Want a Good Boxing Coach? Here’s How to Find One.

Good Boxing Coaches Aren’t Easy to Come By

Whether you believe it or not, the truth is that a good boxing coach is hard to find. Period. Bad trainers make up 99% of the boxing and martial arts world. There are a TON of con men out there that can cost you time, money, and most importantly your health.

Good boxing coaches are often underpaid, overworked, or burnt out physically, emotionally or even possibly financially. We live in an era where general population gyms rule the world. You see UFC gyms on every corner and a new hustler is born every minute.  There are even programs that currently exist in the world that will make you a “Certified Boxing Coach” in one weekend (please take this time to imagine a huge eyeroll followed by a facepalm).

My goal here is to break down some of the myths about good boxing coaches and to help guide you to make the right decisions to find the coach for you. 

What Makes a Coach?

Boxing isn’t something that is learned in a weekend. To call oneself a coach comes with a HUGE pallet of skills, including a tremendous amount of responsibility for the students. There are trainers, instructors and there are coaches in this world – and they are not all created equal. The original sense of the word coach derives from that of a horse-drawn carriage, meaning the coach would ‘carry’ or ‘transport’ someone to their destination.

In boxing terms:

• A trainer can get you into shape. “Do press-ups, sit-ups” etc.
• An instructor can tell you to do things. “Punch this combination”. “Do it faster, harder”. Etc.
• A coach is all encompassing term. A coach is essentially like the original sense of the word. However, instead of simply taking you to a physical destination, they take you from one point of your life to another and hopefully, to a good place.

Let’s break down a few stereotypical boxing coach myths.

Myth #1: The ‘Old-Guy’ aka ‘Mick’

It’s a myth that the old guy in the gym that looks like Mick from Rocky knows what he’s talking about. Sorry to break it to you, but he’s probably just an old guy that hangs around the gym.

The truth is, boxing has evolved tremendously, just like all of martial arts (insert MMA here). Fighters from the black-and-white film days lacked a TON of things that are considered basic fundamentals today. Sure they were tough, but most of them were very clunky and not very technically smooth. The fighters that were smooth like “Sugar” Ray Robinson were winning for a reason.

Old-boxing-gym-guy could be showing you a LOT of ineffective boxing techniques that are outdated (much like him). Just because this guy is old, may have trained in the past, and watches boxing doesn’t mean he’s automatically going to be a good coach.

Myth #2: The Current or Ex-Fighter  

I get asked this question a lot. My answer is always that a current or ex-fighter (or even former champion, for that matter) does not always make the best boxing coach. Simply put, they are good fighters not always good coaches. Just because they can do cool shit doesn’t mean they can TEACH you how to do it. I’m not saying they can’t teach you a few things, but the ability to explain things in-depth or get into a student’s head so that they can effectively understand information takes something special. It takes a teacher and coach, someone who spends their time helping others understand, process information, and truly learn.

A LOT of fighters are/were incredibly athletic and naturally talented, but to take the average person and help them comprehend a skill like boxing takes solid coaching skills. Skills that can identify how a person learns and how to pace their growth. To name a few things, a good boxing coach will understand things like coordination development, in-depth body mechanic explanation, mental game coaching, nutrition, and will even have people skills that make them effective teachers. These things takes YEARS of working with many different people to hone in the ability to teach the average Joe.

Myth #3: The Former or Current Champion’s Coach

Just because a coach has had one or even a few past champions during their career does not mean they’re going to do the same with you. Becoming a champion is an incredible feat and takes something very special as a human being. I am not saying that you aren’t capable of becoming a champion, but I am saying that when you see a current champion, maybe the coach didn’t have everything to do with it.

I have known world champions that would have become champions regardless of who was their coach. They had a drive within them that would have pushed them to find success in the ring no matter what. However, I have also seen many coaches ruin the careers of many potential world champions simply because they didn’t know how to properly coach. I have also seen many coaches take credit for their fighter’s success even when that wasn’t the case.    

Ok, So How do I Tell Who’s a Good Boxing Coach?

Human beings all learn differently. Some people learn best visually, while others learn through auditory methods. Others learn best through reading and writing, while some need kinesthetic or hands-on experience. A coach is someone that finds out how YOU learn best and gets you to your destination.

Let’s break down what makes a good boxing coach.

Years of Experience

When looking for a good boxing coach, consider someone who has years of experience under their belt personally and professionally (professionally meaning they have been paid at some point by someone to coach them). It also means they should have some understanding of actually being a fighter at some point in their lives, but that doesn’t mean they were so burnt out that they just turned to coaching as the next logical step. They need to show some proof of going through the fire as a fighter, whether as an amateur or professional. They didn’t have to be a champion but they need to be able to personally relate to you and understand what it’s like to have been in the trenches before telling you to do things yourself.

Also look at someone who has experience working with ALL sorts of people of all ages: men, woman, kids, amateur fighters, and professional fighters. Every type of person they work with better hones in the coach’s ability to teach. Each type of person brings general problems but with unique circumstances. A real coach accepts the challenge and knows how to get any student from one point to another.

