"Am I too old to start boxing?"

[jahmez]

Starting late can have its advantages because you can train with a constant sense of urgency. It can force you to really condense your training to the most important elements. I remember the best thing that ever happened to me when I was playing bass guitar was being thrown into my first band with people who had been playing since they were children. It wasn't until I had my first gig booked that I realized how much time I had wasted and how little I really knew. Those first few gigs were disasters but in a few months I went from slipping in and out of time to being able to groove, create melodies, solo and above everything else, just fucking play.

There's a unique self-confidence you gain when you have to constantly choose to face and be put to shame by people who are so much better than you. People wonder where so many sluggers find the chin and heart that can sometimes just overwhelm even the most masterful of boxers. The fact is everytime they sparred they were at war. While the boxer remained untouched they had to force themselves to come forward. They had to do master and fall in love with the roadwork, floor work and other mundane activities that others see as boring torture.

There's also a certain sense of minimalism that can only come with age. In any craft you will find masters who start to show more and more signs of efficient and effective subtlety as they mature. I don't think all of this is the result of experience in their field but because they mature as a person. A 23 year old will be less inclined to make the same decision as the 6 ft 1 16 yr old junior welterweight trying to fight like Iron Mike Tyson.

[MobHit]

Best Post ever! Perfect timing for me to read this. 38 years old and I have been bringing my 7 and 11 year old to the boxing gym for a couple months. I felt out of place just sitting there keeping an eye on my kids yet I felt foolish being out of shape and even asking to start myself. Seeing a couple of older guys in there did get me thinking a bit. It looks like a total blast.

...I start tomorrow.