Boxing for everybody
Back in October, we kickstarted a new, free boxercise/boxing class with award-winning instructor Desmond Blakely. This month, we caught up with Desmond to learn about his background in boxing, his teaching style, and who might enjoy his classes.
Desmond began his relationship with boxing by way of wing chun, a style of kung fu and system of self defence, 21 years ago. In order to compliment this practice, he added boxing training to his routine, working with a professional boxing coach.
He began working in gyms as an instructor, and found he enjoyed leading boxing classes because they didn’t require him to teach to music, allowing for a more free flowing class with time to talk and connect with attendees. Members of the class can also take things at their own pace to suit their goals. Desmond highlighted the versatility of boxing as a form of exercise: boxing can help with cardio, strength, coordination, and timing. It can also be done by people of all ages, from 18 to 118, and abilities.
An older woman wearing boxing gloves does a cross jab to hit the pad held up by instructor Desmond.
Everyone can enjoy this class once they do it – young, old, male, female. Desmond has taught in diverse environments, from private gyms to charities, to a programme for young offenders, and has seen benefits for all types of people. He encourages people who haven’t tried boxing before to give it a go: because it’s so different from what they normally do, these people often get the most out it.
Each session starts with a warm-up, including stretching and light calisthenics. Then he moves on to some form of circuit targeting the whole body. Afterwards, everyone is paired up, with gloves and pads. There is no body contact, only contact between gloves and pads. He tries to match people who are at similar fitness and experience levels so they can work comfortably with each other. In these pairings, members do partner-based boxing drills, including combinations of straight punches, hooks, and upper cuts. The environment of class is always casual and relaxed, allowing members to work at their own pace within a structured framework. He encourages everybody to push as hard or little as they want to, and he accommodates to meet the intensity level of the particular group. He also offers modified instructions for people with injuries and restrictions.
A sample schedule for one of Desmond’s classes
Desmond hopes to help members of the class to increase fitness, confidence, hand eye coordination, strength, and any other goals they hope to accomplish. So far, he has found that members who came in with no experience have been pleasantly surprised to enjoy the sessions. There’s been a notable improvement in the members who come regularly, compared to those who just drop in, but everyone has been improving. He still encourages those who are interested in dropping in to come along for a good workout. For anybody looking to develop skills in boxing, he emphasises the importance of participating regularly.
This is an inviting and accommodating class for anybody, from complete beginners to experienced boxers.
Come by on Tuesday from 6:30 - 7:30 PM to see what you get out of it!
A person wearing boxing gloves does a cross hook, making contact with a pad held up by the instructor.
To drop in and check out this class for free, sign up for a Wellbeing membership on our website here.
