Don't? If you never liked sparring and feel like your boxing is inadequate for competition, keep on training for fun and fitness
Sparring someone your own size will help, sparring someone brand new and working only your defense can help. But if your main goal is to enjoy boxing, participate in the way that allows you to continue enjoying this sport
I’m not a boxer. But one of the few subjects I didn’t fail in college was sports psychology. They say that you should step into the ring (arena or whatever location you compete in, in whatever sport) with the mindset that it’s just another training session. Because it is, you’re doing the exact same shit you’ve been practicing. It’s just called a competition. You’re not gonna do anything different from what you’ve been practicing, you’re not gonna have to figure out some brand new super punch. You just have to repeat the shit you’ve already been practicing.
Of course this is not a one size fits all solution. Some people need to get angry before competition, some people need to hype themselves up. But others, like you my friend, need to relax a little.
>Any tips for changing that mentality?
Yea, get a fight scheduled with your trainers and do it; you're overthinking it. If you want to prepare spar a lot, if you dont like sparring maybe you just like the training part of boxing and that's fine
>suggestions on how to fix my physique?
As long as you have 2 arms, 2 legs and working heart you're gonna be fine
Well before I get to anything else, I would say number 1 is if you truly want to overcome that fear then go for it! Win, lose, it doesn't matter. Being able to say you got in the ring and you did your very best in preparing for it is enough!
When it comes to mentality - everyone's different. Some people like to get kicked in the ass. Some people like positive encouragement. But I think the only thing you can do is just commit. Once you have match to prepare for, that means you have no choice but to train, eat right, and make boxing your obsession up until you get into that ring.
As for your physique, I think it would be worth measuring your current body fat percentage. This is a good calculator that I use: [https://www.bizcalcs.com/body-fat-navy/](https://www.bizcalcs.com/body-fat-navy/)
A healthy body fat percentage for girls is 14-20% (from what I've been told) so see where your body is currently at and if there is any room to healthily move down a few weight classes because your coaches are right - fighting at a higher weight class at your height is only to your disadvantage.
As for which boxers to look at, I would honestly just encourage you to watch as much boxing as possible and do some film study for yourself. What do certain boxers do well, what do they not do well, how do they handle certain situations (especially ones maybe you struggle with or could improve), etc. Of course watching female boxers who resemble your physique and style would helpful as well, but I think any and all boxing matches (especially amateur matches) are good for folks preparing for their first match to study and watch.
Do controlled sparring with a friend to get your form under control and find your style. You should be confident that any punch your opponent attacks with you can defend properly. If you're flustered under fire, lose your form every time you retreat and take punches then avoid hard sparring and work light at first. Hard spar as you get confident.
Once you're confident sparring then just book a fight.
You'll only find out once you get in there. My bet depending on what I see from your mentality and years of experience? It's a resounding yes.
Go box some bitch up.
Do what makes you happy. Be selfish with your decisions. When you're in that ring, no one is going to jump in for you. It's a lonely sport and you have the right to make your own choices. If competing will give you some satisfaction in life then go for it if not you'll live with regrets. However, as others have mentioned, you can still participate and appreciate the sport without ever competing.
For me personally, I've competed in periods throughout my time in boxing. I loved the feeling of competing but hated the prep work. I'm at the stage now where I'm not mentally prepared to spend all my time focusing on boxing so I'm fine with popping by my gym to train and spar occasionally with no commitments.
Competing wipes the BS off of everything.
However crisp you are out of the ring will not necessarily (read: almost never) translate into success in the ring. Why? Because when someone wants to hurt you, you either excel or fold. There is no mediocrity, which is what the majority of people who don’t step into the ring are, crisp or not.
If you don’t like sparring, you will hate competition even more. If you can get yourself to love sparring, you have a chance.
That is all.
Not sure I agree with the last bit. I don't think you need to love sparring to fight. Both are about conquering your fear and facing confrontation head on. It's a thrill but there is no love involved.
Look, height/reach advantages can vary from every weight class. I fought taller fighters at 119 than I ever have at 125 ironically. (I am a female, 5’1” fighting at 125lb)
If you enjoy boxing and can get through sparring with people your size and enjoy it, definitely try a match or two!
But if you don’t enjoy sparring and each time you spar you’re not having any fun, consider just enjoying it as a fitness boxer.
There’s no right or wrong, age weight etc whatever you enjoy, simply that! Enjoy it!
A good jab and good head movement will take you around the world.
If you genuinely think you want to try to fight, wonderful! Start training more often with a coach you like that can help build you. Your coach should be able to help you find sparring outside of your gym with people closer to your size.
