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98-492: The North American Boxing Association ( NABA ) is a boxing governing body which was established in 1997. It is affiliated with the World Boxing Association (WBA) and recognizes champions in 17 weight classes . Its rules specify that fighters' titles are removed if they remain inactive for one year. This boxing-related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Boxing Boxing

196-430: A clinch or ground fighting , but is generally not considered to have knockout power . However, as used as a fulcrum for a joint hyperextention, such as an arm lock in classic jujitsu from stand-up or ground positions, can serve well to break said joint either when being the surface that an elbow is slammed upon or as a surface to balance out the break much as the thigh is for the juji-gatame in judo . Leg strikes are

294-442: A 24-foot-square or similar ring. Rounds were three minutes with one-minute rest intervals between rounds. Each fighter was given a ten-second count if he was knocked down, and wrestling was banned. The introduction of gloves of "fair-size" also changed the nature of the bouts. An average pair of boxing gloves resembles a bloated pair of mittens and are laced up around the wrists. The gloves can be used to block an opponent's blows. As

392-402: A TKO. A TKO is considered a knockout in a fighter's record. A "standing eight" count rule may also be in effect. This gives the referee the right to step in and administer a count of eight to a fighter that the referee feels may be in danger, even if no knockdown has taken place. After counting the referee will observe the fighter, and decide if the fighter is fit to continue. For scoring purposes,

490-641: A bare-knuckle fight was an assault occasioning actual bodily harm , despite the consent of the participants. This marked the end of widespread public bare-knuckle contests in England. The first world heavyweight champion under the Queensberry Rules was "Gentleman Jim" Corbett , who defeated John L. Sullivan in 1892 at the Pelican Athletic Club in New Orleans . The first instance of film censorship in

588-523: A big tendency to miss, rely on brute force more than anything and usually require a run-up. If the charger does hit its intended target however, it can cause both pain and recoil to the target, knocking them over with the striker's kinetic energy being transferred to them and falling over as a result of the force or pain. Strikes in Asian martial arts and Western boxing have many of the same principles in common. These principles apply to strikes with most parts of

686-657: A boxer is seriously injured, if one boxer is significantly dominating the other or if the score is severely imbalanced. Amateur bouts which end this way may be noted as "RSC" (referee stopped contest) with notations for an outclassed opponent (RSCO), outscored opponent (RSCOS), injury (RSCI) or head injury (RSCH). Professional bouts are usually much longer than amateur bouts, typically ranging from ten to twelve rounds, though four-round fights are common for less experienced fighters or club fighters. There are also some two- and three-round professional bouts, especially in Australia. Through

784-527: A combination, or combo, especially in boxing or fighting video games. Strikes are the key focus of several sports and arts, including boxing , savate , karate , Muay Lao , taekwondo and wing chun . Some martial arts also use the fingertips, wrists, forearms, shoulders, back and hips to strike an opponent as well as the more conventional fists, palms, elbows, knees and feet that are common in combat sports. Other sports and arts, such as wrestling employ no strikes in focusing on grappling techniques. There

882-519: A fighter lands a punch that opens a cut on the opponent, and the opponent is later deemed not fit to continue by a doctor because of the cut. For this reason, fighters often employ cutmen , whose job is to treat cuts between rounds so that the boxer is able to continue despite the cut. If a boxer simply quits fighting, or if his corner stops the fight, then the winning boxer is also awarded a technical knockout victory. In contrast with amateur boxing, professional male boxers have to be bare-chested. "Style"

980-472: A formidable technique, it was used successfully by Ian Fergusson (currently 7th degree Tae Kwon Do Master) in the 1981 Tae Kwon Do championships in Argentina earning him an individual bronze medal and contributed to the team international gold medal. Delivered just as with a punch except that the hand is held open like with a knife hand. The intended striking area are the tips of the fingers. The ideal targets are

1078-405: A hammer, but can also be used horizontally like a backfist strike using the bottom fist. This strike will not damage the bones of the hands as there is no compression of the knuckles or metacarpals, and there is no leverage to bend the wrist. The hammerfist strikes cricket ball sized areas on the body, hence is particularly effective for striking the occiput , the temples, the nose, the mandible,

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1176-533: A hard part of the opponent's body or other hard object is inadvertently struck, the carpals , metacarpals , tarsals , metatarsals and phalanges (the wrist, hand, ankle, foot and fingers/toes) may splay and deform on impact and fracture. Martial artists wear wrist and ankle tape and handwear and footwear or other wraps so as to hold the carpals, metacarpals, tarsals, metatarsals and phalanges together and keep them from splaying and deforming, both to avoid causing debilitating injuries to themselves as well as to ensure

