The launch of our youth boxing session was an absolute KNOCKOUT! The Fight into Fitness gym was buzzing with excitement as these young athletes unleashed their potential.
Coach Rem, our Youth Boxing instructor, leads the students ages 10 -15 through boxing fundamentals. The 6-week program focuses on teaching the core skills and techniques of boxing in a safe and supportive environment.
Students meet once a week for an hour and experience what it’s like to be a boxer from warm-ups, being coached, throwing punches and more.
Let’s dive into what a typical class looks like from Coach Rem.
It’s Boxing Time
We like to skip right to the good part. But we know there is a need for proper preparation. Once Coach Rem greets the students, they start with warm-ups and drills they learned from a previous class.
Between 360 turns, jogging around cones, pikes, and more, the students are ready to get into action.
Coach Rem follows a method called EDIP to help students learn the art of boxing.
Explanation, Demonstrate, Imitate, and Practice
This method not only works for learning boxing techniques, but other areas in life. Let’s walk through how each of these steps help the students learn boxing.
Explanation
Coach Rem explains to the students the why behind the movement; the importance of footwork, hand placement, alertness, and beyond. The student isn’t just blindly following instructions but understanding the why, which means quicker progress and better retention.
During class, Coach Rem explains the difference between Orthodox and Southpaw fighters. Orthodox fighters stand with their left foot out forward, which is more natural for right-handed fighters, while Southpaw boxers have their right foot forward, which is more natural for left-handed fighters.
Demonstrate
Now that the students understand why they are learning a particular move, Coach Rem demonstrates to the class various boxing techniques. Showing moves, such as how to throw punches or hooks, allows the students to see the correct form and the common mistakes to avoid. Seeing is believing, and what they can see, they can achieve.
His stance is to start with the familiar and add to it. He has them walk like they normally would and then add in the punches. When he instructs the students on throwing punches, he says, “It’s just like walking. It should be natural”.
Imitate
After the students see the demonstration, it’s their turn. The students imitate the techniques while Coach Rem provides feedback and corrections so they learn correctly and safely.
The youth program allows for personalized attention in a group setting. Coach Rem allows them time to get the moves in their head while offering encouragement. “Don’t second-guess yourself” and “Let it flow” were often heard during class.
Practice
Now it’s time to put all the skills together and practice, which allows the students to build muscle memory and refine their skills. He tells them to keep practicing so the techniques become second nature and moves start to be natural and purposeful.
Some movements are never used in a fight, but help prepare anyone going into the fight. For example, the duck walk helps get the knees stronger. Coach Rem states, “It’s where the power comes from. It’s one of the most challenging movements, but it helps prepare you for the slip and roll. The technique starts from the bottom and goes up. That’s where the power comes from.”
What better way to practice than with a partner! Students pair up and put everything together. Slip and roll, covering yourself, fighting stances, and positioning. As Coach Rem walks around the class, he gives more advice, “Keep your eyes on them. We don’t want to start bad habits.”
Of course, you can’t feel like a real boxer without the right equipment. The students get their wraps and gloves to put everything together. At the end of class they show their parents what they learn as another way to practice.
Youth Boxing Benefits
The Fight into Fitness youth boxing program is more than just putting on some gloves and playing around for an hour. These students are gaining the keys to their best self.
The program improves their physical fitness, increases their confidence and self esteem, learning discipline and focus all while being in a positive and supportive environment.
One takeaway the students learn is that you may feel uncomfortable, but the more you do it, the better you will get.
Join the Fun
Do you have children and want to start with an activity that will grow them in more ways than you can count? Talk with Coach Rem or the other coaches at Fight into Fitness to guide you on the next steps and when the next session will be.
Why not make it a family affair? If you are an adult and want to start your boxing career (amateur or professional), come see us in Rockville, MD. Who knows, you may want to start training for the next amateur boxing event.
If you’re ready to learn more about boxing and get a great workout without the commitment of fighting real opponents, we have that here too! Start your boxing journey with us and sign up with one class!
Wow! I appreciate how clearly you break down the EDIP technique.
Thank you!