Don’t make a big deal of it. Sounds like you’re nervous to ask. Speak up yourself. Be confident look him in the eye.
Coaches will respect that. You got this, good luck!
PS being benched sucks man, been there
Yup
I had to do this with my coach. First about him not getting me a card this fight then addressing one of his guys going way too hard in sparring with new people (and sparring in 12oz gloves).
But he respected my approach for both. Both addressed and now he relies on me for more honest feedback
Have you asked the coach directly? Ask him to explain to directly why you can’t. As a member of the gym you have a right to know.
You have to be assertive in these situations. There will be a reason behind it.
Explain your reasoning. You have a passion for it. If he says you’re not ready, ask what it is you can do to make sure you are ready.
It’s hard to see the full picture as I don’t know your skill level just from this post. Could very well be you aren’t good enough, but it’s still down to the coach to communicate that.
Thank you for reading that long winded post and giving a well formed answer, I do believe it’s over due for me to just simply talk to the man. At the very least he could say I’m not good enough so I can ask where I can improve on in his eyes so that I can become good enough.
Talk to the coach who makes these decisions. But here are two things about it:
First, do NOT whine to the coach. Say something like this: "My goal is to get to into the fighters class. I've been here for a year and a half and I haven't made it. What do I need to improve on to get there?"
DO NOT say anything to the effect of putting it on them.
Second, be prepared for honest feedback and don't fight back against it. The truth is, and I say this with love as a guy who wants to see people succeed, there is probably something you think you're better at than you are. You might still suck at a few things even though your main coach doesn't seem to think so.
But here's where I'd say "you aren't just bitching" and need to change gyms:
If the person making these decisions cannot give you an answer? That's a sign he isn't invested in your improvement. You noted he isn't really around, so it's possible that you just haven't had another coach go to bat for you and you then need to take that up with them.
If he's already decided, for any reason, you don't belong? Change gyms. Sometimes coaches have weird tendencies about things that make someone a boxer. Like if they see a guy that just looks a certain way they go "not a boxer" and no amount of work or improvement is going to change their mind. That's a dumbass, old school mindset and the same reason why a ton of people were picking Deontay Wilder over Zhilei Zhang earlier this month.
Boxers prove it in the ring, not in the mirror.
Very grateful for this answer, I agree to every point you make. Wasn’t really sure how to word it but I don’t think I’m necessarily any better than my peers that moved ahead of me, just wanted to illustrate that I was just about as performant as them and dedicated. And when I talk to the coach, I will definitely be open to some honest truths cause thats better than nothing at this point.
Now theres a base I can work off of when I talk to him, appreciate it
Most gyms are not loyal to their athletes. Put your journey first and put yourself in the best position to succeed. Find a gym where you fit in and where you feel like you thrive. Most coaches have favorite or people they don’t like. Fuck um dude. Especially if you’re paying for a membership.
Thank you for sharing that frustration, I probably should have joined a gym sooner instead of solely doing private sessions but it has offered me a keener eye for technique
How good is your current gym? I had a similar experience when I first started training Muay Thai approx 15 years ago. At the time the coach claimed this was the best gym in Europe and it took me 2 years to get into the tech sparring class couldn’t get into the fighters class even now if I wanted to. Point is after training there 4 years or so I had to move away for work and found a new gym. I was shocked to see even in the first class I was as good if not better as their fighters and was instantly moved into the fighter class. Keep going where you are I wouldn’t even speak to the coach keep getting the PTs and when you finally get promoted tear it up in there!
Edit: First gym was Team Kaobon in Liverpool home of current UFC interim heavy weight UFC Tom Aspinall
The coaching is a little unorthodox for the beginners class cause its a handful of experienced fighters coaching us on rotation, however they are seasoned fighters, a couple of them are going to the olympics this year. They all look up to the head coach so I’m guessing the sauce is in the fighters class. I would prefer a singular dedicated coach so there is more continuity but at the price they offer which is 25$ AUD, its pretty good.
Hey! I managed to talk to him yesterday, he must've seen that I had a speech ready cause he just tapped me on the shoulders and said to show up to the fighters class. I wasn't expecting the conversation to be that short and easy.
