Beginners Guide to Boxing

Posted 2021-04-29 ShanghaiWOWeng

The idea might sound insane to you: You're going to pay money so you can go to a place every couple of days and get beat up. But, a lot of people find boxing extremely rewarding for their fitness and overall well-being. This fitness trend has enjoyed a lot of popularity, with signs that’s it’s only becoming more popular. Here’s what you need to know about the trend and what to expect in class.

 

What is Boxing?  

 

You’ve seen boxing everywhere – in the Olympics, in Rocky movies, in fights on TV, and of course, now fitness classes. Boxing is a combat sport in which two people, usually wearing protective gloves, throw punches at each other for a predetermined set of time in a boxing ring. In fitness classes, however, you will rarely ever fight. Classes start with drills and fitness exercises to learn the moves and get stronger, and only in the advanced classes will you ever see a fight, if you really want to.

 

Benefits of Boxing

 

Boxing has stuck with so many people because of the long list of benefits. It’s not just a way to get out aggression, but also a super effective way to get fit and hone your self-control. Focus and concentration are needed when you’re learning all of the moves and self-defense, and controlling your breathing will help you increase your stamina.

 

It’s also not easy to get in shape to fight in the ring (again, if you want to), so developing the mental toughness to do 20 burpees on the spot requires a lot of discipline.

 

 

How to Find the Right Class

 

There are a lot of different types of classes, so it really depends on what you want to accomplish. If you just want a good workout but no contact or drills, a lot of people find that boxing cardio classes offer a great workout. If you’re interested in the technique and eliminating some stress by hitting a punching bag, you might want to try a beginners boxing class or Muay Thai class.

 

While boxing uses only punches, Muai Thai, or kickboxing, also incorporates kicks into the classes. As for technique, here are the basics that you’ll learn in any boxing class.

 

Stance: A boxing stance is where you stand with one foot forward, and one slightly back. You square your hips and keep your hands up blocking your face, with your back slightly rounded. This is the stance you should always be in when doing drills or in the ring.

 

Kicks: In Muay Thai the two most common kicks are a kick jab (straight out) and a roundhouse kick (a higher kick from around the side balancing on one foot).  

 

Punches: There are four basic punches – the Jab, Cross, Hook, and Uppercut. If you’re right handed, your left hand is your lead hand. A Jab is a quick, straight punch thrown with the lead hand. A Cross is a powerful, straight punch thrown with your rear hand (if you’re right handed, your right hand). A Hook is a semi-circular punch thrown with your lead hand to the side of your opponent’s head.

 

Lastly, an Uppercut is a vertical, rising punch thrown with your rear hand – imagine if you’re in your stance, and you slightly lower your right hand, then extend it out slightly and up. Punches are usually numbered 1-6, starting with left hand jab, right cross, left hook, right hook, left uppercut, and right uppercut (if you’re right-handed).

 

 

Defense: There are four main forms of defense – Slipping, Bobbing, Ducking, and Blocking. Slipping means when your opponent throws a punch, you rotate your body slightly so that the punch passes next to your head. When bobbing, you bend your knees and step to the side, emerging on the other side of your opponent. When you Duck, you bend your knees and drop down so the punch misses your head entirely. Last, when you Block, you use your shoulder, hands, or arms as defensive tools to protect against a punch.

 

With your stance, each punch, and defense, your torso and feet need to do corresponding motions, which your instructor will show you in class.

 

What to Expect in Your First Class

 

It’s usually a good idea to get to class 20 minutes early to meet the instructor and put on your hand wraps. Take a towel and water with you, and wear clothes that are comfortable to work out in, and wear shoes that you can easily pivot your feet in. The equipment you’ll need are hand wraps and gloves, which most places can provide. You can get away with not buying your own gloves, but it’s a good idea to get your own wraps, which get sweaty after each class.

 

There are tons of types of boxing classes, so you can find everything from a cardio conditioning workout to a fundamentals class. Usually, you’ll start the class off with a jump rope warmup and light stretching before moving on to some basic punch combinations and working in bodyweight exercises to increase your strength.

 

Things to Remember

 

A lot of people love boxing because it helps them get out some aggression, manage stress, get super fit, and get their endorphins pumping. It can be easy to feel intimidated in your first class, but the best thing is just to jump in and do it.

 

Have we convinced you yet? If you want to try a bootcamp or HIIT class, try using Move Shanghai’s platform – they’ve currently got a 99rmb deal for 3 classes. Here are some studios we’d recommend trying your bootcamp with Move:

 

Photo: Golden Gloves

 

Golden Gloves

Address: 969 Wuding Road, 4th Floor

 

Photo: Jeff Machine

 

KO by Basebody

Address: 222 South Xiangyang Road, 1st floor

 

Photo: MTHD Fitness

 

MTHD Fitness

Address: 98 Jiashan Rd, Tower B, Room 307

 

Photo: iFitness

 

iFitness

Address: 327 Wuding Road, Room 1704-1705

 

Move Shanghai gives you exclusive access to some of the best gyms, studios, and classes in Shanghai. Scan the QR code below to snag their 99rmb deal and try these studios while it lasts! 

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