The Benefits of Boxing! Beyond Fitness and into Social Benefits

Boxing, the sport of quick feet and even quicker hands. Not everyone who boxes will go into the ring, some are hopeful of winning a title, and others only hit the amateur circuit. No matter what your goals are you will find that boxing has benefits far beyond self-defense and into developing character and spirit. 

Fitness is an important part of why I do it, while the other side is more psychological. Boxing is real. Its not theory, mathematics, or complex. Its where we came from as a biological entity (i.e. mammals and mammal behavior. We may have become complex but we are pushed by the same bio-psychological urges.) similar to what we find in nature. It is padded version of two rams smacking their heads together. 

That might not make a lot of sense to people who had everything provided to them in life. It might make more sense to people who had to step up to a bad hand in the cards of life. That is probably why martial arts, MMA, and boxing seem to attract certain crowds. 

A couple of benefits of boxing....

1.) Fitness: Serious cardio

2.) Community: Tight community of members.

3.) Coordination: New connections and muscle memory. 

4.) Self Defense: New skills and abilities.

Its interesting that boxing teaches kids self control. The better the boxer, the more self control they have (Zhang, et. al. 2019). This is great for those who want to find a place they can tear into a bag. Its where one has to sort of earn their spot regardless of where they came from. Its more primal and in many ways truthful. You either have the skills and train for it or you don't. 

I was raised in part within a Catholic Seminary and I will have to say they used a whole different old world method of raising kids than what we see in modern schools. Some of the kids were really rich and some of the kids very poor. They were all exposed to things that range from dancing to boxing, wood working to art, and poetry to science. We should have more places like that because they can truly enrich people's lives. Spots where we create the right environments...but alas boarding schools have been nearly snuffed out of modern society. Anyway...as a martial arts enthusiasts I would like to see more gyms and places for kids (teens and adults) to gain new skills and experiences as a pseudo environment that moves beyond the physical and into a socially mentored locality. 

Zhang, G., Chen, X., Xiao, L., Li, Y., Li, B., Yan, Z., Guo, L., & Rost, D. H. (2019). The Relationship Between Big Five and Self-Control in Boxers: A Mediating Model. Frontiers in psychology, 10, 1690. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01690