Cant Convince My Mom to let me Box

[FloatOn]

Hi, Im 16 and I have been wanting to box for couple of months now. My dad doesnt see a problem but my mom on the other hand...

 

I have a boxing bag in my garage and I could listen to music and box for hours. My mom thinks im too smart for it.. she says "I dont want you losing teeth and getting brain damage."

 

I say "Mom.. im not going pro they do gives us helmets and mouth guards" I showed her statistics of injuries in sports and suprisngly boxing was among the middle to lowest..

 

My mom catagorizes boxing as a sport that "People have nothing else better to do except knock eachother out."

 

The reason I want to do it is beacuse i want to get really fit and i want to build up my stamina and endurance.

 

I also want to do something different.. I want to do something that none of my friends do..

 

I know of a boxing school 25 min away from where i live i dont really have any info on it except that its just a boxing school.. im tryign to get my mom to call>

 

Does anybody Box??

 

Any suggestions to get my mom to let go of me.. She thinks ic ant take any pain what so ever ...

[Blackfrost]

Absolutely love boxing, but have not participated in it since my 20's. The questions you need to ask yourself when it comes to boxing and sparring:

 

1. what is your nose going to look like after it's been broken a few times (mine is now permanantly bent slightly to one side - as a result of having it broken 3 times. The helmet does not protect your nose.

 

2. Have you ever experienced the pain of a bruised liver or kidneys? There is almost no other pain that compares to this. You can't sleep, it even hurts to sit still - because they throb constantly - and you are reminded of the damage each time you pee, because it hurts like hell until they are recovered.

 

3. Depending on your age, and genetic makeup, you can develop some bad arthiritus in your wrists, that begin to haunt you later on in your late 30's.

 

4. There are internal head injuries that you will inevitably encounter - even with a helmet. The helmet does not stop the brain from banging the frontal lobe into the skull when you get hit hard enough in the head. Most boxers will tell you that the headaches can be pretty severe. I've had a few back in the day, where I felt like my brain was trying to swell through my skull.

 

 

I don't want to discourage you from doing it, I'm just pointing out some of the factors you may not have considered. I would definitely reccomend a helmet, and investing the time it takes to properly tape up your wrists before bouts. If you are able to, I would also reccomend a trainer, who can teach you a great deal about maneuvering around, to lessen some of the impact damage that you will get from direct hits.

 

Let me know if you try it. I'd love to hear how some of your sparring matches go

 

Cheers

[Outcast]

I say "Mom.. im not going pro they do gives us helmets and mouth guards" I showed her statistics of injuries in sports and suprisngly boxing was among the middle to lowest..

 

Do a Google search on 'boxing and brain damage'. As Blackfrost said, the helmet does not prevent brain damage. Your brain 'floats' inside your skull. Any hard hits to your face or head that snap your head make your brain float forward or backward and hit against the skull.

 

My mom catagorizes boxing as a sport that "People have nothing else better to do except knock eachother out."

 

So do I. I think it's a stupid thing for anyone to do.

 

The reason I want to do it is beacuse i want to get really fit and i want to build up my stamina and endurance.

 

There are several thousand sports you can take up that will do that. Why not run?

 

I also want to do something different.. I want to do something that none of my friends do..

 

What about martial arts? What about triathalon? Why get into a sport that involves beating other people up and getting beaten up rather than focusing on individual achievement?

[reservoirdog1]

I did low-level, non-contact, non-competitive boxing for about six months earlier this year. Enjoyed it a lot; I was going through a divorce and had a lot of anger, so it really helped me to work it out.

 

However, since I don't want brain damage and my anger has largely subsided, I've been thinking about trying a martial art instead -- something with more of a cerebral component to it.

[crazy_grl]

Why get into a sport that involves beating other people up and getting beaten up rather than focusing on individual achievement?

 

Where's the fun in that?

 

I've been thinking about doing some boxing too, but I don't want to fight anyone. I basically just want to learn the techniques then pummel on a puching bag. Main reason I don't want to fight other people is the potential for brain damage and facial injury. Otherwise, I'd be all for it.

 

I don't really think there's a way to convince your mom to let you do it. Maybe if you keep hounding her about it, she'll give in??? Might not work though.

 

Other people mentioned taking up martial arts, which I generally think are kind of lame and too mainstream. But Filipino martial arts seem pretty cool. They're more about how to fight than how to defend and avoid conflict and all that like karate and others.

[FloatOn]

My mom sint going to call so img ojng have to ask my dad.. im aware of the pain thats going to be inflicted.. im kind of used to pain i used to paintball alot.. so im pretty good with pain

[sophia34]

Other people mentioned taking up martial arts, which I generally think are kind of lame and too mainstream. But Filipino martial arts seem pretty cool. They're more about how to fight than how to defend and avoid conflict and all that like karate and others.

 

Why classify the martial arts as lame just because it teaches you to defend yourself rather than how to start a fight with someone? I think the point of self-defense IS to defend. Going around just to fight is rather silly.

 

I would also recommend the martial arts over boxing. Have you seen "Million Dollar Baby"? You aren't going pro, of course, and the movie portrays a worst-case scenario that's just chilling. Even light boxing represents a kind of brutality that I just don't understand.

 

Karate, aikido, jujitsu and other martial arts, on the other hand, focus on body, mind and spirit while it also teaches valuable self-defense skills. I'd definitely recommend you go that route instead. I think your mother would definitely agree on that compromise.

[crazy_grl]

Why classify the martial arts as lame just because it teaches you to defend yourself rather than how to start a fight with someone? I think the point of self-defense IS to defend. Going around just to fight is rather silly.

 

Hey, I'm all about being peaceful. In fact, I'm anti-violence and anti-war. I don't even kill insects, but if I'm gonna pay somebody to teach me how to fight, I better d*mn well get to actually fight, not learn about my mind and spirit. I'm sure it's fine for some people, but I find those types lame.

[sophia34]

Guess I'm lame then (I take karate). I go home after every class with bruises on my hands, forearms, feet, and/or legs from NOT learning how to fight, I guess....

[crazy_grl]

My mom sint going to call so img ojng have to ask my dad.. im aware of the pain thats going to be inflicted.. im kind of used to pain i used to paintball alot.. so im pretty good with pain

 

FloatOn, it's not about how much pain you can handle. It's about long term health issues. In Blockfrost's post 3/4 of his points against boxing had to do with long-term problems, not immediate pain. Paintball doesn't really have those types of problems.

 

Not saying you shouldn't do it, but consider that 10-20 years from now, you might regret your decision.

 

Good luck with asking your dad.

[crazy_grl]

Guess I'm lame then (I take karate). I go home after every class with bruises on my hands, forearms, feet, and/or legs from NOT learning how to fight, I guess....

 

There's fighting and then there's fighting.

 

Glad karate works for you. Never said you were lame. I can see why you might draw that conclusion, but I'd never base my entire opinion of someone on one activity they participate in.