3 Effective Ways You Can Teach Yourself Boxing – Full Guide


Boxing fight

Boxing classes are expensive. As a result, many are unwilling to afford weekly or even monthly ones. Because of that, learning at home- may be a wiser choice for most people. This article will demonstrate how to teach yourself boxing without worrying about the financial side. 

To self-learn boxing, it’ll be best to follow one or more of the following ways; First, buying an online course- allows you to practice with experts. Secondly, you can follow a youtube channel. Lastly, if you can find any training partners, that may be most suitable. 

All 3 of these ways are plausible and will assist you to progress faster than ever. Consequently, if your goal is to learn as much as possible- and not spend too much money on training, these are most suitable. 

Eventually, there’s no replacement for a solid, qualified trainer fixing your mistakes. However, if you’re unwilling to invest plenty of money monthly, consider reading this article to guide you through the learning process.

If you have yet to decide which martial art you want to learn, I recommend following the link to an article on the best martial arts for self-defense. Eventually, choosing the most suitable one may be more important than you initially think. 

#1- Buying an online course

The issue with monthly classes is that the billing cycle comes more often than we want. As a result, some are incapable or unwilling to invest monthly or yearly payments, as they have various other charges to worry about. So let’s examine why an online course is a viable option. 

Buying an online course is a fantastic choice to self-learn boxing since you can learn from anyone. For instance, if you notice a famous boxer teaching the basics, you can assure yourself that it’s a beneficial course. As a result, you’ll progress faster than without the course. 

For that reason, the course has plenty of value to offer. If you can spend a single payment of usually not more than 25$, you’ll have access to a source of knowledge, which is our goal.

Moreover, buying an online course doesn’t bill monthly or weekly. Instead, you’ll pay a single time, so more people will be willing to afford such a charge. Additionally, a single online course often costs less than a single boxing class with qualified instructors. 

But again, although the financial realm plays a significant role in most people’s decisions, an online course will not replace live instruction. When training in a qualified school, one can rest assured that the trainers will fix one’s mistakes before one makes a bad habit. As a result, you’ll both progress faster and learn correctly. 

I recommend buying courses from Udemy since they’re the leading course company worldwide. Therefore, they’re trustworthy.

#2- Following a YouTube channel

Today, YouTube is one of the largest platforms for watching any video you desire. Additionally, you can choose the person you’d like to watch more often while they entertain or teach you various matters. 

Following a boxing instructor on YouTube is a suitable alternative for classes because you can learn everything about boxing by watching. As a result, you’ll study from a single instructor or organization. Therefore, you’ll create a bond between you and the trainer, thus learning more. 

Following that is a video I encourage you to watch if you want to learn from a qualified boxing instructor. You may choose to follow this channel to guide you through training if you desire. 

Finally, this method is free for everyone to follow. However, it lacks fundamental aspects of training, such as live instruction. Moreover, in most online courses you’ll buy, you’ll also have a q&a section in which you can ask and receive answers to all your needs. 

#3- Self-teaching & Friends

The primary issue with physical training, or any at all, is to stay consistent. As a result, if you can find a training partner to follow the same path as you, keeping up with training- becomes more manageable. First, let’s examine whether training with partners is practical.

Doing boxing with partners is a viable and effective way of self-learning this art because you’ll have others to assist and guide you through training. Moreover, you may be surprised that most issues with boxing training involve poor consistency. Hence training with friends can fix that problem. 

Personally, training with friends was never viable. Because of that, I didn’t experience it, and thus, I can’t tell you about my experiences. However, I’m confident that learning to box- will flow naturally the more you enjoy the process. Now, training with partners or your friends can make that happen. 

Next, let’s discuss whether you can self-learn boxing by studying yourself. 

Let’s be honest; your boxing knowledge most likely is relatively thin. As a result, if you decide to practice it yourself, you won’t have any mentor to follow and learn from one’s experience. Consequently, it’ll be more challenging to study the basics. 

