Nerdcore Boxing

People unfamiliar with training at a boxing gym might be slightly intimidated by the environment. There’s no reason to be.

Boxing gyms are diverse places housing thugs, wannabe tough guys, criminals, kids, yuppies, women, amateur boxers and celebrity pro boxers. Due to the testosterone overload you’d think there would be a lot of tension at boxing gyms, but I’ve almost never seen it.

So much of masculine behavior is posing and attempting to display power: a man’s image, his dress, his tatoos, the way he walks around other men. There’s often a hint of violence behind these things, no matter how deeply buried. But in the ring it doesn’t matter how many tatoos you have, how long your criminal record, or how many untrained fighters you’ve beat up. To get in the ring and face another man in combat cuts through all this bullshit.

It takes a special kind of person to box, and these unique people develop a natural kinship. This bond goes across all boundaries, no matter race, nationality, creed, socio economic status or criminal profile. Boxing is the great equalizer.

I don’t care who you are, where you come from, or what you look like, if you keep your mouth shut and work hard you’ll fit in.

This is the second part of my two part series of posts on how to evaluate a boxing or kickboxing gym. (See: How to Evaluate a Boxing Gym - Part I)

Watch Out for Frauds in MMA and Kickboxing
Boxing is a more regulated and popular sport at the amateur level, so frauds aren’t that common. MMA and kickboxing on the other hand are infested with frauds. With the rise of MMA, every mini-mall McDojo is looking to hop on the bandwagon by adding the words, “kickboxing” and “MMA” to their signs.

Don’t just ask if they train fighters, ask around as to their reputation. Buyer beware.

Legit Gyms Train Fighters
Use the following criteria to determine if it’s the real deal:

1. Is sparring available?
2. Does sparring occur regularly?
3. Does the gym regularly train amateur fighters?

If the answer is no to the above three questions, it’s likely a cardio-boxing or watered down martial arts class. Of course make exceptions for a brand new gym that hasn’t recruited enough boxers yet.

Again, when in doubt ask around. What do other nearby gyms say?

Equipment
They should have a boxing ring, heavy bags, double end bags, focus mitts and lots of mirrors so you can watch your form. Most gyms have speed bags, but they are probably overrated. If the gym is missing one of these pieces of equipment I wouldn’t worry too much, but it should have most of the above.

Pricing
Boxing has traditionally been a poor man’s sport. Free training is out there. Inexpensive gyms typically run $30-50/month. You’ll also find well known pro gyms that let you in the door for $50 or so per month, but require additional hourly rates to get time from trainers.

Similar programs at MMA/kickboxing gyms often run $70-300/month, with MMA being on the higher end.

Happy hunting!