P
Pugilistic
Guest
At 17, you probably don’t know for sure if this is what you want to commit your life into. If you were, you wouldn’t be asking this question. That doesn’t mean you can’t train. If you enjoy it, train, because that is the most important part of pursuing anything.
I’m a professional boxer, and I started training just for fun, with the idea that I want to eventually get into MMA (funny because I don’t even watch MMA now). I loved training and naturally entered amateur bouts when I had the chance and the next thing I know, I had acquired a pro license. Once you put so much time and effort into learning the craft, it is natural to want to test yourself in a professional bout. I started pretty late at 20, and didn’t seriously train until 25 because of school and military service. I am/was a professional fighter but I didn’t consider myself a “career fighter” as in that I was going to pursue fighting as my main source of income. The same process could have happened when I was in my early teens and I could have pursued a professional career on a more serious level.
So my input is, train for fun and train to learn because you enjoy it, and you may find yourself realizing this is what you want to do to before you even get an “Aha” moment in deciding what you want to do. Very few people with no connection to fighting and martial arts wake up one morning and go “I’m gonna be a fighter!” to drop everything and become a full time fighter. Most train, get better, and eventually get fights. You have the advantage of being still young so have fun.
I’m a professional boxer, and I started training just for fun, with the idea that I want to eventually get into MMA (funny because I don’t even watch MMA now). I loved training and naturally entered amateur bouts when I had the chance and the next thing I know, I had acquired a pro license. Once you put so much time and effort into learning the craft, it is natural to want to test yourself in a professional bout. I started pretty late at 20, and didn’t seriously train until 25 because of school and military service. I am/was a professional fighter but I didn’t consider myself a “career fighter” as in that I was going to pursue fighting as my main source of income. The same process could have happened when I was in my early teens and I could have pursued a professional career on a more serious level.
So my input is, train for fun and train to learn because you enjoy it, and you may find yourself realizing this is what you want to do to before you even get an “Aha” moment in deciding what you want to do. Very few people with no connection to fighting and martial arts wake up one morning and go “I’m gonna be a fighter!” to drop everything and become a full time fighter. Most train, get better, and eventually get fights. You have the advantage of being still young so have fun.
