When I was a sophomore in high school, I went to a boxing gym. Most high schools in Japan do not have boxing clubs. So at that time, I used the money from my part-time job to pay the monthly fee at the gym.
The reason I went to a boxing gym was because I wanted to become a professional boxer. Ever since I was in the fifth grade of elementary school, I admired boxing and K-1 athletes and wanted to be like them. I was also influenced by boxing comics and the movie Rocky.
At that time, I seriously believed that I could become a world boxing champion. There is no basis. As I practiced shadow boxing at home while imagining myself fighting, I began to think that I was the strongest.
However, when I actually tried it, I realized that I had no talent. I also felt scared when sparring and realized that I didn't have the punching power. Also, practicing wasn't as fun as I had originally imagined.
I still like watching martial arts, but I think watching it and actually doing it are two different things. Boxing requires a lot of simple training and repeated practice, and is quite hard. As I said earlier, you also have to fight fear.
As much as it is scary and physically demanding, I think there is a great sense of accomplishment when you overcome it. On the other hand, watching boxing obviously has nothing to do with patience or mentality. Just watch the players you are interested in, feel the stimulation, and enjoy.
Because I was looking for temporary stimulation, going to the boxing gym didn't last long. But now I think it's a good thing I quit boxing. Last year in Japan, Anaguchi fell unconscious after a Japanese title match. He still hasn't regained consciousness. Boxing can even lead to death.
Also, despite the high risk involved in boxing, the fight money is extremely low. For an unknown player, the standard price is only 30,000 yen per game. I hear that even if you are a Japanese champion, it is difficult to make a living if you only do boxing.
Even if you're a world champion, if you're not very popular, you'll only get around 2 million yen per game. Assuming he plays 3 games a year, his annual income is only 6 million yen. I would dream toward most popular boxer in Japan, Inoue or Ioka, but they are only a handful of them.
Of course, boxing isn't just about money. I think it has value that money can't buy. However, if I were to have a child, I would not want him to take up boxing.
I'll respect it if the person really wants to do it, but boxing does come with the risk of aftereffects. Boxing involves being hit in the face the most times among all martial arts, so there are concerns about brain damage.
On the other hand, karate is still safe because there are fewer attacks to the face. Karate is recommended because it allows you to train your Japanese spirit. Also, there are many different types of gyms these days.
14 years ago, when I went to a boxing gym, I don't think there was a fitness gym. Nowadays, there are many boxing gyms that sense of fitness. I think we live in a very fortunate era, with state-of-the-art equipment. The boxing gym I went to was an old-fashioned gym that was built about 60 years ago.
By the way, at the time, my only motivation was the dream of becoming a professional boxer. Now that that's gone, there's no reason to go back to boxing. I will consider it if it is limited to one day at the experience level.