Returning to boxing after two years, but why did it take so long?
Hi all, I’m just peeping my head out of the editing cave to talk about what I’ve been up to.
About two months ago I started boxing at a local club. It’s a small establishment with only a couple of coaches and around 10 students per class. This isn’t your typical run off the mill club where they just throw you in and leave you alone – this is the place is where you would go to really learn how to box and practice your fighting style.
You’re probably wondering why I’m even telling you why I’ve started boxing, because that in itself isn’t especially headline worthy. I actually want to talk about the two year hiatus I took from boxing that was broken only a couple months ago.
My boxing story actually begins in 2011 when I started sixth form, where the head of PE asked me if I wanted to join the new boxing academy that the school were trialing. They brought in an amazing coach and had also kitted us out with your typical boxing garm plus a cool hoodie. There was only four of us that joined, and over the two years of sixth form we became lean, mean fighting machines.
Once we finished school the academy closed, and despite going to university, work, and other boring adult responsibilities, we all still trained with our coach at his newly opened gym. So we carried on being bad MFs!
And this is the same gym I’ve recently returned to.
I had gone to university, and training became near impossible around the time I started working on my dissertation in the third year. So I paused training and told myself that I would go back after all my final year assignments were handed in. That meant no training for around three to four months.
Once I handed in my last uni assignment in 2017, I told myself “I’ll go back to boxing next week.” Then next week rolled around time and told myself again, “next week I’ll go.” This went on for nearly two years.
Looking back, I had no real excuse as to why I didn’t return. I had all the right kit, I moved into a place that was five minutes away, and I had the money to pay for membership again. I was stuck in a rut of laziness and had zero motivation for something that I knew I loved doing.
The trick I used to get back into boxing was by just doing it. I threw myself at it and I was so nervous going back because it felt like I was venturing into the unknown. Then I realised after securing my spot in the gym that in this situation there’s no such thing as a ‘worst thing that could happen’, it’s either do or don’t.
Boxing did so many amazing things for me like to helping me loose lots of weight, improve the way I walk (I’m flat footed and would fumble around everywhere), sharpen up my brain, and gave me constant and achievable goals. I’m so happy to be back doing what I love and training with my original coach again, I still kick myself every now and then for not going back straight after university finished, but I’m glad I’m there now.
So if you’re pondering on whether or not you should start a hobby or start something positive, the advice I give “JUST DO IT!”.