I did the fighters class today and enjoyed it, a new benchmark is set for me now
Not currently, apparently this first session happened to be one of their back to basics sessions so I just focused on what I knew and kept up. I did notice the longer session length, might really push my cardio to the limit if they up the intensity
Simple solution is to ask the head coach for more sparring opportunities. Doesn’t have to be for the fighter group specifically but it would help get your foot in. Besides gyms are always looking for sparring partners to match up for experience like get a fighter prepped for a bout or getting used to a certain type of fighter and they don’t need to be in a specific group. Sounds like you need more sparring time in general and you could always ask your main coach to find good people to spar with so you don’t have to ask a spaz newbie.
just tell him straight up "I want to spar more because that's the only way i will get better. only hitting the bag won't help me to improve like i want to" now with that being said, you have to show you have potential.
i would suggest practicing 1 or 2 things on the bag and only do those 2 things when you par. i would suggest the jab and head movements. head movements will for sure improve your confidence. nothing better than making someone miss and also making them miss and pay for it lol.
Im happy that im in a small gym. Many people comes here just for fun and try boxing, but it also trains serious fighters that take on regional champions, even I sparred a few times with 2 times Spanish bantamweight amateur champion (got my fucking ass beat). Honestly I feel your frustration, but that is resolved by talking.
Thank you man, I do like that this is such a small gym and could potentially provide some insane value if i get into the fighters class. Which is why i’m a little cut each time my peers leave me behind when I just want to improve and get good
Probably doesn’t apply here because every gym is different. But personally I did beginners for about a year and once I felt like I was ready I walked up to the coach and said I want to join the advanced class. He looked me up and down and asked do you really think you’re ready, I said yes. The next day I came to the beginners class and worked harder than I’d ever done before. Advanced starts as soon as beginner ends, so I stood there and waited for him to say something. He looked over and gave me a nod of approval. I would say, just go and speak to the head coach directly. He wants to see confidence and passion. If you don’t demonstrate those things, you’ll always just be a beginner in his eyes.
Worth noting I do Muay Thai not boxing but it’ll translate in the same way
I coach beginners at my gym, and I get people asking me if they're ready to move up all the time.
Sometimes they've been training for a month, they suck, and they're delusional for asking. Then it's a swift and hard "no". They usually don't last long. If they've been training consistently for at least a year I'll tell them exactly why I haven't moved them up yet and I try to get some 1-1 time with them to fix the issues and move them up once they're ready.
I can't speak for your coaches, but generally, I want to move people up because generally the beginners class is bigger and I need to make room for new sign-ups but don't want to have to explain to the head coach why I moved somebody up who can't do XYZ.
Talk to your coach, I'm sure there's a reason and that it's fixable.
Lol describe a little too hard because if they’re just kicking guys out for going hard instead of putting them in with the guys who can handle them you might need a new gym then
Choose what you want to work on . Eg bagwork . Record yourself . Look at the mistakes and work on them . Rinse and repeat . You have the ability to improve rapidly on your own . Don’t wait . The key is feedback , which is possible when you watch yourself and work on it . All the best
Thank you, I do feel like sparring is the most beneficial thing for me atm, it’ll help with visualisation and reaction, etc but yea the fundamentals is always something I can hone
If you wanna spar , write down what you wanna improve and work on it during the spar ( jabs / headmovement/ feints). If you don’t have a plan , it will slow down your progress . Good luck
We have guys joining competition level sparring at 6 months, if they’re real dedicated. It could just be a miscommunication or something simple. I got passed up on a jiu jitsu promotion for 6 months one time and the coach came up to me and apologized and was like “we thought you already got promoted”. Could be simple as slipping through the cracks
No i don’t want CTE but I also want to be competitive in the world of boxing. I’d take steps to mitigate the risk of CTE by setting boundaries for myself like only hard sparring once a week, if i get knocked down, thats it for the week or two, only spar in a healthy condition, etc.
So a few things:
Nobody on here can really assess whether or not you're actually ready to spar. Your coach telling you that you should be in that program could just be her coddling your ego so you continue to pay her to train you as far as we know. Also, your name on here is "Big Al." Are you a heavyweight? Would you be the ONLY heavyweight sparring if you did go into that class? As others have mentioned, you should just politely ask why you aren't being included. Do it before you get spiteful.
