Pros & Cons of Choosing a Smaller Boxing Ring for Your Gym

Posted on: 31 August 2018

If you operate a gym and you're thinking about teaching boxing classes, your first priority will be to buy a ring. Fortunately, you can buy boxing rings from many sporting goods retailers in person and online, so you'll be able to find the one that suits your needs. Boxing rings are always square, but come in several different sizes. There's no "right size" that you should automatically choose, but if you decide to go with a smaller size, here are some pros and cons to think about.

Pro: Takes Up Less Space

Square footage is often at a premium in a gym, especially if you have a variety of exercise equipment that also takes up its fair share of space. A smaller boxing ring is advantageous simply because it takes up less space in your establishment. While you'll have to evaluate how much space you have and how much you can devote to the boxing ring, you generally won't regret a smaller-sized ring.

Con: Fewer Participants at Once

Unless you have people actively sparring with one another, it's common for your boxing instructor to get several people in the ring at the same time. They're not all fighting each other — rather, they're working on their techniques. Sometimes, you can have people working in pairs and, other times, they'll work alone. With a smaller ring, you won't be able to fit as many participants in the ring at the same time.

Pro: Better for Training

When your gym members begin technical sparring with your instructor or each other, a smaller ring can often be better. With a larger ring, it's easy for the boxers to move around in the open space without frequently engaging each other. This behavior is common for novices who might be tentative about getting hit. A smaller ring means that there's less place to run, which allows your students to engage with their opponent and thus get more out of their training.

Con: Challenging for Those Who Will Compete

If you're serious about developing a boxing program and plan to have amateurs from your club compete in local tournaments, their training in a small ring may be a challenge. If the local boxing jurisdiction frequently uses larger rings for its tournaments, this environment can be unfamiliar for boxers who are accustomed to smaller rings. A boxer may find that his or her opponent's increased ability to move around in a larger ring can be an issue.

If you need more insight, contact companies such as Boxing Ring.

Share