Steps to self-teach boxing

Now that we understand some of the primary ways one can learn boxing let’s continue with some steps you can follow to ensure you’ll be familiar with the training process. 

Following these rules will allow you to understand the fundamental skills you must practice to develop your boxing skills. The steps are as follows;

  • Learn the basic movements
  • Practice the basic punches
  • Study proper footwork
  • Combine the 3-previous steps
  • Experience the results

Next, we’ll expand each step so you can understand the exact motions and techniques you’ll learn. If you ever wondered what boxing is, these are the techniques everyone who boxes studies religiously. Let’s dive in. 

Learn the basic movements

Every martial art has some movements one must learn to consider himself a trainee. In our case, here are some basic actions you should remember. 

  • The jab
  • The straight-punch
  • The hook
  • The uppercut
  • Basic footwork and weight transfer techniques

Although this list may seem like plenty of unknown information, learning- will take time, but that’s not the case. Instead, mastering each movement- takes many hours, but learning it until you’re capable of using it- won’t take as much. 

By buying an online course or following a YouTube channel, one will find it easier to learn such techniques, as you’ll see how to perform them correctly. Nonetheless, you ought to consider the fact that you won’t have any instructor teaching these movements. 

Suppose you’re willing to master the basics and only move along to self-learning the rest; consider attending boxing classes solely to learn these techniques. You allow yourself to build a solid basis, which is most of the work. 

The primary skill that’ll take many hours to develop here is your footwork and basic weight transfer techniques. Because these aren’t intuitive movements, your body will struggle to adapt to the newly found movements. As a result, keep working on this specific movement and don’t expect results too often. 

Nonetheless, the rest of the skills won’t take us long to practice, leading us to our next section. 

Practice the basic punches

In the previous section, I listed some basic movements one must learn to have a solid basis for the rest of one’s boxing career. 4 of the first techniques are types of punches. Thus practicing them- will come more intuitively, as striking is a motion we all know to perform.

By practicing the basic punches, which are the jab, straight punch, hook, and uppercut, you’ll build a solid basis. Then, as a result, self-teaching yourself more complex boxing combos and movements- will flow more naturally and effortlessly. 

Although it’s the primary step in boxing, it’s not the most difficult. Nonetheless, one can expect to build a solid foundation of punches in a few sessions. Because that’s the primary technique most people struggle with, consider attending boxing classes solely for mastering the punches. 

Study proper footwork

Transferring your weight to throw powerful punches eventually, is the most challenging part of learning for most people. As a result, emphasizing it- will allow you to build a solid foundation so you can later continue to self-teaching mode. 

Studying the proper footwork will allow you to strengthen your punches and increase the power you generate with each strike. As a result, you’ll cause more damage with less effort and use more of your body. 

The primary technique most boxers use is generating more force from their legs and hips. As a result, you will throw fierce strikes that cause massive damage, but you’ll also do so with less effort. Consequently, studying the appropriate footwork- is an action you ought to emphasize. 

Again, I recommend choosing a mentor or a trainer, even on YouTube- to teach you this fundamental technique. Hence you’ll allow your body to build good habits and create more flow with your boxing abilities. Therefore causing more damage with your strikes- will come effortlessly. 

Lastly, appropriate footwork and weight transfer are the keys to defense. In boxing, times will come when you must begin defending yourself. If you don’t hold a solid footwork foundation, learning the basic defense techniques- will be more complex and challenging than you can imagine. 

Combine the 3-previous steps

Now for the semi-final step, to endorse your skills as a boxer, combine the previous 3 previous steps. Now, how does that work? 

To boost your skills as a fighter, you must combine your footwork capabilities with the elemental punches. As a result, you’ll notice that you automatically create combos. For instance, every boxer knows a move is a jab followed by a straight punch. 

You’ll be surprised how much footwork matters when discussing such combos. You can’t cause massive damage if you don’t use the previous 3-steps. 

The following video demonstrates how you can do so effectively. I want to divert your attention to the fact that I’m using YouTube to show what I’m discussing. You can do the same and use it as a platform to teach yourself boxing. 

