When you tell other parents, your kids going to a boxing gym to people outside of a combat sport world the two main comments that get said to me are: 

• Whoa, that’s rough, I couldn’t bare the thought of seeing my kids fight or be hit
• Does it not scare you they get hit?

If the conversation continues and I explain one of my kids is a girl and one is a lad with challenges as he has Cerebral Palsy (this effects his motor neuron development so things have to be worked on harder than some other kids),which was caused by a form of meningitis and septicaemia contracted during birth which left some damage to the brain. You can get other statements such as:

• What about your girl’s face?
• I couldn’t let my daughter get hit, she’s my princess
• Does it not bother you your daughter fights?
• That’s too tough for my kids?
• If my son had been through what yours has been through, I wouldn’t want him getting going to boxing!
•  Does it not scare you? I would be scared to death.

The above are genuine points that are said on a regular basis to me, if I relayed these conversations back to people, they would know who they are and the common theme here is none of these points are from the kid’s points of view!!!!  It’s about the parents being scared themselves.

No one ever seems to realise that my son going to boxing is actually help develop his motor skills, his confidence and his ability to look after himself on the odd occasion someone may decide to say or do something mean to him at school. ( I know this shouldn’t happen but it does) The benefits for my son and daughter far outweigh any possible negatives. 

Unfortunately, in life my son will have to fight for the same jobs and opportunities as every other kid so why not learn this from an early age.

So much of the behaviour, mannerisms and traits are directly learnt from the parents and the influential people in their lives. 

If a kid hears just one or two of these comments in their heads, they would believe this to be the truth and would have never experienced it themselves. Without going too deep then these kids have their own kids, what do you think they would say to their kids in 20 years’ time?

Both of my kids started off doing Kickboxing. They did this for a number of years. My lad was only young when he started, and it lasted a few years but gave it a go at some big events which was a huge experience at such a young age. 

My daughter started at about 8 and still keeps her hand in now. She has fought other girls from all over the world. Russians, South Americans, Norwegians, Finnish and every nationality in Europe. These were the best girls in her age and the world in this sport.

One of the things that I have been sat contemplating is the difference I now hear when I say

“My kids go to boxing” as opposed to when I used to say “My kids go to kickboxing/Karate”

Here are some of the points get said if I mention martial arts in general

• It’s good for their discipline isn’t it?
• Gives them something to focus on doesn’t it?
• At least they are doing something not stuck on a PlayStation or their phone
• It does wonders for their confidence doesn’t it?

Now for the record I agree with every single comment around martial arts. They are the reasons I took my kids there in the first place however notice how positive every comment is compared to those around boxing. I am not making these up, it’s a difference I have seen change over the last few years.

When you mention martial arts to parents, so many have an vision of a Sensei, stood on the top of the mountain surrounded by bonsai trees in some spiritual moment practising Thai Chi. I can tell you in most instances this isn’t the case at all. 

The interesting part is how much a positive response I used to get around martial arts and the voices of concern I hear now around boxing. To compare what I think people have in their minds for boxing compared to the “Spiritual Oriental” vision above is a load of boys and girls mindlessly knocking hell out of each other which couldn’t be further from the truth on either front.

Any form of combat sports can be dangerous but for most people who partake in these events this will never be an issue unless they start to compete at a serious level.

The worst I have ever seen for my daughter in any form was getting kicked on top of the head with another girls heal and she was seeing double on the back of this!!! People tend to forget that in martial arts its more than just hands you can be hit with. If you get kicked that hurts like hell!!

This isn’t to play it down its more that for all the negative comments I get around boxing, compared to martial arts I would rather my kids take a knock on the head or in the tummy with a glove on a hand in boxing than the sole or heal of a foot in the face in kickboxing as I can tell you which hurts the most and it’s not a boxing glove!!! J

When kids walk into a boxing gym or step onto a mat for martial arts, they don’t become fighters overnight! There should be no area of concern at all as when a kid steps in a gym initially the biggest concern is going to be how out of breath and knackered they get!!! It’s amazing for fitness as anyone who has punched a bag for 30 seconds will tell you and with kids spending too much time on phones and electronic devices as we know as parents, we have a responsibility to make sure they do exercise!!! 

Boxing is a sport for all kids. Just because a kid goes to a boxing gym doesn’t make them a boxer. In a sport like Rugby which was my background I would argue the dangers to a kid initially are much worse as you are thrown into the action much earlier and with less experience than you would ever be in a boxing gym!!! I had been to two training sessions as a 7 year old kid, played my first game and was scared to bloody death!

It’s exactly the same as Karate, Kickboxing, Judo or Rugby and Football. 

• It requires guts to go the first time.
• It requires dedication and commitment to keep going
• Kids accept other kids irrelevant of religion or ethnicity
• It needs resilience to keep trying even when it may be hard to pick up a new skill
• It can only help the kid’s fitness and overall health

I don’t know if parents see boxing on TV and think that’s what their kids are going to be doing and I can tell you the kids in the gym are a million miles from this.and the kids are not thrown into a ring just to knock hell out of each other. Most kids won’t either be punched/punch anyone else but if they do that’s because they have shown dedication, commitment and resilience to work to that point. Even then, it’s all controlled, huge padded gloves are worn and initially they would not get punched anywhere near the head!! 

It’s not a gladiator arena that you are sending your kids to, it’s a platform to develop them as individuals and as young adults. They won’t come home or go to school and start beating people up, if anything it’s the other way they realise that boxing has a place and that’s not in a school playground!!

As parents we shouldn’t allow our own fears or concerns to become our kids fears!! 

It’s a discipline no different to martial arts that will teach kids to work hard in life. Sometimes life hits you in the pit of your stomach or slaps you in the face and you have to keep going! 

Life is tough and allowing kids to develop resilience for life for me is one of a parent’s core responsibilities yet one we are more reluctant to give our kids as our paternal instincts kick in to protect but by over protecting them, we can leave them vulnerable!!

Give it a go, take your son or daughter into a gym. (boxing or any other) Let them see how much fun the kids are having away from their electronic devices and the safety nets of us as parents. Don’t assume you know about boxing or the kids that go boxing. Take some time, find a local gym and I guarantee most people will get a different view point than what you would first expect.

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton