Chinxkid
07-22-2008, 06:34 PM
I'm beginning to realize that there are alot of guys on this forum with a depth of experience in and/or around the ring, and also alot of young fighters who come on to learn something. It could be that this has already been done, or that I am overestimating the need for something like this, but if not, I figured a thread where young guys could pick their brains might be helpful. It will either catch fire or die a fast death.
To kick it off, I pulled a couple of posts from two ring experienced posters from another thread that I started on Smartest Fighters. Myself, I won't have much to add, since I have no ring experience and am well past the age of embarking on a career in the ring. I would just encourage the young guys to see it for what it could be: a chance to learn something from the hard-knock experience of others, also to not be shy about asking advice; the only dumb questions are the ones we don't ask, and of course, to be grateful and respectful even if it's not what you want to hear. And I'll ask the teachers on this thread to be forthcoming, to realize that what they've learned firsthand could only range from valuable to priceless.
These two posts were in response to my question that asked, "What is the most important thing an amateur or a novice-pro must learn if he is to be able to turn that first big bend and start to make some real noise in the game..."
You have asked a broad question. There isn't a right or wrong answer until it is too late. What I mean is, there is not a wrong answer until you've screwed your career up.
One, it depends on your age. If you are a teenager, I'd say compete in as many amateur tournaments as possible, and learn as much in the gym as possible. If your goal is success as a pro, there is no better place than the amateurs to hone your craft, and work some of the bugs out. Your amateur losses do not hurt your pro record. This is where you can lose. If you are a winner as an amateur, you could get a lot more money than if you have no clout coming into the professional ranks. Also, your amateur status could decide where you start as a professional. If you are near Olympic caliber, you'll be able to move up much quicker.
Amateur Career: Learn the fundamentals
The most important thing about turning professional is having the time to train. If you don't have time to train, you'll never get into proper condition and you'll never make it. Location is also important. You must have time to get in sparring, and have access to good sparring as well. If you have 20 amateur fights, and 5 pro fights and everyone in your gym is on the tough-man circuit; you'll never make it. You may have to relocate.
There are always exceptions. Michael Grant and Lionel Butler did not have amateur careers, but they made some noise in the heavyweight division. I just wouldn't plan on being an exception.
Rek gave you a good idea of basic essentials. I tend to get a bit more philosophical. Once a boxer has a good grasp of the fundamentals and attains the requisite conditioning, he should be told that it isn't nearly enough. Three things are critical to advance beyond the pack:
1. Self-belief. Generally and specifically. Men who are insecure are at an obvious disadvantage in the ring... because it is in the ring that "who you are" -who you truly are, your essence, is put on public display. You're naked to the world. You better believe in you. Specifically, well, punchers always say the same thing -commit to the shot. Believe in it first because then you'll commit.
2. Learn how to focus. It's both scary and distracting in there. Focus on what you are doing and blank out everything else -the crowds, your natural fear of getting hurt, etc. AA has a little adage that says "one day at a time" -in the ring it's more intense. Try "one second at a time"... any great round I had I had a tough time remembering what I did... because I was so focussed.
3. Relax. My favorite fight is Duran-Barkley. At one point, Gil Clancy said "you know Al (Bernstein) amateur fighters train hard but they get tired before 3 rounds. The reason why Duran is able to do what you see him doing is because he's so relaxed in there. He's at home."
...
Each one of those recommendations are related and connected if you think about it. You could probably sum them up in one phrase: "master thyself"...
To kick it off, I pulled a couple of posts from two ring experienced posters from another thread that I started on Smartest Fighters. Myself, I won't have much to add, since I have no ring experience and am well past the age of embarking on a career in the ring. I would just encourage the young guys to see it for what it could be: a chance to learn something from the hard-knock experience of others, also to not be shy about asking advice; the only dumb questions are the ones we don't ask, and of course, to be grateful and respectful even if it's not what you want to hear. And I'll ask the teachers on this thread to be forthcoming, to realize that what they've learned firsthand could only range from valuable to priceless.
These two posts were in response to my question that asked, "What is the most important thing an amateur or a novice-pro must learn if he is to be able to turn that first big bend and start to make some real noise in the game..."
You have asked a broad question. There isn't a right or wrong answer until it is too late. What I mean is, there is not a wrong answer until you've screwed your career up.
One, it depends on your age. If you are a teenager, I'd say compete in as many amateur tournaments as possible, and learn as much in the gym as possible. If your goal is success as a pro, there is no better place than the amateurs to hone your craft, and work some of the bugs out. Your amateur losses do not hurt your pro record. This is where you can lose. If you are a winner as an amateur, you could get a lot more money than if you have no clout coming into the professional ranks. Also, your amateur status could decide where you start as a professional. If you are near Olympic caliber, you'll be able to move up much quicker.
Amateur Career: Learn the fundamentals
The most important thing about turning professional is having the time to train. If you don't have time to train, you'll never get into proper condition and you'll never make it. Location is also important. You must have time to get in sparring, and have access to good sparring as well. If you have 20 amateur fights, and 5 pro fights and everyone in your gym is on the tough-man circuit; you'll never make it. You may have to relocate.
There are always exceptions. Michael Grant and Lionel Butler did not have amateur careers, but they made some noise in the heavyweight division. I just wouldn't plan on being an exception.
Rek gave you a good idea of basic essentials. I tend to get a bit more philosophical. Once a boxer has a good grasp of the fundamentals and attains the requisite conditioning, he should be told that it isn't nearly enough. Three things are critical to advance beyond the pack:
1. Self-belief. Generally and specifically. Men who are insecure are at an obvious disadvantage in the ring... because it is in the ring that "who you are" -who you truly are, your essence, is put on public display. You're naked to the world. You better believe in you. Specifically, well, punchers always say the same thing -commit to the shot. Believe in it first because then you'll commit.
2. Learn how to focus. It's both scary and distracting in there. Focus on what you are doing and blank out everything else -the crowds, your natural fear of getting hurt, etc. AA has a little adage that says "one day at a time" -in the ring it's more intense. Try "one second at a time"... any great round I had I had a tough time remembering what I did... because I was so focussed.
3. Relax. My favorite fight is Duran-Barkley. At one point, Gil Clancy said "you know Al (Bernstein) amateur fighters train hard but they get tired before 3 rounds. The reason why Duran is able to do what you see him doing is because he's so relaxed in there. He's at home."
...
Each one of those recommendations are related and connected if you think about it. You could probably sum them up in one phrase: "master thyself"...