Since lockdown started I have not been to any gym. But I have now signed up for a exercise class at a community college not far from my house. That happens once a week. I always also try to take a longish nature walk at a local park for fresh air and exercise as well several times a week. Exercise does help all of us you need to find what works for you and stick to it.