The first time I walked into a dedicated boxing gym, I put on a game face and approached an older man who I thought was the trainer. The field house staff had told me that the trainer preferred to talk to people who were interested in the program before they signed up. Much later, I knew why.
The older man indicated in his broken English that he was not the coach. He pointed to a younger man who came in and eyed me suspiciously before taking a seat at his desk. The young man told me that he ran a traditional gym and that he was not in the habit of taking care of anyone. In other words, people were expected to work while there. Fortunately, he had been to a martial arts school the year before and had taken a boxing class. The boxing instructor at the martial arts school was a nice guy once you got to know him, but he was tough. He would often put people through training from the beginning. I told the young coach in front of him that I understood and that he would sign me up. He still gave me a dubious look, but he gave me the okay.
For the first year I was in that gym, I was the only woman in attendance. Slowly other women joined in, but they didn’t last long. Some left in the middle of a session and some left after a couple of weeks. Very few actually stayed for the full eight weeks, and of those that did, they rarely signed up for another session. It’s not that some of the guys who came in didn’t leave, but that the absences of the women usually happened faster.
Women have boxed for a long time. There was a woman who walked into a boxing ring in 1772. It was not until the 20th century, and at the end of that century, that female boxers were seen as contenders who could draw people into arenas. However, women still have a long way to go in the sport. Take any popular boxing magazine and you will see that very little ink is given to female boxers. Even well-known boxers like Laila Ali, Christy Martin and Ann Wolfe don’t get more than a few words, let alone sentences.
It also doesn’t help that there’s no clear career path for female fighters to follow. Men can rise through the amateur ranks, learning their moves through local boxing tournaments, charity boxing shows (or “show” fights), and the Golden Gloves. But it’s not the same for women, many of whom start the sport later, in their teens and early twenties, while most children began formal training around the age of eight. The males’ opponents are practically falling off their ring aprons, while the females find themselves hunting down, sometimes unsuccessfully, other females who want to fight.
If a woman walks into a traditional boxing gym, she must show that she is there with a purpose. It doesn’t matter if she wants to compete or is just there to work out. The boxing world is still predominantly male, and girly things aren’t going to work, at least while she’s inside the gym, anyway.
Don’t go in expecting personal treatment unless you’ve paid for it beforehand. At a traditional boxing gym, the fee you pay, whether monthly, quarterly, or yearly, only entitles you to enter and use the facilities to train. That’s all. Some gyms offer group boxing lessons, and most have trainers who will work with you one-on-one, but those things cost more. Please note that you are not in a gym with a juice bar and sauna rooms.
If you sign up for a boxing program offered through a park district, expect even less special treatment. The park district’s programs are for the public, with most classes geared toward children and teens. Even adult boxing programs can be designed for those in their late teens and early twenties. Park districts in major cities, especially, can be competitive and participate in local and national amateur tournaments. Unless you’re interested in competing and you’re in an age range where you’ll be able to find opponents, don’t get into an attitude where the park district trainer spends most of his time training gym contenders. Contenders are in a position to bring trophies to the gym. In addition, the coach already knows that they are dedicated to the sport.
Learn from everyone in the gym. Regardless of whether it’s a private gym or a program within a park district or a gym predominantly known for teaching something else (like a martial arts dojo, for example), soak up as much knowledge as you can get. The coach may not always have the time to work with you or, for various reasons, may not be willing to (which we will discuss later). Make friends with others at the gym, especially those who have been going there for a while. Only the surliest of guys will refuse to give you advice on technique. Most guys have an opinion on how to hit the shots and will be happy to tell you. Don’t be afraid to approach younger guys for help. From time to time, you may have the misfortune to come across a 20-something who grew up in a home where she was taught that all women should be barefoot, pregnant, and in the kitchen. It’s strange in this day and age, but true. The trainer asked me to help train the newcomers during a session, and a lanky guy took offense at taking lessons from a woman. He made fun of me all the time. Fortunately, he never came back after the first day, but some will, so watch out for them.
It can be intimidating for most women to walk into a boxing gym full of men. It’s good if you find another woman already there with her boxing gloves on hers. I have always made it a point to welcome other women into the gym to make them feel comfortable. However, be careful with the prima donnas. If you think teasing guys are a problem, try dealing with a fighter who may have had several fights or been in training for a long time and put down women just starting out in the sport. Some women who have been the only women in the boxing gym for a while may display a “queen bee” mentality. The boys have gotten used to her and have accepted her as one of their own. Now you have come and she has to move and make room for you. Be careful, because she may not want to share.
Don’t complain and complain. I’ve watched far too many women walk into a boxing gym, expecting the extras found in high-end gyms, like personal training, for example. No one wants to hear constant complaints from people that the coach doesn’t drop everything to serve them. When everyone else in the gym manages to manage their own training schedule without constant hand-holding by the trainer, one’s complaints are very annoying. Your complaints can close the door on the trainer or anyone else in the gym helping you train.
Whatever you do, don’t act surprised by the idea of hitting and getting hit. I guarantee that the trainer and anyone else who has been in that gym for a while will think, “What did she think boxing was about?” I’ve noticed that sometimes this attitude extends to hitting the bags, even though the bags don’t hit back. The trainer will be reluctant to spend a lot of time on you, because he will now think that you are going to freak out soon.
What about the trainer who won’t work with you after you sign up? It could be because there are so many people in the gym that they can’t dedicate all their time to everyone. It may be because they favor fighters who compete and bring trophies to the gym. If the trainer is a man, it may be because he doesn’t believe in women’s boxing. Take a turn before registering. If the trainer insists on talking to potential fighters before they are allowed to put up their money, take that as a good sign. Ask the trainer lots of questions and try to get a feel for the general atmosphere of the gym. Talk to some of the fighters there, but don’t interrupt their training. If something doesn’t feel right, check out other gyms in the area.
Even though there are more women in boxing gyms these days, many people will gawk at you when they see you there. For whatever reason, an open door to a boxing gym is an invitation for all sorts of characters to just come in and hang out. There are many dreamers and suitors in the fighting game. Some guys watch a few fights on cable and suddenly think they’re Rocky Balboa. If I had a dollar for every time I heard a guy say, “I can jump in the ring and do that,” I could have retired to Costa Rica a long time ago. All those wannabe boxers want to give their unwanted opinions to the trainer and to anyone else they think might want to hear them.
A woman is particularly new to some of them. She was hitting the speed bag when a garnet came along and started hitting the heavy bags. She had a cup of coffee in one hand, so it wasn’t easy for her to do so. I informed him that the trainer didn’t like people using the equipment if they weren’t gym members. Then the guy felt that he needed to instruct me on how to use the speed bag. I gave her clues that she had been there long enough to know what to do. Apparently, he assumed that because I was a woman, I must not have known much. I acted cool towards him until the thought occurred to him that she should go.
Blood, sweat and saliva are constant elements inside the boxing gym. I have cleaned the blood from the canvas and I have cleaned it from the boxers. I have reached into the boxers mouth to remove and replace the mouthpieces. There may also be free weights, exercise machines and “community use” hand wraps. People with significant germ phobias may not do well in the gym. It’s a good idea to keep baby wipes and hand sanitizer on hand. If you decide to learn to work (assist) the boxers’ corner during fights, gloves are also a good idea.
Above all, relax while you are in the gym. You don’t have to act like the boys, but you don’t have to hide in a corner either. Stay focused, learn as much as you can, and have fun while you do it.