1274-634: A man while down, holding the ropes, and using resin, stones or hard objects in the hands, and biting. In 1867, the Marquess of Queensberry rules were drafted by John Chambers for amateur championships held at Lillie Bridge in London for lightweights , middleweights and heavyweights . The rules were published under the patronage of the Marquess of Queensberry , whose name has always been associated with them. There were twelve rules in all, and they specified that fights should be "a fair stand-up boxing match" in

1372-520: A match will personally score the match, and post their scores as an independent sentence in their report. Throughout the 17th to 19th centuries, boxing bouts were motivated by money, as the fighters competed for prize money, promoters controlled the gate, and spectators bet on the result. The modern Olympic movement revived interest in amateur sports, and amateur boxing became an Olympic sport in 1908. In their current form, Olympic and other amateur bouts are typically limited to three or four rounds, scoring

1470-445: A multibillion-dollar commercial enterprise. A majority of young talent still comes from poverty-stricken areas around the world. Places like Mexico, Africa, South America, and Eastern Europe prove to be filled with young aspiring athletes who wish to become the future of boxing. Even in the U.S., places like the inner cities of New York, and Chicago have given rise to promising young talent. According to Rubin, "boxing lost its appeal with

1568-422: A physical strike using the ball of the foot, heel, shin, knee or thigh (the latter is also known as a knee strike). This attack is often used in hand-to-hand combat, especially in stand-up fighting. Kicks play a significant role in many forms of martial arts, such as Taekwondo, Karate, Kung fu , Vovinam , Kickboxing , Muay Thai, Capoeira , Silat , and Kalarippayattu . Delivering a front kick involves raising

1666-455: A point scoring system that measures the number of clean blows landed rather than physical damage. Bouts consist of three rounds of three minutes in the Olympic and Commonwealth Games, and three rounds of three minutes in a national ABA (Amateur Boxing Association) bout, each with a one-minute interval between rounds. Competitors wear protective headgear and gloves with a white strip or circle across

1764-403: A result of the opponent's punch and not a slip, as determined by the referee, the referee begins counting until the fighter returns to their feet and can continue. Some jurisdictions require the referee to count to eight regardless of if the fighter gets up before. Should the referee count to ten, then the knocked-down boxer is ruled "knocked out" (whether unconscious or not) and the other boxer

1862-402: A result of their introduction, bouts became longer and more strategic with greater importance attached to defensive maneuvers such as slipping, bobbing, countering and angling. Because less defensive emphasis was placed on the use of the forearms and more on the gloves, the classical forearms outwards, torso leaning back stance of the bare knuckle boxer was modified to a more modern stance in which

1960-420: A standing eight count is treated as a knockdown. In general, boxers are prohibited from hitting below the belt, holding, tripping, pushing, biting, or spitting. The boxer's shorts are raised so the opponent is not allowed to hit to the groin area with intent to cause pain or injury. Failure to abide by the former may result in a foul. They also are prohibited from kicking, head-butting, or hitting with any part of

2058-491: A system of headbutting, punching, eye-gouging, chokes, and hard throws, not recognized in boxing today. The first boxing rules, called the Broughton Rules , were introduced by champion Jack Broughton in 1743 to protect fighters in the ring where deaths sometimes occurred. Under these rules, if a man went down and could not continue after a count of 30 seconds, the fight was over. Hitting a downed fighter and grasping below

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2156-450: A tendency to dominate. The style of boxing practiced typically featured an advanced left leg stance, with the left arm semi-extended as a guard, in addition to being used for striking, and with the right arm drawn back ready to strike. It was the head of the opponent which was primarily targeted, and there is little evidence to suggest that targeting the body or the use of kicks was common, in which it resembled modern western boxing. Boxing

2254-532: A vulnerable region they can cause pain, for example, hitting an opponent with the shoulder to the nose, striking the upper Quadriceps femoris muscle with the hip, or driving the shoulder into the opponent's solar plexus region . The use of shoulders can also involve charging at the opponent at running speed, similar to a ram or tackle , though a short charge is possible where the attacker simple lunges straight at their opponent with their shoulder. These moves are generally unrefined and unprofessional, since they have

2352-455: Is a combat sport and martial art . Taking place in a boxing ring , it involves two people – usually wearing protective equipment, such as protective gloves , hand wraps , and mouthguards – throwing punches at each other for a predetermined amount of time. Although the term "boxing" is commonly attributed to western boxing, in which only fists are involved, it has developed in different ways in different geographical areas and cultures of

2450-431: Is also a form of karate called goju ryu which focuses on pressure points (joints) in the legs and arms. Arm strikes is the act of striking with some part of the palm, knuckle , arm , elbow, or shoulder. This is usually the elbow, the hand, the forearm, or the back of the wrist. A strike using the palm of the hand. Whether the hand is open or the fingertips are folded against the bottom knuckles, palm strikes hit with

