Training to Box vs. Training to Fight

There is a big difference between fighting and boxing. A lot of people can fight, yet a lot less can actually box. Mastering the art of boxing is no easy task. Whether you are a recreational or competitive combat athlete you know that learning the intricacies and nuances of boxing is a time consuming, long journey.

And while boxing is much different than fighting, note that both take courage and strength. There are many combat athletes that get in the ring to test themselves and struggle to box, and again this does not discount what they do accomplish personally and physically by stepping in that ring.

When we first begin the process of learning to box, we mostly understand the fight aspect. We must punch, move forward, make contact with our opponent, we must learn to be aggressive, tough and also patient. The fight is very important and yet as we grow as combat athletes we must begin to understand boxing. It is an art. It is the sweet science. From the footwork, angles, and combinations to the style, intuitive adjustments and strategy. Boxing is never perfected though always practiced with the goal of achieving perfection.

So how does one train to box vs. train to fight? Well we train the fight over and over again in our conditioning workouts. We push our body beyond what we think is possible. We learn the basics and attempt to perfect them as we hit the bag. Our initial sparring sessions are typically about training to fight, getting in the ring and trying to put together our basics although we usually don't look like we are boxing at all. (and of course there are those select few that pick it up naturally and box much sooner than most)

I realized last week what it meant to train to box. In my most recent match I won and felt as if I was winning during the match. I was a bit more relaxed than in previous matches and I realized that I needed to find ways to strategically score points. That feeling of knowing I was winning made me recognize that I train to box not to fight. I want to become a better boxer. I don't simply train for one match or one tournament, I train with the goal of becoming the best boxer I can be. I want the speed, finesse, skill of those boxers I admire. I want to outbox my opponent.

The only way to become a better boxer is to box. And not just in sparring sessions. You need experience, ring experience. Sparring is our practice and it helps tremendously but at the end of the day nothing compares to real life competitive experience. We must do the thing that we want to improve on. We cannot duck competition and expect to become a better boxer. The mental piece of boxing and competing cannot be recreated outside of an actual match. You must go through the experience of prepping for a match, the pre-fight routine, stepping into the ring with an audience, boxing and standing in the middle of the ring at the end of the match waiting for your hand to be raised in order to improve as a boxer. This is because the experience of competition has an different impact on all of us and we need to go through that process in order to show us as a better boxer each time.

Training to box is an amazing experience. You go through your training camp, work with your team, have your crew supporting you in the corner, you compete, you win, you learn about yourself and you grow personally and physically. With each opportunity to compete I am proud to say that I have improved as a boxer and I looked forward to continued improvement. And to get better I must take matches, test myself and hone my skills with each opportunity.

For some boxers in training they have to deal with the unfortunate challenge that occurs in amateur boxing of not having opponents out there to compete against. This happens far too often in female amateur boxing. My sparring partner and friend has experienced this over and over again. She gets matched and the fighter doesn't show or pulls out, or we cannot find a match for her. This is a frustrating experience to a boxer in training who wants to grow and improve through testing themselves in competition. I admire her continued dedication to the sport as she continues to wait for the opportunity to compete. She knows that testing herself and putting all her training into action will make her a better boxer.

Boxers must deal with the ups and downs of training, the repetition, the steps forward and back and the demand of training on a daily basis all for the opportunity "dance under those lights" and find out what they are made of. To discover if they can box, not just fight, but box. At Warrior Fighting Sports & Fitness, we don't just train our athletes to fight, we train them to box! We break boxing down and teach you from the ground up how to master this complex art. We give every athlete the opportunity to embrace the sport and become a boxer.