Boxing

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A stand-up discipline which incorporates effective punches, defense moves and footwork.

A boxer’s training depends largely on the point in their career at which he or she is situated. If the boxer is just a beginner, a minimal training routine might consist of learning how to hit the heavy bag, the speed bag, and the double end bag (a small bag with a cord on top and bottom connecting it to the floor and ceiling) as well as doing shadowboxing in front of a mirror, skipping rope, calisthenics and jogging every day, as well as an occasional practice bout inside the ring (sparring). Most beginning boxers will spend most of their early careers conditioning and establishing the fundamentals.

For the amateur or professional boxer preparing for a competition or bout, however, training is much more stringent. This could include getting up at 5 am to jog, flying to a far away place to get isolated during 2 or more months before the fight, dieting, doing the same gym routine as a beginner, only that twice every day, and getting to the city hosting the fight two weeks before the fight to get used to the location’s climate. Boxing is widely considered one of the most physically demanding sports in the world.

Basic boxing training equipment includes:

Safety Equipment

• Hand wraps: Protect the knuckles and wrists when training and sparring.
• Speed Bag Gloves: Created to prevent the hands from getting hurt while hitting the speed bag, these gloves are the lightest gloves, yet offer more protection than hand wraps alone.
• Heavy Bag Gloves: Created to prevent the hands from getting hurt while hitting the heavy bag, and are insulated for your knuckles to reducing the risk of wrist, hand, and knuckle injury while hitting the Heavy bag. Normally bag gloves weigh anywhere from 10-12 ounces, but some prefer to train in both the 14 and 16 ounce varieties.
• Sparring Gloves: Contrary to popular belief, these gloves were designed to protect the boxer’s hands, not the opponent’s head. Generally weigh much more than professional fight gloves (16 oz.) in order to cushion blows and accustom boxers to added weights.
• Headgear: Used to protect boxers from soft tissue damage, (bruises, cuts, etc.), during sparring – also used in competition in amateur boxing. Headgear offers no protection from the effects of hard punches (stunning, knockdowns, KOs). It is important that boxers are aware of this otherwise headgear can produce a false sense of security leading a boxer to take punches rather than defend himself or herself.
• Groin Guard (or No-Foul Protector): Protects the groin against low punches, offers more comprehensive protection than a simple ‘cup’ guard.
• Mouthpiece: (Sometimes known as gumshield, mouthguard). Used to protect the inside of the mouth and lips from getting cut by the teeth when a hard punch to the face is received. The mouthguard also helps to lock the top and bottom jaws together preventing painful damage to the jaw joint capsule when a boxer is struck by a hook. Important that it is worn in both sparring and its tough competition.

Training Equipment

• Jump Rope: Used to improve footwork and agility, and for aerobic fitness. also helps maintain stamina
• Focus mitts: Padded targets worn on the trainer’s hands for the boxer to strike and practice combinations.
• The Heavy Bag: Used to teach young boxers where exactly to hit an opponent and for all kinds of boxers to practice their combinations.
• The Speed Bag: Used to improve hand speed and hand-eye coordination.
• The Double End Bag: Also known as the floor-ceiling bag, crazy bag, or the reflex bag, the double end bag is hooked up by two thin elastic ropes to the gym’s ceiling and floor, and because of that, it moves around easily, giving the boxer good equipment for target practice and timing.
• The Maize Bag: Used to practice head movement and close-range combinations, such as uppercut/hook combinations.
• The Slam man: Used to practice combinations of punches on a human shaped bag
• The Medicine Ball: Used for plyometric training – often used when training in pairs (quick throwing/passing of the ball) or with a trainer.
• The Mirror: Used by boxers to do shadow boxing.
• The Boxing Ring: When boxers are training, used to stage practice or competition bouts.
• The Automated Boxing Scoring System: The first use of technology in boxing for training purposes. Monitors the boxers in real-time recording information on each blow.