Thinking of quitting

[GutShot]

Hey all,

I'm thinking of quitting boxing, just sticking to my martial arts...

The gym where i go has been taken over by another gym (not globo-gym lol) and since then things have changed.
There are alot more boxers now with only two trainers, the first trainer spends time with his favourite fighters in the ring doing pad work or sparring whilst the other guy (who is amazingly fat) takes the rest through bag/combo work.

Unless your one of the special few, you hardly get feedback.

I could switch gyms but the only other boxing gym is a right sh*t hole... might ask my brother in law (in the navy) if civilians can box/train with the navy team

:P

[Rakkassan]

you could train with the navy, i live on Fort Irwin and i'm allowed to train with the Army team. could be that my dad is in the army though, so i don't know if your brother in law could get you in

[AdamGB]

What are they doing to be 'favourite fighters' that your not? If you really want to box then make him notice you. its either that or 'Average Joes'...

[GutShot]

the favourites are carded and train 3 times a week... i can only train once a week due to my martial arts commitments but i should get at least some one on one training.

last week i hurt my hand due to the glove falling apart and i ended up doing a whole session just hitting the bags with my left hand. Rather than quit and leave i figured i should work on my jab...
Not one trainer said anything.

I started in september and my technique is not that good, since september i have worked one on one with the trainers twice for about 3 minutes each time. I'm not improving as i'm not getting feedback, i could be doing all kinds wrong but i havent a clue.

[Poom]

Boxing is one thing where you have to give it your all i think

If you think about it the guys who train 3x a week deserve the attention as they might be going somewhere, whereas you 1x a week are probably just gonna learn a few things and then eventually leave, COMMIT!

Its not like your disabled or have work commitments so you can only train once a week , its your choice, so if you want to box... Make that choice

(not a flame , just my point of view)

btw what Martial arts stuff are you commited to out of intrest?

[ThomasTabin]

yeah that cold shoulder trainers hand out is no good at all. used to happen to me and i think alot of us have experienced it and that really is a shame. the only way around this is to take control over your development as a boxer. you got to learn on your own and i know that sounds hard but believe me, such a thing is very much within your reach. forget being some dependant sap sitting on the sidelines, those bum trainers wont care about you even though you know in your heart youre willing to learn and follow your dreams. its time you start watching every tape you can find and really study the thing, you know slow motion and all. when motion picture was first introduced, its advantage for the pugilist did not go unoticed, i think fighters like smcheling and tunney would routinely study tapes. nothing teaches a fighter how to fight like tapes -- its like virtual reality sparring; you get a chance to learn from the mistakes of others and also get a glimpse at what makes them effective in the ring. coming up, i always considered those that came before me to be my real trainers and why not? archie moore taught me things just by watching him i could never have learned from some of the people i was around. anyway you want to apply what you pick up to your bag work and in your sparring, soon through trial and error you will begin to flesh yourself out as a true craftsman. then the trainers have to recognize you and a nameless slouch (at least to them) you'll be no more. my point is, you need to take your destiny into your own hands dont ever let somebody else be in complete control over it. its up to you.

[1magine]

yo my gym is the same way
the trainers have their favourites and help them alot more than the rest of us
which made me train even harder
and nowadays, i can tell that my trainers pay more attention to me
the feelings is great, it lets me know that i've come a long way and i'm improving
i still have a long way to go but at least i know i'm gettin better

[greynotsoold]

Go back and re-read what Thomas wrote,then double it for me. He said it exactly as I'd have said it.
I have seen it happen so many times in gyms that it is sickening; some young guy (or girl, these days) comes into a gym full of enthusiasm; you very rarely wander into a boxing gym unless you meant to be there. These prospects come every night and jump rope and do situps and hit the bags and work hard. But they are doing everything wrong and nobody tells them anything to help them and they don't know. Eventually they get to spar and it never goes right: not that they all get pounded, but the little mistakes they make all the time keep them from being involved in the sparring. Nobody tells them what went wrong, so they try harder and next time its worse. Next thing that kid full of promise shows up only 2,3 times a week and is clowning, then you don't see them anymore.
It is really unfair because too often it isn't talent or desire or work ethic that determines champions. It very often could be a lazy or overworked or less than honest trainer who ignores some kid, can't make timwe or keeps him around for target practice for "better" boxers. Thomas is 100% correct; make the effort invest the time and don't be afraid to teach yourself

[GutShot]

thanks for the replies

its not about my lack of dedication to the cause or sticking it out hoping that i get picked, jeesh, its like a kids playground and nobody likes being left out at the gym. Its not only me who have been muttering about this scenario, we've had a few good boxers leave due to the new trainers ethic.

last time i sparred was my first and i gave a guy a run for my money, i was liking the way i was cutting off the ring and dominating the centre, making him work on the back foot the whole time. I was punched smack in the mouth and blood was dripping off my lips and gumshield. I dried myself off and carried on, the trainer saw this grit and smiled at me.

that night i went home on a high feeling like i was getting somewhere.

now that was january.

I love to get stuck in and hold my ground, in Taekwondo they put me in with the black belts for the sparring league when i was just a green belt (like 2 belts up from white!)... In TKD they spotted my potential and always help me to nuture it, i guess i was expecting the same from this boxing gym.
It made me hungry to grab attention and i trained harder, now i'm bored of this sh*t and feel my trade lies elsewhere.

Change of gym or to concentrate on Taekwondo....

I still run, skip and workout... just feeling a bit raped of opportunities

[Clint]

Train harder work harder and maybe they'll notice you.

[iceman]

i have a black belty in taekwon do i use it for nothing now... i used to box exclusively, but my trainer snorted more coke than ex mayor Barry of D.C.... i was ignored because i'm not 17 and i'm not a heavyweight... blah blah blah... etc i now box at a new gym, i also do thai boxing and mixed martial arts... training for figthing is just that take a style you like, and go at it i feel tkd offers me little as i prefer more realistic competion ,or should i say more rounded. follow your heart i have done thai boxing for 3 years took a 5 year layoff, and went back in the mean time i boxed etc .If you want a trainners attention, get it by working 1 time a week won't cut it .you can enter a amateur comp with out a dedicated trainer and maybe that will open some eyes... just decide what you want to do and work towards it..p.s. a couple buks will often get a trainer to train you as well.

[AdamGB]

The problem probably is that they only see you once a week. If they only see you once a week in their gym then they wouldn't give you the time of day, even if you keep your self busy all week. You fight for them so they'll want to see you put the work in for them and no one else.