Philosophy of Boxing

[Jumbie]

So, I was watching the Ruiz/ Jones Jr. Fight the other night and I thought to myself: That guy is a great strategist and he's got incredible skills. (Jones, Not Ruiz, for the clueless :-)).

 

I so often hear people (OK, I mean women, though there are many guys) talk about how boxing is not a sport. "It's just two guys beating each other up so that other men can feel masculine."

 

Every so often someone will die in the ring and there's a great cry all over for a ban on boxing. Doctors will get up and talk about how boxing is the only sport where the object is to cause a head injury (a concussion) to the opponent.

 

The opponents of boxing generally fall into 2 camps: 1- The "It;s not really a sport and it's too brutal. No one should be allowed to risk their wellbeing that way" crowd and 2 - the "It's another example of males being indoctrinated into seeing violence as the preferable way to deal with their emotions." feminazi/ family values dumbasses.

 

First off to the ones who think it's not a sport. *I*'ve never even tried on boxing gloves. But I can tell when something takes talent, skill, strategy, preparation and above all, Heart.

 

But lets talk about fatality. That sometimes happens in sports. NASCAR, F1 and jetboat racers know that all to well. An average of 4 people a year die skydiving (more than boxing).

 

Can anyone honestly say that accidental death is a reason to disqualify boxing from being a sport. 8 people a year die in their bathtubs!

 

Boxers are all in it because they like it. They're looking for a test. No one, not even the dumbest fighter, gets into a ring defenceless. Do people get hurt? Yes. Is it brutal? On occasion. But the added dimension of violence cannot take away from the fact that this is basically a contest of ability. It can stand up as a sport under any definition of sport created.

 

IN fact, the concept of sport that we know today evolved from military and hunting training exercises handed down through the ages. YOu think the Javelin has a pointy end just so that it'll stick in the ground better? What about the arrows used in archery? Those not directly involved in teaching skills, contribute to the fitness needed for the activity, like sprinting, hurdling and weightlifting.

 

 

 

The second group however opposes boxing for exactly these reasons. They're the ones that blame boxing (and football and tractor pulls and GI JOE) for causing men to act violently.

 

Remember a few years ago when everyone felt guilty about watching the Superbowl because recent statistics had shown that women got battered more on Superbowl Sunday? Guess what. That was a lie! an urban legend that some reporter mentioned and got misinterpreted. Same with boxing. Boxing does not CAUSE violence in it's audience. It does not ENCOURAGE or PROMOTE it as a problem solving method. In fact, I'd reckon that the sport of boxing keeps violence outside of mainstream society.

 

Many supporters of boxing defend it with the assertation that it teaches self defense, survival instinct and love of achievement. These arguments fail with detractors because they think that mankind has no need for violence. "Sure, back in the stone age, when we had to fight it out with mastodons, it was a good idea to know how to wield a club, but we're CIVILIZED now... We've fought our way to the top of the food chain and we don't need to hit each other."

 

This argument usually insinuates that violence is somehow alien to nature. That humans' tendency to fight is a human failing that the animals don't have.

 

Bullshit. YOu think lions are vegetarians? (actually I'd ahve to start a whole other thread if I go off on the anti-meat jerks. Not the pro veggie group mind you...)

 

Take the most placid animal you can think of: A deer? They fight each other all the time. Over mating rights and leadership roles and territory.

 

I think that the urge to fight is a key survival tool for all species. Those who think boxing is wrong for being violent are deluded about the nature of life.

[The NZA]

Ah, the sweet science...

as somethin of a (former, hopefully again sometime) boxer, id say this: its one of the best cardio workouts, even if you dont actually spar. Great for stress/catharsis if you need that kinda thing i guess. great for confidence in other matters as well. I think, like with many martial arts, its taught in such a manner that you shouldnt have to use it to truly harm another.

Its worlds away from real fights, with biting (outside of Tyson), pickin up a brick, weapons, cheap shots, etc. The general feel is just completely different, if its not youre doin it wrong.

On the pro level, yeah ive heard the colloseum analogies, usually by the same losers who feel the need to rant on bout how fake wrestling is...its entertainment, youre entertained by dumb things too, shut up and learn what subjective means.

Damn i wish i could catch the Jones fights, that's my boy there and i hear he's heavyweight champ now too, woo hoo!

[Unidentified Source]

I stopped following boxing after I got into MMA.

