Has anyone here taken actual boxing lessons?

[KeithTalent]

A boxing gym opened up near me: http://www.sugarrays.ca/index.html
and I was considering checking it out as I have always wanted to try boxing. Has anyone done something like this? Does it seem worth it? It seems like you can only do a whole year at a time, which is kind of annoying, but at the same time I'm still quite of intrigued. Just to note, I do not have the option of installing any sort of boxing equipment in my place.

Thoughts? Experiences?

Thanks!

KT

 

[blackdogdeek]

i took group classes at chelsea piers. they had all the equipment: ring, ropes, heavy bags, speed bags, but we had to bring our own gloves and wraps. the classes were usually a circuit of the different stations with the instructor giving tips on form etc. near the end of the session, after we had had a number of classes we started sparring. it was very introductory (in fact i think it was called intro to boxing). it was a decent workout and i did learn some very light basics.

i also took one-on-one classes from an instructor at a local gym. he had trained for the golden gloves tournaments so the instruction was a lot better. we did a lot more specific training on combinations and movement and building speed and endurance. we still focused on the basics at the beginning of each lesson but would later move on to different topics and the workouts always changed. the workouts were much more intense.

i much preferred the latter.

op it sounds dubious that you can only commit to an entire year without any kind of free trial (though i admit i didn't read through the entire site you linked). but cad$550/yr works out to less than cad$50/mo and it does look like they have quite a bit of other fitness equipment as well and if it keeps you going to the gym that is probably worth the price.

keep in mind that you can purchase a speed rope for probably around $10 and you can do shadow boxing without any equipment (in case you wanted to start out on your own or something).

 

[KeithTalent]

That's good stuff, thanks.

I do some of that shadow boxing and whatnot myself, but I've always wanted to try something real and this has really been the only place that seemed reasonable. A guy I worked with was an amateur boxer, but the place he went was way too hardcore for me; not a place for beginners.

I have a gym in my building that I use, so the extra equipment is not that big a deal for me, I would really only be using the trainers and actual boxing stuff.

I was just reading this thread: http://www.sherdog.net/forums/f11/sugar-rays-vancouver-1347955/ they start talking more about another place, but again that sounds too hardcore for me. I don't actually want to become an amateur boxer, I just want to learn how to do it in its relatively basic form, do a little sparring eventually, and be able to throw a proper punch if need be I guess.

I guess I'll go check out the facilities on the way home.

KT