All posts in February 2019

Different Styles In Boxing

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No person is the same. And the adage can be said in the sport of boxing. All boxers understand that the rule of the game is simple – punch your opponent until you knock him out, gives up, or the final bell sounded. But then, the way a boxer fights is what makes him different among the rest.

There are different types of boxers, depending on their strengths, their skill levels, and other correlated attributes. A boxer plays the game the way he does because of the fusion of all these features.

Different Boxing Styles

Brawler / Slugger

Brawlers are those who punch and punch with utter disregard for technique, relying heavily on their punching power to win. Most of them are slow and has poor footwork skills. They also tend to get hit a lot and most of the time, they catch a lot of shots on the way in.

While this can be a bad idea for a sound boxer, brawlers who can take tons of punches and deliver tons of damage in return sometimes win bouts. One powerful punch is all they need to win a fight.

George Foreman was a pure brawler and his durability along with his relentless style makes him one of the most feared brawlers when he was still active.

Classic boxer / Distance Fighter

The classic boxer, also known as the distance fighter, optimizes the distance between him and his opponent. A distance fighter prefers to pepper their opponents with long distance punches, most notably the jab, in an effort to keep them at bay and tire them throughout the fight. Another trait of the classic / distance fighter is that they also have better footwork than most of their opponents.

The jab and other long range punches do not carry huge amounts of power, which explains why most distance fighters win by points. However, a distance fighter knockout their opponents if they are able to tire them down the stretch.

Most notable proponent of this style is Muhammad Ali, whose quick feet and sharp jabs helped him become one of the legends of the sport. It is also important to note that Ali is no power puncher. Boxer-Punchers

Boxer-Puncher

Perhaps the type of boxer that requires a lot of skills in their armory, the boxer-puncher tend to wears their opponents down with powerful combinations and go for the knockout using a series of punches or even with just one shot. With deft footwork and blazing hand speed, they can slide in and do some damage and slip out before the other boxer can retaliate. Most traits of a boxer-puncher include speed, good chin, and extreme mobility.

Manny Pacquiao is a fine example of a boxer-puncher. He is naturally fast and agile and he also packs power in both hands.

Swarmer / Pressure Fighter

As the name suggests, pressure fighters prefer to stay up close and in front of their opponents and throw a lot of powerful combinations to frustrate them, take them off their game, and wear them down for the big finish. While their style may be the same as the brawler / slugger, a pressure fighter is more defensively sound and a lot skillful than their brawling counterparts.

Pressure fighters can bob and weave, slip to the sides, and prefer to duck punches than block them. They also have to have a strong chin because they also tend to get hit a lot, although not as much as a brawler.

One remarkable pressure fighter is Mike Tyson. He always closes the distance between him and the other man and unleash flurries of power punches to keep the bout short and sweet.

Counterpuncher

Perhaps the most defensive-minded of all types of boxers, counterpunchers have tons of defensive skills at their disposal. A counterpuncher is almost always not the aggressor, but their offense is always initiated with good defense.

A counterpuncher throws a shot after slipping or deflecting the other boxer’s punches. To be an effective counterpuncher means you need to have some decent amount of power as well as above-average hand speed.

Perhaps the most known counterpunchers today include Floyd Mayweather, Jr., and Juan Manuel Marquez.

Matching up the styles

Each type of boxer can dominate and be dominated. A brawler can easily beat a pressure fighter but struggles against a distance fighter. A distance fighter on the other hand, tends to have a hard time against pressure fighters.

But there are some instances where a boxer changes his style while in the fight to gain the upper hand. Bernard Hopkins can switch from a distance boxer to a pressure fighter if the situation calls for it. Manny Pacquiao, a boxer-puncher, can easily revert to his brawling self if he feels his opponent will go down with sheer punching power.

Each style has its potential to make any bout exciting and fulfilling, despite its flaws and shortcomings. As they say in boxing, styles make fights.

Boxing Gloves- The Best Protective Gear

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Boxing is a famous combat sport and martial art in which two people mainly use their fists for competition. Every boxer should keep his fists well protected and it is due to this they gain popularity. Starting from his invention, there were many varieties of boxing gloves available and in roman times, these boxing gloves were metal added to inflict greater damage and as the years passed, many gloves were introduced and each has its own pros and cons.