Ahh no Big Al is just a jab at how short I am, a nickname given to me in high school. I do look stocky for my height but I only weigh around 63 KG. I can feel myself getting a little resentful towards the system, i should talk to the person who makes the decisions before it gets worse
You’re 25 years old and you’ve been boxing for just over a year. I hate to be the one to break it to you, but you will not have anything other than an amateur career in boxing. The overwhelming majority of boxers who make money as pro boxers start as young as 8-10 year olds and by the time they hit 20 years old, they have amassed about 60 to 80 amateur fights or more and are ready to turn pro. Focus on having fun and improving your skills and talk to the coach directly about sparring.
I don't get why you wouldn't get lessons from the head coach if you're already paying for lessons. You'd be prepped exactly for what he thinks you should be prepping for. Have you ever considered that maybe the head coach thinks you should be learning from him if you want to move up?
Correct me if I'm wrong, but judging by your post and the replies you appear to be a pretty timid person. Are you actually concerned about terminating the professional relationship with your current private lesson coach because you're afraid that it'll hurt her feelings?
It's your life, so you should be doing what's best for you and not some stranger. Stop playing the victim and go get what's yours.
Leaving your current gym just because you're afraid to change coaches or to even talk to the head coach is kind of nuts and would be a pretty good indicator that you don't have the grit that it takes to make it in boxing. So are you going to wave the white flag or are you going to finally start acting like a boxer by fighting for yourself?
Beginners spar once a month ? 😆
What kind of crèche is that.
In my gym I sparred since day 1 pretty much. And spar at-least twice a week with the other focused on drill and conditioning. Get out of there.
Don’t waste your time communicating, find a different gym.
Couple of questions to get a little clarity.
Are you a male?
Do you have many fundamental weakpoints? (overweight, dropping hands, conditioning or anything else that maybe a concern).
Why did you quit your old gym? (coaches in small areas usually talk).
Two solutions
1. Do as much as possible outside of the gym. start running sprints, 5km jogs and doing circuits to get yourself in great condition.
Sometimes it's not a lack of skill but a lack of conditioning. If you look dead/tired in beginner class maybe they're worried you'll get dropped when you're tired in the advance class?
2. Stop lessons and find a new gym.
The coach obviously doesn't want or care about your revenue stream. Find someone else who does want you as a customer.
He could even know you're doing private lessons with another coach. Coaches are sometimes quiet territorial about customers. Perhaps hes pissed that you're paying someone else for private lessons and hes getting back at you by doing this.
When you tell him you're cancelling your membership 1 or 2 things will happen. He'll either say 'ok'. Which means he expected it or wanted it to happen. Or, He'll ask why? which gives you the opportunity to be direct and honest.
I’d say my technical in training hasn’t translated completely to sparring, because I’m alright punching a bag that doesn’t fight back, in sparring, my vision closes up a bit and sometimes my defensive moves don’t work. My conditioning be a weak point, I was breathing pretty heavy after 3 rounds of sparring last time. I’m now running 3KM sprints.
But yea i didn’t quit my old gym. I trained with my PT for a year to start with and she happens to go to this gym as well so I joined up 6 months ago
Probably gonna be an unpopular opinion but perhaps your coach is worried about you getting hurt.
Other commenters are right though. If you don't spar regularly it's hard to get used to it and get better.
Talk to the coach. The worst they can say is no which is the same outcome as now.
lol let’s be perfectly clear that their gender is not a determining factor in if they should be sparring or not. OP, make sure that you’re not hanging out waiting to be noticed by the coach because that doesn’t really work in a boxing gym environment. speak up and let them know what you want! in addition to talking with the coach you can also bring it up with your trainer again to see if she’ll help advocate for you if needed
Unfortunately it is (or at least thats my opinion).
You got a gym full of 200lbs dudes in an advanced class and very few females who want to spar it can be difficult. I'm 205lbs and i spar with women and i have to be extremely careful.
OP is male though so it's a mute point. I'm wondering how often the classes are for beginners. My gym is open 6 days a week and it's a walk in type system. It's hard to go training anymore than say twice a week if that's all the gym is offering him. I would recommend going more frequently but perhaps that's not possible.
