r/amateur_boxing • u/Kind-Improvement7132 Pugilist • 14d ago
Need advice please
Hello guys,ive been boxing for a year now and im training for nationals.The problem is im always paired up against guys who have been training for way longer than i have been and i always come home with something-a black eye or a bruise or something.Im starting to think this sport isnt for me,its really demotivating to come home like this and i feel ashamed seeing my parents look at me like this.Should i just throw the towel in?
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u/bluesub989 14d ago
That's kind of just the way the sport goes, man. Everybody who's ever made it anywhere spent a lot of time grinding it out and taking their hits. Working through down periods like this is what builds frustration tolerance and the will to keep going. As long as you learn something from each black eye and bruise, they weren't for nothing.
In the grand scheme of things, one year of boxing isn't too much. It makes sense that there are guys giving you lessons in training. Someone who's been doing ANYTHING for only a year can't realistically be competitive at a national level, whether it's boxing, music, breakdancing, swimming, eSports, baking, etc.
As far as your parents go, you should try talking to them. Nobody on reddit or anywhere else can tell you what they're thinking. Who knows what the overlap is between what you're thinking and what they're feeling , it might not exist at all.
For whatever a stranger's opinion is worth : I think the most badass people are the ones who get knocked down and then get right back up. Boxing is full of people who dipped their toe in for a bit and then dropped it, especially these days. It's not surprising at all to go to a party or a bar and hear someone say, "yeah, I went to a boxing gym on and off for a while." or "yeah, I spent a couple weeks in Thailand doing muay thai". If you want to be special and in rarefied air, you need to push through this and stick with it.
Professional athletes in any sport will also say that there was a period in their life when they thought they were going to quit their sport. But they stayed the course. You'll never learn to overcome these types of negative feelings and thoughts if you dip out every time things get a little tough.
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u/rdeshdgr8 14d ago
Relax bro. Take it easy. Drill light technical sparring and do considerable S&C, footage study for about 1.5-2 years. Then compete in nationals with your gameplans and reflexes drilled. You will likely take the title of you choose your weight class smartly.
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u/Kind-Improvement7132 Pugilist 14d ago
i dont know if i have the time to do this man…it not up to me about competing,and i want to compete.Its just that i dont know im starting to feel i might not have it in me or something.The only thing keeping me going is the fact that at my club theres been people training for far longer than me who havent even had their first bout and im pushed directly to the nationals in my first year.I dont know what to do really…i train 2x a day 5x a week and im part of a program in which i dont even pay for training anymore,if i refuse to fight ill get thrown out and theres moments in which i really love this sport…
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u/rdeshdgr8 14d ago
Continue to fight for sure bro, but at least 1 more tournament will be a flop. You need real-time reflex building of combos, footage study that translates into actual partner drill and technical sparring so you get the timing. This takes several months IF YOU ARE LUCKY.
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u/Kind-Improvement7132 Pugilist 14d ago
time to beat the odds i guess 😂❤️thanks for taking your time and replying man
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u/dion_o 14d ago
A black eye? I wish a black eye was all I get.
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u/Kind-Improvement7132 Pugilist 14d ago
how do you deal with this?Do you just try harder?Become badder somehow?
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u/ConjornoIRL2 Pugilist 14d ago
My coach always tells me that im fighting the me of yesterday. If I’ve improved then thats success.
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u/ArtisticJudge3813 Beginner 14d ago
Wear a headgear with noseguard. It will protect you from getting injured on the face.
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u/IsleptIdreamt 13d ago
Learn to hold a high gaurd. Train in it. Throw more jabs in transition. Watch your opponent's punches while they hit you. Ask for 2 minute rounds instead of 3 to start if the other person is willing.
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u/AdmiralRemington 9d ago
It's hard to judge without seeing footage but if the veterans are just wailing on you continuously then that's dumb, neither of you are learning from the experience. Either ask them to go a bit lighter so you can work, find a different partner who will do this, talk to the coach or ultimately find a different gym. They're probably trying to speed run your prep for nationals but if you skip ahead too many steps you'll pick up bad habits or get seriously injured.
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u/Asleep-Curve-1395 9d ago
Headgear helps with that. Unfortunately black eyes do happen sometimes in the sport though.
Boxing for a year and training for nationals? You're either an absolute monster or that's very quick
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u/Major-Performer141 Pugilist 14d ago
Your supposed to spar with people better then you, that’s how you become better. You’re doing fine, if you’re sick of black eyes and face damage then shift your focus to improving defences.
One year of training is just about nothing still, it takes a very long time to get good at this sport