a fresh start

[Boxy]

I'm new to boxing, and want to start right but there are now boxxing clubs where I live and those that do exist are too far to reach, in fact boxing in my contry isn't even on the sports channle once I think about it .
Is it possible to learn how to box without a trainer? I understand that this is a very techniqueal sport when it comes to throwing a punch and I just couldn't find any guide to explain to me how to acctually do a jab/upper cut/cross or even a hook.
Is there any manditory equipment other than the gloves? I'm getting a boxing pear next week, and I already have the handwraps, should I get a pounching bag?.
And are small people allowed to box, I'm just 55 kilo (121 pound) and all the boxers I've seen were at least 75 is that because of some weight limitation I'm not aware of?

[Chris Nagel]

You can't become a competitive fighter without a trainer and good sparring partners. Even with the right books/videos, you really need a decent trainer with practical experience to supervise your training and giving you feedback. Otherwise you won't realize a lot of your mistakes, and this can become bad habits.

55 kg, isn't too small. You're a bantamweight/super-bantamweight. There are different weight divisions in boxing, with some lower than yours.

Anyway, if you're interested in boxing but aren't necessarily set on becoming a competitive boxer, you still learn how to hit a punching bag with decent technique, and do some things that are apart of a boxer's regimen. For that purpose, you can just pick up a regular punching bag (preferably one that isn't too hard/stiff). Learn how to wrap your hands properly. Put on some comfortable clothes that allow you to move easily and that you don't mind getting sweaty. For books on how to box, there's a stickied thread near the top of the Useful/Important posts section that you can refer to. You said you're getting a pear bag? Is that an air filled bag attached floor to ceiling? If you haven't ordered it, I'd just stick with a regular heavy bag. You can also pick up some good running shoes and a jump rope.

If there are no gyms available, it might be worthwhile to see if there are any local martial arts clubs in your area.

[Boxy]

Thanks chris
I don't want to become a competitive fighter, I just undrstand that boxing is a great way to keep in shape and it's always good to know how to hit things, I guess I'll just have to look harder to find somewhere to train and someone to train with.

I have learned how to wrap my hands (found it here I believe).
Yep a pear bag that attaches from the floor to the ceiling, I was told it's good for devloping speed and accurcy so I went with that because I think that brute force is something i"ll get by putting on more muscles from training.
Shoes and rope are something I've got around here just need to find them.

I've got a muai tai boxing place next to me is that ok?

[Chris Nagel]

From what you've told me, I think that going to the muay thai place would be a good start. It all depends on what your goals are really. If it's reasonable, you'll have the benefit of training with others, which in itself can make it easier to stick to your exercise, and it'll be nice be able to use their equipment.

[WayneFlint]

If i was you i would join the muay thai school but make sure your fitness isnt half way bad already because when you start throwing knees and round house kicks your going to feel it like nothing before, if your more looking into martial arts for fitness rather than to actually fight i personally would recommend muay thai before most other martial arts, you also mentioned you wanted to know how to hit stuff, muay thai is perfect for this as it has what i believe to be easily one or two of the hardest blows in most stand up styles and thats the roundhouse kick and the spinning back kick which may seem useless at first for self defence but in my experience is useful in some situations for the bigger opponents you may find yourself against in life to use as a crushing type weapon for the ribs, also i like the defence involved in muay thai and it once saved me from taking a big hit to the ribs with a hockey stick once when i was younger so i believe it is practicle as a self defence aswell unlike some martial arts. give it a try mate ive done muay thai since i was 8 and even now though i am heavily into boxing at the moment i still practice muay thai once a day at least 20 mins shadow boxing just for fun and sometimes on the heavy bag just for fun and damage output good luck, and remember dont let any bullys intimidate you when you start out you have just as much right to learn as anyone else remember that when your starting out and soon enough you will be hooked.

