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What Boxing can teach you about relationships

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  • 4 min read

On paper, boxing and relationships shouldn’t have a lot in common. But in reality there is awful lot of similarities and the sport can give some important pointers and lessons to help strengthen your relationship with your partner.

No, we’re not talking about giving your other half a quick left jab or right hook if you are having a disagreement over who’s turn it is to do the washing up.

There are lessons that can be learned from boxing and used in your everyday relationship, whether you are married or are together with someone special. 

The principles can also be applied if you are single and seeking new partners at online dating site, because there are important aspects of boxing and training that can help you in your search for the perfect match.

Put the hard work in

When it comes to boxing, no boxer just turns up at the gym, pops some gloves on and gets in the ring for a bout. There needs to be hard work to get to the point of a first fight.

Training the body for the techniques needed to go toe-to-toe with a fellow boxer is a must for anyone interested in boxing. Preparing the body to roll with the punches and develop skills to succeed is the first port of call for any boxer. 

Using experiences to improve is equally important as is earning respect from peers, and that is where the similarities with your relationships.

No relationship will just happen to be perfect from the outset. After the initial honeymoon period, you need to put the hard work to help one another, to discover each other’s strong as well as weak points and improve them. 

Relationships take time and effort to make a success, and following the boxing training example and putting in the hard yards will help you do just that.

Respect

Boxing is all about respect. Respect for the sport itself. Respect for the opponent. And respect for the hard work mentioned above. That’s an important aspect to take into your relationship, because respect is what will help make your partnership extra special.

No man or woman will hang around long if there is no respect in the relationship. If things are all one-sided and he or she hangs on your every word, or vice versa, then the mutual respect isn’t there in the same way that a couple with a strong bond might have.

It’s important that respect isn’t one way. It has to be a two-way thing and it will make for a truly special relationship if it is.

Choose the right match

If you’re already in a relationship, you’ve already found the one. But if you’re dating online or dating in public then choosing the right match for you is essential. You don’t need telling that really.

In boxing, choosing the right match is essential. You would never have seen heavyweight Muhammad Ali fighting the much lighter Roberto Duran or Floyd Mayweather Jr take on Mike Tyson – albeit they were in different eras.

Choosing a partner who is right for you is essential to forging a successful relationship. It might be you shouldn’t get hung up on looks because it might be personality that is key. It could be something else like a love of the same thing. What is important is finding the right person to bounce off – just like a boxer finds the right opponent.  

Get hurt and recover

There’s nothing boxing and boxing training can’t teach you more than the ability to get hurt and recover. Boxers will take blows to the body, the head and even below the belt at times and it is about learning to deal with them and go again.

A relationship is no different. You need to take the rough with the smooth and having the ability to have an argument, a row or a disagreement and segment it, put it to one side and carry on as if nothing had happened will help your relationship go from strength to strength.