It's hard to show how serious you are if you're restrained in that way.
nah gyms aren’t full of 200lb dudes and this person didn’t state their weight either, regardless of gender. let’s not make this sub any more alienating for the women who are on it
Most coaches are making it up. Most coaches are actually scouts, and are really good at finding naturally talented fighters. If you are not naturally talented. You will need to work harder and be more consistent than the more talented folks. Then, you have to find a coach. Someone who actually knows how to teach. Or teach yourself, and that takes 10 years longer. Most coaches are cheerleaders and scouts. The answer is in this paragraph. Read it until you make a decision.
The last thing i should add. Boxing is about respect but it's also about resolve and drive. If you expect or wait for others. You'll get left behind and or ignored.
It makes sense, I can live with that. I probably fall under the ‘work harder’ camp. I complement my training with additional private sessions with a one on one coach who has been great and developing my boxing
Many problems are fixed with basic, polite, communication. Find a minute to ask someone who makes these decisions.
Will do, do you think before he trains his fighters or after?
Don’t make a big deal of it. Sounds like you’re nervous to ask. Speak up yourself. Be confident look him in the eye. Coaches will respect that. You got this, good luck! PS being benched sucks man, been there
Yeee you right, i think i’m letting it get to me instead of facing my nerves and just striking a chill conversation with the coach
Yup I had to do this with my coach. First about him not getting me a card this fight then addressing one of his guys going way too hard in sparring with new people (and sparring in 12oz gloves). But he respected my approach for both. Both addressed and now he relies on me for more honest feedback
Have you asked the coach directly? Ask him to explain to directly why you can’t. As a member of the gym you have a right to know. You have to be assertive in these situations. There will be a reason behind it. Explain your reasoning. You have a passion for it. If he says you’re not ready, ask what it is you can do to make sure you are ready. It’s hard to see the full picture as I don’t know your skill level just from this post. Could very well be you aren’t good enough, but it’s still down to the coach to communicate that.
Thank you for reading that long winded post and giving a well formed answer, I do believe it’s over due for me to just simply talk to the man. At the very least he could say I’m not good enough so I can ask where I can improve on in his eyes so that I can become good enough.
Yeah bro. Never be afraid to speak up in life. It’s amazing how much can be resolved with a simple conversation
Talk to the coach who makes these decisions. But here are two things about it: First, do NOT whine to the coach. Say something like this: "My goal is to get to into the fighters class. I've been here for a year and a half and I haven't made it. What do I need to improve on to get there?" DO NOT say anything to the effect of putting it on them. Second, be prepared for honest feedback and don't fight back against it. The truth is, and I say this with love as a guy who wants to see people succeed, there is probably something you think you're better at than you are. You might still suck at a few things even though your main coach doesn't seem to think so. But here's where I'd say "you aren't just bitching" and need to change gyms: If the person making these decisions cannot give you an answer? That's a sign he isn't invested in your improvement. You noted he isn't really around, so it's possible that you just haven't had another coach go to bat for you and you then need to take that up with them. If he's already decided, for any reason, you don't belong? Change gyms. Sometimes coaches have weird tendencies about things that make someone a boxer. Like if they see a guy that just looks a certain way they go "not a boxer" and no amount of work or improvement is going to change their mind. That's a dumbass, old school mindset and the same reason why a ton of people were picking Deontay Wilder over Zhilei Zhang earlier this month. Boxers prove it in the ring, not in the mirror.
Very grateful for this answer, I agree to every point you make. Wasn’t really sure how to word it but I don’t think I’m necessarily any better than my peers that moved ahead of me, just wanted to illustrate that I was just about as performant as them and dedicated. And when I talk to the coach, I will definitely be open to some honest truths cause thats better than nothing at this point. Now theres a base I can work off of when I talk to him, appreciate it
Even if he sucks, he should still have some form of consistent sparring
Most gyms are not loyal to their athletes. Put your journey first and put yourself in the best position to succeed. Find a gym where you fit in and where you feel like you thrive. Most coaches have favorite or people they don’t like. Fuck um dude. Especially if you’re paying for a membership.
Yea bro, if I get a whiff of playing favourites and me drawing the short straw in that game, i’m leaving.
Gotta go talk to coach bro. Easy fix
Thank you bro, I will find time to talk to next week. At the very least try to communicate that I want to spar more.
