Arjay E.

Amba PE2N – M9

History and Rules of Boxing

I. History and Development of the Sport

A. Early History

 Boxing was practiced in 4000 BC in North Africa. A crude form of fist fighting was
popular in the Sumerian civilization. A crude form of fist fighting, similar to Sumerian
fistfight, was popular in Ancient Egyptian civilization and Minoan civilization in its crude
form.

 Boxing was popular in Greece, Rome and several parts of Europe long ago and Augustus
banned the fighting. It is said that since the sport grew very popular and distracted people,
in the year 500 AD Theodosius banned the sport. Earlier people fought with leather
strapped around their hands. Boxing in very early days were lethal. The slaves and convicts
were fighting to gain independence in Rome. Even in those days common men boxed as
sports to prove their might and skills.

B. Modern Boxing

 The earliest forms of pugilism arrived on the British Isles when the Romans conquered
them in the first century. The first recorded history of boxing as a public spectacle began in
18th century England. The typical early boxing matches were fought bare knuckles and
were no holds barred contests that included wrestling.

A circle of spectators formed the “ring”. There was no referee, no rounds, and no time
limit. It was a brutal affair with the object to fight until one man was finished, unable to
continue he would give up. Bouts routinely lasted for hours and NO tactic was forbidden.
For many decades no consideration was given to the weight of opponents and there was no
official recognition of champions or challengers.

 Boxing's first recognized champion was James Figg who built his Amphitheatre and
became the first recognized "boxing champion" in 1719.

 Jack Broughton, who is the father of “boxing rules”, succeeded Taylor. In 1734 he
formed the first boxing code, which forbids eye gouging, and hitting a fallen opponent
when he was down. "Broughton's Rules" governed boxing from 1734 until 1838, under
the reformed named "London Prize Ring Rules", which stated that a round ended when
one fighter went down or his knee touched the ground. Broughton also introduced the idea
of blocking and some defense to the sport.

 Daniel Mendoza was the first Jewish fighter to gain a championship. He was very
intelligent and made many contributions to the development of boxing as an art form.
 Mendoza devised a system of guarding, sidestepping, and effective use of a straight left
jab. His new tactics were extremely successful and he captured the imagination of the
British public with his skill. Relying on superior agility and speed he won the British
Championship in 1791. His concentration on defense revolutionized boxing.

 In 1838, The London Prize Ring rules were introduced in a bid to regulate the sport and
slowly boxing started to reemerge in England, and eventually the United States. The most
important rule in this set was the introduction of 24 square feet boxing ring in which the
bouts were to take place.

 In 1865 John Douglas made prominent rules to systematize the sports. He provided a lot
for the improvement of boxing. He made twelve important rules which include the very
important rule of three minute rounds and approval of boxing gloves.

 In England, prize ring devotee John Sholto Douglas, the ninth Marquees of Queensbury,
agreed to sponsor a set of rules, written by Arthur Graham Chambers, to cover gloved
contests. These new rules were first put into practice in 1867 in the first "Queensbury
Amateur Tournament" and since no prize money was involved it was not subject to the
"anti-prize fight" statute. 

 The mouth guard was invented in 1902. Welterweight fighter Ted “Kid” Lewis used the
mouth guard for the first time in 1913.

 The first sanctioning body for this sport - the National Boxing Association (NBA), which
is known as the World Boxing Association (WBA) today, came into existence 1927. It
was followed by organizations such as the International Boxing Federation (IBF), World
Boxing Council (WBC) and the World Boxing Organization (WBO) in a bid to put in
efforts to make boxing one of the most popular sport in human history. The ever-rising
popularity of boxing speaks in volumes about their success.

II. Nature and Mechanics of the Game

Boxing is a combat sport and martial art in which two people fight using their fists for
competition. Boxing is typically supervised by a referee engaged in during a series of one- to three-
minute intervals called rounds, and boxers generally of similar weight.
A boxing match typically consists of a determined number of three-minute rounds, a total of up to
12 rounds. A minute is typically spent between each round with the fighters in their assigned corners
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 the
boxers, based on punches that connect, defense, knockdowns, and other, more subjective, measures.
With three judges, unanimous and split decisions are possible, as are draws.
There are three ways to win; if the opponent is knocked out and unable to get up before the referee
counts to ten seconds (a knockout, or KO) or if the opponent is deemed too injured to continue
(a Technical Knockout, or TKO), or if there is no stoppage of the fight before an agreed number of
rounds, a winner is determined either by the referee's decision or by judges' scorecards.
In general, boxers are prohibited from hitting below the belt, holding, tripping, pushing, biting,
spitting or wrestling. The boxer's shorts are raised so the opponent is not allowed to hit to the groin
area. They also are prohibited from kicking, head-butting, or hitting with any part of 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 neck or head (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 the belt of their opponent (dropping below the
waist of your opponent, no matter the distance between).
In boxing, each fighter is given a corner of the ring where he rests in between rounds and where
his trainers stand. Typically, three men stand in the corner besides the boxer himself; these are the
trainer, the assistant trainer and the cutman. The trainer and assistant typically give advice to the boxer
on what he is doing wrong as well as encouraging him if he is losing. This is of particular importance
because many fights are stopped because of cuts that threaten the boxer's eyes.

III. Rules for the Amateur Boxing Games

Amateur boxing is practiced at the collegiate level, at the Olympic Games and Commonwealth

Games, and in many other venues sponsored by amateur boxing associations. Before becoming a
professional fighter, boxers must train diligently and earn experience as amateur boxers. The
regulations for amateur boxing differ from those in the professional ranks. These differences are
meant to protect the fighter while helping them become acclimated to actual competition.

