Why Do You Box?

Boxing is truly an individual sport and it seems people either get involved and enjoy it or they don't.  The only inbetween I've seen are those involved in boxing to get the best workouts of their life, but even then, one can argue those people aren't there to box and I would have to agree.  Boxing is a sport that entails hitting and getting hit.  Boxing for fitness is not boxing outright.  However, those who box for fitness obviously have some interest in the sport and I know many people who start out boxing for fitness who realize over time there is no reason they cannot do what they see others doing in the ring.  They try it and either love it or not.  It still comes back to that basic decision. 

Then there are people on the other end of the spectrum.  There are those who think they want to box, come into the gym, either get hit once or see someone get hit once and never show up again.  The funniest thing is when you see them on the street and they are all like - "Yeah I'm coming back, I just have to do ....  first."   It's like they are embarrassed that they don't want to box.  Then there are the guys who you'd look at and never think they would box, but guess what, they show up day after day, train hard, and do their best.

I realize boxing isn't for everyone.  It is primal, raw, and evokes feelings and attitudes some people either can't handle or don't want in their lives.  Getting in the ring with someone devoted to hurting you holds absolutely no appeal to some people.  It is inevitable that you will get hurt in the ring, it is just a question of how bad, and that depends on your training.  The deciding factor is when it happens, how do you react?  Will you quit?  Or will you summon up the strength and desire to come back from that devastating hit?  Physical and mental preparation only go so far.  At some point you have to call upon something even deeper.

You hear stories everyday about people who are able to overcome unbelievable odds to survive.  For instance, take the climber who cut his own arm off to free himself from a rock he was trapped on.  How bad do you want to live to consciously decide to pull out a small knife and cut through your own skin, flesh, muscle, and eventually saw through bone, and then climb down one armed from where you were in the first place?  Believe it or not, survival is a primal instinct we all have.  Sometimes, you have to be able to find that and summon it at will.

Some people new to boxing find they are afraid and are either unwilling or unable to leave the protective little bubble society has built for them.  Occasionally though, a person initially afraid to get in the ring and fight for their life, turns out to thrive on the rush of adrenaline and power they feel.  Kids in today's society are brought up continually told not to hit.

• "Don't hit your sister..."
• "Don't hit your brother..."
• "We do not hit for any reason..."

They are punished when they do it.  It is a major stumbling block for new boxers brought up like this when they first start boxing.  They are hesitant to hurt the other person they are fighting.   They have to relearn their behaviours and then figure out how to apply them in society.  Why do you think so many boxers end up in violent domestic disputes and are arrested for violent crimes?  No, I'm not saying boxing is the cause of these things.  I'm just saying one has to re-learn and manage certain behaviours.

Some new boxers can't get over the idea of hitting their opponent, won't defend themselves, end up getting hit, and don't come back.  Others let their primal side take over and their training continues from there.  All human beings have these primal instincts - to fight or flee and sometimes it is a very conscious decision which to call on, sometimes it isn't.

So, why do I box?

For me, boxing keeps me on top of my game.  It keeps my reflexes quick and the health benefits are obvious.  It keeps my mind focused and the self discipline and training regimen required to keep progressing give me a sense of accomplishment.  I get a serious adrenaline rush everytime I get in the ring and I thrive on that feeling.  I'm addicted to it.  I also like the feeling of power when I throw an incredible punch which stops my opponent in his tracks.  It is a release for stress and there is no better feeling than losing myself in the heavy bag, throwing punch after punch so hard and so fast without a thought in the world.  It taps into a level of my conciousness I cannot reach by thought.  It is one place and activity where my brain doesn't have to be engaged with anything other than survival.

So, Why do you box? 

Leave a comment, tell me and the world what is so great about this sport.

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