I’ve been thinking about it for a few months now. Today I finally committed $53 to my latest mission?and purchased a pair of youth gloves, adult punching mitts, hand wraps, a jump rope, and a round timer. Yes my friends I am going to start training my son in the art of organized mano a mano combat. The beautiful dance of pugilism – boxing baby, yeah!???
My real motivation is selfish. After work I don’t want to have endless “battles” (a.k.a. play fighting sessions that involve fake Kung Fu, faker wrestling, and phony cough-cough defeat) with?the boy that last into the night when there is a sport that we can work on together that has round limits. Now I can come home, have a few two minute rounds – to start with then we’ll move up to three minutes -?then?move on to relaxing for the night. We can bond over the sport, burn some energy then chill for the night?in a controlled time frame. Plus I really do love boxing. I don’t watch it much (again, no cable or satellite) but I enjoy doing it.
The only problem I see here is that I’ve never trained anyone and I personally haven’t trained actively for over a decade (and I’m fat but let’s not?go there today). A lot of?the rudiments are already?coming back to me?as I plan?a simple routine that won’t tax a five year old, though I may need to get a book.?I’m not worried. I was taught everything I know from an uncle who was in a wheelchair and he remembered everything. I also learned?many elements of Jeet Kun Do?from my uncle,?including?the difference between a wheel kick and a roundhouse. I’m not sure I’m?ready for the Dev to learn how to kick.?
My goal is to keep it fun, unless he gets good of course. Then I may have to rethink my breeziness. I’ll keep you posted.
It’s all fun and games til your boy kicks your ass. I give it 4 years.
Rethink your breeziness – lol – too funny.
I’d love to hear how this boxing thing turns out. I’m fat too – so join the club. I’m not sure boxing is the thing for me though. When gastric bypass surgeries go on sale, I need to be in that number to pick up a few…buy 1 get 1 for free maybe?
Good luck with this. Don’t understand the boxing thing. But since this is the second time in less than a week that I’ve encountered a man who is determined teach his son boxing, I’m guessing it’s just a “guy thing.” Makes me glad I don’t have sons, since I’ve never met a man who wanted to teach his daughter boxing. And my hubby doesn’t seem interested in putting gloves on our girls.
In any case, I guess I can see some benefits in learning the discipline and structure of it.
Here’s the thing though – I hope you don’t really think (or want) for this structured, disciplined fighting to replace the play fighting you do with Dev. That stuff is pure imagination – and there is nothing more wonderful and powerful than a kids imagination. To replace it with structure and organization too much or too soon – just kills off the best part of being a kid. Nothing wrong with adding structure just don’t eliminate the imagination play.
At least you are training him in something you know how to do. About 6 months ago I let all for of my boys start taking Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and all I know is Akido and some Kung Fu, which is useless once I go to the ground with them…needless to say I am signing up for BJJ in about a week…
Hitting a hanging heavy bag is a great way to work up a sweat and shed a pound or two.
You’re a braver man than me to give a kid at that height the training to make his strikes more powerful and sudden.
Umm, yeah, teach him everything except how to kick. Once you get a five year old boy started, it’s almost impossible to get ’em to stop. Besides, not only do they think they’re invincible, typically they think daddy is too. But one good, solid kick in the wrong place, will quickly put that notion to rest (smile).