Many people think of boxing as an aggressive sport filled with negative emotion, but the sport is so much more than just fighting.
Juniors Ryan Carr and Braxton Cleveland have been boxing for several years, each one taking the sport up for a different reason.
Carr, a philosophy and Spanish double major, took up boxing six years ago after being bullied.
“I just had a lot of pent up frustration from being bullied when I was younger, and I found out that I can let everything out and be in my own space,” said Carr. “The boxing gym is where I can be happy and get away from the negativity.”
Cleveland, a music tech major, decided to take up boxing after he stopped playing football his junior year of high school and needed to find a way to stay in shape. Although he stopped boxing once he got to Capital, he recently took it up again and trains at a Muy Thai gym.
“[My trainer] is more into mentorship and … harboring a relationship rather than making money or making himself look good,” said Cleveland.
While the students have different reasons for training, they both find that boxing isn’t just about punching. It involves a lot of training outside the ring before you can be ready to step inside the ring.
“It’s a combination of things … Combine every sport and you get boxing. It’s endurance … jump rope, foot work, speed, [and] agility,” said Carr. “We do a lot of football and soccer work outs. We do a lot of strength work outs. And yoga surprisingly helps me out.”
There’s also an element of balance that many people don’t realize is involved.
“You have to have a balance of a savage mentality and a peaceful mentality… because you have to maintain the calm waters of the sea while having that fire inside of you and sometimes it’s hard to have that balance,” said Carr.
For anyone interested in boxing, Cleveland and Carr said that it’s a process; it’s something that you have to work for by learning the fundamentals, but that all the hard work is worth it.
“It’s a confidence booster. Just to know that you have that skill set and it’s humbling to get your ass beat,” said Cleveland.
For Carr, she found that it not only brought her a release, but also that it taught her a lot about herself.
“It is a self-reflective sport. It teaches you a lot about yourself and it puts you through so much struggle. Boxing will drag you through the mud only for you to emerge clean,” said Carr.