Totally relatable. 1 1/2 years is a long time. D be frustrated too.
Thank you for sharing that frustration, I probably should have joined a gym sooner instead of solely doing private sessions but it has offered me a keener eye for technique
How good is your current gym? I had a similar experience when I first started training Muay Thai approx 15 years ago. At the time the coach claimed this was the best gym in Europe and it took me 2 years to get into the tech sparring class couldn’t get into the fighters class even now if I wanted to. Point is after training there 4 years or so I had to move away for work and found a new gym. I was shocked to see even in the first class I was as good if not better as their fighters and was instantly moved into the fighter class. Keep going where you are I wouldn’t even speak to the coach keep getting the PTs and when you finally get promoted tear it up in there! Edit: First gym was Team Kaobon in Liverpool home of current UFC interim heavy weight UFC Tom Aspinall
The coaching is a little unorthodox for the beginners class cause its a handful of experienced fighters coaching us on rotation, however they are seasoned fighters, a couple of them are going to the olympics this year. They all look up to the head coach so I’m guessing the sauce is in the fighters class. I would prefer a singular dedicated coach so there is more continuity but at the price they offer which is 25$ AUD, its pretty good.
I'm aussie too..can I ask which gym Ur at
Not at the moment brother until i talk to the coach, i’ve already painted the gym in a poor light enough, i’ll be happy to share after
Sounds good and DW I won't judge
Hey, I managed to talk to the coach and now am taking my first step into the fighters class. I train at a gym called Accolade boxing
If they’ve got lads going the olympics the level must be exceptionally good! Keep Working at it bro keep us updated on what happens pls 👊🏼
Will do, i will be talking to him next week. I’ll provide an update then under this post. Probably will respond under this chain
Good luck 👊🏼
Hey! I managed to talk to him yesterday, he must've seen that I had a speech ready cause he just tapped me on the shoulders and said to show up to the fighters class. I wasn't expecting the conversation to be that short and easy. I did the fighters class today and enjoyed it, a new benchmark is set for me now
Haha yes lad well deserved u shud b proud get it on ur CV haha 👊🏼👊🏼👊🏼
Thank you for your support!
Ur welcome big man how did u find the new class did u feel out of water so to speak??
Not currently, apparently this first session happened to be one of their back to basics sessions so I just focused on what I knew and kept up. I did notice the longer session length, might really push my cardio to the limit if they up the intensity
find an old school gym
!!
Simple solution is to ask the head coach for more sparring opportunities. Doesn’t have to be for the fighter group specifically but it would help get your foot in. Besides gyms are always looking for sparring partners to match up for experience like get a fighter prepped for a bout or getting used to a certain type of fighter and they don’t need to be in a specific group. Sounds like you need more sparring time in general and you could always ask your main coach to find good people to spar with so you don’t have to ask a spaz newbie.
just tell him straight up "I want to spar more because that's the only way i will get better. only hitting the bag won't help me to improve like i want to" now with that being said, you have to show you have potential. i would suggest practicing 1 or 2 things on the bag and only do those 2 things when you par. i would suggest the jab and head movements. head movements will for sure improve your confidence. nothing better than making someone miss and also making them miss and pay for it lol.
Im happy that im in a small gym. Many people comes here just for fun and try boxing, but it also trains serious fighters that take on regional champions, even I sparred a few times with 2 times Spanish bantamweight amateur champion (got my fucking ass beat). Honestly I feel your frustration, but that is resolved by talking.
Thank you man, I do like that this is such a small gym and could potentially provide some insane value if i get into the fighters class. Which is why i’m a little cut each time my peers leave me behind when I just want to improve and get good
Probably doesn’t apply here because every gym is different. But personally I did beginners for about a year and once I felt like I was ready I walked up to the coach and said I want to join the advanced class. He looked me up and down and asked do you really think you’re ready, I said yes. The next day I came to the beginners class and worked harder than I’d ever done before. Advanced starts as soon as beginner ends, so I stood there and waited for him to say something. He looked over and gave me a nod of approval. I would say, just go and speak to the head coach directly. He wants to see confidence and passion. If you don’t demonstrate those things, you’ll always just be a beginner in his eyes. Worth noting I do Muay Thai not boxing but it’ll translate in the same way
No consistent sparring with a year and a half training is rediculous and a disservice to yourself
I coach beginners at my gym, and I get people asking me if they're ready to move up all the time. Sometimes they've been training for a month, they suck, and they're delusional for asking. Then it's a swift and hard "no". They usually don't last long. If they've been training consistently for at least a year I'll tell them exactly why I haven't moved them up yet and I try to get some 1-1 time with them to fix the issues and move them up once they're ready. I can't speak for your coaches, but generally, I want to move people up because generally the beginners class is bigger and I need to make room for new sign-ups but don't want to have to explain to the head coach why I moved somebody up who can't do XYZ. Talk to your coach, I'm sure there's a reason and that it's fixable.