We can say that this boxing equipment has made boxing popular through the following quote by Marvin Halger “If they cut my bald head open, they will find one big boxing glove. That’s all I am. I live it.” Through his quote we get an idea about the need of boxing gloves in boxing.

In this article, we are going to have an overview on different types of boxing gloves and its features and how it protects the boxer”s hand. Lace protectors, bag gloves, training gloves, pro fight gloves, amateur competition gloves, aerobic gloves, MMA gloves, deluxe boxing bag gloves and MMA professional fight gloves are the different types of gloves available for boxing.

Lace up gloves looks so thin, soft and it is a lace converter that converts the lace up style gloves to hook and loop attachment. If you are looking for an excellent companion for lace up gloves, then it would suit better. The bag gloves are made of leather construction and well padded for protection with attached thumb. You don”t need to worry about the comfortabilty because this glove is designed in such a way that it can fit in-ease with handwraps.

Bag gloves exist in different varieties and if you look for a power weighted or grappling type, then this gloves suits better and it comes in different varieties with well padded. During the training session, the boxers should wear appropriate gloves that suits for training session. The myth behind the training gloves is that they are not made of quality materials so that it damages the fist of boxers, but it is not true. The training gloves are leather gloves which are well padded and cotton filled and it enhances your training session in the best way. Like the bag gloves, these gloves also exist in different types such as Mexican style, professional aerobics, champ hook; invincible lace up, champ lace up and professional lace up are those types.

The professional fight gloves are filled with layer closed cell with foam padding and pre curved. For competition, you can use the amateur competition gloves and it is constructed of leather. The best boxing gloves for kickboxing and boxing are aerobics leather gloves and it is cotton filled and well padded for protection. MMA gloves are suitable for both competition and training and it has an open palm construction that shows you the legal striking area. All these gloves are called as boxers protective gears and when you buy the boxing equipments, select the boxing equipments that are strictly manufactured as per USA boxing requirements so that you will be satisfied that you have bought the best one.

The Complete Boxing Workout

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Boxing is increasing in popularity nowadays. But maybe this might not be entirely because of professional boxers. Big name boxers are now on the decline. And big prize fights don’t reach the purses of ten years ago.

But on the whole, boxing as a physical work out and exercise is going down to the grassroots with boxing gyms springing up all over the place. From my personal experience, this is because boxing is more interesting than the old standard aerobic exercises, and offers more variety than velo-spinning or the treadmill.

Boxing training gyms have gone a long way from the dark seedy and all male enclave. It has gone into the mainstream, where the largest enrollment in some places are for young women who want to develop their muscles and learn how to punch, but not necessarily in that order.

Boxing offers a lot in terms of an all-around workout. It develops stamina, with the requisite roadwork, and the jumping rope. It also helps make for more flexibility. And unlike lifting free weights, boxing develops the major muscle groups without putting emphasis on any single one. As a cardio workout, sparring, punching the speedbag, and jumping rope is understated. Jumping rope burns more calories than cycling or running.

A stint at the speed ball helps a lot with eye-hand coordination. It should be obvious but unless you think about it hard, you won’t get it. That’s because it looks almost too easy not to hit the ball. It does bounce back, doesn’t it?

One other advantage a boxing regimen has over other gym routines is the intensity of the coach. The trainer looks out for the boxer, and gives instructions which require a well-rounded training, from the speed and coordination, to the power punch on the heavy punching bag; to the legwork where you are asked to dance from side to side and gliding forward and back.

As a form of exercise, boxing does have a lot to offer.

For more information please visit our web site: Boxing Equipment Suppliers

The Rise Of Muay Thai Boxing

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Muay Thai is an intense sport, sometimes referred to as the “Art of Eight Limbs”. This name is owing to the eight points of contact involved in the fighting: two hands, two feet, two elbows and two knees. The sport was born on the battlefield, which long ago in Thailand involved only short-range weaponry such as spears, pikes, clubs, etc. Since it was essentially hand to hand combat in those days, it was an evolutionary necessity for the fighters to develop the greatest advantage they could with whatever bodily means they had available. Thus, the advent of Muay Thai.

