Competitive boxers often attend many different boxing gyms in their towns and cities. Even in countries where professional boxing is prohibited by law, such as Sweden and Norway, we could still attend to well-run boxing gyms, where technique and skills are taught for specific fee. We shouldn’t feel the need to go and spend much money on boxing boots, head-gear, sparring gloves and others. We should keep everything simple. Beginners could start with proper boxing wraps, shows and standard training clothes. In fact, we shouldn’t purchase skipping rope and bag gloves, because boxing gyms typically provide them for us. As we improve our skill and we have more interest in this kind of sport, it is a good idea to spend some money on gum shield, boxing boots, skipping rope and bag gloves. We may not need to purchase sparring gloves, because coaches may have preferences on the type of gloves that we should use. Often, boxers are prohibited to wear their brand new gloves, due to the lack of proper padding in some areas, such as the knuckle. Coach has the responsibility to ensure the safety of their boxers. In this case, we shouldn’t purchase a pair of gloves, if we are not sure whether they will cause injuries to our sparring partners.
The moment we join the gym, we shouldn’t feel upset if the coach doesn’t welcome us immediately with open arms and bestow their knowledge upon us. In reality, coaches are very busy and they need to make sure their time will be well-spent. For this reason, we may need to choose gyms that can provide more time for new boxers. However, coaches could also test us whether we are persistent enough and willing to train in this kind of sport. It is still a much more merciful of gauging our determination. Back in the day, coaches tested our commitments by throwing new boxers into the ring against more experienced boxers and let the beating proceed. After a few rounds, coaches will determine whether new boxers have the desire to continue fighting despite their hardships.
Today, coaches are still more considerate and one good way for them to measure commitment is by ignoring us. If coaches seem to be entirely oblivious to us, we could still try to perform multiple basic training sessions, especially those that can improve our stamina and speed of movements. Eventually, we will be proven worthy of further attention and coaches could begin providing us with some instructions.
Regardless of what happen in the gym, we should watch and listen. Although it may sound like a very obvious advice, it’s very essential. Coaches may provide us with limited instructions and we should do it with enough determination. It is also important to observe the style of coaching in the gym. Some coaches may appreciate a few debates, while others may prefer somewhat more authoritarian approaches. We should also observe how other boxers behave in the gym, especially the more experienced ones.