why is western boxing underrated?

[Broadsword2004]

Hmmm, well, in the Greek Olmypics the fighters boxed each other bare-knuckle and the fighting went on for hours, without rounds and without water. But the fights were also a lot more bloody and I don't think involved the kind of heavy-on punching modern boxing does. The punches were heavy and hard, but I mean there wouldn't be soooooooo many done to each fighter every 3 minutes the way there are in modern boxing (I don't think so anyways).

I saw on a kung-fu documentary a guy who went to Shaolin Temple to train and he saw a monk doing western boxing, so he said to the monk, "Why are you doing western boxing??" and them monk said, "Well, overall, kung-fu is superior, but western boxing is more practical."

Boxing is very good also because punching is like humanity's most primal fighting instinct. Any idiot knows about making a fist, in every culture. Granted, not everyone knows HOW to properly make a fist, but everyone knows the technique: "Curl up fingers into ball, punch at opponent, damage occurs to them hopefully."

[HuSanYan]

good thread folks, hi TomYum, good comments mate.....

i am currently having the time of my life with Boxing (2 private lessons per week) and I believe that anyone verbally putting down boxing skills as a means of self defense is truly blind in every sense of the word, I also used to train muay thai which i also think is great, I remember at the time I used to look down at western boxing a little bit simply due to lack of kicks, elbows & knees.
I now fully realise that all you really need to get yourself out of trouble in the real world is the ability to punch fast and well and to be able to use good foot movement.

the above comments come from a seasoned Jutsuka..btw

I would recommend to anyone, take up Boxing and do not clutter your mind with 50 different types of traps, deflections etc etc as per the now long in the tooth Wing Chun debates..........
take care all

ps, forgot to mention the most important aspect of getting used to taking many many punches, this does a great deal of good in preventing that 'tensing up' type of feeling when getting hit as by the time you have done a few months training you are so used to taking the blows that you simply dont bother about it too much.

[Tom Yum]

good thread folks, hi TomYum, good comments mate.....

i am currently having the time of my life with Boxing (2 private lessons per week) and I believe that anyone verbally putting down boxing skills as a means of self defense is truly blind in every sense of the word, I also used to train muay thai which i also think is great, I remember at the time I used to look down at western boxing a little bit simply due to lack of kicks, elbows & knees.
I now fully realise that all you really need to get yourself out of trouble in the real world is the ability to punch fast and well and to be able to use good foot movement.

the above comments come from a seasoned Jutsuka..btw

I would recommend to anyone, take up Boxing and do not clutter your mind with 50 different types of traps, deflections etc etc as per the now long in the tooth Wing Chun debates..........
take care all

ps, forgot to mention the most important aspect of getting used to taking many many punches, this does a great deal of good in preventing that 'tensing up' type of feeling when getting hit as by the time you have done a few months training you are so used to taking the blows that you simply dont bother about it too much.

Thanks HuSan. I completely agree with what you've said.

If you get back into muay thai and start sparring, you'll notice that your polished boxing skills will pay off. Not only will you be harder to hit, but you'll be able to hit faster, and counter more aggressively with your boxing skills alone. Just goes to show the effectiveness of the sweet science. Your style might change a little, you'll probably throw fewer kicks and will need to get back into clinch work but still the benefits are huge.

[sherwinc]

I would recommend to anyone, take up Boxing and do not clutter your mind with 50 different types of traps, deflections etc etc as per the now long in the tooth Wing Chun debates..........
take care all

WingChun have only 2 punches......
1. Sun Fist
2. Chain Punch

Western Boxing have 6 punches.....
1. Cross Punch
2. Hook Punch
3. Roundhouse Punch
4. Uppercut Punch
5. Straight Punch
6. Jab

Note:
Maybe you are correct that LESS TECHNIQUES ARE THE BEST COMPARE TO MANY.........

[Tom Yum]

WingChun have only 2 punches......
1. Sun Fist
2. Chain Punch

Western Boxing have 6 punches.....
1. Cross Punch
2. Hook Punch
3. Roundhouse Punch
4. Uppercut Punch
5. Straight Punch
6. Jab

Note:
Maybe you are correct that LESS TECHNIQUES ARE THE BEST COMPARE TO MANY.........

Actually, there are 4 punches in boxing.