A Solid System or Method

Look for coaches that have a system or method to their madness. The best coaches I have seen slowly progress their students and allow them to grow while pacing them out correctly. They don’t just tell them to do things; they give them very specific instructions to improve upon as they build them over time. ‘1 + 1 = 2’ while ‘A’ leads to ‘B’ leads to ‘C’ and so on. Everything is specifically designed to build individuals around a specific system of training.

Though fitness is a part of boxing, make sure the curriculum isn’t solely revolving around physical fitness. Make sure they are spending a lot of time on boxing specific training and fundamentals. The best programs will always emphasize the basics before the fancy shit because THE BASICS WORK in the long run. Any training scars you develop will give you immediate negative feedback in the ring, so find a curriculum that helps you learn real, fundamentally sound boxing.

Training that Involves Developing the Mind

Is the coach training to develop your mind as much as your body? Though boxing is a very physical art, it’s still truly fast-paced problem solving, and utilizes the mind and body. Is the coach helping you develop your thinking for the long run or is he merely telling you to punch harder and faster while pushing you to spar all the time?

Sparring is going to be necessary at some point, but I know a lot of coaches that design entire training curriculums around nothing but sparring. Watch out for these types of coaches who only want you to spar as your main form for training. This is going to lead to detrimental health consequences in the long run if you’re not careful.

If your coach can’t answer the “why” around why things work or why he is telling you to do something, then find another coach. A good boxing coach can answer any boxing-related question and they should make time to answer questions to correctly guide their students. They don’t have to do it immediately during class time (talking to you, 21-question type students) but they should always leave time for their students to ask questions at some point during training. 

Competence and Results

In the Karate Kid, wise old karate master Mr. Miyagi tells Daniel that there is “no such thing as bad student, only bad teacher”. Though there are exceptions to every rule, I truly do believe that if someone wants to learn and the coach can’t get them results, it’s the coach’s fault. Look for coaches who are actually getting results.

I’m not a professional dancer but I can still recognize if someone is awkward, goofy, and uncoordinated. If you go to a school where everyone looks terrible, then maybe the coach is directly responsible for that. The results can often speak for themselves and can reveal the competence level of the coach. There are a TON of con-man coaches out there, if you’re putting in the work aren’t getting positive results, don’t be scared about finding a new coach.

Part-time Therapist, Part-time Parent  

Real coaches are highly in tune with their students and a lot of the time, they play the role of therapist and even part-time parent. They know how and when to check in with their students to make sure everything is alright. They do this because they actually care while also knowing just how much to push the boxer to continue improving. The coach actually plays a father-figure to a lot of their boxers, since they’re in the picture helping develop students into better boxers and better people. The Rocky movie did actually get it right when it came to casting Mick, as he actually really cared about Rocky and his wellbeing.

The art and sport of boxing is no game, it’s really quite brutal. It’s imperative to make sure you have someone in your corner who actually gives a shit about you. Look for coaches who actually care about their students and who have loyal students that care back. This type of trusting and caring relationship is what you want to develop with a coach. Not to be too dramatic, but you’re going to essentially put your life into this guy’s hands. The way they train you and put you in harm’s way in the ring is literally going to be putting your health at risk. Make sure the coach you choose is competent in what they are showing you, but definitely make sure they care about you. It might take time to develop this bond but the best coaches know what’s best for their students.

Physical and Mental Shape

Seriously judge a book by its cover here. Just like I mentioned in the myth about the old guy, make sure your coach is somewhat in shape and disciplined too. If they expect you to be disciplined, they should be as well. They should be in good shape mentally and physically. If they’re a complete unprofessional mess themselves, how are they going to get the best out of you? Just because they do not compete anymore is no excuse to let themselves completely go. They should also be sound enough in mind enough to make the best decisions for your training and your fighting career.

Make sure you don’t ignore any red flags when you choosing your coach. Find someone who has some self-respect so that you can respect them as your coach too.

Coaching Style

Not all coaching styles are equal and not all coaches are going to be a great fit for you. I personally curse like a f*cking sailor, and that might mean I’m not the best coach for you. You have to look for someone you respect and want to spend time with. You’re going to be spending a LOT of time together if you’re a serious student, so find someone whose style works well for you.

The Budo Boxing System

The reality is that we live in a world where you might not find the best coach next door.

The bad news is you’re still going to have to seek them out. The good news is that you could be reading the work of one of the best boxing coaches on the planet right now (me). I don’t mean to toot my own horn here, but I’ve seen a lot of good coaching in my life and I’ve also been victim to some bad coaches. I’m not bitter though, as all my experiences have made me a far better student, fighter, and coach. I know exactly how to coach my students to success and I have proven that time and time again.

I’ve gotten so tired of bad coaches and I want to stop seeing all those training scars they create lead to terrible consequences in the ring. So many coaches aren’t able to break down simple basics for their students during training. This makes me want to slam my head through the wall.

The good news is my Budo Boxing system has now helped hundreds of people learn how to REALLY box the correct way. It’s the only boxing system on the planet that simplifies boxing unlike any other (I’ve seen them all). I coach you through my system as you partake in my 6 week campaign against yourself. Click here to read more about the system or email me if you have any questions.