2548-519: Is computed by points based on the number of clean blows landed, regardless of impact, and fighters wear protective headgear, reducing the number of injuries, knockdowns, and knockouts. Currently scoring blows in amateur boxing are subjectively counted by ringside judges, but the Australian Institute for Sport has demonstrated a prototype of an Automated Boxing Scoring System , which introduces scoring objectivity, improves safety, and arguably makes

2646-522: Is from Egypt and Sumer, both from the third millennia, and can be seen in Sumerian carvings from the third and second millennia BC. The earliest evidence of boxing rules dates back to Ancient Greece , where boxing was established as an Olympic game in 688 BC. Boxing evolved from 16th- and 18th-century prizefights, largely in Great Britain, to the forerunner of modern boxing in the mid-19th century with

2744-415: Is knocked down, the other boxer must immediately cease fighting and move to the furthest neutral corner of the ring until the referee has either ruled a knockout or called for the fight to continue. Violations of these rules may be ruled "fouls" by the referee, who may issue warnings, deduct points, or disqualify an offending boxer, causing an automatic loss, depending on the seriousness and intentionality of

2842-414: Is often defined as the strategic approach a fighter takes during a bout. No two fighters' styles are alike, as each is determined by that individual's physical and mental attributes. Three main styles exist in boxing: outside fighter ("boxer"), brawler (or "slugger"), and inside fighter ("swarmer"). These styles may be divided into several special subgroups, such as counter puncher, etc. The main philosophy of

2940-884: Is related to other forms of martial arts found in other parts of the Indian cultural sphere including Muay Thai in Thailand, Muay Lao in Laos, Pradal Serey in Cambodia and Lethwei in Myanmar. In Ancient Greece boxing was a well developed sport called pygmachia , and enjoyed consistent popularity. In Olympic terms, it was first introduced in the 23rd Olympiad , 688 BC. The boxers would wind leather thongs around their hands in order to protect them. There were no rounds and boxers fought until one of them acknowledged defeat or could not continue. Weight categories were not used, which meant heavier fighters had

3038-417: Is ruled the winner by knockout (KO). A "technical knock-out" (TKO) is possible as well, and is ruled by the referee, fight doctor, or a fighter's corner if a fighter is unable to safely continue to fight, based upon injuries or being judged unable to effectively defend themselves. Many jurisdictions and sanctioning agencies also have a "three-knockdown rule", in which three knockdowns in a given round result in

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3136-433: Is similar to a roundhouse kick, and the jumping or flying knee. While less common, other parts of the body are used in specific strikes. In a bottom strike, as taught by Impact self-defense and other self-defense systems, the defendant drives his or her hips and bottom region backward into an attacker holding them from behind in order to cause the attacker to off-balance and bend forward and possibly cause pain by striking

3234-805: The Rig Veda ( c. 1500–1000 BCE) and Ramayana ( c. 700–400 BCE). The Mahabharata describes two combatants boxing with clenched fists and fighting with kicks, finger strikes, knee strikes and headbutts during the time of King Virata . Duels ( niyuddham ) were often fought to the death. During the period of the Western Satraps , the ruler Rudradaman —in addition to being well-versed in "the great sciences" which included Indian classical music , Sanskrit grammar , and logic—was said to be an excellent horseman, charioteer, elephant rider, swordsman and boxer. The Gurbilas Shemi , an 18th-century Sikh text, gives numerous references to musti-yuddha . The martial art

3332-636: The Olympic Games and other tournaments sanctioned by AIBA . This was done in part to level the playing field and give all of the athletes the same opportunities government-sponsored boxers from socialist countries and post-Soviet republics have. However, professional organizations strongly opposed that decision. Amateur boxing may be found at the collegiate level, at the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games , Asian Games , etc. In many other venues sanctioned by amateur boxing associations. Amateur boxing has

3430-508: The anterior part of the shoulder . It is commonly used in Bajiquan , the “ Eight Extremities Fist ”, as an explosive attack from the ‘ zhen jiao’ (charging step) motion. This move is also commonly featured in many Japanese manga and fighting games, as the martial art is known in Japanese as Hakyyokuken . The shoulder strike can be used against the head of the opponent in close positions such as in

3528-445: The eyes and throat. This technique is generally unsuitable against most other targets due to the high probability of it breaking one's fingers. It does have the added advantage of increasing the range of normal hand striking by 3–4 inches or so as opposed to punching, backfisting, or hammer fisting. It is considered a high-level technique requiring enormous conditioning, but even accidental spear fingering can be quite devastating on

