Boxing or boxing is one of the oldest and most well-known combat sports, which involves the meeting between two different athletes inside a combat field called a ring. The two boxers face each other by hitting each other with clenched fists for a certain amount of time. They are protected by special gloves, in order to weaken and be able to send the opponent to the ground.
Boxing is a sport that can be practiced competitively by amateurs and professionals, but also non-competitively through modern recreational disciplines.
Boxing is a demanding and complete sport, which requires a very extensive preparatory study by the contenders, according to the exchange of blows that takes place in the ring.
The boxers fight in a ring measuring 5 meters by 5 metres, with the dimensions inside the ropes going down to 4 meters by 4, and which houses only the contestants and the referee. Boxers try to punch each other without being hit by the opponent.
During the bout the contestants are forbidden to turn their backs to the opponent. Only strikes made with the knuckles of the fist on the opponent’s upper body, from the waist up to the forehead, are permitted.
In addition, holding, pushing, hand-to-hand combat and turning to the side are prohibited.
Boxing: what is it
The word boxing comes from the Latin pugilatus, which derives its origin from pugil, a term that indicates the athlete who fights with a fist.
Athletes who practice this sport are called boxers, but also boxers or pugilists. Boxing is also called Boxe, a French term for this sport.
Boxing: ethics and values
As demonstrated by its history and its diffusion, boxing has established itself as a sport of redemption, especially for those who want to conquer a better life.
In fact, many champions have a difficult past behind them, and by practicing this sport they have sought redemption and learned many values. Respect for the master, the opponent, the referee and the rules are basic values for a boxer.
Dedication and punctuality are also important aspects for the athlete’s growth, who can then spend them in daily life. In boxing, success, given the large number of matches, is achieved in the ring one step at a time.
The boxer submits the opponent in compliance with the rules. The search for ethics is justified by the desire to obtain otherwise unreachable personal goals:
- athletics.
- Creativity.
- resistence.
- Psycho-dynamic balance.
There are also five principles on which boxing is based, which serve as a guide to positively evaluate boxing:
- responsibility.
- Integrity of the person.
- Healthy competition.
- Absolute respect for the other.
- Self overcoming.
Boxing: fights and rules
During the fight, the referee can start counting, which is used to give the boxer in difficulty a break, and has a minimum duration of 8 seconds and a maximum of 10.
If the knocked down boxer fails to recover in time, the referee interrupts the bout and issues his verdict, without consulting the judges at ringside, who then informs of his decision.
In order for the referee to carry out the count, it is necessary that a boxer who has received regular hits is:
- to the ground.
- Partially off the ropes.
- Clinging to the ropes.
- Leaning on the ropes.
- In passive defense.
When the count reaches 10, the boxer suffers defeat by KO.
In addition to the KO, a fight can end with the end of the scheduled rounds or due to abandonment or medical intervention.
The verdict is established by the referee or judges, who determine the winner if the match takes place in its entirety. The judges count the points for each round and award the victory to whoever has the most, establishing them on the basis of:
- regular shots.
- Correctness.
- Offensive and defensive technique.
The improprieties
During the match some strikes and some actions are prohibited, considered as improprieties and therefore as fouls. The forbidden hits are different:
- hitting with the back of the hand, cut or palm.
- Striking with the head, shoulder or forearm.
- Turn around and strike.
- Hitting the opponent on the ground or in invalid parts.
In addition to the prohibited shots, there are some fouls, which are attributable to irregular conduct:
- use the ropes (get momentum, lean on them, touch them).
- Hold and hit.
- Pushing the opponent, his head, or burdening him from above.
- Dangerous conduct (dropping head below opponent’s belt, putting head under opponent’s chin).
- Disloyal conduct (stamping on the opponent’s feet).
- Simulation.
- Lack of competitive spirit (offending the opponent, running on the square, turning one’s back to the opponent).
- Disobey the referee.
- Bite.
