What is “Boxing”?
It’s not just about throwing punches!
The initial days
When I first entered the gym it was all about getting back to flexing and working out my much-ignored muscles. Running on your toes to strengthen your calf muscles, forward lunges with sand bags on shoulders to tone your thighs, lizard crawl to toughen your back and arms, push-ups to pump those biceps, sit-ups and leg raises to crunch your abs till it hurt,split jumps to boost fast leg movement,high front kicks for balance, and so on. All this was to be achieved within an hour’s intense workout and there was only room for 30 second water breaks in between. Sweat was incessant, the energy was all but burnt, and I lay flat staring at the ceiling when I was eventually done. The coach came up to us then and said “Get up Sissies, This is just Round 1 in a Boxing ring!”. I thought he was just exaggerating.
The First Bout
Within weeks, my body began to show the difference. It could endure more and more with every passing intense session. I felt confident, until The Coach decided to get us all into an impromptu boxing fight inside the ring. Gloves on, mouth guard on, head gear on, and I was awkwardly ready - still untrained, unskilled, and under prepared to take on the challenge. But I still went in.
I can still vividly remember the outcome of my first bout against this 6 foot 200 pound giant (I was a measly 5 foot 6 inch 125 pound sitting duck). 3 rounds 1 minute each. Each round was over in seconds. First a massive lower cut onto my gut and I was floored, gasping for breath, and evading death. Compress,inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale, and right back. Then a thunderous right perfectly landed on my temple. The chirping birds and butterflies did a head spin. They are very real. Wobbly and dazed, I crawled back, only to be floored again with a powerful jab on the front. All throughout, I was moving around trying to evade the onslaught and hurling random aimless punches whenever I sensed danger. A sprained wrist and a wobbly head was a parting gift.
The problem I knew was in my technique and not just in my build/strength. This was my first major lesson, that
Boxing is not all about random movements or throwing random punches. The technique has to come first. The badly sprained wrist was proof.
My Coach was not exaggerating! It’s bloody hard work just keeping your hands up, protecting your chin and head without tiring till each round lasts. This is because, for first timers, blind aggression is the only defense. Unfortunately, it only results in premature battery drain.
Yes,the pain is real, it’s no joke, and it was time to either suck it in or give up. This was a defining moment and I’m glad I chose the former.
I quote Rocky Balboa here, ‘cause I followed his advice well-
It ain't about how hard you hit; it’s about how hard you can get hit, and keep moving forward…It’s How much you can take, and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done.
The training
I spent the next few weeks solely working on my technique, speed, and endurance. The punching bag is your most trusted ally. Learning to work with it is the foremost art. The bag is your enemy and your conscience. I say “conscience”, ‘cause the bag has a way of telling you by it’s sound and movement if you are plugging the leather clump right. By sense of touch and feedback, you can gauge your power, your speed,your strength, your persistence, your movements,and most importantly your will to be at it with with your hands up at all times.
Specific attention has to be paid to your fighting position- right leg slightly across and slightly turned and hands raised to your chin.
You should always be aware of your leg movements. Move left leg forward/left side to move front/right, Move right leg back/right side to move back/right.
You have to get your punches right. Use one hand to protect your face and the other for demolition. Body and head straight at all times. Move legs to generate power in your arms. Jab with your left hand, fling your right. Alternate. Throw in series. 1-2 (jab, right hand),1-1, 1-2-3-4, 2-2, 1-2-2. 1-2-3. Be creative. Faster, faster, and more accurate.
You have to get your defense right. Duck. Move your head right/left. Imagine getting punched. Keep you body straight at all times. Combine your duck with upper cuts and lower cuts. Practice.
Shadow boxing is another form art, where you imagine a fight and react to your instincts. Go crazy here, You know - with your imagination, anything can happen. Use your skills to win this one!
So I gorged up on everything I could learn and spent hours just beating myself up. Every time I confronted a mirror, I’d get restless, jabbing and punching at my reflected self. It was an obsession, it still is. I believed I was ready to enter the ring once again. This time with deadly skills!
The Second Coming and the Revelation
I had to break my mental barrier, shake off my past fear, and face my opponent. This time, strangely, nothing mattered. Not the size or experience of my opponent, not the movements, and definitely not the shouts from outside the ring. I was battling my monkey mind, my own self. Like a scientist ready to explore and experiment on his newly acquired skills, my focus was only on myself and what I did. And then the unthinkable happened - I hammered on unawares and blew out any competition. Yes, it felt like magic, but it wasn't.
Even admiration that came along for the way I fought was none of my concern. True gratification was in knowing that I could do the impossible by living, breathing, and playing the fight all within myself. I call it “Zen Boxing”. Here was my next lesson and it came from one of Boxing’s greatest.
Champions aren't made in gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them…a desire, a dream, a vision. They have to have last-minute stamina, they have to be a little faster, they have to have the skill and the will. But the will must be stronger than the skill.
This is just the beginning. My first “real” fight is yet to happen. My first real win yet to be cheered. My real first loss yet to be comforted. But the way I see this,a fight will be always be a personal win-win.
This is Boxing.