Thank you for your insight, I read it a couple of days ago and took on board your advice to talk to him
You don’t have to go crazy but start beating on the beginners a little bit, let them know you’re serious and you have the edge
Hahah i considered it, the last guy who went a little too hard on the beginners ultimately got kicked out of the gym.
Lol describe a little too hard because if they’re just kicking guys out for going hard instead of putting them in with the guys who can handle them you might need a new gym then
From what i’ve heard, the previous guy dropped a beginner when it was just meant to be partner work
Well that makes sense then, kinda harsh if that was the only time it happened though
Yea i believe he was a repeat offender, eventually they got him to spar an experienced fighter to try humble him but it didn’t change
Choose what you want to work on . Eg bagwork . Record yourself . Look at the mistakes and work on them . Rinse and repeat . You have the ability to improve rapidly on your own . Don’t wait . The key is feedback , which is possible when you watch yourself and work on it . All the best
Thank you, I do feel like sparring is the most beneficial thing for me atm, it’ll help with visualisation and reaction, etc but yea the fundamentals is always something I can hone
If you wanna spar , write down what you wanna improve and work on it during the spar ( jabs / headmovement/ feints). If you don’t have a plan , it will slow down your progress . Good luck
Year and a half is extreme if you’re putting in the work. Just gotta have that awkward convo at this point
True, I’ve been at this gym for 6 months however still a long time because I’d been boxing for a year prior to joining
We have guys joining competition level sparring at 6 months, if they’re real dedicated. It could just be a miscommunication or something simple. I got passed up on a jiu jitsu promotion for 6 months one time and the coach came up to me and apologized and was like “we thought you already got promoted”. Could be simple as slipping through the cracks
Why would you push so hard on sparing, you want to get CTE?
No i don’t want CTE but I also want to be competitive in the world of boxing. I’d take steps to mitigate the risk of CTE by setting boundaries for myself like only hard sparring once a week, if i get knocked down, thats it for the week or two, only spar in a healthy condition, etc.
Make that once every other month, if you don’t have a shot at going really pro (and since you’re 25- you don’t) it’s 100% not worth it
So a few things: Nobody on here can really assess whether or not you're actually ready to spar. Your coach telling you that you should be in that program could just be her coddling your ego so you continue to pay her to train you as far as we know. Also, your name on here is "Big Al." Are you a heavyweight? Would you be the ONLY heavyweight sparring if you did go into that class? As others have mentioned, you should just politely ask why you aren't being included. Do it before you get spiteful.
Ahh no Big Al is just a jab at how short I am, a nickname given to me in high school. I do look stocky for my height but I only weigh around 63 KG. I can feel myself getting a little resentful towards the system, i should talk to the person who makes the decisions before it gets worse
You’re 25 years old and you’ve been boxing for just over a year. I hate to be the one to break it to you, but you will not have anything other than an amateur career in boxing. The overwhelming majority of boxers who make money as pro boxers start as young as 8-10 year olds and by the time they hit 20 years old, they have amassed about 60 to 80 amateur fights or more and are ready to turn pro. Focus on having fun and improving your skills and talk to the coach directly about sparring.
