Need some advice on certain attributes....

[MikeBrown30]

Hey guys,

I turned 22 a few months ago, and i've decided to start boxing. First off, is this too old to start (if I wanted to become an amateur, and possibly professional?)

Onto my questions:

- In regards to your chin, is it something you're born with? I know having big traps/a thick neck will help you out a bit, but is there anyway to improve chin strength besides getting hit, thus adapting to it?

- What is the deal with running on the road? People have said the impact can be damaging to your knees unless you have comfortable footwear. True or a myth?

- I have flat feet, will this be an issue? I've read you should always be up on the balls of your feet.

- I haven't had a chance to look at boxing gyms as of yet, i've been in hospital this past month due to Guillain-Barré Syndrome ([Only registered and activated users can see links]). I was only affected from my waist down, so I was extremely lucky, I should be able to run within the next 1-1.5 months.

Anyway, is a boxing gym still reputable if it doesn't have any professionals/top ameteurs training there on a regular basis? I live in Melbourne, Australia, so obviously there aren't as many big name boxers here in comparison to the U.S.

- Sometimes I seem to be very sensitive in regards to headaches. On occasion I wake up with one, I can get one after running/sprinting or by doing any sort of quick motion if i've just been in a relaxed/resting state. So i'd imagine getting punched in the head won't be any different. In between rounds are you allowed to take pain relief such as paracetamol? Once I take paracetamol, i'm normally good for a week or 2, so it's not like i'm going to take it every round.

Cheers guys, you've got a good forum here, i'm looking forward to posting & getting to know you all:good

[jimmie]

[quote=MikeBrown30;5033349]Hey guys,

I turned 22 a few months ago, and i've decided to start boxing. First off, is this too old to start (if I wanted to become an amateur, and possibly professional?)

Not at all as long as you work hard and have good people around you I believe success is possible. Most people know that Nate Campbell started out at a similar age and went onto to become a legit Lightweight Champion. If he can do it why cant you ?
Onto my questions:

- In regards to your chin, is it something you're born with? I know having big traps/a thick neck will help you out a bit, but is there anyway to improve chin strength besides getting hit, thus adapting to it?

Theres been myths like chewing certain kinds of gum but im not into all that. I think one its important to keep it tucked and 2 alot of taking a good punch is relaxing and having almost a refusal to be hurt. Dont ever be scared to take a punch it will only hurt you.

- What is the deal with running on the road? People have said the impact can be damaging to your knees unless you have comfortable footwear. True or a myth?

I spent years running on hard pavement and without good running shoes at that and this year my feet and shins started to show it. I took off like a month and since I bought a pair of running shoes and now run in grass as much as possible I feel better. I liked running in the road because I felt like I could move smoother or faster but id rather take care of my all important legs.

- I have flat feet, will this be an issue? I've read you should always be up on the balls of your feet.

Its always important to be lite on the balls of your feet and im always on the ball of my rear foot. I have flat feet myself and know others with them as well and they have no real issues with footwork.

- I haven't had a chance to look at boxing gyms as of yet, i've been in hospital this past month due to Guillain-Barré Syndrome ([Only registered and activated users can see links]). I was only affected from my waist down, so I was extremely lucky, I should be able to run within the next 1-1.5 months.

Im glad to hear you are ok man :good

Anyway, is a boxing gym still reputable if it doesn't have any professionals/top ameteurs training there on a regular basis? I live in Melbourne, Australia, so obviously there aren't as many big name boxers here in comparison to the U.S.

Well a boxing gym is a boxing gym and its better then just doing bagwork in your basement or something. As long as you do have amateurs fighting their, quality trainers and good equipment I think you are fine.

- Sometimes I seem to be very sensitive in regards to headaches. On occasion I wake up with one, I can get one after running/sprinting or by doing any sort of quick motion if i've just been in a relaxed/resting state. So i'd imagine getting punched in the head won't be any different. In between rounds are you allowed to take pain relief such as paracetamol? Once I take paracetamol, i'm normally good for a week or 2, so it's not like i'm going to take it every round.

As far as I know you cant take anything inbetween rounds and I dont see why they would ever allow anyone. Can you take it before maybe ? I would talk to a doctor about this headaches before you start any sparring.