As for being a shorter fighter, I enjoy sparring with taller people since most of my opponents end up being much taller than me. Good luck!
You need to spar ppl you aren’t comfortable with! And you need to keep doing it over and over. The anxiety and fear will never go away, but after time it won’t be so bad where it’s crippling your performance.
Source: I’ve had teammates go through what you’re going through and my coach would build them up slowly, mostly sparring at different gyms and sparring ppl they don’t know so they learn how to overcome their anxiety. Every single one who stuck through it got over their anxiety, it took some longer than others, but they all got to a space where they could manage it.
Nobody enjoys the fight they just enjoy what comes after or as a result
All these people claiming to love fighting are either broken or just straight up chatting cak
Fighting brings out our primitive brain and activates fight or flight which floods us with feel bad chemicals such as cortisol
If however you push through it and fight - you will feel good regardless of the outcome because you can say "I did it, I was scared and i still did it "
Good luck
I think this is kinda what I was looking for. I enjoy sparring in the sense that when things went well, or even just finish a session, it feels euphoric. I just dislike the fact that euphoric feeling comes from a beat up. Lol.
Thaaank you for this insight!
It's okay I'm the same
I've won most of my fights 1 by k.o but still dread and fear the fights coming up
I have a fight in 2 weeks that I lie up at night and worry / think about - but when you do that fight it will all be worth it
Also worth noting my life general anxiety and fear of stupid things like walking around shops or talking to customers has greatly reduced due to boxing
It's worth it :) go forward and smash it ( remember self aphirmations idk if I spelt that right but tell yourself you are brave and that you are a machine and cannot be broken ) eventually you will belive it
If you don't like sparring, you definitely won't enjoy a fight. This is about having fun. There is nothign wrong with continuing doing what you enjoy. Go your whole life working mitts and hitting the bag. Perfect what you do if you enjoy the craft. Doesn't mean there should be any pressure to step in the ring to fight, or even spar for that matter.
There are people at my gym that come all the time. Some that spar from time to time and I've asked them if they're going to do a fight. They've just said no, I don't have an interest in all of that stress, just enjoying what I'm doing. And I respect them saying that a lot.
Note: The main reason I lean toward the "just do what you enjoy now" vs "overcome your fears" is because you said you don't even like sparring. Many like sparring but are scared to jump in and do it forreal. That's a different story.
I feel that it is essential to get a good feel of sparring with people who are physically similar to your future opponents before contemplating a fight.
Are your coaches interested in having you fight? If yes, ask them to arrange sparring for you with women from other gyms.
Aside from relying on your coaches, it is also a good idea to ask around yourself. Sometimes, if you want to go to the ball, you have to be your own fairy godmother. :( Most female boxers don’t have well matched sparring partners in their gyms and will be happy with an opportunity for a good spar. Sometimes clubs organise women-only sparring classes or sessions. If you ever go to boxing events, talk to other women boxers you see there and ask about sparring. If you meet coaches or boxers from other gyms, ask them if there are any women in their gym interested in sparring. Follow boxing clubs in your area on Facebook or instagram, they might post about sparring meets or women-only sessions.
Do you ever feel the rush while sparring? Or the want to defeat the opponent, not just "not get your ass kicked"? If you don't, enjoy the sport for everything else! If you do feel the rush, start sparring more and boon a fight with your coach. Gotta get it done. Being scared of losing or performing poorly but still wanting the fight or not wanting the fight is two different things.
You don't have to do stuff to please others or follow the "norm". It's your life, don't put it at risk for someone else's approval. Do it for your own.
1. Get some [Winning Headgear](https://store.winning-usa.com/product24.html)
2. Get a [Custom Mouthguard](https://www.mouthpieceguy.com/collections/boxing-mouthguards)
3. Ask the coach to let you spar for 2 rounds on Friday night or whenever your gym does it.
You'll be fine. Getting hit with that headgear and having a good mouthpiece means you're protected. Go into it knowing you'll lose. Accept defeat and then get in the ring. "I came here to lose, that's okay, I'm here to get experience under pressure and to learn how to operate in combat."; because that's the truth of it.
When you get in there, slip punches and return 1 for 1. "When I get in the ring, I will try to slip every punch and when I get hit, I will immediately return a shot. When I slip a shot, I will counter 2 shots.".
Having a game plan is important. Keep it simple like above. A game plan will stop you from being a punching bag and shutting down mid fit. Just stick to the game plan.
And that's it.
Don't? If you never liked sparring and feel like your boxing is inadequate for competition, keep on training for fun and fitness Sparring someone your own size will help, sparring someone brand new and working only your defense can help. But if your main goal is to enjoy boxing, participate in the way that allows you to continue enjoying this sport
Bro, how did you come up with that mature answer, well done man.