Muay Thai boxing has since evolved into a sport from its original use as a military skill. It has been practiced by everyone from young students and commoners to the King of Thailand himself. In fact Muay Thai boxing was actually a part of the Thai school curriculum until the 1920s. It was then discontinued because of concern over the injury rates, but people can and do still practice it in gyms and clubs. It is quite popular, and with the right training injury rates are quite low.

Equipment has seen only moderate changes over the years. It used to be that boxers’ hands were wrapped with horse hair, which in later years was replaced with rope bindings or strips of tape. This was both to protect the hands of the fighter and also to inflict more damage to the opponent. It was in the 1930s that the sport was codified and the bindings replaced with today’s gloves.

It is the peoples’ passion about Muay Thai that was vital in bringing it from the battlefield to the sport ring. Now daily matches can be found all over Thailand, and are always very popular with many avid fight fans in attendance, both Thai and foreigners alike.

Many successful fighters have a background in Muay Thai. The discipline and strength required to be successful in this sport transcends to mixed martial arts easily. Training is intense, and tradition is important. Utilizing the skills you learn during Muay Thai training can be the difference between a good fighter and a bad one.

Whether you’re interested in Muay Thai Kickboxing, Jiu Jitsu, or even wrestling, having the skills from across multiple disciplines can create a well rounded fighter which is required in any mixed martial arts sports. Across the World, the sport of mixed martial arts has become incredibly popular.

Boxing Physical Fitness Secrets

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Boxing is arguably among the most difficult sports to train for. Fighters need to be healthy, strong, quick, agile, powerful, adept and brave. This indicates that their training is extremely specialised as well as helps to explain why fighters are amongst the fittest athletes in sport.

So what do boxers do to get so in good condition? In some ways this is a hard question to answer because, like boxing styles, there are numerous ways that a fighter can get in shape. A lot of instructors keep their approaches secret as well as vehemently disagree with the approaches used by their fellow coaches. As an example, where some trainers instruct to hit the weights, others say that lifting weights will make fighters slow and “muscle bound”. As both camps of instructors have created champs, it’s clear that there is no straightforward answer to the question “how do boxers train”.

There are, however, a variety of typical approaches that most fight trainers agree on.

Road work – long runs made to increase fundamental fitness and aid the boxer to lose weight and typically performed in the early morning and before breakfast to make the most of weight loss.

Abdominal work – tough abdominals are crucial for throwing huge blows as well as shielding the boxer against blows to the stomach.

Heavy bag work – to increase punching power and practice throwing various punch combos. Working the heavy bag is also an efficient type of conditioning training.

Speed bag – as the name suggests, this tool is used to develop punching speed and reflexes.

Calisthenics – another way of saying high repetition bodyweight exercises. Press ups, squat thrusts, sit ups and lunges are all examples of this type of exercise. Calisthenics develop muscle endurance.

Sparring – controlled fighting for the purpose of developing speed, capability and fitness.

Pad work – one on one training that involves punching and dodging pads held by the coach. And also developing a boxer’s skills, this exercise additionally raises fitness.

Jumping rope – a keystone of any boxing exercise, there isn’t a single champ, past or present, who didn’t spend great deals of time jumping rope.

Jump rope is really worth more than a passing mention simply due to the fact that it offers a lot of advantages to a boxer. Jumping rope is great for developing fitness, weight control, foot speed, eye-hand coordination, upper body endurance and agility. You just have to look at videos of boxing greats like Mohammed Ali, Mike Tyson, Roberto Duran and Marvin Haggler jumping rope to see just exactly how effective utilizing a speed rope can be. If it was good enough for those legendary fighters, it’ll be good enough for you!

Jumping rope is probably the worst kept secret in boxing as practically every boxer that has actually ever before entered the squared circle has actually done it and while it’s not a new exercise method, jumping rope is probably among the most effective.

