Want to Start Boxing as a Beginner? Here's How to Get Started

It's 2025. Maybe you're feeling fit and want a new challenge. Maybe this is the year you get in shape but you know you hate the treadmill. Maybe you just want to become more confident knowing you can defend yourself. Either way, you want to box.

But as an amateur boxer and personal trainer based in London, the thing I've noticed holding people back is not knowing where to start. What the best options are, what the best clubs are, how to find them.

Or there's an underlying fear - fear of looking stupid, fear of being thrown into the deep end and getting hurt or fear they're walking into an overly intimidating environment like they see in the movies.

Luckily, you're hearing from someone who's bridged both worlds. A competing boxer who's been to London's known amateur clubs, visited two of the most known clubs in the world in Wildcard Boxing and Upton Boxing Center, visited and run boxercise classes all while working corporate jobs.

So if you are interested in the sport, even if you're not ready to take any punches, keep reading to hear your options👇🏿

1) Self-Taught/Social Media

The lowest barrier to entry. As with everything in fitness, there is no shortage of good information on the internet. There are some legit names that will teach you the fundamentals from footwork to stance to defence. People like Tony Jeffries and Quinit Boxing know what they're talking about and you can definitely learn the basics from them.

However, the reality is that as much as the internet can help, it can always send us the wrong way. For every good influencer, there's a **** one.

Without someone there to correct you, it's very likely you'll pick up bad habits, struggle with consistency and if/when you decide to test yourself in a real gym, you could get humbled very quickly. But it's a great way to get started.

2) Boxercise

Everyone has different motivations for boxing. Some people want to get a great sweat on and release some frustration, others want to go on into combat.

There's an overlap with these two groups obviously but if you are interested in combat you should not be doing boxercise and likewise, if you just want to sweat, there is no need to burden yourself with "harsh" coaching, lots of technique and potentially a bit of pain.

So for this group, your options are limitless, depending on your price point. I can only speak on the London market here but there are the higher end, "luxury" clubs like Jab Boxing and Kobox that help you look and feel the part, or to be honest the majority of boxing clubs have some kind of boxercise, bag-heavy class.

Therefore, your choices are pretty limited and it's for you to find a community that you feel most comfortable with.

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3) Technique Focused Gyms

This is probably the most hybrid option. Where you're not quite ready to step into a run-down, sweaty gym but you want to do more than punch the bags.

These kind of clubs usually have a high-level trainer (competing amateur, proper coach, or even a pro) focusing on technique and there's often a route to fighting competitively at the white collar level.

Furthermore, the white collar path provides a proven path into semi-pro boxing, which is a potential alternative for those looking to benefit from exposure without going down the traditional amateur route.

Clubs like Manor London, 12 Rounds Boxing and Gymbox meet this criteria.

4) Competitive Amateur Boxing Clubs

The traditional ABA route. The hard graft. Geezers.

If you are looking to get into combat, this is the quickest way. You get the fitness, the technique, the competition, the community and a path to sparring to test yourself before building yourself up in the amateur ranks.

This is where every great started - with people like Usyk having 200+ fights before going pro; for many, it's a career in itself.

There's clubs all over the city, all over the country, all over the world. But you can't play boxing once you take this route. The fitness is the easy part, the discipline's not. But it's rewarding.

5) 1:1 Training

I've obviously said #4 is your quickest route to getting good. But to be honest, at every level, everyone benefits from 1:1.

As with anything, you can only learn so much in a group setting and an hour purely focused on you is invaluable.

Pros and amateurs get 1:1 training - whether it's dedicated sessions, padwork or focus before fights. The intensity and focus can't be replaced.

And on the other side, if you're completely new it's the quickest, lowest barrier way to get good. An hour teaching you how to stand, move, throw punches at a time grows you 2/3 times as fast as wasting time on steps 1 and 2 in particular before feeling confident enough to get in a ring.

It comes at a premium of course compared to group classes, but so does anything that's 1:1. If you are new, London-based and looking to get into the sport of boxing, you can connect with me here💪🏿