Boxing focusses one one thing, punching, and while there is more to it than people realise, i.e. the footwork is difficult to deal with if you haven't before, and there are internal aspects to learning boxing just as with many martial arts, it is nonetheless the case that one thing is practiced over and over, excluding other usefull stuff (like grappling), until it is frighteningly good. Past a certain point of training it is more about faster and stronger, as I understand, than adding new techniques or dealing with multiple opponents. Perhaps one of the things people don't like is that it isn't easy to outbox someone bigger and stronger than you. I might dislike that, not being particularly big. Mostly I think it's misconceptions, like people thinking because it's punching each other all day it's without skill, honour, refinement, or merit. I think it's a sport, extremely effective within the realm of it's specialisation, and that there are martial arts compatible with it so that you can use that time - tested specialised training more safely in the context of self-defense with the addition of the types of fighting (kicks, grappling, throws, locks, etc) outside the realm of the sport.
Because it's alright for 'real' martial artists to bash our styles, but it's disrespectful for us to bash theirs, for a start I think it's to do with the media, particularly martial arts films. You watch Jet Li or whoever in a kung fu film pulling off picture-perfect techniques that are far flashier than those in a boxer's repotoire, as well as getting cliches about buddhism and the warrior way preached at you. If western MAists ever do make an appearance, they are portrayed as clumsy, brutish and ineffective (e.g. the black boxer type guy in Kiss of the Dragon). This isn't helped by the fact that boxing matches look far less flashy than kung fu films; only punches are used, and things don't go quite as cleanly for Lennox Lewis as they do for Jet Li. Furthermore, heavyweight boxing dominates the coverage of it. This leads to the illogical stereotype that boxing relies on brute force and not skill, despite the fact that Mike Tyson was one of the hardest punchers and best heavyweight boxers ever despite being one of the lightest in his division, and that boxers compete in several weight divisions so that it is a contest of skill rather than strength. Finally, because of the "I know the secret deadly dragon fist technique" idea espoused by the kung fu films, people gauge skill in terms of how many techniques you know, so boxing is dubbed as "unskillful" simply because there are relatively few moves. Martial arts is weird like that in that skill is measured in how many moves you know rather than how well you actually perform. This is absolutely right IMO. Injuries do occur in boxing, but they get blown out of proportion in comparison to other sports because people expect boxing to be dangerous.
Boxing is based on knocking your opponant out and hitting and not being hit- it rules. The fighters know this, but sadly some of the Martial fartists surround themselves in fantasy ignorance.
man,there are many morons in the world who would say that maybe cause they are jelious from you so,dont pay attention for them PEACE
Simply because they dont know what they are talking about. Boxing is all good as there is nothing sweeter than watching a true pugilist in action You have to love it
I read somewhere that in 2002 boxing had less reported injuries than Cheerleading. Dangerous Sport? errm Most people diss boxing because of high profile fools like Tyson, and the fact that they have little or no knowledge of boxing outside of 'Rocky'.
But then Tyson could turn around and say "why do people mock me, they dont know me" And we're in the same circle over and over again. Comments like that do actually help people to mock boxers. Think you should pick up his biography, you might find it interesting.
i agree with you completely- when i started boxing i was amazed at the amount of strategy and form etc- since then ive fallen in love with it i copied and pasted your last paragraph into a file i have full of quotes and small bits of philosophy- ive thought the same as you for a long time now i just never seen it worded so well, from the start of time people have fought its natural
People mock boxing because they have little or no combative ability and they want to make themselves feel better about it.
Wow, thanks. To me the idea of man and violence is something that seems obvious... but it's not until I talk with many friends who aren't into boxing or any form of martial arts that I realize that most people are under the assumption that somehow man is able to transcend violence.... that man is somehow not an animal. The reality of it is that man is an animal and agression and violence are part of the deal. To me, it seems that boxing is a healthy outlet for the innate agression that man has. In the western world and with western thought there is so much polarization... good v.s. bad, black v.s. white - you get the idea. But I think that polarizing things is far too simplistic - it somehow attempts to dumb down a complex subject. Personally I doubt it... the animal that is man and violence are inseperable - it's continual prescence throughout history would seem to bear this out. People often hold up Mike Tyson... he's about 1% of boxing. If that. There are literally hundreds of thousands of boxers out there... but because the media hungry public wants to sate their gawking urges they will eat up anything sensational about Tyson. There are hundreds of boxers with class - if not thousands. But the media choses to focus on the loudmouths... many times it's not even the boxers but the managers and the promoters and hanger's on. To me many of them always seemed to be scum (Don King etc.) who would never have the heart or discipline to get in the ring themselves... but like moth's to a flame.. here they come with dollar signs in there eyes. People critical of boxing can usually be summed up in two camps... those who know jack shizznizz about the sport etc... and need a cause to go against, something to sound like a tough guy because they can't prove it in the ring - and those who know a little bit - maybe this is the worst kind... they maybe train in MA's but have usually never had to fight a boxer and are living in fantasy land about what boxing is or isn't.
I took the meaning of the thread to be boxers generally (as in anyone who practices boxing), not specific boxers, as i have no problem with mocking specific boxers. I would mock any high profile individual who threatens to eat peoples children and goes round raping people.
Well both my brothers are boxer, I used to do it and also dated a boxer. To be fair I do know a lot of boxers who are morons and are bashed up, but most of them aren't. But I also know 1st hand that it's tough and it takes dedication. I think people put boxers in to this category the same way that people reckon all teenagers are yobs when its only a minority that are. All you can really do is show your not like that and explain to people who want to know that not so many people are.
I know a few people who think of boxers as brainless fools who just throw punches and hope they hit.... :bang:
