How can I convince my parents to let me take up boxing?

cookiess_yay

I'm a 15 year old girl and I've been wanting to try out boxing for the past couple of months. I finally brought up the issue to my parents and they refuse to even consider it. I've pretty much tried everything in my power to make them change their minds, but maybe you will have better points. Any advice..?

Big Ears

Point out that amateur boxing is actually safer than rugby and serious injuries rarely happen in amateur boxing . It's mainly temporary facial damage that is picked up .

Boxing is great for developing phenomonal fitness and stamina and is also very good at building discipline in a person .

cookiess_yay

Thanks

Huggles

Big Ears wrote:

Boxing is great for developing phenomonal fitness and stamina and is also very good at building discipline in a person .

Was just about to say that!

When I was fifteen my bro took up boxing. he was a scrawney yoke but within 6 months he was getting quite built and was well able to take care of himself, it toughened him up!

RealJohn

Boxing is great self-defence too from a practical point of view and you reach a level where you would be able to competently defend yourself against an untrained attacker quickly.
I doubt I need to stress (and I doubt you need to convince your parents) that it is very important these days that girls be able to defend themselves.

Running Bing

cookiess_yay wrote:

I'm a 15 year old girl and I've been wanting to try out boxing for the past couple of months. I finally brought up the issue to my parents and they refuse to even consider it. I've pretty much tried everything in my power to make them change their minds, but maybe you will have better points. Any advice..?

Maybe your parents have a point. I know if I had a daughter the last thing I would want is to have her in a ring being punched in the face. Training is one thing(boxing is great for fitness) but getting into the ring is a different story altoghether. Id go with the parents on this one.

spurious

I would tend to go with the parents too.

What is it about boxing that attracts you? Being hit repeatedly in the face?

I'm not meaning to be smart here...if it is the fitness element, there are many other ways to do that. If it is the self-defence or self-discipline aspect there are other ways of achieving that too. What exactly do you think boxing has that you cannot get in another sport?

Big Ears

spurious wrote:

I would tend to go with the parents too.

What is it about boxing that attracts you? Being hit repeatedly in the face?

I'm not meaning to be smart here...if it is the fitness element, there are many other ways to do that. If it is the self-defence or self-discipline aspect there are other ways of achieving that too. What exactly do you think boxing has that you cannot get in another sport?

Spurious you could say the same thing to any guy , but if boxing is in your heart then that's just the way it is . If she is just looking for self defense there are plenty of other options(but not many that you will get decent sparring in) and there is also plenty of other sports that will offer a good fitness element(but yet again not always to the same degree) .

I can see why people would be aprehensive about letting their daughter box but I think the positives far outweigh the negatives and it's not like she is going to be fed to the lions when she starts sparring(would have to be a terrible gym to do that) and in competition she could get busted up a little but refs will stop it if a fighter is being outclassed .

If she is prepared for some bruising or cuts on her face or worst cause scenario a broken nose then I think she should be allowed box , I think at 15 someone is old enough to choose which sports they want to do .

peterl

why dont you get your mom or dad to accompany you the first few times. i know it's embarrasing but it might be the only way they'll agree. when they see how controlled the environment is and the fact that it will be some time before you even begin sparring, they might have a change of heart.
in my old club we used to have some dad's that began training alongside their youngsters just for fitness - which was a useful source of added revenue to the club.

Running Bing

peterl wrote:

why dont you get your mom or dad to accompany you the first few times. i know it's embarrasing but it might be the only way they'll agree. when they see how controlled the environment is and the fact that it will be some time before you even begin sparring, they might have a change of heart.
in my old club we used to have some dad's that began training alongside their youngsters just for fitness - which was a useful source of added revenue to the club.