3626-408: The hand closed into a fist is called a punch , a strike with a fingertip is called a jab or poke , a strike with the leg or foot is called a kick , and a strike with the head is called a headbutt . There are also other variations employed in martial arts and combat sports . "Buffet" or "beat" refer to repeatedly and violently striking an opponent; this is also commonly referred to as

3724-534: The instep is used to strike, whereas in Muay Thai, kickboxing and mixed martial arts the shin is used. To execute, the attacker swings their leg sideways in a circular motion, kicking the opponent's side with the front of the leg, usually with the instep, ball of the foot, toe, or shin. An important variation is the downward roundhouse kick, nicknamed the Brazilian Kick from recent MMA use: A more pronounced twist of

3822-489: The knee and foot of the striking leg to the desired height, also known as chambering, and extending the leg to contact the target, typically with the upper body straight and balanced. The actual strike is usually delivered by the ball of the foot . Thrusting one's hips is a common method of increasing both reach and power of the kick; depending on practitioner's particular needs, a front kick may involve more or less body motion. Front kicks are typically aimed at targets below

3920-407: The nose , jaw , ears , back of the head , the groin , the kidneys , the temples and abdominal cavity . Some combat sports, such as Pancrase , have forbidden strikes using the clenched fist but permitted strikes using the palm. Use a stiff arm as an example, from a standing position, left hand up in guard and right hand at your side, shoot your right arm upward hitting with the forearm, since

4018-472: The 1867 introduction of the Marquess of Queensberry Rules . Amateur boxing is both an Olympic and Commonwealth Games sport and is a standard fixture in most international games—it also has its world championships. Boxing is overseen by a referee over a series of one-to-three-minute intervals called "rounds". A winner can be resolved before the completion of the rounds when a referee deems an opponent incapable of continuing, disqualifies an opponent, or

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4116-451: The American middle class, and most of who boxes in modern America come from the streets and are street fighters". The Marquess of Queensberry Rules have been the general rules governing modern boxing since their publication in 1867. A boxing match typically consists of a determined number of three-minute rounds, a total of up to 9 to 12 rounds with a minute spent between each round with

4214-511: The United States occurred in 1897 when several states banned the showing of prize fighting films from the state of Nevada, where it was legal at the time. Throughout the early twentieth century, boxers struggled to achieve legitimacy. They were aided by the influence of promoters like Tex Rickard and the popularity of great champions such as John L. Sullivan. The modern sport arose from illegal venues and outlawed prizefighting and has become

4312-633: The World. In global terms, "boxing" today is also a set of combat sports focused on striking , in which two opponents face each other in a fight using at least their fists, and possibly involving other actions, such as kicks , elbow strikes , knee strikes , and headbutts , depending on the rules. Some of these variants are the bare-knuckle boxing , kickboxing , Muay Thai , Lethwei , savate , and sanda . Boxing techniques have been incorporated into many martial arts , military systems , and other combat sports. Humans have engaged in hand-to-hand combat since

4410-405: The adjoining bones of the humerus and the forearm . They can either be linear or circular, and can be used in similar fashion to a standard hook , uppercut , or overhand . Elbow and knee strikes, especially when delivered from a clinch are generally associated with southeast Asian boxing ( Pradal Serey and Muay Lao ). A shoulder strike(also referred to as a shoulder butt) is a strike with

4508-424: The arm other than the knuckles of a closed fist (including hitting with the elbow, shoulder or forearm, as well as with open gloves, the wrist, the inside, back or side of the hand). They are prohibited as well from hitting the back, back of the head or neck (called a "rabbit-punch") or the kidneys. They are prohibited from holding the ropes for support when punching, holding an opponent while punching, or ducking below

4606-498: The back of the head. It is a non-lethal alternative to performing a karate-chop on the assailant's exposed neck. Hand strikes can be delivered with an extended knuckle, rather than the classic fist configuration used for a traditional punch. One of the fingers is moved forwards so that the impact is made with the knuckle, concentrating force onto a smaller area. This kind of strike is optimized for attacks to pressure points . Deriving from traditional and ancient Kung Fu , such striking

4704-400: The belt of their opponent (dropping below the waist of your opponent, no matter the distance between). If a "clinch" – a defensive move in which a boxer wraps their opponent's arms and holds on to create a pause – is broken by the referee, each fighter must take a full step back before punching again (alternatively, the referee may direct the fighters to "punch out" of the clinch). When a boxer