- Get rid of the mandatory protections.
- Hold the advanced glove straight, obstructing the opponent’s vision.
- Strike despite orders to break or stop.
Boxing clothing and protections
The protections provided for by the regulation are mandatory, and if the athlete voluntarily deprives them of them, he would incur a sanction by the referee. If a protection breaks, it can be replaced within 5 minutes, under penalty of suspension of the match.
The hands for donning gloves must be bandaged, with the length and width of the bandages differing between amateurs and professionals, with the latter using longer bandages in the face of lighter boxing gloves.
Furthermore, the use of a helmet is mandatory, which must be worn after entering the ring and must be approved. Generally used by amateurs, professionals don’t make use of it.
The use of the protective belt is foreseen, it serves to protect against blows that accidentally reach under the belt.
In addition to the belt, the boxer must also wear a mouthguard, which cannot be red as it would mask the blood flow.
Last and most important protection, gloves, which serve to protect the hands and must be worn before entering the ring. Removing the gloves before the end of the fight indicates abandonment of the latter.
There are several types of boxing gloves:
- bag, which have a free thumb.
- For amateurs, 10 or 12 oz.
- With antishock for professionals.
- It was 8 to 10.
- For children.
- For sparring, 14oz or heavier.
Boxing: the technique
The physical qualities required for a boxer are those related to:
- speed.
- forza.
- agility.
- resistence.
Besides that, boxing also requires aerobic and anaerobic efforts. Precisely for this reason, training is aimed at improving resistance over time, through running, jumping rope and bodyweight workouts, as well as improving strength and developing muscle mass.
Boxing also requires a high tolerance threshold for pain and fatigue. Therefore, if the tactical part must be developed with patience and experience, the technical one, made up of attacks, defenses and movements, must be improved with practice.
The technical baggage of a boxer is made up of his skill in performing the individual techniques, whether they are:
- attack.
- Defence.
- Guardia.
- Shift.
Attack techniques
In boxing, there are three attacks, and they can be launched with the front or back hand.
- Direct. The English term Jab generally means the direct light left, aimed at the action of disturbance, while the right is called Cross. To strike with the front fist, the shoulders are rotated, while to strike with the rear fist, the whole body must be rotated.
- Hook. Powerful strike that draws its strength from the leverage provided by the shoulder, hip rotation, and right-angle arm position. It is the closing shot par excellence, and expresses its maximum effectiveness when executed at short distance.
- Upright. Circle strike performed to push away an opponent who gets too close. It is performed from bottom to top.
You dodge them
In addition to attacks, there are three types of dodges in boxing, all derived from the type of attack you want to dodge (punch, hook or uppercut).
Defense in boxing: the techniques
The defensive actions are the most diverse, and depend above all on the guard, whether right or left.
- Absorption. It consists of moving slightly in the direction of the blow to dampen its impact.
- Lowering. It is used against targeted blows to the head such as jabs and hooks, and consists of getting down on your knees without taking your eyes off your opponent.
- Coverage. The boxing gloves are used as a shield, brought almost to eye level with the elbows tucked in and the arms rigid.
- Deviation. One hand is used to deflect a blow to the side.
- Locking. With a part of the body he blocks a blow that lands.
- Parade. The forward punch is used to block the opponent’s blow that comes from the same side.
- Bending. From the guard position, lower yourself to your knees in a U-shaped movement towards your opponent.
- Sway Back. Torso movement to dodge a blow.
- Slipping. Movement for which you meet the blows but get out of their trajectory while dodging them.
- Bob and Weave. Translated as “crouch and sway,” it is an aggressive dodge to use when attacking.
The guard
The guard is a technical factor that influences the boxer’s attack and defense possibilities. There are various types of guards, with some being used only at certain times.
- Normal. Right or left forward, it is based on a semi-frontal attitude.
- Guard with left hand down. The left is kept low while maintaining a semilateral position, in order to have a more balanced and mono…
