Q/A: The lessons of sparring and maturing in your boxing training workouts

Rob, . I had only been boxing for 2 months and had no previous experience and was put in the ring with a guy who was a lot more experienced than I was, but still he wasn't very good. I didn't do so bad but It was not what I expected and he did land some some hard shots on me and left me feeling discouraged. I was told I did good but I didn't think so and I think my trainer felt I did good because he probably thought it was good for me not being very experienced and maybe being able to take a good punch. I now see that as bullshit.I sparred with my trainer and was a lot more comfortable sparring with him and learn a lot more but was still kind of discouraged in my training so I took a little break. Now that I'm back I have been training alone getting in shape and just asking trainers to work the mitts with me . I am starting to see the game unfold, and see the same things happen to other guys. They get paired up with these guys who want to impress their trainers and use the new guys as a punching bag to display their skills on. Also I see them urging these newly trained fighters to get in the ring way to soon so they can "see what its all about".

I'm sure you have seen this before. I noticed trainers dont really want to teach alot about boxing unless you want to fight competitively.And it seems like the old school test is to put you through some rigorous sparring sessions to see if you have the chin and mental toughness to handle it. Then they wait and see if you come back for more knd of thing. I dont want you to think its a soyg post because I love it there.

Paul, You can't get down on yourself too hard if you have a bad day at the gym and in sparring. Even when you're ready to spar you are still going to have some off days. If you want to box this is part of it. You must be persistence and patient. If you want to box eventually you have to get in there with more experienced and better fighters to learn and get better.

Maybe look for another gym if the trainers there don't want to teach you more of the art of boxing or if you don't want to fight. That's a real boxing gym you're training at. Those trainers you are talking about want you to earn that time you spend with them, they want you to respect their time, cause we boxing trainers get burnt on occasion by teaching a fighter some skills and then they quit. I don't just work with anyone either. Now I don't agree with testing new fighters by lighting them up in the ring and waiting to see if they come back before teaching them more, some of the diamond in the rough fighters are the ones that first appear timid and unsure. That's our job to instill confidence and flip the switch on in those fighters... if they're willing to learn and go through what they must cause once that switch is turned on they are dangerous and the night and day changes in their mentality is stunning! all good trainers have worked with fighters like this and it's VERY gratifying.

Communicate with your trainer Paul, Tell him what you feel unsure about and what you are looking for to continue training. Again you may have to find another gym if there is no way around the system of sparring they employ, or if they won't put a more adequate sparring partner in their with you so you can blossom to a new level allowing you to then work with better fighters.