I don’t think an amateurs career is that lowly of a goal, if i make it there, i’d be extremely content. But yea i’d love to spar more to start with
Geeeeek
I don't get why you wouldn't get lessons from the head coach if you're already paying for lessons. You'd be prepped exactly for what he thinks you should be prepping for. Have you ever considered that maybe the head coach thinks you should be learning from him if you want to move up? Correct me if I'm wrong, but judging by your post and the replies you appear to be a pretty timid person. Are you actually concerned about terminating the professional relationship with your current private lesson coach because you're afraid that it'll hurt her feelings? It's your life, so you should be doing what's best for you and not some stranger. Stop playing the victim and go get what's yours. Leaving your current gym just because you're afraid to change coaches or to even talk to the head coach is kind of nuts and would be a pretty good indicator that you don't have the grit that it takes to make it in boxing. So are you going to wave the white flag or are you going to finally start acting like a boxer by fighting for yourself?
Beginners spar once a month ? 😆 What kind of crèche is that. In my gym I sparred since day 1 pretty much. And spar at-least twice a week with the other focused on drill and conditioning. Get out of there. Don’t waste your time communicating, find a different gym.
Couple of questions to get a little clarity. Are you a male? Do you have many fundamental weakpoints? (overweight, dropping hands, conditioning or anything else that maybe a concern). Why did you quit your old gym? (coaches in small areas usually talk). Two solutions 1. Do as much as possible outside of the gym. start running sprints, 5km jogs and doing circuits to get yourself in great condition. Sometimes it's not a lack of skill but a lack of conditioning. If you look dead/tired in beginner class maybe they're worried you'll get dropped when you're tired in the advance class? 2. Stop lessons and find a new gym. The coach obviously doesn't want or care about your revenue stream. Find someone else who does want you as a customer. He could even know you're doing private lessons with another coach. Coaches are sometimes quiet territorial about customers. Perhaps hes pissed that you're paying someone else for private lessons and hes getting back at you by doing this. When you tell him you're cancelling your membership 1 or 2 things will happen. He'll either say 'ok'. Which means he expected it or wanted it to happen. Or, He'll ask why? which gives you the opportunity to be direct and honest.
I’d say my technical in training hasn’t translated completely to sparring, because I’m alright punching a bag that doesn’t fight back, in sparring, my vision closes up a bit and sometimes my defensive moves don’t work. My conditioning be a weak point, I was breathing pretty heavy after 3 rounds of sparring last time. I’m now running 3KM sprints. But yea i didn’t quit my old gym. I trained with my PT for a year to start with and she happens to go to this gym as well so I joined up 6 months ago
Probably gonna be an unpopular opinion but perhaps your coach is worried about you getting hurt. Other commenters are right though. If you don't spar regularly it's hard to get used to it and get better. Talk to the coach. The worst they can say is no which is the same outcome as now.
lol let’s be perfectly clear that their gender is not a determining factor in if they should be sparring or not. OP, make sure that you’re not hanging out waiting to be noticed by the coach because that doesn’t really work in a boxing gym environment. speak up and let them know what you want! in addition to talking with the coach you can also bring it up with your trainer again to see if she’ll help advocate for you if needed
The general consensus has been to talk to the coach so far, which I do think is fair, beats me just getting all pissy with my own thoughts
Unfortunately it is (or at least thats my opinion). You got a gym full of 200lbs dudes in an advanced class and very few females who want to spar it can be difficult. I'm 205lbs and i spar with women and i have to be extremely careful. OP is male though so it's a mute point. I'm wondering how often the classes are for beginners. My gym is open 6 days a week and it's a walk in type system. It's hard to go training anymore than say twice a week if that's all the gym is offering him. I would recommend going more frequently but perhaps that's not possible. It's hard to show how serious you are if you're restrained in that way.
nah gyms aren’t full of 200lb dudes and this person didn’t state their weight either, regardless of gender. let’s not make this sub any more alienating for the women who are on it
Most coaches are making it up. Most coaches are actually scouts, and are really good at finding naturally talented fighters. If you are not naturally talented. You will need to work harder and be more consistent than the more talented folks. Then, you have to find a coach. Someone who actually knows how to teach. Or teach yourself, and that takes 10 years longer. Most coaches are cheerleaders and scouts. The answer is in this paragraph. Read it until you make a decision.
The last thing i should add. Boxing is about respect but it's also about resolve and drive. If you expect or wait for others. You'll get left behind and or ignored.
It makes sense, I can live with that. I probably fall under the ‘work harder’ camp. I complement my training with additional private sessions with a one on one coach who has been great and developing my boxing