The benefits of combat sports
Training is your trophy
Any form of physical exercise can have beneficial effects for mind and body, and combat sports certainly develop strength, flexibility and fitness. But sparring with a partner moves beyond mere exercise. It has to do with overcoming the fear of being hurt, overcoming the fear of failure or poor performance, forcing yourself to focus intently and to develop confidence in your ability to succeed. There's also a spin-off in terms of improved ability to defend yourself against attack, though I hope I'll never need to do that outside the ring.
I started boxing training at the age of fifty. After an exhausting day, when I felt like going home to bed rather than to the gym, I found that sparring would re-invigorate me, make me feel alive and positively energetic, in a way that non-combative exercise never did. It's the ultimate in participation - I never was much interested in being a spectator.
I was not particularly good at boxing. I was slower to learn, slower to move, and generally not very aggressive in the ring. But I enjoyed trying. I guess one of the things I love about boxing training is that's it's just me and the other person, one-on-one. You can't sit back and leave it to someone else on the team, you are the team. There's a sense of ownership that I relish.
A friend with over 20 years experience as a boxing coach, says:
Whether you compete or simply train, my motto is training is your trophy.....the process is more important than the outcome. Boxers ... meet their own limitations and dare to proceed in the face of potential danger, and they strive to get past inhibiting emotions such as anger and doubt" (Cappy Kotz, Boxing for Everyone, Seattle WA 1998)
Cappy's reference to 'anger and doubt' was especially meaningful for me. After a lifetime of avoiding physical sport, I had little confidence in my ability to do something like boxing. My coaches, and those working out with me, inspired me to stop listening to my doubts and start believing in myself.
I've met a few gay men and lesbians who box or kickbox and who love it, and I hope I'll meet many more in the years to come. Boxing is a minority sport so the numbers are small. But combat sports are not just for heterosexual men; male or female, gay or straight, younger or older, you can get enormous satisfaction from training in the fighting sports.
Listen to gay men who love boxing
Listen to what some gay men have to say about their experience of boxing:
 | Gay men are supposed to like beautiful things, artistic things, sensitive
things. Funny, but boxing meets all three of those criteria for me. When I
finally decided to go to a boxing gym, I was really anxious, but I found an
incredibly supportive environment of mostly straight people, many of whom
probably figured out I was gay but it didn't matter because I was serious. |
| I'm 42yo, I had always thought it would be great to be involved in
boxing recreationally, but always assumed I would have to wait until I was
reincarnated in a more athletically-inclined body. But after encouragement
from a few other people, I found a good, small, beginner-oriented gym, and
have been hooked on the workout routine ever since. Some people seem to have
a problem because I throw their cataloguing system akilter; I'm filed under
"dear, sweet, shy", and that category has no place for a
"boxer" label. |
| I have a problem with my age. I still feel 20 and these young bucks call
me sir...So I am determined to get in shape.. have always felt physically
like the nerd. I don't want to become a pitiful gay guy who sits around the
bar and pines about the past. I want to be active and most importantly l
want to feel good about myself. |
| Even though in my work I am very confident , I realised that I had spent
50 years thinking of myself as physically clumsy, awkward, unco-ordinated
etc. I swore an oath that instead of admiring other people's physical
achievements, I would achieve them myself. Boxing made that happen for
me. |
It doesn't matter what age you are, what gender, sexuality, race or background. Combat sports are not just for the athletically gifted, they are for everyone.
Getting started
Why not find out which of your local clubs or gyms has boxing or kickboxing training. Go have a look at how they conduct their classes before you sign up; you want to train with people who are committed to teaching you a skill, not people who want to use you as a punching bag for "their boys" (or girls).
A proper boxing coach won't let you do any sparring at all until you are prepared for it, which will probably be months after you start training.
Remember, in boxing/kickboxing, the aim is to avoid getting hit. Forget about being "tough"; be smart instead.
This page was last updated on 30 August 2003