Cheers guys, you've got a good forum here, i'm looking forward to posting & getting to know you all:good

[Dan]

hey welcome to the forum man the guy above seems to have summed up everything

just wondering where abouts in melbourne you are as im from there too and know a few good gyms

[TommyV]

Don't worry too much about the chin issue. Have confidence in your ability to take a punch, keep your hands up, chin tucked and roll punches and you'll be absolutely fine.

[MikeBrown30]

[quote=MikeBrown30;5033349]Hey guys,


I turned 22 a few months ago, and i've decided to start boxing. First off, is this too old to start (if I wanted to become an amateur, and possibly professional?)



Not at all as long as you work hard and have good people around you I believe success is possible. Most people know that Nate Campbell started out at a similar age and went onto to become a legit Lightweight Champion. If he can do it why cant you ?

Onto my questions:



- In regards to your chin, is it something you're born with? I know having big traps/a thick neck will help you out a bit, but is there anyway to improve chin strength besides getting hit, thus adapting to it?



Theres been myths like chewing certain kinds of gum but im not into all that. I think one its important to keep it tucked and 2 alot of taking a good punch is relaxing and having almost a refusal to be hurt. Dont ever be scared to take a punch it will only hurt you.



- What is the deal with running on the road? People have said the impact can be damaging to your knees unless you have comfortable footwear. True or a myth?



I spent years running on hard pavement and without good running shoes at that and this year my feet and shins started to show it. I took off like a month and since I bought a pair of running shoes and now run in grass as much as possible I feel better. I liked running in the road because I felt like I could move smoother or faster but id rather take care of my all important legs.



- I have flat feet, will this be an issue? I've read you should always be up on the balls of your feet.



Its always important to be lite on the balls of your feet and im always on the ball of my rear foot. I have flat feet myself and know others with them as well and they have no real issues with footwork.



- I haven't had a chance to look at boxing gyms as of yet, i've been in hospital this past month due to Guillain-Barré Syndrome ([Only registered and activated users can see links]). I was only affected from my waist down, so I was extremely lucky, I should be able to run within the next 1-1.5 months.



Im glad to hear you are ok man



Anyway, is a boxing gym still reputable if it doesn't have any professionals/top ameteurs training there on a regular basis? I live in Melbourne, Australia, so obviously there aren't as many big name boxers here in comparison to the U.S.



Well a boxing gym is a boxing gym and its better then just doing bagwork in your basement or something. As long as you do have amateurs fighting their, quality trainers and good equipment I think you are fine.



- Sometimes I seem to be very sensitive in regards to headaches. On occasion I wake up with one, I can get one after running/sprinting or by doing any sort of quick motion if i've just been in a relaxed/resting state. So i'd imagine getting punched in the head won't be any different. In between rounds are you allowed to take pain relief such as paracetamol? Once I take paracetamol, i'm normally good for a week or 2, so it's not like i'm going to take it every round.



As far as I know you cant take anything inbetween rounds and I dont see why they would ever allow anyone. Can you take it before maybe ? I would talk to a doctor about this headaches before you start any sparring.



Cheers guys, you've got a good forum here, i'm looking forward to posting & getting to know you all


Thanks for the great advice jimmie ;) Good to hear it isn't too late to start.

hey welcome to the forum man the guy above seems to have summed up everything


just wondering where abouts in melbourne you are as im from there too and know a few good gyms

Hey Dan. I live in Doncaster East (Eastern suburbs), and i've got no clue as to locations of boxing gyms. Do you know of any gyms that have experienced, knowledgeable trainers?

Don't worry too much about the chin issue. Have confidence in your ability to take a punch, keep your hands up, chin tucked and roll punches and you'll be absolutely fine.

Cheers Tommy. Once I start sparring, I guess I'll find out how strong my chin is, but I would much prefer to be defensively sound.

I'll throw out a few stats as well. Just before i became unwell i was cutting down from 80kg (176lbs) @ 5'7" roughly 25% bodyfat. I got down to 68kg (150lbs) with abs half visible. That was over the course of 3-4 months.

