Sunday, May 12, 2013

Boxing Through The Ages

By Nolan Barias


While mixed martial arts seems like a relatively new development in the world of sports, each of the roots of MMA derive from sports and martial arts that are thousands of years old. Boxing, for example, was a spectator sport as far back the days of ancient Egypt, Assyria and Babylon. Boxing, in an early form, was even part of the first Olympic games around 680 B.C.E.

While one can presume that boxing didn't suddenly disappear, recordings of boxing matches are fairly scarce until the late 17th century when there are published accounts of bare-knuckle boxing in England. The sport was highly popular in England, and there were even official rules for the sport, known as Broughton's Rules. Broughton not only created rules for the game, he also invented the first type of padded gloves.

Broughton's rules continued to evolve and change until about 1867, when the Marquess of Queensbury financed the publication of uniform boxing rules, and while they weren't written by him, they are known as the Marquess of Queensbury Rules. Most of these rules are still in practice today in the professional boxing world.

The Queensbury rules include a dozen regulations that range from the size and shape of the boxing ring, the length of rounds and total number of rounds in a full match. Rules about gloves, referees and coaching also were included in these rules.

The sport of boxing was primarily a way for fighters to earn money during this time and, of course, gambling was a huge part of every fight. However, when the modern Olympic Games were formed, amateur boxing leagues were established with the emphasis resting on boxing as an art form and sport and not as a financial enterprise. The rules for amateur boxing are different, with shorter bouts and more protective gear being among the differences.

Amateur boxing associations are still popular today, and professional boxing is still one of the world's most popular sports. Boxing is also a big part of mixed martial arts training. While MMA fighters shouldn't depend only on their boxing skills or another single method of fighting, there are advantages to having strong boxing proficiency. Boxing classes offer a great way to improve your hand combat skills and your footwork. The larger your skill set, the stronger you will be in a fight.




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