Bringing her parents along to, what is most likely, a dingy room reeking of sweat filled with men punching the hell out of punch bags, not to mention each other, while cursing and shouting at each other is probably not gonna make her parents encouarge her to be the next leila ali tbh. What are your reasons for doing this cookiess? Is it just something youd love to do or is it a more focused reason like the ones mentioned (fitness, self defense etc.)

peterl

you're right about the sweat and abundance of males but we obviously have very different experiences of boxing clubs. in all the years i spent first boxing then coaching swearing or bad behaviour was never a part of membership. sportsmanship (generic term) and proper conduct were mandatory.
i have daughters and sons and i would not advise someone elses daughter to do anything that i thought might be detrimental.

RealJohn

I agree on the behaviour thing, though my experience of different clubs is limitted.
You never get bad behaviour from anyone other than the young kids who are new to the sport and they're put in their place very quickly.

efb

Well there's a female open competition on in the National Stadium in November.

I was involved in it last year and it seemed to go pretty well.

Maybe bring your parents to that to see what its like.

Kaizan

Hey there,

Some people might think it's unusual for you to want to give boxing a try. I'm a woman involved in Thai Boxing and I absolutely adore it. It's not a fetish thing (I don't think anyone looks forward to a smack in the face or to taking a hard body shot) and it has nothing to do with hanging out wiht lots of fit men. I have to say, when I took up my sport I had no idea what I was getting into and honestly, if I had, I might have been scared off. But I can say without qualification that it is the best thing I've ever done for myself. It's not just the fitness, self-discipline and confidence it gives you, there are loads of benefits to be had outside of the gym and a huge sense of achievement and self-belief that it instills in you. But one of the most rewarding aspects of sparring with a group of lads in a gym is that it is one the most liberating experiences you could ever have and in a very safe environment. Without getting too deep, society in general doesn't make it easy for a woman to express this side of her and when I go training I know that I can get in there and spar with the lads without being judged (apart from on my technique which isn't very good ) on why I'm doing it.

If your parents dont want you trying boxing, then try a beginners class in Muay Thai - it's probably a safer way to get a taster wihtout doing the full on MT that the fighters class get into and you absolutely don't ever have to go near a boxing ring if you don't want, as I'm sure is the case with a regular boxing club. If you're interested in talking more about this from a girl's perspective then pm me. I'd be delighted to talk to you.

By the way, a brilliant book on Women in Boxing is called Without Apology by Leah Hager Cohen and I'd recommend it to any girl involved in the sport.

glucosamine

hi cookies,

why do you want to take up boxing? are your parents usually supportive of your interests (bought you musical instrutments etc.)? I tried to start boxing when i was 10 but my dad came down to the club and took me home! Had to wait 12 years to get back training!

Read carefully what Kazian says she makes some very valid points. I've done boxing and a little bit of Muay Thai/Thai boxing and I would say Thai Boxing is easier to get into from a complete beginners perspective and they have a very noble attitude to females in the club (equal treatment).

bilbo79

i have to say im not a major fan of girls boxing but the fact is if your attacked on the street with no defense you can be badly hurt-if you had boxing skills you could shock an opponent with a couple of shots and run. and you will not get seriously hurt in the ring-as its well controlled by a ref.

cowzerp

Boxing is probably the most disciplined sport there is and creates calm and controlled people-your confidence would be great and your self defense would be awesome plus you dont ever have to fight in the ring-just learn the skills and the fitness-best of luck with it.

Doomspell

Hi cookiess,
I had the same problem with my parents, except i was a bit younger. When I was 13 I wanted to start boxing, but like you they wouldn't even consider it. So I spent about a year(a long time to wait, I know) constantly trying to persuade them to let me take up boxing.
In the end I made a deal with them. The deal was that I would train as normal but wouldn't enter any competition or do serious boxing until I was older and more skilled. The fact that they said that is what motivated me to train even harder, and when I finally was allowed to get in the ring, I didn't get as battered and bruised as my parents suspected.

So what I'm saying is that just because you want to take up boxing doesn't mean that you have to do competitive boxing. You can take your time in perfecting your skill, and that way when you do start to get more serious you will have a better chance of getting somewhere.
Hope that helps,
Matty