1. Jab
2. Cross
3. Hook
4. Uppercut

They can be thrown with a fair amount of variation, angle and therefore get names like straight or round house. A straight is a cross that doesn't roll over. A roundhouse is still a hook and thrown with proper mechanics, but has a little longer radius.

You can throw a hook parallel to the ground or at a 45 degree angle. The angled hook is sometimes referred to as a shovel hook, because it digs into your opponent like a shovel digs into the ground body due to its unique angle wheras a regular hook smashes from an angle parallel to the ground.

If you want to get super technical, then an uppercut is simply a hook that is purpendicular to the ground.

[darrianation]

[QUOTE=sherwinc]

Note:
Maybe you are correct that LESS TECHNIQUES ARE THE BEST COMPARE TO MANY.........

Now how long have I been relling you this? It's about time you begin to listen.

[darrianation]

When you look at natural humanistic actions and reactions in the form of fighting or assault you will see two main things happen. 1) Boxing, 2) clinching (or grabbing), this is what people with and without training do naturally. So, if you can train in these two areas gain skill, speed, and power you are going to be a force to be reckoned with.

Regardless of what MA you do, some good ol’ boxing will do you good.

[Beginner]

When you look at natural humanistic actions and reactions in the form of fighting or assault you will see two main things happen. 1) Boxing, 2) clinching (or grabbing), this is what people with and without training do naturally. So, if you can train in these two areas gain skill, speed, and power you are going to be a force to be reckoned with.

Regardless of what MA you do, some good ol’ boxing will do you good.

This is very true. I'm not really a boxer but I did train back home for a month. My fighting changed a lot. I would've wanted to train more but I had to cut it short to leave for the US. In just a month of training, I looked at close range fighting so much differently. Come to think of it, I should pick it up again here.

[HuSanYan]

sherwinc, there are still so many moves to learn in wc let alone spending half a year doing Siu Lim Tao and thats just to get started.

I know for sure what I would be better off with if given a choice between 6 months full contact boxing training/sparring or 6 months Wing Chun (any of the freakin lineages).

the above is just an example, of course 6 months is not enough to be truly advanced at any art/sport.

TomYum good point about the polished boxing skills making a person very much more difficult to hit and yes I agree with the application of this upon returning to MT (if I do)..
take care

[sherwinc]

sherwinc, there are still so many moves to learn in wc let alone spending half a year doing Siu Lim Tao and thats just to get started.

I know for sure what I would be better off with if given a choice between 6 months full contact boxing training/sparring or 6 months Wing Chun (any of the freakin lineages).

the above is just an example, of course 6 months is not enough to be truly advanced at any art/sport.

the only thing that i learned in WingChun is its 18Hands and its two punches(sun, and chainpunches)

i did not learned its vast switches instead i combined those WC 18hands and 2punches to my 55 ChiDianBun Hands plus the 25 hands of NgoChoKun......

not to mention my incomplete TaiChiChuan and other incomplete kungfu's such as AngKa, etc........

[HuSanYan]

well sherwin, at least you have put a lot of effort into learning stuff which I can respect a lot....

[Chilly Dog]

oh, i also wanted to mention that fists are deadly. the only reason boxers go so many rounds is because of the gloves. without the gloves it only takes a few hits to put down a person. barehanded body shots can easily break ribs, and shots to the face will break bones and draw blood with ease.

I'm not sure this is true. Fists are obviously deadly, but a very seasoned trainer I respect once told me that gloves have actually allowed boxers to punch harder, because they protect the hand. The reason they were added is because people are much more likely to cut without them, and the bleeding from flesh wounds was impacting both the outcome of fights and public tolerance for them. He said that serious injuries actually became more prevalent after the advent of gloves. I never did research on what he said, but it made sense to me.

As for people not respecting boxing, I agree that it's because they've never been in the ring. When I started boxing, I had just obtained my black belt. I'd take more (and harder) punches in one three minute round of boxing than I would an entire advanced sparring class. The average boxer would destroy the average black belt.

[sherwinc]

The average boxer would destroy the average black belt.

very true, extremely true, i agree with it.........

[Chilly Dog]

very true, extremely true, i agree with it.........

OR the average Wing Chun instructor.

[darrianation]

A decent boxer will destroy just about anyone! As long as the fight stays in striking range the boxer will have his way.