I haven't tried boxing before, but I'm going to, soon. I'm a grappler, basically.
So, what's it like getting hit in the head?
(The million dollar question, right?).
Varies from person to person to a degree but for me, it is a violent white flash. There is no pain, that will come with body shots, but it is not a comfortable or natural feeling. Your adrenaline will really start to rush after that first punch. You will be scared.
The important thing to learn is breathing, because it is *so* easy to forget to breath in there and when you do, you will become exhausted no matter what shape you are in. Boxing is a tough sport, but not only for the reasons you think. Confidence, proper breathing, the ability to stay relaxed without losing intensity. All of these are of equal importance to the physical offensive and defensive skills you learn.
Thanks, guys. :)
Headshots don't HURT per se...
Bodyshots do.
I love my grappling but I also love my boxing. The 2 go hand and hand and compliment each other very well.
Most head shots dont hurt too bad, unless... they land square on your nose or between the eyes. Then, it's time to start wondering why you do this lol.
good luck bro and good 4 u...
Getting hit on the chin does hurt.
I get pounded a lot on the forehead. That starts
to give me a killer headache after a while. I seldom
get popped square in the face. Neck gets sore, you
wonder why you're feet aren't letting you go where you
tell them to. Feels a little like you're trying to
do dance steps while someone is shoving your around.
I almost never feel body shots as they happen, but
when I do... oh boy.
Jonpall, learn GOOD head movement. Boxing is the art of hitting without being hit (yeah I know that sounds good on paper but it doesn't always work out that way...) One of the things that I noticed when I started sparring was that while moving around I tried to visually 'grab' my opponent to focus on my shots, which caused me to not move my head so well. Once I learned to move my head I realized that my opponents were having a harder time hitting me.
The first thing you should learn is good footwork, which helps you tremendously with your defense. Learn how to move forward, laterally, and how to take angles on him when he comes forward. Teach yourself to not back straight up. Then learn good head movement, combined with footwork. Dipping, slipping, bobbing & weaving, feinting, etc. Then learn to step with a jab, power into the jab and how and when to just flicker it for distance or to confuse your opponent. How to dip into the stepping jab, especially when using it to the body, etc. This will help to keep your opponent off of you.
I realize you didn't ask for all of this technical advice but I am only sharing this with you because I found that I got hit less with this technical base and I also noticed that it was harder for my opponent to hit me with full power shots. Best of luck in your new endeavor.
Mark
I started boxing in May after doing 3 years of Judo, personally i dont find getting hit in the head all that bad just remember KEEP YOUR CHIN DOWN, I didnt take into consideration the importance of this until I got hit with a huge ass uppercut right under my chine which left me staring at the ceiling and fucked up my neck for a good month. Body shots also hurt like hell at first but you get used to them.
headshots have never bothered me.....when I take too many bodyshots that is when I lose my will to fight....
I just tried it tonite myself. I've been rolling for about 2 months now. (I'm 35) I decided I didnt want to die of a heart attack by the time I'm 50. Anyway I took 2 hard shots to the head. The first one was right down the pipe and bloodied my nose. The other one was to the side of my head. They both rocked me pretty good but I didnt go down. I learned it's a good idea to circle away from their strong hand and definitely keep the head moving. That's the extent of my knowledge of boxing after one evening.
Ahh, watching a newbie come in fresh, pretty and confident...Seeing that confidence drain away as he tastes his own blood...The fear and terror growing in his eyes as he tries to scuttle away...The fresh blood splattering the canvas...why, it almost brings tears of joy to this old hand.
*sniff..*
it doesnt hurt in the normal way we think of pain to get rocked but you know you dont want it to happen again, it is a bad bad feeling. Do lots of situps, body shots are the worst.
LOL at HULC-no shit, what you typed is the expression he had on his face when he hit me. Thank God he was holding back or I would've probably been on my ass. I'm going back for more tomorrow though.
When I started boxing, it was harder for me to get used to hitting people than to get hit. Getting hit in the face doesn't really hurt (not even much of a shock/surprise when you are expecting it), but watch out for your liver, man. That first good liver shot will make you want to fold in half at the waist and you'll have a hard time faking that it didn't hurt.
Also, as a grappler, I had a hard time keeping my feet close together. I had a wide wrestler's stance; great for balance and not getting taken down, but not so good for pivoting and moving in and out fast.
Also in my fight, I first jabbed and bobbed to the inside on my taller opponent, and then grabbed the guy like I was going for a takedown-- lol, old habits die hard.
Hawg68-don't let them mistreat you man, you should be drilling for about 3-6 months before getting in the ring.
True. The first club i joined they put me in sparring the very first lesson and i didnt have a clue what to do. Stayed for about 2 months going twice a week and sparring every lesson. I got sick of it eventually and walked away from boxing for nearly a year before i started training again.
I did it for a few months. Was tired of the beating and running. Actually gave up martial arts in general due to boxing cause I had no power. Thank god for grappling. But boxing is the shit!