 Equipments and Materials needed:

 Hand wraps are used to secure the bones in the hand, and the gloves are used to protect the
hands from blunt injury, allowing boxers to throw punches with more force than if they did not
utilize them.
 Gloves have been required and the gloves weigh 10 ounces and feature a white strip on the
main hitting area around the knuckles.
 A mouth guard is important to protect the teeth and gums from injury, and to cushion the jaw,
resulting in a decreased chance of knockout.
 All boxers are required to have soft soled shoes, which minimizes the damage from accidental
or intentional stepping on feet. The construction of the shoe is up to the fighter, with many
inside fighters preferring textured rubber soles for increased traction
  In amateur boxing, each boxer wears shorts approved by the sanctioning body in the color of
their corner. In professional boxing, the color and design of the shorts is left up to each fighter
and is not regulated.

 Game Proper

 Whichever sports body is sponsoring the amateur boxing game will decide how many minutes
per round the matches will be, and it can vary from 2 to 3 minutes per round. However the
number or rounds will remain the same. For the Olympic Games and commonwealth games,
rounds there are 4 rounds that last 3 minutes each. For other fights such as those sponsored by
the amateur boxing association the rounds last only 2 minutes
 Officials are in charge of making sure play is fair, as well as watching that proper movements
are made in the ring, he is the main man in the ring conducting correct boxing behavior and
addressing any violations that happen in the fight in the ring.

 Scoring

 For a boxer to score points, he must hit the head or body of his opponent, above the belt, with
the knuckles of his gloves. Each ringside judge has a computer scoring button to press for each
boxer, and three of the five must hit their button within one second of each other for the point
to register.
 When boxers are fighting up close, called infighting, a point is awarded to the boxer with the
best of the exchanges.
 Non-scoring blows include punches that infringe the rules, punches that use any part of the
glove except the knuckles, and those which do not have the weight of the body or shoulder
behind them.
 Fighters are fighting up close during the infighting; whoever throws the better punches and
moves is awarded with scores. Any moves that infringe the rules of amateur matches are not
awarded, such as punches that did not land on the white strip of the gloves knuckles or those
that lack weight.

IV. Basic Skills of the Game

 Stance and Footwork

There are many different variations on fighting stance, almost as many stances as there are
fighters. Footwork is any kind of non punching movement you take. Footwork can also be an
important part of punching as you step into a blow. 

 Circling is a way of moving that allows you to come around the opponent without having
to move in a straight line. Side Stepping is a useful trick for getting yourself into a better position
to counter punch. Simply take a short step to either side, followed by a quick step-drag from the
trailing foot; this is useful against an opponent who likes to charge in as it puts you at a slight
angle, perfect for counter hooking.
 Jab
The most basic and most commonly used punch in the sport, the jab is the first weapon of a
boxer's arsenal. There are several ways to throw it, but the first way you should learn is the classic
jab. A quick step forward, or a twisting of the body towards your target while throwing your lead
hand (left if your right handed, right if you're a lefty) to slam your first into an opponent.
The jab is not a power punch; it does not knock people out normally unless thrown in
combos. It is an excellent way to set up your opponent however, and it is quick so you can smash a
few in at a time to wear down your foe over a long period. It operates in the shortest distance
between yourself and the opponent. It can be used as a form of attack or defense and once you
have a beautiful jab, you can control a fight.

 Cross
The next most common punch is the cross; it is a rear hand punch, and usually a power
punch. To properly execute, plant your lead foot and pivot on your rear foot in toward your target.
At the same time as your pivoting throw your punch and connect with the full weight of your
body. This punch is best when thrown behind a jab or flurry of jabs as the lead punch will help to
cover your intentions.
The cross is used as a form of attack but it can be used as a counter to stop your opponent
coming forward. Or really as a powerpunch to take control of a fight.

 Hook
Most commonly thrown with the lead hand, the hook is a powerful punch responsible for
many knockouts. To properly execute picot hard on your lead foot, imagine that you're stomping
out a cigarette or squishing a bug under your toes. Keep your rear foot planted for power and
throw all of your weight into the hook. To properly throw the punch, throw your arm forward as
usually then sharply hook in before impact.
It is quite difficult to learn the hook because you have to arch and turn your body into the
shot. But it comes out of your line of vision and done properly, you can’t see it coming.

 Uppercut
Either hand uppercut really begins the same way. First off, never drop your arm to perform
the punch. The uppercut, as with all punches, begins from the check/chin. Drop your body low to
one side, whichever side you're throwing from, and fire the punch from your chin as you rise,
punching upward into your foe. Your arm will be bent the same as if you were hooking, just at a
different angle. This punch is easy to spot, even for an amateur, so throw it as the end of a flurry of
jabs and crosses or as a surprise when you come up out of a duck.

You bring the uppercut up and it comes underneath your opponent’s jaw, who can’t see it
coming and it does look very dramatic. It is a dangerous punch because when you throw it, you do
leave yourself open. It’s more effective when you’re fighting inside.
 Defense

a. Block - The most basic defense is the simple block, all you do for this is to allow your
opponent to hit your glove/forearm to avoid an attack.

b. Parry - A little more involved than the block, the parry is the act of taking your glove and
swiping the incoming punch away

c. Slip - Moving your head to the side is all a slip really is, but you have to do it fast. The best
way to slip is 'in' which means towards the opponent. So if your foe is trying to tag you with a
cross, slip left, this puts you in a better position to counter punch from the inside.

d. Duck - The next logical step from slipping is the duck, in which you bend at both knees and
waist, keeping your eyes glued on your opponent. 

e. Cover-Up – Covering up is the last opportunity (other than rolling with a punch) to avoid an
incoming strike to an unprotected face or body. 

f. Clinch – Clinching is a rough form of grappling and occurs when the distance between both
fighters has closed and straight punches cannot be employed.