Ringside Boxing, Author at Ringside Boxing Blog

Focus on Fighting Styles, Part 4 – The Boxer-Puncher

The hybrid boxer-puncher possesses the strengths of all the styles we’ve covered so far. This fighter has the technical skill and footwork to keep out of your range and beat you on points. Or they can step in and land those massive power punches that knock opponents out.

Sugar Ray Robinson prepares to Carmin Basilio with a huge right. — SOURCE

In an ideal world, every fighter would choose to be a boxer-puncher. Unfortunately, this style is difficult to master and requires a dedication to training EVERY aspect. You can’t just focus on speed or footwork or power. You need to own all of it, if you choose to go down this path. Because if you don’t commit to truly developing your entire game, then you won’t excel at any of it..

In our fourth installment of “Focus on Fighting Styles” we discuss the Boxer-Puncher style.

2019 Ringside Holiday Gift Guide

If you know someone who is training as a fighter (for competition or fitness), it can sometimes be tough to know how to support them in meeting their goals. Short of training along side them and showing up to their matches, there’s not a whole lot you can do.

The start of a holiday wish list with "Dear Santa" written at the top. — Get started on your holiday wishlist by checking out our recommendations below.

Help your fighter take a step toward the next level, by picking up something from the list below. Of course, if you are a fighter yourself, you can still take a peek. Maybe there’s something you should add to your wishlist.

We’ve pulled these products from a list of our staff favorites. All of these are either new items that we launched over the last year, or perennial fan favorites that every fighter should have in their bag.

And if you want to skip the reading and go straight to the window shopping, we put all of these products into a single 2019 Holiday Gift Guide page for you to check out. Enjoy.

Become a Better Boxer through Gratitude

A boxer sits on the ring stairs thinking about his most recent training session. — It’s important to stop and appreciate the small wins that you experience while training.

Giving thanks and practicing gratitude come naturally on Thanksgiving. These ideas are baked into the holiday’s identity.

But we don’t have to limit our practice of gratitude to just one day a year. We can engage in gratitude as a part of our daily lives, all year long. When we do, we gain more than we give.

For boxers and other athletes, learning to incorporate appreciation can do more than just give us a positive outlook in life. Regularly recognizing our own success and the role others play in it can actually improve performance in the ring.

A Fighter’s Guide to Nutrition and Diet

Movies, TV, and countless training montages have taught us that a fighter’s diet needs to be highly specialized to be effective.

Torso and right arm of a boxer in peak physical condition. — *To build a great body for fighting, you need to have a solid nutrition plan.*

In reality, a fighter’s nutrition plan has a lot in common with your basic “sensible diet”. It only varies in how much you eat and how often.

In this blog, we lay out our guide for a proper fighter’s diet. This will help you to not only get through your training, but get the most from it.

Focus on Fighting Styles, Part 3 – The Slugger

George foreman knocking Joe Frazier into the ropes in their first match. — George Foreman, here in his first match against Frazier, was known as one of the heaviest hitters in boxing.

The Slugger. The Power Puncher. When people think of boxers, they usually think of the Slugger. The fighter who throws that one big punch that knocks an opponent to the ground.

Fighters like George Foreman, Sonny Liston, and Vitali Klitschko won their belts by mastering the art of the Slugger style. These fighters were known for closing on their opponents and unleashing their fists in destructive blows.

But becoming a Slugger type fighter does not come easy. It requires a focus on developing absolutely devastating power punches to the exclusion of almost all other fundamentals.

You will need to build a body that is solid power and the mechanics that can release that power all at once.

In this focus on fighting styles, we dive into the Slugger, or brawler, style.

Boxing Gloves by Weight: Understanding Glove Sizes

Ringside boxing gloves — You need to pick the right size for the type of glove you need.

If you are just getting started in the sport of boxing, you may be a bit confused by the different sizing options available for boxing gloves.

Companies size bag gloves with a standard Small/Medium/Large scale, which seems simple enough. But then you get into Sparring gloves and Competition Gloves and suddenly the gloves are sized by weight.

Because of this, it can be difficult to know what size glove you need.

We aim to help you make sense of the different sizing conventions, and figure out which size glove will meet your needs.

Holding Punch Mitts: 7 Tips for More Effective Mitt Training

Boxing coach, wearing a body protector, holds punch mitt for boxer throwing a cross. — Holding the punch mitts for a boxer is one of the most critical ways to help them train.

Introduced relatively recently, Punch Mitts have become a critical training tool for coaches and fighters throughout the boxing and martial arts world.

But you can’t just hang Punch Mitts from the ceiling. Someone has to hold them for a fighter. And that someone could be you.

If you want to learn the art of properly holding those mitts, then read on. We put together a list of seven fundamentals for creating a great mitt-work experience.

Focus on Fighting Styles, Part 2 – The Out-Boxer

The Out-Boxer fighting style can be a true wonder to behold.

An out-boxers uses the jab to keep an opponent at bay.

A master of this style uses pinpoint jabs to keep their opponent at bay, while slipping, ducking, and stepping out of the way of all incoming punches. It is graceful and highly technical.

But not just anyone can utilize this style effectively in the ring.

In our latest Focus on Fighting Styles, we will look more closely at the Out-Boxer style of fighting.

Combat Simulation: Getting the Most from your Sparring Session

Sparring offers fighters, from Boxing to MMA to Judo, an opportunity to test their skills against real live opponents. The experience of facing off against another human, even in a controlled setting, teaches you things that you can’t learn from hitting a bag.

To get the most out of a sparring session, though, you don’t just step into the ring and start brawling. If you don’t take a few key things in mind when you set up your sparring session, you may end up doing more harm than good.

In today’s article, we’ll discuss what you should keep in mind before, during, and after every sparring session.

Using a Punch Shield for Boxing Training

coach holds punch shield for boxer in blue gloves

A lot of folks don’t understand the value of the Punch Shield. Why use a punch shield, when lighter, smaller punch mitts offer a more versatile training option?

But the Punch Shield absolutely has a place in your training. Held properly, a punch shield gives a fighter a similar experience as a heavy bag, but with more mobility. You can throw heavy punches, while your training partner moves you around the ring.

Further, a Punch Shield reduces some of the wear and tear on the coach. Punch Mitts are great, but they don’t allow a coach to tolerate very many full power shots.

Read on to learn more about the Punch Shield and where it fits into your training program.