Not being able to walk for 2 weeks really opened my eyes and scared the shit out of me (I went from walking, to not walking in the space of 4 hours). When you can't do an everyday thing such as walking, you appreciate life & the simple things alot more. So I'm prepared to give boxing 110%.

Thanks again :)

[Bodi]

Everything you asked has pretty much been covered adequately so far, Mike.

Regards the chin issue, one aspect that hasn't been covered and is commonly overlooked is neck flexibility - a flexible neck will absorb the impact of a punch far better than a strong neck which isn't flexible.

[joakim]

hey Mike
Im new at the forum as well today so sorry if its any mistakes here.
Im also a beginner so can tell you much about the boxing specifics but im a physiotherapist and regards to your flat feet i would recomend you to buy some good shoes and rather jog in the forest or something. You can fast get shin splints or knee problems so take care of your legs.
good luck man

[thejokerswild]

Holy shit, an old best mate of mine just got diagnosed with Guillain-Barré. He is pretty much completely paralyzed. its completely fucked he has a kid and a fiance.

im glad you're okay though isn't it extremely rare? Did you make a full recovery? what else do ya know?

[Perky300]

Everything you asked has pretty much been covered adequately so far, Mike.

Regards the chin issue, one aspect that hasn't been covered and is commonly overlooked is neck flexibility - a flexible neck will absorb the impact of a punch far better than a strong neck which isn't flexible.

Are you sure? I don't think this is the case. A knock out is caused by the head being knocked back and when the neck gets hit back it momentarily blocks blood and oxygen going to the brain cuasing the knock down...

so the stronger the neck the less likely your head will be jolted back, keeping blood and oxygen going to the brain

[joakim]

Holy shit, an old best mate of mine just got diagnosed with Guillain-Barré. He is pretty much completely paralyzed. its completely fucked he has a kid and a fiance.

im glad you're okay though isn't it extremely rare? Did you make a full recovery? what else do ya know?

I think i can answer you on this. Mike might know better but its very rear that people dont recover 100% from guillain-barre. But it can take a year before recovery starts. But its rearly anybody that dies from it or anything.

[Bodi]

Are you sure? I don't think this is the case. A knock out is caused by the head being knocked back and when the neck gets hit back it momentarily blocks blood and oxygen going to the brain cuasing the knock down...

so the stronger the neck the less likely your head will be jolted back, keeping blood and oxygen going to the brain

Yes, I am sure - you do not need to break down the methodology of a knockout to me. The actual cause of a knockout has been long debated, and no conclusive proof has yet been agreed on. Compression of the carotid arteries is one theory, which I believe is what you are referring to, but personally speaking, I don't buy into this reasoning. I do agree that it can cause a person to lose consciousness in certain cases, but I don't believe it to be the case in boxing. From the studies that I have read, I am of the opinion that trauma to the brain is the more likely cause in boxing, or with any sudden impact to the head (car crashes, falls etc). More specifically, damage to the cranial nerves, brain stem, blood vessels, contusions and perhaps even minor diffuse axonal injuries would be the more likely causes of a knockout where there are sudden impacts to the head.

The way I see it is that your neck needs to remain strong throughout it's full range of motion, as with every other part of the body, hence my mention of flexibility. I am not suggesting that strength training should be avoided, but I am suggesting that to get the maximum benefit out of the strength training, you need to add in flexibility training. By solely relying on the strength of your neck to absorb punches is a one way ticket to long term brain damage imo.

To give you more of an idea of what I am on about, look up isometric stretching, and apply it by having a partner hold a towel around your head and perform a series of isometric stretches, which will aid both strength and flexibility in your neck. You will find few better neck workouts anywhere. Add in neck bridges to this routine, which again, works both strength and flexibility, and you have a complete neck workout.

As with all well rounded strength training programs, they will only ever reach their full potential where there is adequate flexibility in the muscles. This point is often overlooked, and needs to be given a lot of consideration when developing any workout, regardless of what part of the body you are training.

