The problem with Boxing & It's training.

[donnydarkoIRL]

Lately, I've really taken issue with the way boxing is trained.

Last year I won a national title, largely due to my fitness and desire.
I felt that I had done well learning technique as I had followed my trainers instructions exactly and I was moving as he instructed.

Last week I then came in contact with another trainer, who corrected my stance, my foot movement, my guard and my punching technique.
Almost instatntaneously I felt the difference, my punches seemingly more powerful as a result of technical improvement and my body less tired as the Punches "threww themselves."
This consultation really exposed my old trainer as a joke. I had followed his more complex instructions and had to apply myself much more to learning his instructions (such as keeping my hands ultra high.) It was reveakled that he had no actual understanding of why a boxer was required to adopt a stance.

As young amnateur/pro boxers we walk into a gym, see a few champions and automatically trust the trainer. To be head of a gym we assume the trainer has an in depth knowledge of the sport and can teach us valuable lessons and help us progress.
We invest so much time listening to coaches and strive to emulate their instructions perfectly.

But now I have to question, have I been training hard and learning the wrong lessons...It seems so.

[Howlin Mad Missy]

well, it got you to a national title, so whatever combo you and your trainer had going on it worked.
The trainer/boxer partnership for me, can only really work if there is trust.

I don't think your other trainer is a fraud, he has a different approach & understanding of the sport to this other guy.
I suspect as you've learnt more and become more critical in to the hows and whys of your boxing this other trainer has brought something new to your arsenal.

I take it from this you'll be changing camps? Just don't burn any bridges in case it doesn't work out

[donnydarkoIRL]

well, it got you to a national title, so whatever combo you and your trainer had going on it worked.
The trainer/boxer partnership for me, can only really work if there is trust.

I don't think your other trainer is a fraud, he has a different approach & understanding of the sport to this other guy.
I suspect as you've learnt more and become more critical in to the hows and whys of your boxing this other trainer has brought something new to your arsenal.

I take it from this you'll be changing camps? Just don't burn any bridges in case it doesn't work out

Well to be honest Missy, last year I just ran like a lunatic and hit bags for a long long time.
I just got myself in terrific condition and boxed at as high a pace as I could.
I trained myself really, he just got me the fights.

Then this other dude, started to actually teach me things and I could pick up on them and instantaneously it made my life easier.

As you alluded to, with the other trainer I was just interested in fighting, being there, throwing the punches as hard and fast as I could. I relied on fitness and physicality.
But the other trainer showed me things that made it easier and served me the logic behind why it is done. It just made sense.

For example with pivoting, trainer A said, pivot with the right foot when you throw the right and turn the fist....
Trainer B said Pivot with the right, and turn the fist because the shoulder will turn, if your shoulder hits your chin, his fist won't.
It's just simple details like that.
My old trainer just knows what he was taught, he doesn't know why he was taught it.

Wish I was changing camps but I won't be for a while yet. I'll simply have to make the most of what I have.

[Howlin Mad Missy]

I guess it comes from my JKD - we were always taught why we did something.
Now you have a new way to approach your training perhaps ask him why you are doing a particular move, perhaps he does know but has never been pushed for answers.

Good luck though -sounds as if you're making good progress.

[iceman]

old dogs often have a reason that they got that old....pm me sometime and tell me what you learned, i am curious...

[Trainer Monkey]

Almost all trainers get a little dogmatic, I have the base set stance I want, but I check the other styles in case I have a fighter that needs a different stance
Youve got to look at what you have in a fighter,and as is often said,styles make fights.
Examples
If I have a really fast fighter,I might have them do the jab hand up style you see in a lot of Mexican fighters
A stocky guy with short reach Im going with a Philly weave
To study the sport,you have to study the whole sport,if your here you do numerous stances and style for two reasons
A) One may work better for you
B) If you can do it,you understand better how to fight it

[Douglas]

Another problem with training (alone) is the uncertainty that I may be doing it all wrong, so the doubt causes me to not put as much effort into it.

[Andre]

Mate even if you physically prove to some people that certain things always work when certain situations arise,or if you just approach them from a different way: Its still like shining a light into the face of someone standing firm in a darkened cave. They'll hate you for it. Reach your hand in to help those types, and they bite, cause they think your out to prove them wrong ,not share or help freely ,this goes for most areas in life not only in boxing.
You obviously got shown something by the real technician.
Good for you too, being so open to it that fast.

[Greig]

Different strokes for different folks. It sounds as if what you got from your old trainer worked.

Like TM said, you've got to be adaptable. No point showing a guy 5ft 5 and 175 lbs of solid muscle how to stick and move. He's got to be an inside fighter against guys 6 ft plus...

I teach the electric guitar and I often use this analogy:-

I like my students to play with a pick, which many people who just strum with their fingers don't like to do. I used to be hard line 'use a pick or find a another teacher'. In recent years I've relented because I heard the story of Wes Montgomery, one of the greatest jazz guitarists in history. Wes started playing at 19 (ultra late) and he already had a wife and kid. His wife would complain that the guitar was too loud when he used a pick so he started playing with his thumb and developed this 'brushing' style of playing octaves on the guitar. My point is, if Wes had come to me for lessons I would have ruined one of the greatest voices jazz has ever known!!

There is more than one way to skin a cat my friend. And there is certainly more than one way to box or play guitar.

[Scrap]

True that, But what ways are there to skin a cat, coriuos not that Im about to skin one.

[donnydarkoIRL]

Well fact is.
Method 1 had me tired out, using every ounce of energy to stay going.

Method 2; has me throwing with more power with less physical demand, albeit I'm slightly slower.


My body tells me that the new things I've been taught are more economical for my body.

[Scrap]

Les Haste more speed, Haste is thinking the wrong perception in this game. Think clear you are, I am that , you are that , this is that, or He who laugths last didnt get the joke in the 1st place. Ask Andre Hes the sage on these things.

[donnydarkoIRL]

Les Haste more speed, Haste is thinking the wrong perception in this game. Think clear you are, I am that , you are that , this is that, or He who laugths last didnt get the joke in the 1st place. Ask Andre Hes the sage on these things.

Ok, I'll unravel that one eventually.

In other news, sparring Cresham again this week, along with a couple others, found that I was boxing a lot better sparring him last Friday, so looking for some more development this week.

[Scrap]

Haste is a response which affects muscle response and your postore and balance. It gives you should have ,. You can talk to a man with a wooden Leg but not to a man with a wooden Head, love that saying

[iceman]

i am tainted with other things than pure boxing...but lessons i have learned, a strike is a strike, it is the principle of it that makes it well timed or ill advised...economy of motion is the new rule for me...funny it took a long time to realize that but for those that doubt i can teach you the panther punch...he he