19 Female- What to Expect from Boxing?

[athena09]

Hey all,

So I'm a 19 year old girl from Canada and I'm planning to try boxing. I trained wing chun for the past three years, but my ma goals have changed a lot, and I'm no longer really interested in a method of self defense so much as an aggressive/high intensity form of exercise (I hope that description doesn't offend all you serious boxers out there :/ - that's just what I'd like boxing to be for me, as I wouldn't want to compete). On a sidenote, I'm overall fit, but my cardio probably sucks right now and I only weigh like, 120lbs.

Anyway, I'm wondering what I should expect my first few classes to be like- and if anyone has any advice (anything from womens' perspective would be especially appreciated ^_^). I plan on checking out a few clubs in town, so anything I should be looking out for (in the good or bad sense)? Or better yet, if anyone else is from Ottawa- which club would you recommend?

Thanks! =)

 

[searcher]

I boxed for 7 years and coached boxing for a few years. If you are wanting exercise, then that is great. Not all boxing has to be competetive or about SD. You should expect to have a short to moderate distance run, shadow boxing(most likely with jabs and crosses), bag work, and maybe some mitt work. You will work for 1-2 hours and sweat a bunch.

 

[IcemanSK]

I don't mean to scare you off, but this may happen. So trainers in serious boxing gyms want to see if you'll stick around by putting on a lot of pressure right away. My 1st boxing gym, I went in with a 17 year old TKD student of mine. Coach figured we wouldn't stay long so he he showed us how to do a jab, step, jab, cross. He then said, "Do these for the whole round until I come to get you."

Well, 7 rounds later he came back to see how we were! My student was toast at round 3. I was really sore, but I wouldn't let on. Coach figured if I can handle that & come back the next day, I'd be worth training. I trained there for a number of years.

I hope you get a trainer who starts out slowly (unlike my friend). But there is a lot of folks who "want to box" & they find out that it's actually work. Many trainers employ the method I describe to weed out the less than serious folks. Under no circumstances get in the ring & spar in your 1st month! You want to learn, not be fresh meat for others.

I don't want to scare you away, but I wanted to give you an understanding how some trainers think. Some still haven't figured out that women belong in the gym. I hope the place that you train is welcoming & starts out relatively slowly.

My best to you. Let me know how it goes!

 

[athena09]

Thanks searcher, I feel like I have a good idea of what a training session might be like because of your reply =)

And IcemanSK, hah, don't worry, you won't scare me off that easily That sounds rough for a first session, cudos for sticking it out. I do understand it in a way though, I mean, who would want to teach a student who's not serious about training? Thanks for the heads up anyway- I'll giver all I've got