As far as combat sports go, boxing is one of the most intense physical activities that one can engage in.

Despite the popularity of MMA and the increasing number of gyms who teach MMA, boxing still ranks high in terms of popularity. In fact, boxing is one of the base skills that most coaches think every MMA fighter should know (apart from Muay Thai, Wrestling, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu).

Nevertheless, even as a standalone skill, training in boxing is sure to make you fit and more prepared for a fight on the street.

Watch the video of this boy’s incredible hand speed below.

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Video credit: Rumble

Not that you should be looking for fights but even as a defense, the head movement and the ability to slip punches that are inherent in boxing make it more possible to dodge those wild haymakers or sucker punches that are usually thrown in street fights. At the very least, it can give you the opening you need to run away.

If this type of training will make you athletic, it also stands to reason that people who are athletic to start with will tend to do tremendously well. That seems to be the case for nine-year-old Nikita Kasyanov who managed to show off his dazzling hand speed and agility during a boxing training exercise.

He may have a slight build but he more than makes up for it with his lightning-quick reflexes, using them to full effect not just to duck and dodge the swinging bar of the training machine but also to land stinging jabs and hooks on the tennis ball target.

If it wasn’t already obvious, Nikita, from Moscow, Russia, dreams of being a world champion one day and trains five days a week in order to get there.

Nikita said: “I dream of winning an Olympic Gold and becoming undisputed champion amongst the professionals.

“I want to be the greatest boxer!”

Nikita started boxing when he was three and one training session lasts between one to three hours.

His dad, Aleksey, strictly supervises the training and makes sure the boy gets Tuesdays and Thursdays off in order to recover.

Aleksey said: “The studying of new training exercises make the training more diverse and more fun.

“We are focusing on his technique as he will naturally grow stronger and we don’t want to cause any injuries.

“When that growth comes, Nikita will already be technically perfect.”

Nikita is actually strong enough that he can squat up to 70 kg, twice his weight.

Still, Aleksey makes sure that boxing doesn’t affect Nikita’s studies. The young boy also likes visiting museums and theaters.

Aleksey said: “Sport is not the whole life for Nikita.

“Sometimes Nikita doesn’t want to train and we do something else.

“We would just then catch up afterward.”

 

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