[Perky300]

Yes, I am sure - you do not need to break down the methodology of a knockout to me. The actual cause of a knockout has been long debated, and no conclusive proof has yet been agreed on. Compression of the carotid arteries is one theory, which I believe is what you are referring to, but personally speaking, I don't buy into this reasoning. I do agree that it can cause a person to lose consciousness in certain cases, but I don't believe it to be the case in boxing. From the studies that I have read, I am of the opinion that trauma to the brain is the more likely cause in boxing, or with any sudden impact to the head (car crashes, falls etc). More specifically, damage to the cranial nerves, brain stem, blood vessels, contusions and perhaps even minor diffuse axonal injuries would be the more likely causes of a knockout where there are sudden impacts to the head.

The way I see it is that your neck needs to remain strong throughout it's full range of motion, as with every other part of the body, hence my mention of flexibility. I am not suggesting that strength training should be avoided, but I am suggesting that to get the maximum benefit out of the strength training, you need to add in flexibility training. By solely relying on the strength of your neck to absorb punches is a one way ticket to long term brain damage imo.

To give you more of an idea of what I am on about, look up isometric stretching, and apply it by having a partner hold a towel around your head and perform a series of isometric stretches, which will aid both strength and flexibility in your neck. You will find few better neck workouts anywhere. Add in neck bridges to this routine, which again, works both strength and flexibility, and you have a complete neck workout.

As with all well rounded strength training programs, they will only ever reach their full potential where there is adequate flexibility in the muscles. This point is often overlooked, and needs to be given a lot of consideration when developing any workout, regardless of what part of the body you are training.

yeh i see your point, never thought about it that way. Just had the one idea in my mind...but i do believe that your neck snapping back and depriving the brain of oxygen is definetely atleast a cause of some knockouts in boxing, especially if you look at slow motion replays of knock outs, the neck and head is always jolted back but then again i can see that this would also mean sudden high impact which you were talking about.

I personally don't see how flexibility will help prevent this as i believe it would be the intial power of the punch that would cause the sudden/high impact sensation that causes the knock out. By no means am i saying i'm right, just what i believe

will defo take on board your advice for neck trainin

[TommyV]

Cheers Tommy. Once I start sparring, I guess I'll find out how strong my chin is, but I would much prefer to be defensively sound.

I'll throw out a few stats as well. Just before i became unwell i was cutting down from 80kg (176lbs) @ 5'7" roughly 25% bodyfat. I got down to 68kg (150lbs) with abs half visible. That was over the course of 3-4 months.

Not being able to walk for 2 weeks really opened my eyes and scared the shit out of me (I went from walking, to not walking in the space of 4 hours). When you can't do an everyday thing such as walking, you appreciate life & the simple things alot more. So I'm prepared to give boxing 110%.

Thanks again :)

I'm glad you're okay bro. Best of luck in your recovery and with the boxing career. :good

[Bodi]

Speaking of impacts and such like, read up on coup contrecoup injuries. It is a very interesting subject, and is much of the basis of my earlier points.

[Dan]

oh nice you live in East doncaster, im in Mitcham just a suburb or two ova lol
not sure if there is anything real close to you but i go to Fighters Factory in Blackburn and it is great. It has an old school feeling and all the trainers are past fighters. As for professionals the top fighter there is Oyewale Omotsomo who is number 1 welterweight in Aus i think. I was introduced to him on my first time there and he convinced me to keep coming back :) Its a pretty busy gym so and just like others you have to be serious and train hard if you want people to pay attention to you. It is right on the train line which is good too. The only drawback is the cost i guess but its well worth it. I personally just go to the circuit training as im a beginner and only 17 but after ive finished vce im gonna start taking it more seriously
well heres the website, hope to see u there some day lol
[Only registered and activated users can see links]

[MikeBrown30]

Everything you asked has pretty much been covered adequately so far, Mike.

Regards the chin issue, one aspect that hasn't been covered and is commonly overlooked is neck flexibility - a flexible neck will absorb the impact of a punch far better than a strong neck which isn't flexible.

