Boxing is the most popular martial art globally. And that’s not just a fact, it symbolizes how effective and beneficial it really is. If you’ve ever wanted to start training in it, now is the best time to start, as an extremely enjoyable and fulfilling journey awaits.
This article will examine the pros and cons of boxing. Likewise, it’ll answer the common question: should I learn to box? Stay tuned for that at the end of this article.
The following list is the pros of boxing:
- Effective for self-defense
- Improves mental health
- Simple to learn
- Betters physical shape
- Suitable for self-improvement
- Betters social life
The following list is the cons of boxing:
- Doesn’t involve grappling
- Presents high-risk for injuries
I’ve seen countless people, who have, by now, learned martial arts and managed to positively impact their lives. Such impact is noticeable when examining yourself after you’ve gone through a few months of rigorous training.
However, most people won’t stay consistent, as they don’t want it badly enough. If you want to enhance your life by training in one of the best martial arts worldwide, you’ll be solid to start boxing.
It’s important to mention that although it does have some disadvantages, you’ll become an entirely different person if you consistently involve yourself in the art of punching. Your mental and physical selves will drastically improve over time. Thus, you’ll be better after every single session.
Before diving into the article, if you want to learn about the best ways to improve your punches’ speed, follow the link to an article of mine.
The pros of boxing
Before entering the astounding world of boxing’s pros, I want to give an important disclaimer:
Regardless of what you currently feel about fighting or martial arts, you’ll benefit from consistent boxing training. Your life will change, do know that.
Elite UFC fighters have a boxing baseline. As a result, they’re capable of using effective and practical strikes to ensure they can cause massive damage by using long-range means.
You have likely seen a fight where a fighter knocked another by using a right hook or an uppercut. This is what the art of punching teaches you to do, throw effective strikes.
Now, let’s dive into what you’ll get from boxing training; essentially, what makes it so appealing and practical.
#1 – Effective for self-defense
First, as most martial arts are, boxing is effective for self-defense. Before we look at its benefits, it’ll be best to know what its purpose really is.
All martial arts are here for a reason. While some lead you toward a more spiritual and fulfilling future, others teach you how to fight brutally and effectively. Boxing is more of a fighting style that prepares you to face an attacker.
You’ll be able to receive a punch without moving an inch. In fact, most elite boxers don’t blink when they get punched in the face. Isn’t that just crazy? Imagine someone punching you, and you don’t even blink.
That’s the result of vigorous, dedicated, and consistent training. You’ll be increasing the likelihood of you winning any fight, regardless of the opponent’s size or skill level.
You’ll also feel more confident because you’ll know how to fight. By participating in martial arts, you won’t feel defenseless. Most people begin trembling when someone threatens to punch them. However, you’ll treat that as another spar out of dozens. So, you won’t care.
That’s what the art of punching does for you with regard to fighting and self-defense.
#2 – Improves mental health
This may be the advantage that eventually attracts you to start training—and that’s totally fine. Do remember, although you may be focusing only on a single purpose, you’ll eventually notice all of them in some form or another.
Boxing improves your mental health by allowing you to overcome various obstacles in training. Additionally, it pushes your physical and mental boundaries in every single session. Eventually, you’ll think highly of yourself and appreciate your efforts, so your mental state will improve.
Today, our society embraces mental health issues with the constant use of social media and distractions. You’ll notice how you’re incapable of controlling your happiness if you consistently involve yourself in the use of social media and digital involvements.
By consistently learning to box, you’ll experience these following benefits: (SOURCE)
- Improved confidence
- Higher self-esteem
- Lowered stress
- Reduced aggression levels
- Less overall violence
These are all highly desirable traits. If you could notice just one of these, your life would immediately improve, regardless of your current position with these.
Now, imagine you’ll feel all of them in some shape or form in your life; Wouldn’t that enhance your well-being and mental health even more?
But, while research into the benefits of boxing is still in its infancy, current findings are beginning to show that this popular stress-relieving activity can improve your strength, speed, coordination, and aerobic capacity, and pay dividends for your mental well-being and confidence, too.
SOURCE
#3 – Simple to learn
The next advantage, which is why many people are attracted to boxing, is that it is simple to learn. If you examine martial arts, such as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, you’ll notice how you learn techniques which aren’t as intuitive.
However, a part of our natural instincts is to throw a punch at a threatening attacker. Hence, it won’t be as difficult to learn the basics of boxing, as some of it is already inside of us.
Learning the basics of boxing doesn’t take as long as learning the basics of other martial arts, such as Muay-Thai, kickboxing, judo, wrestling, and even MMA. As a result, more people are attracted to the simplicity of the art of punching, as they want to learn an uncomplicated way of fighting.
After all, don’t you want to know how to throw a fierce punch? Most people are capable of doing so, but few are the people who managed to perfect their boxing skills. Those are the people who are capable of beating almost anyone on the street, as they’re now competent fighters.
#4 – Betters physical shape
Today, most people want to have attractive bodies. Of course, some folks seek it for the wrong reasons; a part of being happy—is being healthy. You can’t be mindful, aware, and fulfilled—without taking care of the machine that’s responsible for that.
Boxing improves your physical shape by being an intensive exercises that extends all the large muscle groups in your body. These muscle groups are your back, arms, chest, legs, and even shoulders. Of course, it elevates your heart rate higher than the average workout, so you’ll burn plenty of calories.
It’s a part of human nature to want to be as attractive as possible. However, many of us neglect the idea of remaining healthy. That alone has more positive effects than what you can imagine.
Being healthy is the key to leading a powerful, fulfilling life. When you don’t seek to improve yourself physically, you’ll also fall mentally.