4802-654: The best boxing strategists due to their ability to control the pace of the fight and lead their opponent, methodically wearing him down and exhibiting more skill and finesse than a brawler. Out-fighters need reach, hand speed, reflexes, and footwork. Notable out-fighters include Muhammad Ali , Larry Holmes , Joe Calzaghe , Wilfredo Gómez , Salvador Sánchez , Cecilia Brækhus , Gene Tunney , Ezzard Charles , Willie Pep , Meldrick Taylor , Ricardo "Finito" López , Floyd Mayweather Jr. , Roy Jones Jr. , Sugar Ray Leonard , Miguel Vázquez , Sergio "Maravilla" Martínez , Wladimir Klitschko and Guillermo Rigondeaux . This style

4900-426: The body, such as kicks and punches , as an act of human aggression , has existed across the world throughout human history , being a combat system as old as wrestling . However, in terms of sports competition , due to the lack of writing in the prehistoric times and the lack of references, it is not possible to determine rules of any kind of boxing in prehistory, and in ancient times only can be inferred from

4998-440: The bottom part of the palm, where the hand meets the wrist. The hand is held perpendicular to the wrist to avoid hitting the softer inner wrist tissue against the target. The bottom ridge of the palm is a surprisingly solid striking surface, and can do just as much damage as a closed fist when utilized properly (some studies have shown that a palm strike actually can produce more energy than a punch), with far less risk of injury to

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5096-422: The boxers, based on punches and elbows that connect, defense, knockdowns, hugging and other, more subjective, measures. Because of the open-ended style of boxing judging, many fights have controversial results, in which one or both fighters believe they have been "robbed" or unfairly denied a victory. Each fighter has an assigned corner of the ring, where their coach, as well as one or more "seconds" may administer to

5194-432: The chest: abdomen, thighs, groin, knees or lower, however advanced practitioner have the capability of striking head-level targets with the front kick. The side kick refers to a kick that is delivered sideways in relation to the body of the practitioner. There are two areas that are commonly used as impact points in sidekicks: the heel of the foot and the outer edge of the foot. The heel is more suited to hard targets such as

5292-400: The contestants did not have heavy leather gloves and wristwraps to protect their hands, they used different punching technique to preserve their hands because the head was a common target to hit full out. Almost all period manuals have powerful straight punches with the whole body behind them to the face (including forehead) as the basic blows. The British sportswriter Pierce Egan coined

5390-661: The earliest days of human history. The origins of boxing in any of its forms as a sport remain uncertain, but some sources suggest that it has prehistoric roots in what is now Ethiopia , emerging as early as the sixth millennium BC. It is believed that when the Egyptians invaded Nubia , they adopted boxing from the local populace, subsequently popularizing it in Egypt. From there, the sport of boxing spread to various regions, including Greece , eastward to Mesopotamia , and northward to Rome . The earliest visual evidence of any type of boxing

5488-514: The early 20th century, it was common for fights to have unlimited rounds, ending only when one fighter quit, benefiting high-energy fighters like Jack Dempsey . Fifteen rounds remained the internationally recognized limit for championship fights for most of the 20th century until the early 1980s , when the death of boxer Kim Duk-koo eventually prompted the World Boxing Council and other organizations sanctioning professional boxing to reduce

5586-439: The eyes such as punching mistakes seen in modern MMA circuits. A strike utilizing the hand with the fingers closed into a fist and striking with the knuckles (as opposed to the hammer fist described below). There are various methods of punches, including but not limited to the straight lead, the backfist, the jab, and the vertical punch. The hammerfist is a strike with the bottom of a clenched fist, using an action like swinging

5684-669: The few intact sources and references to the sport. The origin of the sport of boxing is unknown, however according to some sources boxing in any of its forms has prehistoric origins in present-day Ethiopia , where it appeared in the sixth millennium BC. When the Egyptians invaded Nubia they learned the art of boxing from the local population, and they took the sport to Egypt where it became popular. From Egypt, boxing spread to other countries including Greece , eastward to Mesopotamia, and northward to Rome. The earliest visual evidence of any type of boxing comes from Egypt and Sumer both from

5782-406: The fight is ruled the winner. With three judges, unanimous and split decisions are possible, as are draws. A boxer may win the bout before a decision is reached through a knock-out; such bouts are said to have ended "inside the distance". If a fighter is knocked down during the fight, determined by whether the boxer touches the canvas floor of the ring with any part of their body other than the feet as

5880-471: The fight to go to a decision if enough rounds (typically four or more, or at least three in a four-round fight) have passed. Unheard of in the modern era, but common during the early 20th Century in North America, a "newspaper decision (NWS)" might be made after a no decision bout had ended. A "no decision" bout occurred when, by law or by pre-arrangement of the fighters, if both boxers were still standing at

5978-545: The fight's conclusion and there was no knockout, no official decision was rendered and neither boxer was declared the winner. But this did not prevent the pool of ringside newspaper reporters from declaring a consensus result among themselves and printing a newspaper decision in their publications. Officially, however, a "no decision" bout resulted in neither boxer winning or losing. Boxing historians sometimes use these unofficial newspaper decisions in compiling fight records for illustrative purposes only. Often, media outlets covering

