When I decided to first join a boxing gym in 2023 I wasn’t really sure how my previous experience in Taekwondo would translate. But still I got in the tram and was on my way. Getting there and training the first time I realized that techniques and stuff translated pretty easily. What I didn’t have at all was a instinct for sparring, I got absolutely trashed in the first few fights. Tho my sparring partners (mostly) picked up that I was new and went light after one or two punches landed. But after wards I took the leap and signed up for a membership. This was a great decision, after a few sessions I found a partner I always stuck with. Now that I settled in I started to realize slowly what benefits this sport would bring me.
One aspect in particular I was on the hunt for: confidence. When I saw boxers they always were the most confident people and I wanted a piece of that. That was a benefit besides feeling like fucking John Wick. But sadly this wasn’t on the first benefits that I gained.
I had a huge raise in energy levels. Directly after the session … its another story but in my everyday life this was one of the first benefits that I noticed. Or maybe it was just that everything else compared to the boxing session felt like nothing anymore.
Another benefit was the feeling of having done something, for me it didn’t matter that much if I performed in sparring. Because even after a bad session I was completely drained and sore … so this feeling drowned out the bad sparring session I delivered. I also played volleyball for a bit, and when I played like shit in a session I felt like shit because it wasn’t as physically demanding. I enjoyed playing it but boxing just had the edge here.
Another positive was the fighting or sparring itself. With a good partner, you feel like Neo from the Matrix dodging shots. And I have to admit you feel super cool fighting and landing some shots. You feel the wind of a hook flying over your head and suddenly everything is in slow motion. You can see the open side of your opponent and get absolutely obliterated by his right but man thats the game.
Of course there is some negative stuff as well, but with a bit of caution and some setting of boundaries this is no problem at all. The first and most stupidest point I will make is that shadowboxing at home or on a sports fields alone looks ridiculous. I mean just punching air while others run and jump seems absolutely stupid.
Now to the more serious stuff, some of your trainings partners will be assholes and can’t control their anger or strength. Here it is important to just stop the session and tell your partner to fucking stop it. And if he doesn’t just change partner its not that deep.
The last and most serious one is the dangers of CTE. This is basically fancy words for brain damage. This only occurs of multiple years of heavy hits to the head. Especially when the brain bounces around in your skull.
This mostly happens during heavy sparring. This means as long as you don’t spar heavy every week this will not be a problem!
This is quite the bad ending but, don’t worry even professionals don’t really get CTE if they are careful. So as a hobby boxer don’t worry and just enjoy!