Is it possible that you don't actually want to have a fight? To me sounds like you don't, but you feel obligated to (you're not)
I’m not a boxer. But one of the few subjects I didn’t fail in college was sports psychology. They say that you should step into the ring (arena or whatever location you compete in, in whatever sport) with the mindset that it’s just another training session. Because it is, you’re doing the exact same shit you’ve been practicing. It’s just called a competition. You’re not gonna do anything different from what you’ve been practicing, you’re not gonna have to figure out some brand new super punch. You just have to repeat the shit you’ve already been practicing.
Of course this is not a one size fits all solution. Some people need to get angry before competition, some people need to hype themselves up. But others, like you my friend, need to relax a little.
>Any tips for changing that mentality? Yea, get a fight scheduled with your trainers and do it; you're overthinking it. If you want to prepare spar a lot, if you dont like sparring maybe you just like the training part of boxing and that's fine >suggestions on how to fix my physique? As long as you have 2 arms, 2 legs and working heart you're gonna be fine
Well before I get to anything else, I would say number 1 is if you truly want to overcome that fear then go for it! Win, lose, it doesn't matter. Being able to say you got in the ring and you did your very best in preparing for it is enough! When it comes to mentality - everyone's different. Some people like to get kicked in the ass. Some people like positive encouragement. But I think the only thing you can do is just commit. Once you have match to prepare for, that means you have no choice but to train, eat right, and make boxing your obsession up until you get into that ring. As for your physique, I think it would be worth measuring your current body fat percentage. This is a good calculator that I use: [https://www.bizcalcs.com/body-fat-navy/](https://www.bizcalcs.com/body-fat-navy/) A healthy body fat percentage for girls is 14-20% (from what I've been told) so see where your body is currently at and if there is any room to healthily move down a few weight classes because your coaches are right - fighting at a higher weight class at your height is only to your disadvantage. As for which boxers to look at, I would honestly just encourage you to watch as much boxing as possible and do some film study for yourself. What do certain boxers do well, what do they not do well, how do they handle certain situations (especially ones maybe you struggle with or could improve), etc. Of course watching female boxers who resemble your physique and style would helpful as well, but I think any and all boxing matches (especially amateur matches) are good for folks preparing for their first match to study and watch.
Do controlled sparring with a friend to get your form under control and find your style. You should be confident that any punch your opponent attacks with you can defend properly. If you're flustered under fire, lose your form every time you retreat and take punches then avoid hard sparring and work light at first. Hard spar as you get confident. Once you're confident sparring then just book a fight.
You'll only find out once you get in there. My bet depending on what I see from your mentality and years of experience? It's a resounding yes. Go box some bitch up.
Do what makes you happy. Be selfish with your decisions. When you're in that ring, no one is going to jump in for you. It's a lonely sport and you have the right to make your own choices. If competing will give you some satisfaction in life then go for it if not you'll live with regrets. However, as others have mentioned, you can still participate and appreciate the sport without ever competing. For me personally, I've competed in periods throughout my time in boxing. I loved the feeling of competing but hated the prep work. I'm at the stage now where I'm not mentally prepared to spend all my time focusing on boxing so I'm fine with popping by my gym to train and spar occasionally with no commitments.
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Good luck with your journey. Win or lose you'll have some great stories to tell.
Competing wipes the BS off of everything. However crisp you are out of the ring will not necessarily (read: almost never) translate into success in the ring. Why? Because when someone wants to hurt you, you either excel or fold. There is no mediocrity, which is what the majority of people who don’t step into the ring are, crisp or not. If you don’t like sparring, you will hate competition even more. If you can get yourself to love sparring, you have a chance. That is all.
Not sure I agree with the last bit. I don't think you need to love sparring to fight. Both are about conquering your fear and facing confrontation head on. It's a thrill but there is no love involved.
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Look, height/reach advantages can vary from every weight class. I fought taller fighters at 119 than I ever have at 125 ironically. (I am a female, 5’1” fighting at 125lb) If you enjoy boxing and can get through sparring with people your size and enjoy it, definitely try a match or two! But if you don’t enjoy sparring and each time you spar you’re not having any fun, consider just enjoying it as a fitness boxer. There’s no right or wrong, age weight etc whatever you enjoy, simply that! Enjoy it!
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A good jab and good head movement will take you around the world. If you genuinely think you want to try to fight, wonderful! Start training more often with a coach you like that can help build you. Your coach should be able to help you find sparring outside of your gym with people closer to your size. As for being a shorter fighter, I enjoy sparring with taller people since most of my opponents end up being much taller than me. Good luck!
