Boxing is one of the most refined combat sports ever developed, and being a great training partner will help you get more from your workouts. Being an excellent training partner isn’t just about showing off your fancy techniques or becoming a human punching bag; it’s about finding the perfect balance between challenging, supporting, and keeping your training partners safe.
Nine Things You Can Do To Be A Great Training Partner
A good training partner doesn’t just lace up a pair of gloves and step inside a ring for themselves; they also do it to help their fellow fighters. Some of the things you can do to ensure your training partners love pairing up with you include:
1) Leave Your Ego At Home
Boxing isn’t about showing off but refining your skills and growing through the process.
First, leave your ego at home whenever you go to the boxing gym. You might think you’re the most powerful puncher to step inside the ring since Mike Tyson, but your training sessions aren’t just about you.
Your primary training goal should be to refine your skills while helping your gym buddies do the same. There’s nothing more annoying than a training partner who always tries to one-up everyone in the gum. Nobody likes that guy, so resist the urge to prove how much of a badass you are.
2) Communicate Clearly
Good communication with your training partner ensures productive sessions—align your goals, adjust as needed, and give feedback throughout.
Good communication is the secret sauce for successful partnerships, and the same applies to training partners. Make it a habit to always chat with your training partners about what they’re working on before you start drilling or sparring.
Is your training partner looking to blow off steam after a hard day, or are they trying to work their defensive techniques? Knowing your training partner’s intentions allows you to tailor your approach to suit their needs.
Communication doesn’t stop when you start sparring or drilling techniques. Let your teammate know if a punch lands too hard for your liking. Don’t react to it by swinging back as hard as they did. Likewise, be willing to adjust if your training partner complains about anything you’re doing.
3) Pace Yourself
Being mindful of your partner’s energy ensures better training—slow down if they’re fatigued, challenge them without overwhelming.
Awareness of your training partner’s energy levels is another essential aspect of being an excellent teammate. For example, if your training partner is gassed while sparring, let them catch their breath by slowing down your pace. You still want to challenge them, but you want to make it manageable.
Turning up your intensity while your training partner struggles to stay upright won’t make them tougher. It’s more likely to make them resent you as a bad training partner who doesn’t know when to take it easy.
4) Master How To Control Your Power
Maintain control in sparring—throw sharp, light strikes to improve skills without overwhelming less experienced partners.
Letting a flurry of strikes loose feels good when you’re sparring, but don’t get carried away. Your training sessions should never look like a street fight since you and your training partners are there to help each other improve.
Learning how to control the power behind your strikes will endear you to your training partners, especially when you learn to throw fast, accurate strikes that don’t land with much power.
Controlled power is vital in boxing sparring sessions, especially when you’re paired up against someone less experienced than you are. Getting hit too hard can discourage an inexperienced boxer. Keep your punches sharp without doing much damage, and your training partners will be happy whenever they’re paired up with you.
5) Focus On Technique Over Brute Force
Boxing is all about technique, not just strength—focus on refining your skills and helping partners do the same with feedback and practice.
Boxing is called the sweet science because it’s as much about brains as it is about brawn. Your goal should never be to out-muscle your training partners when working together. The goal of these interactions should always be to improve your technique.
Keep your hands up, practice the footwork patterns you have been taught, and make sure your training partners do the same. Give your training partners tips that can help refine their techniques whenever you notice they’re doing some things wrong.
6) Mix Things Up When Drilling Techniques Or Sparring
Variety keeps training exciting—switch up drills and sparring focuses regularly to stay sharp, challenge yourself, and grow your skills.
It’s been said for centuries that variety is the spice of life, and the same applies to boxing. Avoid repeating the same old drills repeatedly when you’re at the gym, and try getting different looks when sparring. For example, you can work on your defensive drills one day and focus on counter-punching the next.
Varying your training routine helps keep you and your training partners on your toes, helping you grow your skills. Training also becomes more fun when you’re regularly mixing things up.
7) Be Patient
Everyone learns at their own pace. Be patient, offer encouragement, and use teaching moments to refine your own understanding.
Everyone learns at their own speed, and that’s okay. Some boxers pick up new techniques the first time they’re shown to them, while others take a little longer to get the hang of things. Always be patient with your training partners, even if they’re struggling with something they should have mastered.
Instead of getting frustrated with them, break things down step-by-step to help them develop a better understanding. Explaining techniques to others forces you to look at them differently, improving your understanding of their mechanics.
Offer encouragement instead of criticism to your training partners, and you’ll both be better off because of it.
8) Keep Things Light
Boxing is serious, but adding humor to your sessions keeps things light and helps you push through tough training.
Boxing is a serious business compared to other sports. You play basketball or baseball, but you never play boxing.
However, boxing being a tough sport doesn’t mean everything needs to be doom and gloom when you’re at the gym. Inject a little humor into your training sessions to help lighten the mood. It goes a long way in easing tensions, particularly during tough training sessions.
Having fun while you train also makes pushing through the most challenging parts of your training easier.
9) Support Your Training Partners Outside The Gym
Being a great training partner extends beyond the gym—support them with nutrition, show up for their fights, and boost their confidence.
Being an excellent training partner doesn’t end when the boxing gloves come off. Support your training partners outside the gym by doing things like helping them with their nutrition or showing up for their fights.
Boxing is just as mentally demanding as it is physically. Being there for your training partners helps to increase their confidence.
Creating An Environment For Boxers Of All Levels
Being a great training partner is about creating an environment where you and your training partners can grow your skills while enjoying the process. Your instructors will notice how well you treat your teammates, and that could open up other doors, such as an assistant coaching gig. Your training partners are also likely to reciprocate your goodwill toward them and return the favor one day when you need it the most.
If you’re looking to learn boxing in an environment that fosters mutual respect, teamwork, and growth, why not join one of Evolve MMA’s complimentary boxing classes? Get a first-hand experience of how teammates uplift each other in a world-class gym!
Book your complimentary trial class with our World Champions below!
If you have any other questions regarding Evolve MMA and the programs we offer, you can get in touch with our membership executives at the following locations:
Evolve MMA (Far East Square)
26 China Street
Far East Square #01-01
Singapore 049568
Phone: (65) 6536 4525
Evolve MMA (Orchard Central)
181 Orchard Road
#06-01 Orchard Central
Singapore 238896
Phone: (65) 6536 4556
Evolve MMA (KINEX)
11 Tanjong Katong Road
#02-52 KINEX
Singapore 437157
Phone: (65) 6288 2293
Evolve MMA (Star Vista)
1 Vista Exchange Green
#02-26A The Star Vista
Singapore 138617
Phone: (65) 6539 9590
