Described as one of the most popular complete sporting disciplines, boxing continues to fly its flag high as more people continue to develop an admiration for the sport. Boxing demands ultimate endurance, flexibility, speed, and power from all athletes that compete.
A boxer must condition their body and mind to emerge victoriously. Also, due to its visible benefits in attaining a healthy body, people continue to practice the sport for fun and fitness purposes.
According to the universal law; everything has two sides, the good and the bad.
That’s why we are going to take a deeper look at the pros and cons of boxing.
Contents
Pros and Cons of Boxing: The Good, Bad & Ugly
What are the Pros of Boxing?
Discipline
The rich culture that surrounds this sport has emphasized the need for boxers to become self-disciplined both in the ring and in all aspects of their life. As an individual sport, boxing demands a high level of focus. Each boxer is required to stay alert every moment of the fight, even a millisecond of absent-mindedness can result in a loss.
Participants in this sport develop the same culture in their daily tasks. They eat the right foods to ensure a balanced diet, have a fixed schedule to follow, and also set goals that they have to accomplish each day.
Fitness
Professional boxers need to be in great shape in order to last the full 12 rounds if it comes to that. That’s why endurance is key. Boxers are known to go long-distance running to help improve this, as well as the use of jump ropes for conditioning training.
But boxing is not just a sport, it has now evolved into a workout in order to help people to stay fit, especially older adults. Fitness boxing is a risk-free adaptation of real boxing as there are no direct punches that may cause head trauma and other injuries.
The participants perform exercise routines and the movements used in real fights. This has proved to have an array of health benefits, as the participants are required to constantly change their thinking, position, and body posture when exercising.
Boxing is a full-body exercise because one has to use muscles from both the upper and lower body. In the long-run, this results in a stronger upper body and frame, improved balance, and better posture. It is also beneficial in having a better mood, better eye-hand coordination, and lengthens concentration period.
Agility
Boxing is a sport made of a mixture of both skill and use of strength, the ability of a boxer to make sudden and unpredictable movements is what separates a boxing pro and an amateur. Making these random well-timed moves is what is called agility.
The training for agility is emphasized as it helps in better ability in stopping, starting, and changing of direction swiftly and fast. A boxer is also able to enhance his body coordination and balance. Ladder drills are used to train for this and this full workout for the lower part of the body too.
Hand-eye coordination is also extremely important in boxing, some ways to improve this is the use of speed bags, double-end bags, and also training fast combinations with a partner who is wearing focus mitts.
Self-defense
Training for boxing comprises a mixture of an array of attacking and defensive moves, one also has to check on his footwork movement and controlling the distance of the fight. This gives you an edge in the event you are faced with a situation where you need to defend yourself. Boxers train on the best places to hit someone to deliver heavy blows that may lead to a knockout. The more you train in boxing you learn how to add more power to your jabs as well improve balance.
A boxer will be more confident and their developed fighting mentality from training and fights in the ring; this comes in handy when they want to defend themselves. They are also better at taking punches, and ducking them due to having quick reflexes.
What are the CONS OF BOXING?
Injuries
Since boxing is a high-intensity sport, injuries in the sport are unavoidable. Injuries ranging from severe brain damage, black eyes, broken teeth, injuries to the fingers and hands as well as muscle injuries are common. However, most boxing enthusiasts live under the saying “no pain, no gain”.
In the history of boxing, there have been reported deaths and some vicious career-ending injuries for the boxers. It is therefore important to exercise caution when sparring and also in the ring. Wear the right protective gear to minimize the dangers brought about by boxing.
This photo below shows a common look that boxers have after intense fights. Boxing isn’t for the faint-hearted, we want to make our readers (you) aware of that if you are new this. Make sure that you have suitable protective boxing headgear if you are a beginner.
Not as versatile as mixed martial arts
Boxing only emphasizes on the use of hands and the upper part of the body. It is therefore not very effective in street fights and cases of self-defense. Another reason is that most boxers are used to wearing gloves in sparring and professional fights, this can make it a challenge in case a bare-knuckle situation erupts. Unlike Muay Thai, where the use of unorthodox boxing techniques and the use of knee and elbow strikes are applied to defeat the other opponent, whereas boxing sticks to the rules, that can be limiting outside of boxing.
Boxing is more effective when the two opponents are standing. If the fight goes to the ground then boxing techniques aren’t going to help. Whereas someone who trains in Mixed Martial Arts is more well-rounded compared to a boxer; this is because the techniques in MMA involve both standing and ground training tactics. Just look at Nate Diaz being able to submit McGregor with ease. This was because once on the ground his expertise in Jiu-Jitsu were more useful for the fight.
Deaths and Serious Injuries
The worst recorded deaths in boxing history will send chills up your spine. One such death is of Duk-Koo Kim, who died in the ring, his death was followed by the suicide of the referee officiating the match and Kim’s mother. Other deaths include Becky Zerlentes who was the first woman to die while in the ring. This just shows how dangerous the sport can be. Some of the boxers may die later after a fight due to ruptured veins causing internal bleeding
Boxers are also known to have a high risk in suffering brain damage resulting from exposure of hard blows on their heads. Statistics and research have proved that boxing leads to head trauma which may lead to permanent brain damage and other injuries to the head. Historical data states that about 90% of the boxers tend to suffer from brain damage during or after their career.
costly Gym Memberships
A fully functioning gym with a dedicated trainer and partners to spar with are not cheap. The gym costs tend to dent your pockets and have to be included when formulating your budget. Some gym costs may be very exorbitant making it hard to consequently pay the fee over the months.
Is boxing Useful for self defense?
Boxing has been regarded as one of the top-rated mechanisms for self-defense. Well-timed head movements, clear vision, anticipation, and counter punches create a well-rounded defensive system.
Below are 5 reasons as to why boxing is effective for self-defense:
- A boxer will generally be healthy from training and fights in the ring. This can come in handy if one is approached by bullies on the streets as you can take them out with ease as you have accumulated endurance in fights.
- Fight mentality – An untrained person is not acquainted with the various scenarios that are presented by every fight. A trained boxer will be in a position to quickly judge a combat situation and apply the right technique to exterminate their opponent.
- Punching power – Boxers are taught and trained in tactics to increase their punching power. This comes in handy in self-defense. There have been stories of boxers knocking out muggers with a single punch.
- Boxing is a sport for everyone – Unlike some sports and other defensive techniques which are better learned by a particular gender, boxing is a welcoming sport to everyone. The rise in the fame of fitness boxing has also helped the elderly in ensuring they get a full-body exercise.
- A boxer has more refined motor skills – Boxing helps in having better reflexes and improvement of the reaction time. This makes a boxer confident in fights and in defending themselves.
Summary
If you are looking for a sport that will improve your confidence in defending yourself, better health and living your life fully, boxing is a good choice as it an all-round sport.
Remember to always use the right safety gear to get the most out of the sport.
