advice for newcomers.

[Stormin' Norman]

This is the toughest hustle known to man. You gotta look for a long time in that mirror at yourself, and ask yourself if you are really built for it. Are you built for waking up at 4:30 am to do calisthenics then roadwork before going to your 8 hour a day job? Are you built for doing this every single day just to stay ahead of the other guys, or to make up for what you've lost by starting later than them in life?

Are you built for starving yourself, and then eating a tomato, alone, for supper and going to sleep after a long ass run? Are you built to distance yourself from going out and having fun with all your other friends, because you'd rather jump rope, or watch classic fights?

Because if you aren't, don't even **** with it. What's going to end up happening, is you'll come into the gym, train few months, come time to spar, get knocked the **** out and quit, and all that time will be wasted. Just a FYI. I saw this happen to quite a few kids because they just didn't know what kind of world they were entering...

You have to really want it, you gotta have a deep desire to always be better than the next guy, **** you hear about Tyson grunting in the dark shadowboxing at the kids jail back in NYC, that kind of dedication is what shapes victory in the squared circle...That is all....

[fraidycat]

My advice is in my sig.

I'd add that you don't -- can't -- know if you're ready for this or not until you step in a GYM. A real Goddamn gym, not "boxing fitness" at the Y or Tae Bo performed to Ace of Base. You've got to get in there and give blood. (Hitting a bag in your garage or "sparring" with your buddies in your backyard is not boxing, anymore than taking morning jogs makes you a triathlete.)

And if you get in the ring and learn that you're too peaceful a person to be competitive in this sport, there's no shame in that, either.

[Stormin' Norman]

My advice is in my sig.

I'd add that you don't -- can't -- know if you're ready for this or not until you step in a GYM. A real Goddamn gym, not "boxing fitness" at the Y or Tae Bo performed to Ace of Base. You've got to get in there and give blood. (Hitting a bag in your garage or "sparring" with your buddies in your backyard is not boxing, anymore than taking morning jogs makes you a triathlete.)

And if you get in the ring and learn that you're too peaceful a person to be competitive in this sport, there's no shame in that, either.

And fraidy, as usual, is on point like a coffin nail.

Great advice, and I've read alot of your posts, you took up boxing later in life and it gave you it's gifts of character and etc, so I can understand where your coming from plus I know you're one of the few here (That post regularly) who've actually sparred tough real competition . I see ur after fight pics and they werent pretty. Never seen ya spar or do any bag work but I'm sure you got some hands.

I don't know if I'm too peaceful, but when I hurt a guy and know he's hurt, if I've been training with him and he's from my gym, I let him off the hook...If it's a guy who came to my gym to spar, depending on how he acted towards me before the spar is how I handle the situation...But 95% of the time when I get my guy hurt upstairs I go straight to the body with everything I have and they don't come out of their corner for the next round. (If you've never experienced it, it's a weird, weird feeling to throw a full power punch on a guy who's eyes are rollin' in the back of his head, with bad, killing intentions, but it's definately interesting.)

fraidy I relate to u also because you and I both started late...goddamnit why did my father have to be a computer nerd/golf guy

[sukhenkoy]

good post norman. This is the toughest sport in the world. Those that want to be half decent must bust serious balls in the gym, day in day out. Huge loads of physical and mental stress, all on a daily basis. Either give it all, or don't give at all. No pain no gain.

[TheBlackSwifty]

This is the toughest hustle known to man. You gotta look for a long time in that mirror at yourself, and ask yourself if you are really built for it. Are you built for waking up at 4:30 am to do calisthenics then roadwork before going to your 8 hour a day job? Are you built for doing this every single day just to stay ahead of the other guys, or to make up for what you've lost by starting later than them in life?

Are you built for starving yourself, and then eating a tomato, alone, for supper and going to sleep after a long ass run? Are you built to distance yourself from going out and having fun with all your other friends, because you'd rather jump rope, or watch classic fights?

Because if you aren't, don't even **** with it. What's going to end up happening, is you'll come into the gym, train few months, come time to spar, get knocked the **** out and quit, and all that time will be wasted. Just a FYI. I saw this happen to quite a few kids because they just didn't know what kind of world they were entering...