Thanks for the advice Bodi :)

hey Mike
Im new at the forum as well today so sorry if its any mistakes here.
Im also a beginner so can tell you much about the boxing specifics but im a physiotherapist and regards to your flat feet i would recomend you to buy some good shoes and rather jog in the forest or something. You can fast get shin splints or knee problems so take care of your legs.
good luck man

Cheers joakim. Over the last few years I've been buying Nike runners, and I haven't ever had any pain or shin splits, but I want to buy a pair of Asics. All I ever hear from people is how bloody comfortable they are. [Only registered and activated users can see links] Not sure if they're available in your part of the world (if you aren't in Aus).

Holy shit, an old best mate of mine just got diagnosed with Guillain-Barré. He is pretty much completely paralyzed. its completely fucked he has a kid and a fiance.

im glad you're okay though isn't it extremely rare? Did you make a full recovery? what else do ya know?

Hey Joker,

Man I feel bad for your friend, I was extremely lucky to be affected from my waist down only. I'll give you a timeline of events:

August 15th

Came down with cold like symptons (Sore throat, feverish, body aches). It was my sisters 18th that night, which we were having at our place, and I was going to be the barman. I ended up drinking that night, although I didn't get completely smashed.

August 16th

Minimal hangover, mind was a bit hazy. Fever & body aches had disappeared, residual sore throat/blocked nose/cough.

August 16th-21st

Had the whole week off, even though it was just a mild cold.

August 22nd

All symptons of the cold had gone, & I woke up that morning feeling back to normal. Then at around 12pm I started to get some numbness and pins & needles in my legs. I had been sitting at the computer for an hour or so, I thought my legs had just gone to sleep. I went to the gym to train my upperbody at about 2pm. I was ok at the start, then the tingling started to get worse, and my balance was starting to be a bit off when I would walk. I called my mum to see if our local doctor was open, to check out what was wrong. She was closed, so my mum told me to come home & we would go somewhere else.

I was just ok to drive home, although it was becoming difficult to control my foot on the accelerator (my leg was getting a bit shakey). I only live about 5 minutes from the gym, so it was manageable. When I arrived home though, I had to hold onto my car to walk around to the stairs, then hold onto the rails to get up the damn stairs. This was about 2:45-3:00. My dad came home about 10 minutes later, so I went with both my parents to an after hours clinic. By this time it was extremely difficult to walk. We arrive at the clinic, and I can't walk at all. My dad had to pick me up from behind & carry me into the reception area my legs were so weak.

So we wait for an hour or so until the doctor sees us. He does a few reflex tests etc then writes a referral for me to go to the emergency department at a hospital right away. We arrive there, wait for half an hour then I get admitted into a bed. They do more reflex tests, blood tests etc. Now my legs are numb as ever, the tingling is pretty bad, and anytime my legs are moved, I get this burning pain.

Hours pass, I see a couple of doctors, they do a lumbar puncture ([Only registered and activated users can see links]). I was fairly lean at the time, so luckily my doc got it on the first shot. It wasn't too uncomfortable, just mild back pain & a headache afterwards. They give the diagnosis (and of course we've never heard of it before) but I was extremely relieved to say the least. At first I thought it was Multiple Sclerosis, which my aunty has.

By 12am that night they had me on an IV with immunoglobulin, to try and boost my immune system back up. To sum it up, the syndrome is an auto immune disease. When you're sick, your immune system kills all the bad bacteria in your body at present until you have recovered. With the Guillain-Barré, your immune system mistakes the protective coating around your nerves (myelin) as a foreign agent. So it attacks the coating around your nerves, thus disrupting any signals from the brain to your legs (or whichever area the body has been affected by). Luckily the myelin does regenerate, albeit at a rate of roughly 1mm per day. It is rare, it only affects 1 or 2 out o 100,000 people.

There are severe instances though where the axon (nerve fibre) is damaged. If this does not regenerate itself, permanent loss of function & numbness will occur. Again this is only in severe cases, where peoples entire bodies have been affected. Most need to be on a respirator because they can't breathe on their own. Time spent in hospital will vary from 2 months to 6 months+. Recovery takes even longer, sometimes years. I got off very lightly, which I am extremely grateful for. I was in hospital & rehab for just over a month all up.