Boxing Equipment – Tips You Must Know

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You know that boxing equipment is a very important part in any boxing program. But many boxers in high school will use worn-out equipment a lot of the time. You will see a box of second hand gloves and old pads in the place where they practice this sport.

In the following lines we will talk about the equipment you need to start off your boxing training. We will tell you about the essential and non-essential devices you need to purchase.

Boxing equipment is inexpensive when you compare it with other sports. The initial outlay is minimal: gloves, punching bags and the boxing ring. It also has a low-cost upkeep. All boxers need a mouth piece, they are very affordable as well. This equipment is essential in any boxing training to help protect the teeth and gums. You will also need a quality ring, the padding must be extended over the edge. A groin protector is very important as well. Many stray punches can go to your groin and if you do not use protection you will have problems. There are also many quality brands to choose from like Kalleva, Supreme Pro, Full force and others just to name a few.

If you want to be a quality boxer a jump rope is essential. You need to work out daily so this equipment will be what you need to start of with. You will stay light on your feet using a jump rope. You will also boost your fitness and stamina. The weight loss benefits that come from using this rope are huge as well. There are also many wholesale boxing equipment suppliers in the market today. You can use the Internet to find some good ones but we advise you to read some reviews about them or get recommendations from friends and fellow boxers. The speed bag, although losing popularity, is very important as well. This device will help you develop hand/eye coordination skills. A floor to ceiling ball will do a similar job as far as coordination is concerned.

Head guards are mandatory for all sparring matches and if you enter amateur competitions, you will be expected to wear the correct head guard which is quality checked and passed by a governing body like AIBA, gloves must also be passed by this governing body. The essential boxing equipments are: head guards, protective cups and mouthpieces. Your boxing training must include a qualified coach to teach you the correct punching techniques and make sure you are training the right way. Heavy bags are important when you need to develop endurance and punching power. Your knuckles and wrists will be protected because you will use hand wraps. When hitting heavy bags you will use bag gloves, they are very light and easy to use. Good boxing gloves are essential, we advise you not to buy low-quality gloves because they will wear out quickly. O.K, so now you have learned the basics about the boxing equipment you need to get your boxing career started right away.

A range of quality boxing equipment and gym timers are available from UK Boxing store

Training in boxing for fitness

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Training in boxing is a fantastic way to keep fit, lose weight and burn a lot of calories. It is becoming more popular with the general public and more boxing clubs are coming round to the idea of having regular daily and weekly training sessions. These training sessions usually consists of a light warm up and stretching exercises to reduce the risk of pulling muscles, a few minutes of skipping or aerobic exercises, a few rounds on the punch bags, focus pad work, where you learn and practice all the punches and combinations used in boxing and also floor exercises such as, sit ups, press ups, squats, star jumps and many more, these sessions usually last for an hour and are open to all ages, male or female. Once you have advanced from one of these basic training sessions and your fitness levels have increased, there would be an opportunity to do some sparring in the boxing ring, this would be light contact to the body only and will help increase your fitness, strength and stamina, the boxing coach will let you know if you are ready for this step up. Always make sure you have a check up and go ahead from your doctor before taking on any intense training sessions.

Which type of gloves do I need?

You will need a pair of boxing gloves or bag mitts. Bag mitts are lighter and have less padding than boxing gloves and they usually come in sizes, small, medium or large. Boxing gloves have more padding and are sized by ounces, if you have small hands, 10oz gloves would do, 12oz gloves for medium sized hands and 14oz for larger sized hands. Childrens gloves are 6oz and 8oz. It is also recommended that you wear hand wraps under your gloves to help protect your knuckles and wrist.

Leather gloves or artificial leather?

This really depends on your budget and how often you intend to train. Leather gloves are more expensive but will last longer. Most boxing gyms will have some spare gloves you can use but it is highly recommended that you get your own pair.

Which skipping rope?

A PVC speed rope would be O.K to start with, these ropes come in sizes 8ft, 9ft, 10ft. a 10ft rope would be suitable for someone over 6ft 2″, a 9ft rope for someone between 5ft 6″ and 6 ft 2″ and the 8ft rope would suit somebody between 5ft 2″ and 5ft 6″. Finally, train hard and regularly!