Boxing classes, whether they're for boxing competitively or for fitness, come with plenty of benefits and are popular all over New Zealand and around the world.
In this article, we'll be looking at why you should consider boxing and other combat sports and some of the best places in Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch to take boxing classes.
Why You Should Start Boxing
Here, we're using the term “boxing” quite loosely because the benefits of boxing also apply to most other combat sports and martial arts like kickboxing, Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Krav Maga, etc.
Here are the main reasons you should think about doing boxing.
Improve your Cardiovascular Health
Most people will think of boxing as a way to become stronger (more on that in a moment), but it's actually a great sport for those wanting to improve their cardiovascular health and endurance.
While it might be the big punches that end fights, it's the high levels of endurance that allow boxers to keep fighting right until the knockout blow.
Boxing training, especially the types of boxing classes that are for fitness rather than fighting, tends to include a lot of cardio training to improve your stamina.
Get Stronger
Strength is what most people think of when they think of boxers and boxing training will naturally include a lot of exercises to make you stronger.
Every boxer needs to work on their strength so don't be surprised if even boxing fitness sessions tend to include strength training.
You'll find that boxing coaches, especially those working with competitive boxers, will regularly plan their sessions to include a lot of time working on strength.
Become a Better Boxer
If you want to learn how to box, boxing training is non-negotiable. While there are lots of skills and sports that you can teach yourself to some extent, boxing isn't really one of them.
To be honest, most combat sports aren't something we'd recommend learning on your own as they require incredible technical ability and the risk of injury is too high to safely practise most techniques unsupervised.
Fortunately for you, there are plenty of boxing coaches and boxing classes all over the country so you can become a much better boxer through boxing training.
Reach Your Target Weight
Whether you want to lose weight, gain muscle, or maintain a healthy weight, regular exercise and a proper diet are the ways to go about it.
Boxing and boxing training is excellent for this and you'll find that most boxing coaches also know a thing or two about nutrition and can advise you on what you should be eating to get the most out of each boxing class.
With so many different kinds of boxing classes available, you'll see that it offers a surprisingly intense workout for those looking to lose weight or lots of strength training for those wanting more tone or muscle.
Defend Yourself
While there are adages like "the best defence is a good offence" and "strike first", we can't condone using boxing, combat sports, or martial arts outside of organised competitions for anything other than self-defence.
However, if you find yourself in the unfortunate situation of having to use your boxing skills, they can come in very handy even if it's just for using your newfound situational awareness to get out of dangerous situations without having to even throw a punch.
Meet People
On a lighter note, boxing can be very social. If you're attending boxing classes with others, you'll find that there's a strong sense of community and camaraderie within the boxing community and people are often supportive and very helpful.
It can also help to have others there to motivate you during tougher sessions or just on off days when you don't quite feel up to giving it your all. You'll find that the other members of your boxing gym will have your back when you need them.
Finding Boxing Classes in New Zealand
Now that you know why you should think about doing boxing classes, you can start looking for classes. You'll quickly find that it's not quite that simple and there are almost as many different boxing classes as there are boxing gyms, boxing coaches, and boxers.
The Different Kinds of Boxing Classes
While we're sort of oversimplifying things here, you'll find that boxing classes will combine three main areas in different amounts: fitness, strength, and technique.
Some classes will have a good mix of all three while others may have a particular focus. Choosing the right one depends on you, your goals, and your level.
If you're looking to get in shape, lose weight, or exercise more regularly, you'll probably want to look for boxing fitness classes that focus on cardio and include high-intensity interval training (HIIT), for example.
For building muscle, strength training with boxing drills will probably be better for you than boxing fitness.
If you want to become a boxer, however, you'll also need to master boxing technique. These kinds of classes will focus on the techniques that boxers use in fights and competitions.
Luckily for you, you'll find that most boxing gyms offer various classes and sessions and a good mix of them so you can attend the ones that are right for you.
Boxing Classes in Auckland
Auckland has no shortage of boxing gyms and coaches so if you're interested in boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, or any other martial art or combat sport, you're in luck.
To name just a few, you might be interested in Boxing Alley, Studio Box, The Combat Centre, Jai Thai Boxing Gym, or Wreck Room.
You'll find that most of these options include classes for all ages and levels with lots of different options for membership and the chance to observe or attend a trial class, too.
Boxing Classes in Wellington
In Wellington, you may want to look into boxing classes at places like Gloves Boxing Gym, Warrior Training Academy, Kruchain Muay Thai, or Body Shot Fitness, which has locations both in Wellington and Porirua. Wellington Boxing Gym has locations in Kilbirnie, Alicetown, and Wellington Central, too.
Body Shot Fitness, for example, offers its trademark "Body Shot" class that combines fitness drills with bag and pad work.
In addition to most of the typical boxing classes you can find in boxing gyms, most of the boxing gyms in Wellington also offer one-on-one coaching.
Boxing Classes in Christchurch
Christchurch has plenty of boxing gyms, including the 9Round chain with its locations in Christchurch CBD, Ferrymead, Barrington, Papanui, and Kaiapoi.
There are also gyms for other combat sports like Muay Thai, kickboxing, Krav Maga, karate, Eskrima, and MMA. Proactive Martial Arts offers all of these and can be found in places like Riccarton, Cashmere, Papanui, Rolleston, Mt Pleasant, and Parklands.
Also in Riccarton, Rolleston, and Wigram, there's UBX, which is another chain of gyms with locations all over the world. This gym has its proprietary boxing-based training sessions that last 45 minutes across 12 rounds.
You may also want to consider Round 12 on Tuam St or Titan Training Ground on Durham Street South.
Boxing Classes with Private Coaches
For a tailored boxing training program, look to private boxing coaches as they can tailor every minute of every session to you.
Private coaching is usually more expensive than group classes, but you'll find that private coaching is also the most cost-effective way to learn how to box or improve your fitness.
On the Superprof website, you can search for fitness training, boxing coaching, or personal trainers. Just search for what you want to do and where you live and you can start browsing the profiles of coaches, tutors, and trainers.
You can see how much they charge, what they teach, and what their other clients think of them. Lots of the tutors and coaches on the site offer the first session for free so you can try out a few different potential options before deciding which one is right for you.
If you're on a budget, don't forget that you can save some money by doing group sessions with private coaches. While these don't offer the same benefits as one-on-one training, splitting the cost of your coach's time and expertise can make each session far more affordable.
Online coaching mightn't be the first thing you think of when it comes to boxing, but you can get coaching from all over the world as long as you have a webcam and a decent internet connection. We wouldn't recommend doing boxing with online coaches, but you can always get advice and consultation from an online coach such as tailored training programs and diets.
Just search for “boxing” or any other combat sport on the Superprof website and start getting in touch with potential coaches!
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