[Jumbie]

What's MMA?

[The NZA]

I like it when people throw out acronyms without sayin what they stand for, me & chief used to have fun with that. Ill give it the first go: Monkey Masturbators Annonymous.

[Andy Varley]

I fight,

 

 

 

I am a Thai Boxer,

 

 

 

You know why I do it?

 

 

 

It's fun (at least until the other guy unleashes a whole six pack of Whoopass on you, I'm a super heavy weight, and it hurts)

[Unidentified Source]

MMA = Mixed Martial Arts, like UFC/Pride Fighting. Once I realized how useless a boxer vs someone that can do MMA type stuff is in a real fight, I stopped getting as much into boxing, although don't get me wrong, I still do like it.

[The NZA]

Eh...a lot of mix & match martial arts have turned up in recnet times...im not sure just how "useful" any of em are.

My understanding of American martial arts is this: roughly, those ending wiht "-do" are meant to be "a way", as in an art done to better yourself as an individual: kendo, judo, etc. Meaning the skills might not be immidieately useful in a "real fight" but there's many other benefits; and how often are you in a real fight anyway?

Those with "-itsu" are meant as "arts of war", the more direct ends of them: Kenjutsu, Jujitsu, etc. So if youre hardcore about kicking someone's ass (read: you have something to prove), or just enjoy the more practical end of it - i wish they taught Kenjutsu here in the states - these arts are for you.

Here in Fort Worth, its said there's a sensei who's one of the only stateside who teaches a practical form of Tai Chi, which from my understanding over here is usually a defensive art, focusing on harmony, etc. So i guess, as always, it depends on the teacher too.

Bruce Lee's own Jeet Kun Do, for instance, as i understand it, was something of a mesh of arts..he picked up a bit of Tae Kwon Do (mostly legwork from a distance) and mixed it with more hand-to-hand techniques of speed, but its been discredited by many as im told..worked for him tho. Im sure that wanker Seagal's personalized art is the best i his eyes.

Myself, ive taken nothing beyond entry level Shotokan karate (with old board member Kee), Judo, Kendo, and a bit of Iaido, and a few years of boxing. I personally dig boxing, its a great cardio workout, and having been in a few scraps back in the day, i tend to get in close and use my fists - legs only come in with knee shots, and i havnt taken any Mui Thai - in all honesty, arts ive learned often go right out the window if im mad/dumb enough to get into a real fight, its all temper and whatever i can pick up by then usually. But boxing has also helped my speed and defense; im very hard to hit when im going, and i can take it well when i do.

UFC, as an event, bores me cause nowadays only the grapplers win. I used to train a bit with friends from Southridge's wrestling team, and ive learned my lesson: im not a big guy, so if one of these guys gets me on the ground, im pretty much done; i need to keep moving and hopefully finish it on my feet. Grapplers have an advantage there.

I still like what one of our board members, Craig (ghost), said about it all - he's a huge fan of the martial arts: "Look, if the only reason youre in it is to learn how to win fights, ill teach you right now how to defeat any martial art; you ready? Write this down...

Hit the other guy, howver you want, as hard and as fast as you can. If, for some reason, he doesnt fall, do it again!

'oh, but he's trying to grapple me!' Hit him! 'I think he's like channeling his chi to do some 'hands across the water' type shit!' Good! Stick him! and so forth."

[Unidentified Source]

Heh, although I don't agree with your friend's advice, I do agree with boxing's cardio workout. It can be great for the heart, and pretty useful in real fights. However, grapplers are hard to beat because strikers dont usually know what to do once they get into the clinch or end up on the ground. Thats mainly why most are winning in UFC these days.

 

Since most jiu-jitsu, wrestlers, other grapplers, etc. are winning in UFC and other MMA type events such as Pride, Mixed Martial Arts is really starting to be taken literally, since strikers are learning that they need to train in a bit of grappling to become a dangerous opponent, and grapplers need to learn striking as well.

[The NZA]

Fair enough. Personally, invite grapplers to come close enough to lay a hand on when my personal style involves striking with a baseball bat or something similar long before this occurs, but that's largely because sparring's one thing, i dont believe in fighting except as a very last resort, and at that point I'm not standing still long enough for anything.

This one's goin into fight club, but by all means continue the conversation, we havent had much martial arts stuff in here since Kee & Ghost went absent.

[The NZA]

courtesy of chief: Top 10 Knockouts