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6076-407: The fighter at the beginning of the fight and between rounds. Each boxer enters into the ring from their assigned corners at the beginning of each round and must cease fighting and return to their corner at the signalled end of each round. A bout in which the predetermined number of rounds passes is decided by the judges, and is said to "go the distance". The fighter with the higher score at the end of

6174-403: The fighters resting in their assigned corners and receiving advice and attention from their coach and staff. The fight is controlled by a referee who works within the ring to judge and control the conduct of the fighters, rule on their ability to fight safely, count knocked-down fighters, and rule on fouls. Up to three judges are typically present at ringside to score the bout and assign points to

6272-408: The fighters weigh under 165 pounds (75 kg), thus allowing them to wear ten ounce gloves. A punch is considered a scoring punch only when the boxers connect with the white portion of the gloves. Each punch that lands cleanly on the head or torso with sufficient force is awarded a point. A referee monitors the fight to ensure that competitors use only legal blows. A belt worn over the torso represents

6370-671: The forehead. It is known as a risky maneuver: a misplaced headbutt can cause more damage to the person delivering the headbutt than to the person receiving it. Checking involves striking with the side of the body, at the hip or shoulder, by shifting your balance and pushing with the furthest foot to drive the body into the opponent with force. While these movements are used extensively in ice hockey (see checking (ice hockey) ) they can be performed equally well on dry ground and are part of various self-defense techniques. These strikes rarely cause damage, but are used to off-balance or knock an opponent down. However, when applied with ample power and to

6468-400: The former to fight for the prize, which was accepted by the latter. Proper sidesmen were chosen, and every matter conducted in form. After several knock-down blows on both sides, the battle ended in favour of Mary Farmery. The London Prize Ring Rules introduced measures that remain in effect for professional boxing to this day, such as outlawing butting, gouging, scratching, kicking, hitting

6566-409: The foul. An intentional foul that causes injury that prevents a fight from continuing usually causes the boxer who committed it to be disqualified. A fighter who suffers an accidental low-blow may be given up to five minutes to recover, after which they may be ruled knocked out if they are unable to continue. Accidental fouls that cause injury ending a bout may lead to a "no contest" result, or else cause

6664-426: The groin or midsection forcefully. While causing minimal striking damage on average, the attack can serve to develop a superior and/or freed position for the defendant. A headbutt is a strike with the head, typically involving the use of robust parts of the cranium as areas of impact. Effective headbutting revolves around striking a sensitive area with a less sensitive area, such as striking the nose of an opponent with

6762-430: The groin. The ridge hand is generally considered obsolete in the martial arts and highly circumstantial. The conditioning required to effectively use it is usually better suited towards basic conditioning of other more natural parts of the body, such as punching or kicking. For example, the buckling that can occur on an unconditioned and sometimes even highly conditioned fighter when using the technique and slightly missing

6860-423: The hips allows for a downward end of the trajectory of the kick that is very deceiving. A knee strike (commonly referred to simply as a knee) is a strike with the knee , either with the kneecap or the surrounding area. The most common is the straight knee strike, often employed from a clinch or double collar tie , targeting anywhere from the groin to the head . Variants include the curved knee strike, which

6958-539: The human body. These principles are typically learned by martial artists through multiple repetitions under the supervision of a qualified instructor. Many martial arts and texts include these principles, such as karate and Jeet Kune Do . This is only a partial list. Besides applying the mechanical elements described above, strikers use particular strategies to help ensure their strikes are effective. Among these strategies are: The human hand and foot are made up of many small bones which may be damaged by heavy impact. If

7056-403: The knife hand strike include the mastoid muscles of the neck, the jugular, the throat, the collar bones, the 3rd vertebra (key stone of the spinal column), the upper arm, the wrist (knife hand block), the elbow (outside knife hand block), and the knee cap (leg throw). In many Japanese and Chinese martial arts systems, the knife hand is used to block as well as to strike. By tucking the thumb into

7154-660: The knockout. A boxer must be well rounded to be effective using this style. Notable boxer-punchers include Muhammad Ali, Canelo Álvarez , Sugar Ray Leonard, Roy Jones Jr., Wladimir Klitschko, Vasyl Lomachenko , Lennox Lewis , Joe Louis , Wilfredo Gómez, Oscar De La Hoya , Archie Moore , Miguel Cotto , Nonito Donaire , Sam Langford , Henry Armstrong , Sugar Ray Robinson , Tony Zale , Carlos Monzón , Alexis Argüello , Érik Morales , Terry Norris , Marco Antonio Barrera , Naseem Hamed , Thomas Hearns , Julian Jackson and Gennady Golovkin . Strike (attack) There are many different varieties of strikes. A strike with

