Tweet
I recently came across the following excellent article about boxing on RossBoxing and thought it was worthy of posting for the benefit of all Boxers on Defend.net
>>>>>>>>>>article begins here>>>>>>>>
Most people think boxing is for fools. Most people think it’s too brutal. Granted, it doesn’t look like much to the untrained eye. Two barbarians squaring off, trying to hit the other hard enough to cause them unconsciousness. It sounds primitive in those terms, I agree. But to the trained eye, the battle before him is an improvisational ballet, a duet; it’s a manuscript of genius being written and rewritten in the blink of an eye. Its tactical sequences would even be impressive to the most proficient and creative military field generals.
To me, a boxing match is as creative and inspirational as The Nutcracker, and as delicate and precise as Swan Lake. Grueling workouts consisting of the most strenuous and often tedious exercises are performed daily in order to learn rhythm and timing. Years are spent perfecting basic footwork and balance. A successful fighter must not only be faster, more powerful, and more accurate than his opponent, but must also be gentle and efficient with movement. A boxer must flow with a punch and circle from danger with the poise and grace of a highly trained master of balance and footwork. It’s not luck when he evades an attack; it’s the manifestation of a finely honed perception. While sight is based on the physical ability to use the eyes, perception relies on intuition. One can notice when watching a bout, the fighters never look at one another. They look through each other, sensing the attack and perceiving the next move before it happens, not guessing.
Boxing is a chess match. It is a game of skill, wits, and strategy. Thinking on your feet is the only option. Tactics change constantly. Decisions are being analyzed, evaluated, and implemented in microseconds. Planning strategy is difficult under any circumstances, but a boxer must strategize, plan and plot while his heart pounds and muscles ache with fatigue, all while keeping his adrenaline under control and dodging punches. Even so, the boxer never appears tense or in disarray. He doesn’t lose heart. His emotions are always in check while under attack. This is how he trains to appear. It is no small task. Every few seconds the dance takes on new shapes, like dueling soloists on a stage too small for the both of them. The improvisation of movement and energy of a close bout is rivaled only by the blistering fast runs of a Charlie Parker solo, while the rhythm and grace of the fighters can only be analogous to a series of endless pirouettes by Barishnakov.
I don’t believe boxers are modern day warriors or gladiators. These titles trivialize their true talents. I believe they are supreme athletes, but with the passion and grace of an inspired artist. They create masterpieces out of the most fundamental materials: matter, time, and space. Boxing is beautiful. It is the epitome of poetry in motion. In fact, even the most well developed poem only has a remote chance of shedding light on an experience that synchronizes the body, mind, and soul. I can only ask that the next time you watch a boxing match, you do so with a new set of eyes. Look at the spirit of the boxer, as it resides on a higher level, waiting to reveal itself to those that find meaning in all of man’s endeavors.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>article ends here>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>article begins here>>>>>>>>
Most people think boxing is for fools. Most people think it’s too brutal. Granted, it doesn’t look like much to the untrained eye. Two barbarians squaring off, trying to hit the other hard enough to cause them unconsciousness. It sounds primitive in those terms, I agree. But to the trained eye, the battle before him is an improvisational ballet, a duet; it’s a manuscript of genius being written and rewritten in the blink of an eye. Its tactical sequences would even be impressive to the most proficient and creative military field generals.
To me, a boxing match is as creative and inspirational as The Nutcracker, and as delicate and precise as Swan Lake. Grueling workouts consisting of the most strenuous and often tedious exercises are performed daily in order to learn rhythm and timing. Years are spent perfecting basic footwork and balance. A successful fighter must not only be faster, more powerful, and more accurate than his opponent, but must also be gentle and efficient with movement. A boxer must flow with a punch and circle from danger with the poise and grace of a highly trained master of balance and footwork. It’s not luck when he evades an attack; it’s the manifestation of a finely honed perception. While sight is based on the physical ability to use the eyes, perception relies on intuition. One can notice when watching a bout, the fighters never look at one another. They look through each other, sensing the attack and perceiving the next move before it happens, not guessing.
Boxing is a chess match. It is a game of skill, wits, and strategy. Thinking on your feet is the only option. Tactics change constantly. Decisions are being analyzed, evaluated, and implemented in microseconds. Planning strategy is difficult under any circumstances, but a boxer must strategize, plan and plot while his heart pounds and muscles ache with fatigue, all while keeping his adrenaline under control and dodging punches. Even so, the boxer never appears tense or in disarray. He doesn’t lose heart. His emotions are always in check while under attack. This is how he trains to appear. It is no small task. Every few seconds the dance takes on new shapes, like dueling soloists on a stage too small for the both of them. The improvisation of movement and energy of a close bout is rivaled only by the blistering fast runs of a Charlie Parker solo, while the rhythm and grace of the fighters can only be analogous to a series of endless pirouettes by Barishnakov.
I don’t believe boxers are modern day warriors or gladiators. These titles trivialize their true talents. I believe they are supreme athletes, but with the passion and grace of an inspired artist. They create masterpieces out of the most fundamental materials: matter, time, and space. Boxing is beautiful. It is the epitome of poetry in motion. In fact, even the most well developed poem only has a remote chance of shedding light on an experience that synchronizes the body, mind, and soul. I can only ask that the next time you watch a boxing match, you do so with a new set of eyes. Look at the spirit of the boxer, as it resides on a higher level, waiting to reveal itself to those that find meaning in all of man’s endeavors.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>article ends here>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>