How Long Does it Take to Learn Boxing?
Boxing is, perhaps, the most popular combat sport that has been around since ancient times. On one side, it is very popular among people who want to pursue a career in combat sports. On the other, people of all ages and genders train in boxing to get in shape and to learn self-defense tactics. But how long does it take to learn boxing actually?
A beginner with average talent and fitness level needs around 6 months of training to pick up all the basics and build a solid base. They need to spend 1 more year working hard and sparring before they can start competing as an amateur. After 1.5 to 2 years of training, most people are proficient enough to apply the skills they learned in real life. Or in other words, they have learned how to box.
Keep reading this article to learn more about boxing training, how hard it is, and how long it takes to learn.
Does boxing take a lot of time to learn?
Boxing takes around 1–2 years to master, which is much less time compared with other martial arts like Muay Thai, BJJ, and MMA for instance.
The rules allow fighters to strike only the upper body above the waist, including the head, and that’s it. There are no kicks, grappling, fighting in the clinch or on the ground.
The types of punches students need to master are direct, and you won’t have a hard time learning how to throw these the right way. It all revolves around 5–6 different types of punches (jab, hook, uppercut, etc). But the hard part is learning how to mix those with blocks, footwork, and upper body movement.
On average, beginners need between 3 and 6 months of training to learn all the basics. After 6 months, they know how to throw punches and combos in the right motion, and have a basic understanding of footwork, angles, and how to mix it all together. This is also a stage where most students would start sparring, and learning how to apply boxing techniques in a real fight. In some way, they slowly begin to transition from beginner to intermediate techniques.
It usually takes 1 more year of intermediate-level training, maybe 6 months if you are talented before you can start competing in amateur matches. This means that you have developed certain physical and mental skills needed for real fighting. You know how to stay calm when fists are flying, focused on winning, and apply the techniques the right way. Students with 1 or 2 years of boxing training also have solid timing and head movement, and automatic reactions.
To sum it all up, you will need between 1 and 2 years of hard training to become good at boxing. This is only in case they are consistent, showing up at least 4 times a week, and do not take any long breaks.
Is boxing hard to learn?
Boxing is very hard to learn. In fact, it is among the hardest martial arts you can train in. Don’t let the fact that you can master it in “just” 1 or 2 years fool you. These 2 years can easily turn out to be pure hell for most people as few combat systems are as intense.
For example, just look at boxing as a concept. It is a system where people fight using only their hands to land hard punches to the head (main target) and body like the rib cage and liver. On top of that, the emphasis is on aggression, speed, power, and causing as much damage with each punch. Training is a mix of grueling cardio and strength workouts, heavy bag workouts, and hard full contact sparring. Coaches will push your mind and body over the limits on a daily basis, and not many people have the ability to keep up with this type of training. The key is to focus on “surviving” the opening months. It’s all going to be much easier once you get stronger and improve your endurance.
The rate of injuries is quite high, and the most common injuries are actually the serious ones like:
- broken noses
- concussions
- brain injuries
- broken ribs
All of this makes boxing very, very hard to learn, much harder than most other martial arts.
How to speed up the progress in boxing?
Remember: you don’t need to prove anything to anybody and there is no point in rushing things. As in everything in life, you are going to make mistakes. These mistakes will result in you developing bad habits, suffering minor or severe injuries, and slowing down your progress. Here is a list of the most common mistakes beginners make in classes. If you focus on correcting those, you might significantly boost your progress.
- Check your ego at the doors — or in other words, stay humble, patient, and hungry for knowledge. Inside the gym, you are just another beginner who knows nothing about the sport of boxing and does not need to prove anything to anyone. leave the ego outside the gym, and embrace the learning process and all the struggles. Focus on listening to your coaches, learning, and leaving it all on the mats in each class.
- Be patient and do not rush things — one thing that all martial arts have in common is the fact that there is no taking shortcuts. No, you have to earn it all through blood, sweat, and even tears, and the same stands for boxing. It takes time to get strong, learn how to absorb a punch, control your mind, and develop automatic reactions. No matter what you do, you can’t learn these things in a short time span. So be sure to stay patient and on the right track.
- Stay away from injuries — this is easier said than done simply because you never know where and how you are going to get hurt. But the point is, do your best to minimize the risk. Do not spar too hard too often, or get into a fight with other students. Train hard, but be sure to stay hydrated all the time, and to give your body enough rest outside of the gym. A broken rib or nose can put you on the sidelines for many months, and destroy your progress.
Can you learn boxing at home?
You can do a solid boxing workout at home, but on the other side, you can’t develop the same skills as you can in a boxing gym. To become a real boxer, you need to train with the coaches and have someone with whom you can do live drills and spar. It would be foolish to expect to learn boxing without the knowledge of the coaches. In fact, it’s considered to be impossible. The same stands for sparring, without which you can’t expect to develop timing, feeling for distance, or automatic reactions.
Boxing workouts at home are great if you want to lose weight and get in top shape. Training this way will also give you a basic understanding of the techniques, but nothing more than that. If you are serious about becoming skillful in boxing, then you must train in a gym.
Is boxing harder to learn than Muay Thai?
On paper, an average person with average talent and fitness level needs less time to learn boxing than Muay Thai. However, this doesn’t mean that boxing is EASIER than Muay Thai. On average, students need around 6 months to learn all the boxing basics, and another year or two to develop solid skills. On the other side, it takes around 3 years to learn Muay Thai, which is a bit longer.
Which one is harder to learn is really hard to tell. On paper, Muay Thai includes far more techniques because Thai boxers strike using all limbs as weapons while boxers use their hands only. But both martial arts put a lot of emphasis on aggression, speed, damage, and training is really, really intense. When it comes to the intensity of the classes, injuries, and how physically demanding the classes are, the only fair answer is that both boxing and Muay Thai are equally dangerous.
