Surfing on the Waves of Chaos - in Boxing and in Life!

I have mentioned in the past that I have seen literally thousands of people box for their first time. And this is one of those rare cases where "literally" actually means, literally. People of all ages, fitness-levels and backgrounds. I will also say again that it has been a real honor to do so. I LOVE teaching boxing and
introducing others to something I am so passionate about.

Boxing is very difficult, however, and no one learns it right away. Besides just brand new body movements at high speeds and intensity levels, it is also learning a new language for most. Jab, cross, lead hook, rear body shot, overhand, liver punch, slip, roll, etc. etc. That's a lot to take in all at once!

When I originally started out, I learned only the very basic of the basics. Just threw jabs and crosses for about a month or so. Nothing else, just that. This is certainly a logical way to learn but it was boring. And while I can say that my jab-cross got better, it did not get better at a rate commensurate with that much repetition at that stage, in my opinion. In fact, I think my straight punches got a lot better when I understood the variety of other strikes. But that is just me. Everybody learns differently, that is for sure.

When I first experienced the TITLE Boxing Club class format, it was in many ways the opposite of how I had learned. First-timers can box side-by-side with experienced boxers, with everyone at different levels, everyone going at their own pace but still doing all the different strikes at once. Defense, head movement and occasional footwork too! I often tell people in their initial class that we pretty much throw them into the deep end. The only difference is that they won't drown and in fact, can throw any punch (or not throw any punch) they want, so long as they keep their wrists straight and their fists tight when they hit the bag. At first it will be overwhelming, but things will slow down as they get more used to it.

I originally wasn't sure how this would play out with people who had never done anything like this before, some without any kind of significant sports background but was pleasantly surprised to see how much better folks got so quickly. That first time is overwhelming for sure, but if you are the kind of person who is okay with that, it is amazing how fast you'll pick things up if you train consistently for even just a few weeks.

That is the key though - being okay with not knowing everything and not mastering it right away. Being comfortable being uncomfortable. Telling yourself that you CAN do this! Not learn boxing in a day or two, that is impossible, but that you CAN hang in there, keep working, and know that you WILL learn this eventually. Sometimes when I show someone new the basics of boxing, I can see in their eyes and body language that they have already decided they CAN'T do it. That it is too hard. Too much, too soon. And in some ways, they are right because once again, nobody is going to learn boxing in a couple minutes. But you still have to go into it thinking that while you may get lost, you may forget what a jab is, that is okay and you will keep moving, keep plugging away, and that all of this stuff can eventually come to you as you are strong and capable. Maybe more so than you know! If you tell yourself the opposite, however, it will become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

I like to think of this as akin to surfing (which is much harder to learn that first day than boxing, by the way). You're riding this giant wave that you ultimately have no control over. It is big and powerful and not necessarily something to be conquered but if you can keep calm and stay vigilant, you can ride it and harness some of it's awesome power.

And hey, this also holds true in life in general, right? We don't necessarily know what tomorrow will bring. We can't control the rest of the world. We just control our own world and how we deal with everything else. Maintain a positive attitude, believe in yourself, don't expect to figure things out right away and always have all the answers. Focus on what you can do and how you can do it, not how you can't do it. Keep moving, and you can eventually catch that big wave.

So there's my Tony Robbins' speech of the day! I've got more surfing analogies too. Ask me one day about the movie, "North Shore" and how that also relates to boxing, as well as life in general.