August 22nd-29th

The IV had to be run for 5 days, which stabalised my immune system. For the first few days I didn't notice any improvements, but from then on it did (albeit EXTREMELY slowly). I was able to barely walk with a frame after a week. I still had no feeling from my waist down. I also required a catheter ([Only registered and activated users can see links]), & was constipated for that whole week.

August 29th - September 20th

After about a week in hospital they sent me off to a rehabilitation facilty, where I was for 3 weeks. Undertaking physiotherapy, hydrotherapy etc. At the start I had to get around in a wheelchair, and just taking 5-6 steps made my legs fatigued and wobbly. After about 2-2.5 weeks I was able to walk around the ward by myself. Also important to note, if my upperbody wasn't strong, my rehabilitation and stay in hospital would have been twice as long.

So I've been back at home for just over a week, I'm starting to jog a little bit. My physiotherapist says I should be able to run normally in the next month, which will be when I start boxing.

There's very little that I'm afraid of in this world (sharks are probably the only thing), but I was scared shitless the day that it happened. Going from walking, to not walking in the space of 4 hours is a jolt to the system. I was sort of cruising through life with no direction or motivation, and this was the kick in the ass that I needed to get on track.

Anyway Joker, send my wishes to your friend, and tell him it will get better. The major issue with this syndrome is that it takes so damn long to recover if you get a severe case of it.

[MikeBrown30]

I think i can answer you on this. Mike might know better but its very rear that people dont recover 100% from guillain-barre. But it can take a year before recovery starts. But its rearly anybody that dies from it or anything.

Yes it is rare that people don't fully recover (I think the statistic is 95% of cases make a full recovery). Death is also rare, it's more in instances where they fail to receieve medical care in time.

I'm glad you're okay bro. Best of luck in your recovery and with the boxing career. :good

Cheers Tommy, see you around ;)

oh nice you live in East doncaster, im in Mitcham just a suburb or two ova lol
not sure if there is anything real close to you but i go to Fighters Factory in Blackburn and it is great. It has an old school feeling and all the trainers are past fighters. As for professionals the top fighter there is Oyewale Omotsomo who is number 1 welterweight in Aus i think. I was introduced to him on my first time there and he convinced me to keep coming back :) Its a pretty busy gym so and just like others you have to be serious and train hard if you want people to pay attention to you. It is right on the train line which is good too. The only drawback is the cost i guess but its well worth it. I personally just go to the circuit training as im a beginner and only 17 but after ive finished vce im gonna start taking it more seriously
well heres the website, hope to see u there some day lol
[Only registered and activated users can see links]

Hey Dan,

Yeah Mitcham is about 30-45mins away from me. I've got a mate that trains at Fighters Factory, and it is convenient for me (maybe a 10 minute drive max). I will be 100% serious and dedicated towards my training. Coming from a bodybuilding/strength background, I already have the discipline for hard training sessions & proper nutrition. I guess i'll see you there in a month or so dude :good


And thanks for everyone else's advice in regards to chin/neck strength (Perky300, Bodi, ) I didn't wanna clog up the thread quoting everyone.

[Dan]

Yes it is rare that people don't fully recover (I think the statistic is 95% of cases make a full recovery). Death is also rare, it's more in instances where they fail to receieve medical care in time.



Cheers Tommy, see you around ;)



Hey Dan,

Yeah Mitcham is about 30-45mins away from me. I've got a mate that trains at Fighters Factory, and it is convenient for me (maybe a 10 minute drive max). I will be 100% serious and dedicated towards my training. Coming from a bodybuilding/strength background, I already have the discipline for hard training sessions & proper nutrition. I guess i'll see you there in a month or so dude :good


And thanks for everyone else's advice in regards to chin/neck strength (Perky300, Bodi, ) I didn't wanna clog up the thread quoting everyone.

where gym do u go to? i know a personal trainer at fitness first doncaster

[MikeBrown30]

I've been a member at Genesis for the last few years, 2 of my mates changed to Fitness First this year. I was going to join, but they wanted about $800 for 12 months. I was getting 15 months for $640 at Genesis, so I just decided to stick it out with them. Yes it's an awesome looking gym, but I'm there to train, whereas my mates were more concerned about the pussy that is over there.

