In the heyday of John L. Sullivan and bare-knuckle boxing matches in the 19th century, fighters mostly threw snapping punches to the face and hard punches to the body until an opponent was an easy target for a knockout, which is why they adopted a fighting stance that can look a bit comical to spectators of modern boxing.
It was a 'science' not the violent brawling we often see today between two men whom engage in fist fighting. And it was a less than lethal alternative to dueling, which had previously been the preferred method of settling disputes between men for centuries.
Rather than two men settling a dispute with swords, knives, or pistols the fisticuffs (bare knuckle boxing) became a much preferable method of settling a dispute. In the lethal dual one man (perhaps even both) may go to his grave while the survivor may face the hang man's noose, depending upon the laws of the land at the time. And the survivor at the very least would have to worry about the avenging family members of the man whose life he took.
The more civilized answer to all of this was to settle things in a challenge of fisticuffs, man to man, until one man surrendered or could not continue the fight. This was not necessarily meant as a form of close combat defense in a life threatening situation or a battle field combat art, but rather it was more of a method of 'social fighting' albeit could result in very brutal injuries to the participants.
Being a method of 'social fighting' and a less than lethal option for settling disputes among men, it was exercised man to man, or one-on-one if you will. There was originally kicks, head butts and some grappling involved, in addition to the various hand strikes and punches. However it was the gentlemen class of society whom modified it to 'keep it clean', if for no other reason than to avoid maiming injuries which were common in the more brutal form. So the mutual parties would agree to no biting, eye gouging, groin shots, or head butting. And eventually they would agree to no clenches and grappling if one challenger was at a physical disadvantage of weight and brute strength. That way among 'gentlemen' it would be kept to 'clean boxing' with their seconds witnessing the duel and ensuring that both parties gave a fair play.
By it's very nature, it's origins as a less than lethal form of duel between consenting plaintiffs, it being very much a form of 'social fighting', fisticuffs (later to become boxing) was never really meant as a battlefield method of kill or be killed hand to hand combat. It was meant for one-on-one dueling with the empty hands whereas both men could take their time and feel out their opponent, weakening their opponent with precision strikes, chipping away until they could find a chink in their armor and then finish with a knockout blow. Very effective 'science' for the realm of social violence indeed.
However, for facing 'asocial' violence where one's very life is on the line, probably facing edged weapons, and most certainly multiple attackers the fisticuff boxer didn't have the time to chip away at each and every attacker with snapping blows until they were weakened or dazed enough that one could deliver a knockout blow. Particularly when multiple attackers: be they highway robbers, thugs, kidnappers, or bugger men prefer to tackle their victim to the ground in a mass attack. Anyone whose been in a mass attack or even engaged in a simple game of American tackle football or Rugby knows a single man fares a rough chance in remaining on his feet should a small group of strong men wish to take him to the ground. And anyone whose ever witnessed a bare knuckle fight between a boxer and a single wrestler knows that it's very difficult for the boxer to remain standing if he doesn't score a very fortunate knockout before the grappler gets in clinch range. Multiply that by three or more and even a blind man can see the limitations in the social fighting science of fisticuffs or boxing within an 'asocial' situation.
Never the less, the bare knuckle fisticuffs boxing method was very effective given it's purpose and design. Long after the advent of the Marquis of Queensberry Rules boxing became more of a spectator event rather than solely a method of settling a dispute between two men. This brought in the gambling, the fight promoters, scheduled rounds, and eventually the hand protection with gloves.
My understanding is that the use of boxing gloves was introduced precisely to enable fighters to punch one another with full abandon: promoters liked that it made the fights more exciting and never mind the harm done to the fighters along the way. This is part of why the incidence of serious brain trauma among boxers may have increased after the introduction of gloves.
This is also why modern day boxers often break their hands when they try to transfer their sport (gloved) boxing style to the streets in bare knuckle combat.
For one they're still 'swinging for the ropes' as they're accustomed to doing with taped, wrapped, and gloved hands.
Secondly, they pronate until their hands are all the way horizontal as they're use to doing in gloved boxing which can often result in what doctors call a 'boxer's fracture'.
