Steps.. Not strides..

The journey to the pinnacle of your sport isn’t a fast one, the small essential ingredients that will aid in your development are added gradually and layered over time.. The layers are added in sequence to bring you along just right.. Nothing in boxing can be rushed.. The most important thing to remember is that every aspect needs to be practiced repetitively, in both a gym scenario and an actual fight situation to become functional over time.. The techniques and drills need to become a second nature of your day to day life, if a man jumps out of the bushes in front of you, I’d expect you to instantaneously strike a stance and assume a defensive demeanour.. The primary reason for having such principles drilled into your psyche, is in the event of you walking onto a shot and being placed into extreme confusion during a fight, that your subconscious will revert back to the things it practices the most, the absolute basic fundamentals in order to overcome the crisis.. You’re not going to be Roy Jones overnight, but the path you take over time may ultimately offer you opportunities along the way to move towards emulating your idol.. Concentrate on the present tasks, the steps laid out today, are structured to develop you throughout a bigger picture, the same reason why newly turned professionals don’t rush in and box 12 rounders from the beginning. 4 round fights against a variety of selected opposition are structured to acclimatise the fighter into the world without headgear and competition vests.. once accustomed and closely assessed the fighter will be moved towards a sequence of 6 or 8 round fights, usually against a variety of fighters that will pose small questions towards their development, offering them the chance to earn valuable ring experience and progression. Now, usually in the region of 14 to 18 fights in depending on the journey so far the calculated risk to put the fighter into a 10 round scheduled bout is taken, this time against a closely matched opponent with a variably similar record.. leading ultimately to the steady building of the complete fighter..

This isn’t to say that the baby steps in the gym today aren’t every bit as important as the 10 round bouts of tomorrow, they all serve the same purpose..

Boxing isn’t a sprint, it’s a long arduous haul.. Enjoy the journey because it has a habit of flashing past before you’ve realised it’s best years..