I haven't been around for the last month so I'm not sure, but I think Genesis have or are in the process of opening a new gym on Middleborough road in Box Hill. It's supposed to be massive, and on par with Fitness First Doncaster. It's only 5 minutes down the road from me, and I just have to drive straight down Middleborough road, so I was going to continue training there.

[Dan]

I've been a member at Genesis for the last few years, 2 of my mates changed to Fitness First this year. I was going to join, but they wanted about $800 for 12 months. I was getting 15 months for $640 at Genesis, so I just decided to stick it out with them. Yes it's an awesome looking gym, but I'm there to train, whereas my mates were more concerned about the pussy that is over there.

I haven't been around for the last month so I'm not sure, but I think Genesis have or are in the process of opening a new gym on Middleborough road in Box Hill. It's supposed to be massive, and on par with Fitness First Doncaster. It's only 5 minutes down the road from me, and I just have to drive straight down Middleborough road, so I was going to continue training there.

ah yeh my school is on middleborough road lol..good to see u train hard, u will definately appreciate fighters factory

[MikeBrown30]

Cheers dude, I guess i'll see you at FF in the next couple of months :)

[achillesthegreat]

Hey guys,

I turned 22 a few months ago, and i've decided to start boxing. First off, is this too old to start (if I wanted to become an amateur, and possibly professional?)

Onto my questions:

- In regards to your chin, is it something you're born with? I know having big traps/a thick neck will help you out a bit, but is there anyway to improve chin strength besides getting hit, thus adapting to it?

- What is the deal with running on the road? People have said the impact can be damaging to your knees unless you have comfortable footwear. True or a myth?

- I have flat feet, will this be an issue? I've read you should always be up on the balls of your feet.

- I haven't had a chance to look at boxing gyms as of yet, i've been in hospital this past month due to Guillain-Barré Syndrome ([Only registered and activated users can see links]). I was only affected from my waist down, so I was extremely lucky, I should be able to run within the next 1-1.5 months.

Anyway, is a boxing gym still reputable if it doesn't have any professionals/top ameteurs training there on a regular basis? I live in Melbourne, Australia, so obviously there aren't as many big name boxers here in comparison to the U.S.

- Sometimes I seem to be very sensitive in regards to headaches. On occasion I wake up with one, I can get one after running/sprinting or by doing any sort of quick motion if i've just been in a relaxed/resting state. So i'd imagine getting punched in the head won't be any different. In between rounds are you allowed to take pain relief such as paracetamol? Once I take paracetamol, i'm normally good for a week or 2, so it's not like i'm going to take it every round.

Cheers guys, you've got a good forum here, i'm looking forward to posting & getting to know you all:good

chin is like speed, power etc In it's raw form it is something you are born with but it can be improved through many ways such as increasing stamina, good technique, mental strength, muscle building etc

flat feet is not an issue, you shouldn't always be up on the balls of your feet.

the gym and the coach is about how you feel. train hard and see if you trust your coach and feel good in your surroundings. once upon a time steward, dundee and co were no bodies. dundee never boxed and steward was never a pro but imagine if hearns and pastrano told them to go do one. it would have hurt their careers.

i don't think pill taking will be allowed mid fight :-) don't worry, adrenaline will mask it during the fight but once the bell signals the fight is over have fun with the headache. oh, and the whiplash will be fun too.

[joakim]

[quote=MikeBrown30;5042764]Thanks for the advice Bodi :)



Cheers joakim. Over the last few years I've been buying Nike runners, and I haven't ever had any pain or shin splits, but I want to buy a pair of Asics. All I ever hear from people is how bloody comfortable they are. [Only registered and activated users can see links] Not sure if they're available in your part of the world (if you aren't in Aus).


Yes we have asics where i live as well. I live now in the netherlands but i am norwegian. I think the choice og shoes has alot to do with your own legs. nike is a littlebit smaller over the foot i think. asics is broader. but if you are cappable to get it done, find out if you have pronation,supination or normal gait. i didnt know what it was until i was 16 and then i found out that i needed pronation shoes. it helped alot and i have not had any problems with injuries in the legs after that. they are usually a bit more expensive but worth the money. good luck man:bbb