Sarah Johns asked:


Boxing is not only about getting into great physical shape and mastering the art but to have the mental makeup to succeed inside the ring. All of us are aware that boxing is one of the most physically challenging sports that require body strength in addition to fair levels of cardiovascular endurance.  What most of us fail to realize is the boxer must also have a mind as tough as the body. In boxing, you will be worm out or injured, yet will be forced to continue fighting until the bell rings. You have the option to quit, but real fighters never will.

All boxers understand the importance of running, observing diet control, and training hard at the gym. But still you find some fighters in amazing shape while others only mediocre. This is because of the mental discipline of the fighter. A day in the life of a fighter consists of an early wakeup followed by a morning session of running. Their roadwork consists of hills, sprints, and torturous intervals. The morning session is far from enjoyable, yet because of its importance, boxers faithfully follow it. When you decide to succeed inside the ring, your mind must be tough. You begin to make boxing your sole purpose in life. You have to eat, sleep, and dream boxing to succeed. Boxing is a sport for the valiant, those that are strong both mentally and physically. With dedicated training and experience they learn to overcome fear, anxiety and diffidence.

The wait in the locker room before the bout can be a nightmarish experience for any boxer. You are often left alone in the locker room, while your trainer works with other fighters from the team. There are times when you doubt yourself, even question your physical conditioning. The agonizing wait in the locker room is enough to break the average man. You have to reconcile to the feeling of sitting and waiting to do battle with another man, whose soul purpose is to knock you out. Discouraging thoughts race through your head but you should have the mental strength to remain unfazed showing no visible expression. You must shadow box to loosen the tightness of your nerves. When fight time comes, these thoughts will quickly vanish. Through experience, you learn to overcome these nervous, anxious feelings that arise before the bout. The mind is compared to a monkey and it can play tricks on you. For this reason, you must train the mind not to buckle under pressure.

Athletes, bodybuilders, fitness enthusiasts, strength coaches, personal trainers, and every one interested in training and conditioning must learn to develop the perfect mental strength. If you lose or get knocked down, you must readily get up and fight. When a boxer loses, many are quick to call them bums or over the hill. These people fail to understand that boxing is not like any other sport. It takes time to learn and master the techniques. You must learn from your losses and live to fight another day.

No external force can instill the mental toughness and work ethic required to be a boxing champion. Rather you must explore within yourself and find these qualities and build on them. It is all a question of self-belief and through sheer hard work you gain confidence in your training. Boxing is a sport that does not involve luck but rather boxing is a sport that rewards those that work hard and overcome impediments.