The associations between mental and physical health are: Poor mental health is a risk factor for chronic physical conditions. People with serious mental health conditions are at high risk of experiencing chronic physical conditions. People with chronic physical conditions are at risk of developing poor mental health.
SOURCE
As you can see, the correlation between your mental and physical health exist. Well then, we’ve already understood that you’ll improve your mental health by boxing. Now, you can also grow your physical self by ensuring you constantly seek to improve it.
Do ensure to involve yourself in regular physical exercise, as it’ll make your life more fulfilling and enjoyable!
If you want to read about the best exercises to incorporate with boxing, be sure to follow the link to an article of mine on the topic.
#5 – Suitable for self-improvement
The next pro is that boxing is suitable for self-improvement. What do I mean by that? Today, many people constantly seek out to grow. These are the folks who eventually see large success and fulfillment from life. Let’s examine why self-improvement is important and how boxing is suitable for it.
Boxing is suitable for self-improvement because it’s a platform you can set goals in, and inevitably, reach them. Thus, for those seeking to constantly improve themselves, martial arts are an effective choice because they train both your mental and physical selves.
Boxing will push your mental and physical boundaries time after time. Likewise, it won’t let go, even when you don’t feel like training. All you need to do is follow up with your efforts.
It’ll be best if you constantly seek to improve yourself. Picture how far you can get to if you reach your maximum potential. I mean, that truly sounds lovely, doesn’t it?
Nevertheless, reaching your potential and succeeding in life—is what most people are afraid of subconsciously. As a result, once you start to grow as a whole, your mind will start making excuses, so you’ll stay in your comfort zone.
But, you must do everything in your abilities not to let your mind take control. Boxing WILL get you out of your comfort zone, although you may currently think it won’t. Also, it’ll influence your entire well-being and quality-of-life.
#6 – Betters social life
You currently may be dissatisfied with your social life. That’s natural for us, human beings, as we are social creatures. We need groups to continue to strive, regardless of how egotistical are goals are.
Boxing improves your social life by meeting you with like-minded people, who have the same burning desire to improve themselves. Moreover, you may find your next-best-new-friend if you attend your local martial arts gym.
Meeting with like-minded people doesn’t only better your social life, it also grows you and them as successful individuals.
You may be familiar with the feeling of having someone in your life who seems to put you down instead of helping you grow. Avoiding these individuals—is a must, especially for those who want to reach their full potential.
The people close to you are a mirror of who you are and where you’re headed. Surround yourself with people who have a burning desire to improve, such as in boxing, and you’ll want to do the same.
Unfortunately, the opposite applies as well.
If you want to learn about why boxing is a martial art, follow the link to an article of mine on the topic.
Thus far, we’ve discussed the many benefits of boxing. Truly, it’s one of the best martial arts you can learn.
Now, however, let’s dive into the negative, but smaller world, of the art of punching. So, without further ado, let’s start.
The cons of boxing
Martial arts, in general, provide some risk to their trainees. Injuries are most common in fighting sports, as you can imagine. Literally, two people trying to injure each other, do you think there won’t be any risk?
Boxing does present some risks and has a single disadvantage. Actually, it has two disadvantages, which we’ll go over in the upcoming section.
Before diving into the article, if you want to know whether boxing is hard to learn, make sure to follow the link to an article of mine revealing the answer.
#1 – Doesn’t include grappling
The primary disadvantage of boxing is that it lacks grappling techniques. Eventually, all elite fighters are also complete ones. They know how to use their skills to create a dynamic fighting style, regardless of what they actually learned.
Because of that, elite fighters who use boxing as their primary martial art, must involve another style that involves grappling. If they don’t, they’ll have a large part of their tool box missing, and thus, they wouldn’t have been elite.
Take every UFC fighter as an example; the number of them that only know grappling or striking techniques—is extremely low compared to the rest. If you have a complete fighting style, you also have a greater ability to adapt and control your opponent.
While boxing is a fantastic and effective martial art for striking techniques, it doesn’t teach grappling, which you must know. So, if you only know how to box, you may not be as great of a fighter as capable of adapting to different self-defense situations.
#2 – Presents high risk for injuries
The second, and last, disadvantage—is high risk for injuries. Let’s not scramble the truth, martial arts aren’t safe. That’s, however, completely fine, as all sports provide some risk for injuries.
Did you know that horse-riding is in the top 10 most dangerous sports worldwide? Does that mean it’ll be banned? Of course not.
Nevertheless, we must face the fact that boxing is the second most dangerous sport. The rate in which boxers get hurt—is higher than most other sports.
To learn to fight, you must risk getting injured—that’s what you need to know. However, if you know the rules of boxing, you’ll be much safer. Follow the link to learn all about them.
To keep yourself safe, ensure you follow all the rules, so you also keep your fellow trainees safe. Moreover, know when to stop the exercise and rest, even stop for the entire session. Listen to your body.
But, be willing to push your pain threshold and physical boundaries. That’ll ensure you progress, even when hard times will inevitably come.
Read more about whether boxing is a safe martial art, and how to avoid getting injured—by following the link to an article of mine.
Should I learn boxing?
You should learn boxing because it’ll teach you effective and practical fighting techniques, and thus, you’ll be able to defend yourself. Likewise, it provides countless mental and physical benefits, such as increased confidence and self-esteem—so there’s no losing by consistently and vigorously training in it.
Final words
This article showcased the pros and cons of boxing. If you have the slightest of the desires to start doing it—don’t hesitate to begin as soon as possible.
The earlier you begin, the more results you’ll gain in the near future.
When I frame worked this article, I ensured to give both the pros and cons a fair shot. However, I ended up with six extremely potent advantages – and two not crucial ones. In my opinion, that says it all about this wonderful art of punching.
If you enjoyed reading this article, ensure you also read about the five best celebrity boxers you should know about—by following the link.