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BOXING Trained by Enzo Calzaghe, champion middleweight boxer Gary Lockett now teaches at Miskin Manor Health club in Wales and here he answers our quick questions.
Why boxing really packs a punch in the popularity stakes ... Why is boxing a popular sport to train in? I think that people see how physically fit a fighter is and it is very impressive. Add to that the shape that most boxers are in when they step through the ropes and it must be an attractive incentive to people. I also think that in general people love to be able to throw punches without getting hit back. What are the benefits of people training in boxing for fitness? The exercise element is obviously the attraction but add that with the bonus that you are learning to defend yourself and also training muscles and parts of the body that have never been trained. How would it benefit a gym to offer boxing training classes? Boxing is very much on the up. I’m finding more and more women are becoming boxing fans these days so now we have an all-round audience. What better classes to offer someone than a boxing class where people can have a great workout, learn to defend themselves and also boast to their friends and colleagues how well they can throw a ‘right-hander’ or ‘left-hook’. What does a gym need to consider when looking for someone to take the classes? The person who takes the classes should have a good standard of boxing experience behind them and/or be a fully qualified coach of either amateur or professional standards. I’d also insist on the person having passed the Boxercise qualification with advanced honours.
Gary Lockett and, below, Gary in the ring
What kind of person makes a good boxing instructor? That would be someone who is sensible and experienced enough to keep it simple. I recently appeared at a gym and saw coaches trying to teach bare novices advanced punching drills. Why? The best way to coach someone is to keep it simple and move the fighter on stage by stage; give them time to let things to sink in. Does boxing’s image put some people off trying it? What are the misconceptions that people have? I think that boxing is seen as a barbaric sport that isn’t for the faint hearted. I can understand that but just look at the white collar events these days. Most of the boxers are lawyers, barristers, estate agents and generally people in well-to-do positions. I train a few of them myself and they love the release that boxing gives them.
How are you finding your classes at Miskin Manor? There has been a real buzz since we started it. We saw a gap in the market and thought over long and hard about what exactly people would want from a boxing related fitness class. My class is enjoyable, sometimes old school,
sometimes modern exercises. I always change the sessions to keep them enjoyable and refreshing and I always take time out to teach people to punch with the correct technique. I think that in life, if you are going to do anything then why not do it properly.