7252-400: The knuckle. There are cases however, where white ended gloves are not required but any solid color may be worn. The white end is just a way to make it easier for judges to score clean hits. Each competitor must have their hands properly wrapped, pre-fight, for added protection on their hands and for added cushion under the gloves. Gloves worn by the fighters must be twelve ounces in weight unless

7350-556: The latter winning the prize. Early fighting had no written rules. There were no weight divisions or round limits, and no referee. In general, it was extremely chaotic. An early article on boxing was published in Nottingham in 1713, by Sir Thomas Parkyns, 2nd Baronet , a wrestling patron from Bunny, Nottinghamshire , who had practised the techniques he described. The article, a single page in his manual of wrestling and fencing, Progymnasmata: The inn-play, or Cornish-hugg wrestler , described

7448-400: The limit to twelve rounds. Headgear is not permitted in professional bouts, and boxers are generally allowed to take much more damage before a fight is halted. At any time, the referee may stop the contest if he believes that one participant cannot defend himself due to injury. In that case, the other participant is awarded a technical knockout win. A technical knockout would also be awarded if

7546-405: The lower limit of punches – any boxer repeatedly landing low blows below the belt is disqualified. Referees also ensure that the boxers don't use holding tactics to prevent the opponent from swinging. If this occurs, the referee separates the opponents and orders them to continue boxing. Repeated holding can result in a boxer being penalized or ultimately disqualified. Referees will stop the bout if

7644-399: The main targets (eyes, neck, or nose) can do more damage to the striker, even when he hits decent targets instead, like the jaw or forehead. As such, it is considered a high-level and highly-circumstantial technique in the martial arts that still teach the technique, such as most forms of karate, tae kwon do, jujitsu, and kung fu. The ridge hand technique is very swift and when mastered can be

7742-417: The opponent resigns . When the fight reaches the end of its final round with both opponents still standing, the judges' scorecards determine the victor. In case both fighters gain equal scores from the judges, a professional bout is considered a draw . In Olympic boxing, because a winner must be declared, judges award the contest to one fighter on technical criteria. Hitting with different extremities of

7840-421: The other hand has to check low let it pass by the bicep of the right arm, as you add more power and speed you end up slapping your bicep on the way by. A strike using the part of the hand opposite the thumb (from the little finger to the wrist), familiar to many people as a karate chop , Shuto or Tegatana . This refers to strikes performed with the side of the knuckle of the small finger. Suitable targets for

7938-399: The palm, a striking surface called the ridge-hand, or reverse knife-hand is formed, extending a few inches along the inside of the hand below the first knuckle of the first finger. Ridge-hand strikes commonly are delivered with a hooking motion, or with a straight arm swinging sideways. Suitable targets include the mastoid muscles of the neck, the jugular, throat , nose, jaw, the eyes, and

8036-402: The ribs, stomach, jaw, temple and chest. A sidekick is performed by first chambering the kicking leg diagonally across the body, then extending the leg in a linear fashion toward the target, while flexing the abdominals. Also referred to as a round kick, or turning kick , this is the most commonly used kick in combat sports due to its power and ease of use. In most traditional martial arts,

8134-421: The small bones of the opponent's hand, causing its grip to loosen. This lets the practitioner transition smoothly into a small joint manipulation technique. However, its effectiveness when the opponent is aware that a fight is occurring has been disputed, with evidence hard to obtain due to the nature of the art and its disuse in sport, combat, sparring, or matches. An elbow strike is any type of attack utilizing

8232-670: The sport more interesting to spectators. Professional boxing remains by far the most popular form of the sport globally, though amateur boxing is dominant in Cuba and some former Soviet republics. For most fighters, an amateur career, especially at the Olympics, serves to develop skills and gain experience in preparation for a professional career. Western boxers typically participate in one Olympics and then turn pro, while Cubans and boxers from other socialist countries have an opportunity to collect multiple medals. In 2016, professional boxers were admitted in

8330-429: The striker's own hand. The palm strike is useful as it is thrown in a more relaxed manner than a clenched fist. This is because clenching the fist shortens the extensor muscles of the wrist which counter the action of flexor muscles of the wrist used in punching. Many martial arts teach to keep the fist clench relaxed until impact in order to maximize the speed of the punch. Targets are numerous and some examples include

8428-636: The styles is, that each style has an advantage over one, but disadvantage over the other one. It follows the rock paper scissors scenario – boxer beats brawler, brawler beats swarmer, and swarmer beats boxer. A classic "boxer" or stylist (also known as an "out-fighter") seeks to maintain distance between himself and his opponent, fighting with faster, longer range punches, most notably the jab, and gradually wearing his opponent down. Due to this reliance on weaker punches, out-fighters tend to win by point decisions rather than by knockout, though some out-fighters have notable knockout records. They are often regarded as