Enjoy the results

Like everything in life, harvesting the fruits you planted- is a critical step. Although enjoying the results won’t make you technically better, it’ll motivate you to stay consistent. 

At first, you’ll experience what I like to call- the ghost town phase. Essentially, it’s a period where you invest plenty of effort into a cause and yet to notice any concrete results. You may see a few benefits flowing your way. Yet, that won’t sustain your motivation. 

When the time comes, and you begin practicing combos, you’ll notice how better you are at the martial art itself. You’ll become capable of using your solid foundation to create more opportunities and therefore become a better fighter. 

It’ll help if you enjoy the journey, as everything is bright in life. Regardless of when you notice the results, I assure you that they’ll begin flowing when you’re for it. Although it may take longer, continue working hard and enjoy even minor effects. 

Essential equipment for self-learning boxing

Training without suitable equipment in any sport- leads to slower progression. Because of that, buying the best training gear- leads to rapid succession and seeing more results and benefits in less time. This section will demonstrate essential equipment that will make you progress faster. 

To progress faster while self-learning boxing, one ought to buy the following equipment; First, a pair of punching gloves to keep your wrists and hands injury-free. Secondly, it’ll be best to pair the gloves with a punching bag. Lastly, some standard safety equipment will assist. 

When I did boxing at home, I looked into many products, so I’m confident in my recommendations. Additionally, I’ve seen plenty of growth and progression using the equipment I bought. 

First, I bought these punching gloves and have noticed they exceeded my expectations. You should expect two metrics; safety and comfortability. Before moving on, I recommend purchasing these gloves, as they’re comfortable and provide the needed protection. 

Moreover, I recommend buying this punching bag- by Everlast since it provides a viable platform to enjoy your training and progress faster. If you think you can experience growth in boxing without having a punching bag, you’re mistaken. Such an item is critical for appropriate long-term training. 

Finally, if you’re interested in sparring with your friends or participating in any other fighting activity, protecting your head- is critical. Therefore, I encourage you to buy this headgear– as it provides the appropriate protection. 

You can only progress thus far without suitable and high-quality equipment. For example, I’ve had issues learning the combos without feeling the impact on a bag. Later, I had trouble with sparring since I didn’t have protective gear. Buying these pieces of equipment- will solve your equipment problems and boost your progression. 

Is boxing hard to learn?

Learning an uncomplicated martial art may be the metric that many people follow since they’re unwilling to invest endless training hours. But, because of taht, you may wonder whether boxing is hard to learn. So let’s examine that question precisely. 

Boxing is easy to learn because it doesn’t incorporate complicated movements, such as kicking and grappling. Moreover, learning its fundamentals will take less time than the average fighting style. For instance, studying MMA takes longer than boxing.

Boxing fight
Image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay

Now that you know that boxing is easy to learn, you don’t have excuses not to begin training at home. If you desire to learn the basics of fighting, I have no doubts you’ll fancy the art of punching. 

I encourage you to watch videos of professional boxers so you can learn from their mistakes and right moves. As a result, you’ll become a better fighter since you’ll learn from the experts in this field. 

Nonetheless, everyone can learn boxing since it’s uncomplicated. Also, many martial arts, such as Judo, Jiu-Jitsu, and Muay-Thai, include various complicated movements. Consequently, learning their basics will take longer than the foundation of boxing since it solely involves punching. 

What will I learn in boxing training?

Personally, martial arts training has done wonders for my mental and physical health. However, the primary benefit and result I’ve experienced are using the techniques I learned for self-defense. So let’s examine what you’ll study in boxing training

Boxing trainees learn a variety of basic movements, such as 4-main punches and appropriate footwork. Later, you’ll combine these two central techniques to create complex movements- offensive and defensive. Some punches you’ll learn are the jab and the hook. 

The first few classes will focus on giving you a solid foundation. Later, you’ll become capable of using it to create and innovate complex techniques, both offensive and defensive. Moreover, you’ll learn to use weight transfer and proper footwork to generate more force and thus cause more damage in less time. 