[Boxy]

Wayneflint- I think that I'm in general good health and slightly more fit than the averege person, two weeks ago I ran 2 kilometers (about a mile and a quarter) in 7 minutes 29 seconds, proformed 76 push ups, 100 sit ups, and 30 pull ups so while I may not be the most fit person on the planet I believe I can call myself desntly fit.
Believe it or not I do know what Muay Tai is (I have a fondness for Muay Boran but it's pretty hard to get outside of Thailand) and I do find it to be one of the most useful, beutiful and powerful styles to literaly break a man in half and I'd love to study it but for the close three years scircomstances which are beyand my control (and even if they were under my control I would not change them) prevent me from being at home except on weekends and for the close 50 days I'll be around in the afternoons.
One of the main resons I decided on boxing is because the equipment for it is smaller (the reson I chose a boxing pear over a boxing bag) and the technique while very hard to prefect is easy to pick up, something which many martial arts lack and lastly every day for the close three years is packed with activity from the moment I get out of bed to the second I get to sleep so every minute I choose to train is a minute of sleep I lose and with 6 hours of sleep a night I can't afford to train over 2 hours every other day. about an hour forty is what I need to use up when I work out so with only twenty minutes to train I doubt I can start learning a martial art but boxing which is somewhat "easy" to pick up and setting up the pear shouldn't take more than 2 minutes so I have time to do that.
Oh you also mentioned something called "shadow boxing" if you don't mind please explain that to me.

And just for the record I'm 19 not 6, the last person whom tried to phisiclly harm me ended up with a broken elbow and four broken ribs. I may be small, fragile, short, a nerd and have glasses but when I go to self defence mode: eye gouging, fish hooks, "below the belt strikes", biting and even aiming to nerve clusters like the solar polex are all moves I find very much fair as anyone whom tried to pick a fight with me has very painfully learned.
Please don't take this the wrong way, I'm a very peaceful man and I very much dislike phisical and verbal conflict and hate partaking in them when they are not sports but I found that those who don't share my veiws are very quick to turn phisical against me and because of a neccssity I taught myself how to defend myself and found that in self defence the only rule is "anything goes".

[WayneFlint]

True proper muay boran is hard to come by its just been diluted for use in the combats sports for too long now,Im sorry if you feel i was insulting your fitness or ability to fight, i wasnt saying anything about either i was simply saying if your interested in fitness which you said you were and if your interested in learning to hit things which you said you where, muay thai might be better, and despite your reply i would still suggest the same, you see boxing isnt really simply throwing punches you must think of the punches you use in boxing as weapons spend time on them and perfect them yes but that isnt boxing, boxing is the little tricks you pick up along the way that enable you to hit your opponent while he still cant hit you, so in essence with little equipment and room to train boxing is a no go especially if you dont have a good sparring partner that will allow you to learn, sure you can learn the propper technique of throwing each punch but that is just the start and i believe the beauty about boxing what sets it apart from the rest is the tactical side of things that is lacking in so many martial arts, and it is this which makes boxing worth any fighters time to study and develope a good fighting brain as many of the principles you will learn from boxing you will find you can apply to other martial arts youve learned and in doing so i believe i have become better in fighting in all my styles just by studying boxing and applying some principles to parts of other styles, kind of babbling on so ill just say it straight for you, muay thai you can learn the blows, blocks etc and actually be quite effective as a self defence and for fitness purposes, whereas boxing unless you have a good sparring partner that is also interested in boxing and learning not just slugging it out then theres no way you can really learn to box and if you did just decide to learn the ''weapons'' from boxing then theyre not going to be half as effective for self defence without knowledge of the tactics that come with them in boxing, although it is still very good for fitness, so i would still be suggesting the same as before to be honest take up muay thai, and to answer your question shadow boxing is basically fighting an imaginary opponent but with good form and technique, google shadow boxing video's and you will see what i mean, hope this helps

[WayneFlint]

Also i might add being a good runner is one thing but when your body isnt used to throwing roundhouses and knees youre gonna be out of breath real quick until your body gets used to that kind of exercise and movement, which is very different from running