“1-6-3-2”
Ever since I was a kid, I’ve been fascinated with the idea of boxing. Not only was it an interesting sport, but I also wanted to learn how to defend myself through it (and maybe fight someone, hehe). However, I never had the guts to actually go through with it, not because I’m a woman, but because I’m a hijabi.
As a hijabi, who has anxiety, I don’t necessarily like standing out in certain situations more than I already do. So going to a boxing class alone as a teen was out of the question for me, because I would 100% stand out in a room filled with guys or girls who didn’t look like me…so I passed on that. I was already so hyper-aware of my surroundings every day, I didn’t want to deal with any extra anxiety that the class could bring, even if it was my thoughts causing that added anxiety.
Anyways, skip to 2022 and as Paul Rudd would say, “look at us” (but…well…me). I successfully took boxing classes with my friends and I absolutely loved it, although it initially did take some getting used to. My first class, I had no idea what to expect so I was a bit anxious going into it. We started off with some warmups, which is the same thing we do every single time: push-ups and jump roping. I need to preface that in the beginning the warmup seemed so chill, but after three rounds of it every class, I can now say that I like jump roping way less than I did before.
Nonetheless, that day we were shown how to have a perfect fighting stance, how to slip, block and duck, and the first 4 boxing punches. Here’s when the first day got complicated for me: I’m a leftie. Also known as “southpaw” in the world of boxing, *I’m unique* since literally everyone else was a rightie, which I had no idea made a difference before I entered the class. While I was a bit lost in the beginning, since the instructor was teaching the class from a right-handed person’s perspective, it eventually clicked for me after getting some (okay, a lot of) help.
While the first day definitely wasn’t my favorite, it went up from there. In almost every class, we built on our boxing punches and learned more combinations through punching the boxing pads, and, what I think are called, impact wheel shields. Using those in class was probably my favorite part, as it was such a fun experience to genuinely be able to punch stuff. Being in the class provided structure. We followed along as the instructor said out different combinations, like “1-2-5-2” or as we went through 1-12 of the punches that we learned.
I could frankly write about boxing for so much longer, as there are many other things that I haven’t even touched upon that we learned, but I don’t think anyone wants me rambling on for much longer. Therefore, I will leave you with this: When you enter boxing, no one really cares whether you look silly, because we’re all trying our best. If you’re a woman, or a hijabi woman, who wants to take the class, DO IT!!!
In my class, there were so many women, which I absolutely loved seeing, because, especially in the world we live in today, we should be learning how to defend ourselves. Don’t be scared or hesitant to take that step and sign up, whether it’s alone or with a friend (pro-top: it’s a really fun experience with friends). Boxing makes you feel so empowered and confident, and at the end of the day, every woman should feel that way!
Before taking up boxing lessons at the Anteater Recreation Center, those combinations made absolutely no sense to me — they were basically gibberish. I’m not saying I’m a pro now (I’m definitely far from it), but I can now proudly say that I can execute that and so many other combinations.