You have to really want it, you gotta have a deep desire to always be better than the next guy, **** you hear about Tyson grunting in the dark shadowboxing at the kids jail back in NYC, that kind of dedication is what shapes victory in the squared circle...That is all....

Nice try but ya givin advice to yourself coz looking at your vids you are a newbie!

First, Ya dont have to get up at 4.30am to run. You can be a successful amateur by going to the gym 3 or 4 days a week and throwing in some roadwork as well.

Smart boxers dont starve themselves, thats silly, a tomato for supper? thats just dumb.

And doing that **** aint gonna prepare ya for sparring. It takes a bit to get used to getting hit but no-one should be trying to knock ya out when ya just starting.

The last bit ya said is good but. But where u get off giving advice seeing ya box clumsy and ya outta of shape in both ya vids?

[Chayal Boded.]

I disagree. I think everyone should try boxing its the best sport in the world and if more people gave it a try when they're young then there would be a lot more talent coming in. sometimes people don't know what they have inside them and it's pointless for you to discourage anyone from it. they will find out soon enough what it entails and will hopefully find that the benefits outweigh the struggles.

[KostyaTszyu44]

its a hard, hard sport

but you dramatise it a little bit, most boxers dont have to eat a tomato for dinner, if making weight gets to the point you can only eat a tomato for dinner you need to move up a weight class lol

and wern't you the out of shape guy who had bad technique on the bag and was boasting about how he knocked all the bruthas out at the gym lol

so i dont think you would know what its like to starve yourself and get up early to run lol

[peewee1460]

and on top of what tszu said, you shouldn't eat a tomato before bed. tomatoes have carbs which, while sleeping, are turned into fat. you'd be better off eating a piece of fish or poultry or maybe just some low fat cottage cheese.

[sugarshanenas]

Nice try but ya givin advice to yourself coz looking at your vids you are a newbie!

First, Ya dont have to get up at 4.30am to run. You can be a successful amateur by going to the gym 3 or 4 days a week and throwing in some roadwork as well.

Smart boxers dont starve themselves, thats silly, a tomato for supper? thats just dumb.

And doing that **** aint gonna prepare ya for sparring. It takes a bit to get used to getting hit but no-one should be trying to knock ya out when ya just starting.

The last bit ya said is good but. But where u get off giving advice seeing ya box clumsy and ya outta of shape in both ya vids?

seriously...

[TheTruthIs]

*Sigh*

OP, if the point of your post is "this is a tough sport", well, yea it is...but don't try to back that fact up with ridiculous examples. While it is true a lot of people don't stick around the gym, it isn't because they got their asses knocked out sparring. Hard physical training isn't for everyone. Either is playing chess. I tried playing chess and was not bad at it, but it just fookin bores me...so I quit. This more then anything is the reason people quit boxing. They just find out for various reasons it isn't for them.

You don't have to be prepared to kill yourself, starve yourself, learn to love pain...to join and enjoy learning the sweet science. You need two things. A desire to try it, and the ability to walk your ass through the door. What happens from there, happens. Some will go on to be great fighters, determined. Others will get a bit fitter and learn some self-defence and discipline. Others maybe will have the desire but lack the talent and drive to fight. They could end up being good coaches and trainers. Many go just for the conditioning, which is awesome.

So be careful about how black and white you paint boxing and partaking in it. If you are trying to talk about what it takes to become a champion, a pro, well maybe leave that to those that know and have been there. Anyone can box. The more people walking through the door, regardless of whether they stay or not, the better this sport will be for it. The more people encouraging them to take that step...the more people will benefit from the experience.

Ya see, on a personal note, this sport may have saved me. It for sure helped me be a better person. It taught me to respect others, by first respecting myself. So I feel I owe it to give back what I can. I start by trying to get as many through its doors as possible, not to discourage them; and I draw a lot to this sport in my little corner of the world...but not generally with words, but by example.

You want to make a legitmate statement on what it takes to box ? Be the example.