Boxing flow

In positive psychology, a flow state, also known colloquially as being in the zone, is the mental state in which a person performing some activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and enjoyment in the process of the activity — Wikipedia.

Flow is the Holy Grail of the skilful combat athlete. The ecstatic feeling when everything kicks into place only comes so often. When it does, it is magical.

You can achieve flow in many different pursuits and tasks. It’s an alchemy that transforms experience and seems to bend time. Time moves slower yet paradoxically faster. It’s almost shamanic.

So what is flow? Flow is a mental state where a challenging task that requires concentration becomes effortless. Many people call this being ‘in the zone’.

Your mind clears and you perform difficult tasks without consciously thinking about them. Personally, I’ve experienced this now and then while training and boxing. But the most memorable time I can recall was on a 5-a-side football pitch.

I was never the best footballer, but on one Sunday afternoon back in the 90s, it was as though I had been possessed by the spirit of a footballing great. Everything I tried, worked. I shimmied and glided past opponents, exchanging intricate 1-2s with my team mates. A puzzled friend even asked — ‘What the hell is up with you today?’. I felt untouchable.

I turned up the week after, hoping to harness the magic again. But I was back to useless, plodding mediocrity. I have no way of explaining what happened that day, or why whatever fired me up, disappeared just as quickly.

Flow is pure. You can reach for it and sometimes grab it. But you can’t possess it for any sustained period of time. Like a surfer, when you catch the wave, you ride it for as long as possible.

The good news? Anyone can achieve flow. I see it every week in my gym.

I have specific flow drills that I use on the pads with my clients. These drills must be challenging but eventually attainable. When they click into place I can see and sometimes feel my client drop into a flow state. Their muscles relax. Their movement becomes more fluid.

I recently filmed a client on the pads, so he could show his partner his progress. We were lucky enough to catch him in a state of flow. He blocked, slipped, rolled, moved and fired off endless salvos of punches and counterpunches. On watching the footage, his partner asked — ‘How are you doing that’? To which he answered, ‘I don’t know!’

That is flow.

When I work with a client long term, we develop a bond and understanding. Pad work especially is a symbiotic activity — almost like a partnered dance. And when the flow gods drop by, I get some of the magic too. The pads flick out and appear in the right place like magic. Background noise falls away, time stands still and a 3 minute round passes by in 30 seconds.

Not only does flow develop skills, it fosters a feeling of calmness and serenity. It’s perfect for destressing after a turbulent day of friction and interruptions.

This is more important than ever in today’s uber-connected society. Many people have confided that their 50 minutes of boxing is an oasis of calm away from modern life. None of my clients constantly check their mobile, if they bring it at all. When a phone does ring, it invariably stays buried beneath a towel in a kit bag.

Non-contact boxing training is perfect for pursuing the magical, ephemeral gift of flow. But you can find it anywhere. Wherever you chase it, I wish you happy hunting.