Hopefully you know by now why boxing training is the best AND most fun way to get in shape. In the old days, you had to be a fighter to train in boxing but now, anyone can (and should) do it for fitness. As I have also stated many times, it is very possible (and recommended) to train in boxing for fitness but not do "fitness boxing". They are two different things. You can learn all the techniques you would use in a fight, beyond just proper form throwing punches, without actually having to fight. Your workout will be far better for it too.
But what makes our club different than other boxing gyms? Why train with us vs someone else? I have been to many of these other places around the country, have spoken with plenty of people who have trained and taught at them, I follow countless more on social media and I can tell you that there really are some key differences. I can also tell you that Marketing 101 says I should boil these differences down into simple, pithy statements but I want to give you more substantial information and speak from the heart. So this might be a longer read than it should be but hopefully explains things thoroughly so you can understand their validity. Thus, here are the key differences I have seen over and over again:
#1) Technique - This one is by far the most baffling to me. If you are a boxing coach/instructor, it makes sense that at the very least, your job would be to teach people how to box, right? But this is often not the case in a class environment (1-on-1 is a little different). Now you might think that I am just saying they aren't good coaches or don't teach the same technique I teach so I am invalidating them but that is not it. I am saying that don't teach it at all. And I'm 100% serious. They might show you what a cross or hook looks like, say a few words about what it is, but they won't teach the technique behind it or correct students' form when it is off. What's even more shocking is that from everything I have witnessed, it does not seem to matter whether the person running the class has combat sports' experience or not. The credentials of the trainer seem irrelevant to me. This might defy conventional wisdom - that of course you would learn more from someone who's fought in the ring vs. someone who hasn't - but it is not the case. I have met many legit fighters who can tell people to throw an uppercut and show a good one themselves but can't explain what an uppercut actually is or properly cue and correct form.
So if what I'm saying here is anywhere remotely correct, it would stand to reason that no one would ever learn boxing in such a format and of course, that can't be true. You'd be right! I have met people who have taken non-technically focused boxing or kickboxing classes and learned how to box/kickbox. Because certain folks can learn under these conditions. They can see something and emulate it. I had written in a previous blog post about my first experience at more traditional, old school gyms -https://theboxingmanifesto.blogspot.com/2022/02/my-first-experience-with-boxing-and-why.html. That approach is very much intentional. It weeds out the people who aren't super serious about fighting. Sink or swim, with the cream eventually rising to the top. But that excludes the vast majority of us. And even people who have learned in formats like this would have gotten better still with more technical coaching.
In our classes, even the bigger ones, we stress proper technique for everything all the time. Does this mean everybody is going to get it and become an expert boxer? No. Everybody is different, everybody learns things at different speeds, everyone comes from different backgrounds, with different skills. Even the best coaches can lead the proverbial horse to water but it's up to the student to drink. The coach's goal, my goal, is to make that journey and experience as easy and fun as possible.
#2) Class Programming - This is one of those things that is probably hard to perceive from the outside but extremely important. As coaches, we can explain how to throw an uppercut - what to do, what NOT to do, etc. - but the way to get you there is with practice and structure that makes sense. To break down the steps necessary to make it happen and layer them properly in a class format. Utilizing recurring themes and drills to work towards an end goal.
What I often see in other directed class formats are trainers calling out combinations. But why those combinations and punches? What are we working on specifically? Why would you throw this combo in a fight? Are there any nuances to it? Does it consider footwork, reloading (lots of times I just see left-right-left-right), angles, etc.? And does the overall class programming support someone getting better and better after the first few months beyond simply getting reps in?
Again, this may not be something you notice or think about but I can assure you that we think about it all the time. We are always striving to become better as coaches so You can get better as a boxer, which translates directly to more fitness.
#3) Nobody Is Going To Care More Than We Do - If you get nothing else from this, I want you to come away with one important fact: Nobody is going to care more than us. Nobody is going to care more about your training, your fitness, your overall wellness than I do. That is the sole reason I do this. As mentioned in other blog posts, I come from a totally different industry where I was lucky enough to have some success. If I was in this for the money, I would have stayed in the tech world. But boxing, health and wellness is what I truly love. And as I get older, the more I realize how important that is. I have seen the effect of a less active, less healthy lifestyle first-hand and even in my former career, possibly helped promote that lifestyle so if I can help others avoid it/get out of it themselves, I will have repaid some of my karmic debt to the universe.
I'm sure there are plenty of others out there like me in this regard. Maybe they will care as much about you as I do but there is no way they are going to care more. Nobody's going to be more passionate either. This is clear to pretty much everyone who meets me and you can also look at the social media resources that I produce weekly:
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLN0PPf0o8X6X1Te2zEgHrqy-BtyI-RAg3
Blog: https://theboxingmanifesto.blogspot.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TITLEBoxingClubPittsford/
#4) Energy Level - In small group training, I have witnessed undeniable proof that people work harder, push themselves, and learn more, the higher the class energy level is. This is another case where our passion really shines through. Plenty of professional, group exercise instructors manufacture energy and some even do it well but it's not the same when it's not coming from the heart. When you're not legitimately excited to teach somebody something you love. I have also seen plenty of good fighters not be able to keep the energy level up and motivate people. This is why I say that the credentials of the trainer are, in and of only themselves, irrelevant to the overall goal. These are entirely separate skills, just as coaching something vs doing that thing are.
#5) We Do the Most Boxing - This might sound odd but it is maybe somewhat surprisingly true. I have seen all kinds of class formats and modified ours so that people are getting the most, concentrated boxing training per second. Plenty of boxing and kickboxing classes do a lot of other things besides boxing and kickboxing, whether they are old school boxing or more modern concepts. Running, circuits, long warm-ups that no longer officially classify as a "warm-up" and other activities. That's not necessarily a bad thing at all! I'm sure there are folks that would prefer more of a mix. But what we do is teach boxing and kickboxing, making it as fun and effective workout as possible. The only exception is doing core work at the end of the classes because core strength is not just essential to boxing kickboxing, but functional activities of daily life. In my opinion, this is the only workout you need (unless you are solely interested in adding mass/bulk).
And if you want to add other activities to your overall regimen, that is totally fine. When you're in one of our classes though, I want to keep the focus narrow. Because boxing skills aren't narrow. There is so much there to learn and keep learning. Boxing has been practiced for hundreds of years and no one is ever perfect at it. Every time I think I've got something figured out, I realize there is so much more to learn once I get a deeper vantage point.
#6) Schedule - Besides offering the most boxing training per second, we also offer the most, all-levels boxing classes. 7 days a week, with classes morning, noon and night for everyone. I have never seen anything like this. I've seen some large martial arts gyms with maybe more total classes per week but they are in different styles, with different levels so an individual person would not have access to as many as we offer. So while most people have hectic schedules, there are very few who would not be able to train at our club.
There are also other boxing gyms who offer different kinds of classes, like strength, HIIT, yoga etc. That is something we may address down the road but as I alluded to in #5, boxing is our expertise. There are plenty of places you can lift weights and do yoga classes. But there is no better place to learn boxing. That is what makes us special.
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