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Pack a punch

Photo: T. Saravanan

Hard way to stay fit

H aving watched on television Tysons and Holyfields shedding blood to master over the other, I was a trifle apprehensive when a friend suggested boxing as a workable option for the column.

I believed that chances of getting hurt are more in this game than in any other. But after hearing Bharat Singh, the Madurai District Boxing Association coach, I was prompted to correct myself.

“Actually many think like you. Whenever people talk about this game they associate it with injuries, but all that is part of professional boxing. What we are practising here is amateur boxing, where you will be sufficiently guarded against injuries. We see boxing as an art of self defence. Wearing protective gears will reduce the chance of your getting hurt,” he convinces me.

Fitness level

Since agility, endurance and hand-eye-body coordination play a key role in boxing, one has to maintain high level of fitness in the ring. “The most important part is the explosive strength. It is nothing but a combination of power and speed. To achieve this one has to go through certain daily routines, such as conditioning/endurance, strengthening, speed trials, flexibility and coordination,” Mr. Bharat Singh lists out.

With a renewed vigour I attend the fitness session the following day. I start with jogging and then hop and run for a few metres before returning to jogging. The coach eggs me on to touch the finish line as I find it really difficult to complete the routine.

We are given five-minute break and then get on with some strengthening exercises and this includes carrying a partner on my back and climbing up the stairs and then run with gloves on my hand. Believe you me, this routine turns out to be even more tiresome.

As boxing demands powerful hands, I am next taken to the gymnasium to tone my triceps, shoulder muscles and wings. As a starter I am asked to lift only 20 per cent of the weight I am otherwise supposed to lift. Gradually, it is increased to 50 per cent and midway through I scream for help.

“Lifting weights strengthens the muscles and you are supposed to complete this weight training without fail, only then you will be able to land powerful punches,” the coach tries to motivate me.

Next on the list is speed. “To gain speed, sprinting and sudden bursts in acceleration will largely help. We ask our students to do 20, 40 and 60 metres sprinting. Then we gradually introduce them to the boxing. We give them punching bags. The trainees are asked to punch the bag fast for about 20 seconds and they have to repeat it with 20 seconds intervals for about two minutes,” the enthusiastic coach packed a punch.

To attain flexibility, he suggests chakrasana, halasana, bhadrasana, vajrasana and savasana.

The last on the list is coordination routines which are basically drills, wherein I was asked to move my hands and legs in unison, like clapping hands on the jump and moving right hand and right leg forward and backward and then alternating the hands and legs with the same movement.

“Once these routines are over, we introduce them to different boxing techniques they are punches which include left straight, right straight, left hook, right hook, left upper cut and right upper cut. Defensive techniques included block, parry, duck, weave, swayback, step back, slip out and slip in,” the coach briefs and lets me off for the day.

For more details dial 9047345508 to contact Mr. Bharat Singh.

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