Learning ... to box ain't no overnight thing

Your introduction to boxing is a building process that will take awhile. This sport incorporates a complex array of skills that develop and dovetail through training and repeated effort. You'll think through them at first, then muscle memory takes over as you put in the hours.

As you train you'll condition your body to function at the high levels required to successfully last a succession of three-minute rounds with a teeny-tiny one-minute break in between. It doesn't sound like much but it'll be one of the hardest things you'll ever do. The three-minute round, by the way, is based on the actual time of a round in competition. Likewise the one-minute break. (Image 1.1)

Don't even think about sparring for a few months. Without knowing the skills, you'll box like Doris Day. And without conditioning, you won't last a minute before you become a wheezing wreck.

Training is everything. Respect it.

And for heaven's sake, have fun with it. Stick with it and you'll never regret the hard work. Figure around six months of training to acquire some basic boxing skills and the proper conditioning to successfully spar three three-minute rounds. Figure a whole lot more to get better. (Image 1.2)

Boxing Gear

SHOPPING LISTS

A List: Right away for the boxer's workout:

T-shirts

Shorts or sweats

Athletic socks

Athletic footwear

Wraps

Bag gloves

Heavy bag

Jump rope

Punch mitts

(if you have a partner)

B List: Later on for sparring:

Headgear

Mouthguard

Sparring gloves

Groin protector

This is the stuff you gotta have. You'll look at the loaded catalogs and see all kinds of other things, but this is all you really need to develop some basic skills over a six-month period. In fact, you shouldn't have to worry about anything on the B List until your initial training (which could very well last six months) is finished.

You're not going to spar with anyone until you've mastered your basic skills and can comfortably last three or four active three -minute rounds on the heavy bag. That's the right way to do it. That's the safe and sane way to develop as a boxer. Period.

Going over the lists in detail.

A List:

Assuming you already know what T-shirts, shorts and athletic socks are, we'll start with the footwear.

Athletic Footwear: Sneakers that fit well are fine for now. Don't bother with actual boxing shoes. If you're training in a gym you may need to avoid dark soles that could mark up the floor. High tops are nice because of the extra support.

Wraps: Before you put on gloves you must wrap your hands for support and protection with long strips of cloth called wraps. Get the kind that have Velcro ties since they're the most convenient to use. I like the Mexican-style wraps because they're longer and provide better protection. $6. (Image 2.2)

Bag Gloves: Bag gloves are different from sparring or competition gloves. Bag gloves have just enough padding to protect a boxer's hands as he whales on the heavy bag. Training or sparring gloves are more carefully designed to protect the hands and offset the force of a blow from a sparring partner.

Bag gloves come in various weights, styles and degrees of quality and convenience. For my training, I purchased a quality pair of 12 -ounce leather gloves