8526-463: The term "the sweet science" as an epithet for prizefighting – or more fully "the sweet science of bruising" as a description of England's bare-knuckle fight scene in the early nineteenth century. Boxing could also be used to settle disputes even by females. In 1790 in Waddington, Lincolnshire Mary Farmery and Susanna Locker both laid claim to the affections of a young man; this produced a challenge from

8624-569: The third millennium BC. A relief sculpture from Egyptian Thebes ( c.  1350 BC ) shows both boxers and spectators. These early Middle-Eastern and Egyptian depictions showed contests where fighters were either bare-fisted or had a band supporting the wrist. The earliest evidence of use of gloves can be found in Minoan Crete ( c.  1500 –1400 BC). Various types of boxing existed in ancient India . The earliest references to musti-yuddha come from classical Vedic epics such as

8722-601: The torso is tilted forward and the hands are held closer to the face. Through the late nineteenth century, the martial art of boxing or prizefighting was primarily a sport of dubious legitimacy. Outlawed in England and much of the United States, prizefights were often held at gambling venues and broken up by police. Brawling and wrestling tactics continued, and riots at prizefights were common occurrences. Still, throughout this period, there arose some notable bare knuckle champions who developed fairly sophisticated fighting tactics. The English case of R v. Coney in 1882 found that

8820-408: The waist were prohibited. Broughton encouraged the use of "mufflers", a form of padded bandage or mitten, to be used in "jousting" or sparring sessions in training, and in exhibition matches. These rules did allow the fighters an advantage not enjoyed by today's boxers; they permitted the fighter to drop to one knee to end the round and begin the 30-second count at any time. Thus a fighter realizing he

8918-402: The wearing of weapons became common once again and interest in fighting with the fists waned. However, there are detailed records of various fist-fighting sports that were maintained in different cities and provinces of Italy between the 12th and 17th centuries. There was also a sport in ancient Rus called kulachniy boy or 'fist fighting'. As the wearing of swords became less common, there

9016-515: The word "boxing" first came to be used. This earliest form of modern boxing was very different. Contests in Mr. Figg's time, in addition to fist fighting, also contained fencing and cudgeling. On 6 January 1681, the first recorded boxing match took place in Britain when Christopher Monck , 2nd Duke of Albemarle (and later Lieutenant Governor of Jamaica ), engineered a bout between his butler and his butcher with

9114-411: The wrist (for blocking punches), the testicles, the sternum, and the ear (although a cupped hand is more effective). The hammerfist is sometimes used during " ground-and-pound " striking in mixed martial arts to avoid damaging the bones of the hand. The hammerfist can also be used to counter grappling charges wherein the assailant goes low, grabs the defender's legs, and gives the defender a concussion to

9212-534: Was a popular spectator sport in Ancient Rome . Fighters protected their knuckles with leather strips wrapped around their fists. Eventually harder leather was used and the strips became a weapon. Metal studs were introduced to the strips to make the cestus . Fighting events were held at Roman amphitheatres . Records of boxing activity disappeared in the west after the fall of the Western Roman Empire when

9310-520: Was also used by fictional boxer Apollo Creed . A boxer-puncher is a well-rounded boxer who is able to fight at close range with a combination of technique and power, often with the ability to knock opponents out with a combination and in some instances a single shot. Their movement and tactics are similar to that of an out-fighter (although they are generally not as mobile as an out-fighter), but instead of winning by decision, they tend to wear their opponents down using combinations and then move in to score

9408-409: Was considered high level technique for advanced students/inheritors of the art. The accuracy required alongside the conditioning requirements (similar to the knuckles for traditional punching) put it as a circumstantial technique and not as a standard one. Some modern martial arts, such as Krav Maga , Aikido , Hapkido , deliver this strike to the back of the hand while being held. It puts pressure on

9506-414: Was in trouble had an opportunity to recover. However, this was considered "unmanly" and was frequently disallowed by additional rules negotiated by the seconds of the boxers. In modern boxing, there is a three-minute limit to rounds (unlike the downed fighter ends the round rule). Intentionally going down in modern boxing will cause the recovering fighter to lose points in the scoring system. Furthermore, as

9604-477: Was renewed interest in fencing with the fists. The sport later resurfaced in England during the early 16th century in the form of bare-knuckle boxing , sometimes referred to as prizefighting . The first documented account of a bare-knuckle fight in England appeared in 1681 in the London Protestant Mercury , and the first English bare-knuckle champion was James Figg in 1719. This is also the time when

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