What were you taught first when you started boxing?

[Wuckoo]

In another thread someone mentioned how trainers tend to teach you how to block, slip and duck punches before teaching you how to punch. But now that I think about it I wasn't taught anything about defense other than to keep my hands up. At my old gym, which I'll admit wasn't the best, they taught you how to punch first and then kind of mentioned footwork, which was only ever classic in and out movement.
The only reason I can think if I'd that my trainer was talk for his weight in the ams so he only ever knew how to fight tall so to speak.

Has anyone else had this dilemma? Even if you haven't I'm curious. What did your first trainer teach you first and do you think it was a good or bad thing?

For me not being taught anything related to footwork was and still is troubling. You can punch with perfect form but it means nothing if you have no ring craft. The fact he had never really taught a southpaw and I was the only lefty in the gym made it pretty tricky to learn anything.

[ShoulderRoll]

I was taught how to throw a jab and a right hand. Including the simple footwork that goes along with that. And also how to defend against a jab and right hand.

This approach was good in my opinion. Those are solid basics to learn first.

[dan_cov]

Stance, guard, basic movement then onto jab & straight right.

[Larry the boss]

How to properly stand

[Larry the boss]

You can not do anything in boxing until you learn how to stand and maintain balance...

[Wuckoo]

You can not do anything in boxing until you learn how to stand and maintain balance...

Lol I had to learn for myself. The only thing I was ever taught was keep your hands up and that was it for stance. They wanted us all to have high guard all the time while he taught his son how to parry and ****.
Was just taught the jab and straight left. That was pretty much it. I'm moving to a new gym anyway in two or three weeks so hopefully they will teach me some footwork. As a southpaw the only footwork I was ever told was "move to your right if the other guy is right handed" I was thrown into sparring after only 3 months of training and six months in I still hadn't been taught any footwork that posters above mentioned. And I has to spar guys 40 pounds heavier than me with no footwork.

The funny thing is I got more pointers from a former boxer who was just friends with the coach. He wasn't qualified and he rarely came to the gym. Bit rough at times but he tells it how it is and that was great for me. But he fell out with the coach and never appeared since. After having a decent sized gym my old coach then wanted to move the gym to his hometown in the middle of nowhere. Now it's a ****ing pigeon loft where the ring takes up half the space, there's no room to jump rope and the bag's take up everything. And all these new local boys mean that there's no room for the guys who used to be at the gym.

I usually don't care where I train or what the equipment's like. I didn't mind that the bags were too low or bad quality because they could still serve their purpose. But eventually I thought **** it nobody is being taught anything. There wee guys who had been there for years and they only knew how to use high guard and punch. Footwork was pretty non existent. Funnily enough after I left tons of others started leaving too. I still run into guys who were junior amateur champions and just got sick of the gym. Being in the middle of nowhere there's no other gyms, that 'a the only one.

It's a damn shame but the coach never listened to the assistants, who incidentally left ages before we did. I always think it's sad how a bad coach can put some people off the sport for good but i guess it's their choice. I'm eager to get to this new gym when I move soon. It's churned out senior (aged 19 or over) champions and there's like 3 other gyms nearby so there will be plenty of sparring partners.

[DosRounds]

Stance and how to move

[jas]

Stance , guard and distance.

[Juof]

Stance guard and footwork. Then onto the jab

[Ray Corso]

I start with basic movement to check on balance and coordination. From there I know what I have as far as developing the students style and form.
Ray