--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's less about the physical training, in…" description: "\"It's less about the physical training, in the end, than it is about the mental preparation: boxing is a chess game. You have to be skilled enough and h..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/017/jimmy-smits-3297_boxing_it-s-less-about-the-physical-training-in_1788574.jpg" --- # It's less about the physical training, in the end, than it… ![“It's less about the physical training, in the end, than it is about the mental preparation: boxing is a chess game. You have to be skilled enough and have trained hard enough to know how many different ways you can counterattack in any situation, at any moment.” quote by Jimmy Smits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/017/jimmy-smits-3297_boxing_it-s-less-about-the-physical-training-in_1788574.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/017/jimmy-smits-3297_boxing_it-s-less-about-the-physical-training-in_1788574.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/017/jimmy-smits-3297_boxing_it-s-less-about-the-physical-training-in_1788574.jpg) > “It's less about the physical training, in the end, than it is about the mental preparation: boxing is a chess game. You have to be skilled enough and have trained hard enough to know how many different ways you can counterattack in any situation, at any moment.” [Jimmy Smits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-smits/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Physical skill is secondary to mental strategy; boxing requires foresight like chess. **In simple terms:** Mental preparation outweighs physical training. Key Takeaway Focus on strategy, not just strength. Themes strategy mental discipline competition Mood determined focused Type motivational strategic When to use this quote - training sessions - match preparation - coaching - mental rehearsal Key Concepts game theory anticipation adaptability Questions to Reflect On - How can you train your mind to anticipate opponents? - What chess-like strategies apply to other sports? A Different Perspective Physical conditioning alone cannot guarantee success without tactical thinking. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Boxing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boxing/) [Boxing Chess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boxing-chess-1925416/) [Chess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chess/) [Chess game](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chess-game/) [Different](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different/) [Different ways](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different-ways/) [Enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enough/) [Fitness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fitness/) [Hard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard/) [Physical training](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/physical-training/) [Preparation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/preparation/) [Preparation Boxing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/preparation-boxing-1925417/) [Situation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/situation/) [Trained Hard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trained-hard-435903/) [Training](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/training/) [Wrestling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wrestling/) ## Related quotes > [Earlier in my career, I never thought of boxing as a chess game, but I confirm that they are, in fact, very similar. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wladimir-klitschko/earlier-in-my-career-i-never-thought-of-boxing-as-a-chess-game-but-i/) [Wladimir Klitschko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wladimir-klitschko/) > [Boxing and chess are similar. It’s about the choice of means. Sometimes I need a pawn, a bishop or a knight to defeat my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lennox-lewis/boxing-and-chess-are-similar-it-s-about-the-choice-of-means-sometimes/) [Lennox Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lennox-lewis/) > [Chess is similar to boxing. 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It's a good exercise for my brain, like warming up.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/takashi-murakami/i-don-t-always-enjoy-curating-but-i-do-believe-it-s-part-of-my-job-it/) [Takashi Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/takashi-murakami/) > [Some Marines made fun of the fact that I had done plays and studied poetry, but then I won the award for physical training.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hunt/some-marines-made-fun-of-the-fact-that-i-had-done-plays-and-studied/) [David Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hunt/) > [I had to go for physical training for 'Aayirathil Oruvan.' I had to do stunts which required huge leaps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karthi/i-had-to-go-for-physical-training-for-aayirathil-oruvan-i-had-to-do/) [Karthi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karthi/) > [“What Manner Of Men Are These That Wear The Maroon Beret? They are firstly all volunteers and are toughened by physical training. As a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-montgomery/what-manner-of-men-are-these-that-wear-the-maroon-beret-they-are/) [Bernard Montgomery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-montgomery/) > [Ballet dancing is arduous, strenuous activity. Students are engaged in physical training that rivals the training Olympic athletes undergo. At the same time, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-balanchine/ballet-dancing-is-arduous-strenuous-activity-students-are-engaged-in/) [George Balanchine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-balanchine/) ## More by Jimmy Smits > [Growing up in New York, we lived all around the city depending on our economic circumstance. I also lived in Puerto Rico for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-smits/growing-up-in-new-york-we-lived-all-around-the-city-depending-on-our/) [Jimmy Smits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-smits/) > [I left 'L.A. 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Your life becomes an open book, but I've found ways…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-smits/the-most-obvious-thing-that-comes-to-mind-is-the-loss-of-one-s/) [Jimmy Smits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-smits/) > [Michael C. Hall is an incredibly detailed actor who can convey so much with just an eyebrow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-smits/michael-c-hall-is-an-incredibly-detailed-actor-who-can-convey-so-much/) [Jimmy Smits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-smits/) > [The Fourth of July concert is invigorating in so many ways, in terms of what it feels like to be an American.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-smits/the-fourth-of-july-concert-is-invigorating-in-so-many-ways-in-terms/) [Jimmy Smits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-smits/) > [You have to be like a sponge and use what you can and how it relates because TV is fluid. 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It's all instinct. If you stop to think, you're gone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sugar-ray-robinson/you-don-t-think-it-s-all-instinct-if-you-stop-to-think-you-re-gone/) [Sugar Ray Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sugar-ray-robinson/) > [I actually like boxing away from home. It takes the pressure off you a little bit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-degale/i-actually-like-boxing-away-from-home-it-takes-the-pressure-off-you-a/) [James DeGale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-degale/) > [Whether it's Marcos Maidana, Shawn Porter, Amir Khan or Kell Brook, there are a lot of fights out there that I think would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-thurman/whether-it-s-marcos-maidana-shawn-porter-amir-khan-or-kell-brook/) [Keith Thurman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-thurman/) > [I'm a fighter, I love boxing, it's what I do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-mosley/i-m-a-fighter-i-love-boxing-it-s-what-i-do/) [Shane Mosley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-mosley/) > [I first got into boxing when I was quite young. I was about 12 when I won my first boxing match.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-parker/i-first-got-into-boxing-when-i-was-quite-young-i-was-about-12-when-i/) [Joseph Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-parker/) > [Boxing can be so important to young people, it keeps you off the street and you can channel your energy and aggression in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-benn/boxing-can-be-so-important-to-young-people-it-keeps-you-off-the/) [Nigel Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-benn/) > [I'm too fast. I'm too smart. 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But boxing remains my passion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vijender-singh/i-ve-grown-up-with-bollywood-and-i-continue-to-enjoy-it-but-boxing/) [Vijender Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vijender-singh/) [Browse all 2,214 Boxing quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boxing/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It's less about the physical training, in the end, than it is about the mental preparation: boxing is a chess game. 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