I decided that it was time. Time to experience a boxing class and to gain a new appreciation for just one component of successful MMA. I’m not a nervous person when it comes to trying new sports, but for this class, I was notably nervous about injuring myself. News flash- I didn’t get injured but I did gain a whole lot of appreciation for the athletes who train like this everyday and who rely upon succeeding in this sport to support their families. That being said, here are the top 10 lessons that I learned from my first UFC Gym boxing class:
1. The Warm Up is Hard
Let there be no mistake: the class started with a “not so average” warmup. I consider myself a pretty fit person but this warm up proved that when it comes to boxing, well, I’m not that fit. It started with a plank that you had to spring off of into a run to the other side of the classroom. Then you had to somehow flip over onto your back and then pop back up into a plank. There were jumping jacks, sit ups connected to the punching bags, and then jumps in different patterns that seemed easy enough until you are half way through and out of breath. If this was the warm up, I thought to myself, then I’m in for a tough class. This warm up would only be easy if you were spiderman and could spring up and down, forward and back with your spider net holding you tight. This is not easy for a normal human being.
2. The “Bag” Hits You Back
Something that I noticed very early on in the class was that when I punched the bag, the punch reverberated into my skull and chattered my teeth. This must be why fighters wear mouth guards. I was kind of surprised by this. I figured I’d feel the punch in my arm, but not in my head! It took a while to get used to and finally, the feeling faded away and the predominant feeling was the burning in my arms.
3. Boxing Involves Arms…and Legs
If you think that boxing just involves your arms, you are incorrect. You have to move your legs and arms at the same time and if you don’t pivot correctly, you won’t get enough power. If you stand still and hit, you aren’t doing yourself any favors if you were ever in a sparring match. You might not think that it is hard to move your arms and legs at the same time, but picture this: you have to keep one hand up to protect your face, punch with the other, and move your legs to get into position. Not easy.
4. You Get Fatigued Quickly
I started feeling tired. I was thinking about the combinations asked for, hitting the bag, moving my feet correctly, and hiding my face all at once. I realized just how difficult it is for fighters who cut weight before a fight to do this in a weakened state. Remember, I didn’t cut any weight before this class. I ate and drank my normal food and liquids. I was fully fueled. I can only imagine how tough this would be if I’d spent the last X number of days dropping pounds and water weight.
5. No One Hit Me
The class instructor reminded us that things are very different when you actually get hit. Good point. Here I was, feeling pretty darn cool for doing this class and then I realized just how hard it would be if someone was punching back. Then, I practiced keeping my gloves near my head.
6. Visualization is Key
To close out the class, we did a visualization exercise that involved pretending that you had to defend someone you loved from an attacker. I was punching that bag with a new found energy. Pow, Pow, Pow, Pow – and then I was totally exhausted. Visualization is quite helpful in most spots – even life stages – and boxing is no different.
7. MMA Fighters Perfect Boxing Plus…
Boxing is just one fighting discipline for MMA fighters to perfect. Fighters may have their specialties, the one thing that they do best, but they at the very least have to defend against the other disciplines (wrestling, grappling, jujitsu, etc.) in order to effectively compete in the UFC. All of this takes work and talent.
8. Girls Shouldn’t Be Intimidated
Yes, there were more men in this class then ladies, but the girls were keeping up just as well. There’s no reason why we can’t perform well in a boxing class. How hard you punch does have to do with your body, but it also has to do with inertia and skill. So, don’t be afraid to try a class.
9. Boxing Can Be Empowering
There was something awfully satisfying about punching that bag. I got out a lot of aggression and left the class feeling good about myself.
And finally
10. You Will Be Sore
I can tell already that my arms will be sore. I will likely spend the next few days groaning when I lift the TV remote. But, I’m fine with that! It is a reminder that I did the class.
I survived the class and I’d do it again!
Girl Talk MMA 
Real look at this. Harder than it appears.
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