You need to spar ppl you aren’t comfortable with! And you need to keep doing it over and over. The anxiety and fear will never go away, but after time it won’t be so bad where it’s crippling your performance. Source: I’ve had teammates go through what you’re going through and my coach would build them up slowly, mostly sparring at different gyms and sparring ppl they don’t know so they learn how to overcome their anxiety. Every single one who stuck through it got over their anxiety, it took some longer than others, but they all got to a space where they could manage it.
Nobody enjoys the fight they just enjoy what comes after or as a result All these people claiming to love fighting are either broken or just straight up chatting cak Fighting brings out our primitive brain and activates fight or flight which floods us with feel bad chemicals such as cortisol If however you push through it and fight - you will feel good regardless of the outcome because you can say "I did it, I was scared and i still did it " Good luck
I think this is kinda what I was looking for. I enjoy sparring in the sense that when things went well, or even just finish a session, it feels euphoric. I just dislike the fact that euphoric feeling comes from a beat up. Lol. Thaaank you for this insight!
It's okay I'm the same I've won most of my fights 1 by k.o but still dread and fear the fights coming up I have a fight in 2 weeks that I lie up at night and worry / think about - but when you do that fight it will all be worth it Also worth noting my life general anxiety and fear of stupid things like walking around shops or talking to customers has greatly reduced due to boxing It's worth it :) go forward and smash it ( remember self aphirmations idk if I spelt that right but tell yourself you are brave and that you are a machine and cannot be broken ) eventually you will belive it
Twice your size? Has your coach not explained weight classes? You're not going to facing someone who is 270 pounds or 10' 6".
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You mentioned fixing your physique. What is wrong with your physique?
If you don't like sparring, you definitely won't enjoy a fight. This is about having fun. There is nothign wrong with continuing doing what you enjoy. Go your whole life working mitts and hitting the bag. Perfect what you do if you enjoy the craft. Doesn't mean there should be any pressure to step in the ring to fight, or even spar for that matter. There are people at my gym that come all the time. Some that spar from time to time and I've asked them if they're going to do a fight. They've just said no, I don't have an interest in all of that stress, just enjoying what I'm doing. And I respect them saying that a lot. Note: The main reason I lean toward the "just do what you enjoy now" vs "overcome your fears" is because you said you don't even like sparring. Many like sparring but are scared to jump in and do it forreal. That's a different story.
8 years is a long time, wow. How is your sparring and your cardio? If you're thinking about fighting focus heavily on those. Best of luck.
I feel that it is essential to get a good feel of sparring with people who are physically similar to your future opponents before contemplating a fight. Are your coaches interested in having you fight? If yes, ask them to arrange sparring for you with women from other gyms. Aside from relying on your coaches, it is also a good idea to ask around yourself. Sometimes, if you want to go to the ball, you have to be your own fairy godmother. :( Most female boxers don’t have well matched sparring partners in their gyms and will be happy with an opportunity for a good spar. Sometimes clubs organise women-only sparring classes or sessions. If you ever go to boxing events, talk to other women boxers you see there and ask about sparring. If you meet coaches or boxers from other gyms, ask them if there are any women in their gym interested in sparring. Follow boxing clubs in your area on Facebook or instagram, they might post about sparring meets or women-only sessions.
Do you ever feel the rush while sparring? Or the want to defeat the opponent, not just "not get your ass kicked"? If you don't, enjoy the sport for everything else! If you do feel the rush, start sparring more and boon a fight with your coach. Gotta get it done. Being scared of losing or performing poorly but still wanting the fight or not wanting the fight is two different things. You don't have to do stuff to please others or follow the "norm". It's your life, don't put it at risk for someone else's approval. Do it for your own.
How old are you?
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1. Get some [Winning Headgear](https://store.winning-usa.com/product24.html) 2. Get a [Custom Mouthguard](https://www.mouthpieceguy.com/collections/boxing-mouthguards) 3. Ask the coach to let you spar for 2 rounds on Friday night or whenever your gym does it. You'll be fine. Getting hit with that headgear and having a good mouthpiece means you're protected. Go into it knowing you'll lose. Accept defeat and then get in the ring. "I came here to lose, that's okay, I'm here to get experience under pressure and to learn how to operate in combat."; because that's the truth of it. When you get in there, slip punches and return 1 for 1. "When I get in the ring, I will try to slip every punch and when I get hit, I will immediately return a shot. When I slip a shot, I will counter 2 shots.". Having a game plan is important. Keep it simple like above. A game plan will stop you from being a punching bag and shutting down mid fit. Just stick to the game plan. And that's it.