It’s common to see novice boxers mess this part since it’s the most neglected one. Because of that, I recommend attending a month of boxing classes so you can learn the basics and thus build a solid foundation. Later, creating the complex movements we discussed and raining alone- becomes effortless.

The following video demonstrates some critical techniques you’ll learn in your first couple of training sessions. 

Can you teach yourself to fight?

Fighting classes will get more expensive than you may think. In fact, many are unwilling to invest such an amount of capital in this sport. Because of that, they resort to self-teaching. So let’s examine whether one can teach himself to fight. 

You can teach yourself to fight by choosing a mentor. As a result, you’ll learn from your mistakes, and you’ll let one teach you the basics of the fighting style. Moreover, if you currently have little knowledge regarding fighting, it’ll be best to choose a mentor, as one has more knowledge and experience. 

If you’re willing to invest a one-time payment on a mentor, I encourage you to purchase an online course. However, if you’re interested in learning to fight money-free, consider researching a YouTube channel to teach you everything you need to know about the martial art

When discussing boxing, it’s easier to learn than other martial arts. Consequently, you’ll do well if you stay consistent with training while having a qualified mentor/trainer. For instance, other martial arts, such as MMA, are complicated. Therefore, you must attend some classes to learn the basics. Nevertheless, boxing is a simple style- you can self-learn. 

Is boxing suitable for self-defense?

All martial arts, at their core, are suitable for self-defense since it’s their purpose. For example, karate is a fighting style the people of Okinawa Island constructed so they could learn and practice self-defense. Because of that, it includes movements suitable for such a purpose. 

Boxing is suitable for self-defense since it includes various fighting techniques that can cause massive damage quickly. For instance, disabling an attacker with a hook- isn’t far-fetched. Moreover, you’ll learn many defensive moves, which will assist you in keeping yourself safe. 

Eventually, most martial arts are suitable for self-defense since it’s their purpose. Because of that, I wouldn’t worry about such a subject if that’s your worry. 

Fighting
Image by Peggy und Marco Lachmann-Anke from Pixabay

Additionally, boxing will make you a solid fighter since you’ll be sparring most of the time. Even if you’re training alone, you’ll become capable of enjoying a friendly fight with another partner. Finding a partner willing to participate in such an activity- isn’t as hard as one may think. 

Because you’ll get hit plenty of times, you won’t be afraid of closing the gap between you and the attacker when the time comes. If you were worried about getting into a fight, you would immediately be at a disadvantage. You can’t cause massive damage quickly if you keep your distance, especially in boxing. 

Well, boxing teaches you how to avoid such mistakes by implementing the training to prepare you for such causes. Because of that, by doing boxing- you’ll learn to defend yourself using the techniques we discussed, both for offense and defense. 

Final words

Learning boxing is one of the wisest choices one can make. If you’re willing to invest effort and time into training, you’ll enjoy the many physical and mental benefits.

You can teach yourself boxing if you’re willing to invest time and effort into training. By following a mentor, you’ll become capable of learning the basics of the art. Then, you can continue by yourself and practice the skills you learned and begin to do combos.  

Additionally, boxing is incredibly uncomplicated to learn and practice. Because of that, it makes the self-learning process even more accessible than most martial arts. Thus if there’s a single fighting style you ought to concentrate on if you’re unwilling to spend money on fighting classes- it is boxing

//I want to point out the importance of training in martial arts. If you want to improve your physical and mental selves, such activity could drastically improve your well-being. I’ll leave you with a study summarizing why martial arts are valuable. 

“By practicing martial arts, you can master your mind and your emotions. That can help you develop greater emotional stability, assertiveness, self-confidence, and lessen aggressive feelings. Increased self-esteem. Just like exercise strengthens your body, challenges strengthen your mind.” 

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Levi

I've served in the military as a special forces operator for 4-years. In that period, I've trained in many martial arts, including karate, MMA, BJJ, boxing, and even Krav Maga. I want to share my passion with you, so here it is!

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