Bare knuckle boxing styles like old school Fisticuffs, Wing Tsun, Kunfa, Jeet kun do, and several others propagate the straight punch or the forty five degree angle (three quarter twist) punch to prevent breaking the conditioned bones and knuckles in the hands when striking above shoulder level during bare knuckle fisticuffs.
Sport boxing is great for training the body but to be applicable for bare knuckle combat it must be modified and trained differently. The fighter's guard, surface area of the fist, and even the intent must all be adapted for bare knuckle boxing.
With gloves the boxer can be more of a head hunter in his strikes as well as fully pronate his punches and hit full power with most any part of his fist. While the old bare knuckle boxers relied more on discombobulating their opponent with sharp snapping strikes to the facial targets followed by powerful knockout blows to the torso targets: liver, solar plexus, floating ribs, kidneys, and the sternum.
All of this being said, let us consider the nature and purpose of which such boxing methods of 'social' combat were designed to serve when we consider our own reasons and purpose for training in the unarmed combat methods.
All methods are like 'tools' and as with tools they are designed for a specific purpose. We can sometimes successfully drive a nail with a large wrench but this does not make that's it's proper purpose and design. And if we were to acquire the proper tool we'd be more appropriately prepared to drive that nail.
In combat: depending upon the terrain, social or asocial setting, threat, intent and many other factors, we must be prepared with the proper method for dealing with each situation prudently.
"Failure to properly prepare means preparing to fail." In the Army we have a saying, 'Train how you fight'. This doesn't mean to actually attempt to maim and kill your partner in training. But it means to train properly for that situation...In other words, don't train sport boxing methods if you're preparing for bare knuckle 'social' violence. Likewise don't train bare-knuckle if you aspire to fight in the sporting ring with gloves.
And finally, don't merely train in 'social' violence methods/sciences if your desire is to prepare for surviving 'asocial' violence.
♣Hoo-ah4Life♣
AnDrew Soldier.
It was a 'science' not the violent brawling we often see today between two men whom engage in fist fighting. And it was a less than lethal alternative to dueling, which had previously been the preferred method of settling disputes between men for centuries.
Rather than two men settling a dispute with swords, knives, or pistols the fisticuffs (bare knuckle boxing) became a much preferable method of settling a dispute. In the lethal dual one man (perhaps even both) may go to his grave while the survivor may face the hang man's noose, depending upon the laws of the land at the time. And the survivor at the very least would have to worry about the avenging family members of the man whose life he took.
The more civilized answer to all of this was to settle things in a challenge of fisticuffs, man to man, until one man surrendered or could not continue the fight. This was not necessarily meant as a form of close combat defense in a life threatening situation or a battle field combat art, but rather it was more of a method of 'social fighting' albeit could result in very brutal injuries to the participants.
Being a method of 'social fighting' and a less than lethal option for settling disputes among men, it was exercised man to man, or one-on-one if you will. There was originally kicks, head butts and some grappling involved, in addition to the various hand strikes and punches. However it was the gentlemen class of society whom modified it to 'keep it clean', if for no other reason than to avoid maiming injuries which were common in the more brutal form. So the mutual parties would agree to no biting, eye gouging, groin shots, or head butting. And eventually they would agree to no clenches and grappling if one challenger was at a physical disadvantage of weight and brute strength. That way among 'gentlemen' it would be kept to 'clean boxing' with their seconds witnessing the duel and ensuring that both parties gave a fair play.
By it's very nature, it's origins as a less than lethal form of duel between consenting plaintiffs, it being very much a form of 'social fighting', fisticuffs (later to become boxing) was never really meant as a battlefield method of kill or be killed hand to hand combat. It was meant for one-on-one dueling with the empty hands whereas both men could take their time and feel out their opponent, weakening their opponent with precision strikes, chipping away until they could find a chink in their armor and then finish with a knockout blow. Very effective 'science' for the realm of social violence indeed.
However, for facing 'asocial' violence where one's very life is on the line, probably facing edged weapons, and most certainly multiple attackers the fisticuff boxer didn't have the time to chip away at each and every attacker with snapping blows until they were weakened or dazed enough that one could deliver a knockout blow. Particularly when multiple attackers: be they highway robbers, thugs, kidnappers, or bugger men prefer to tackle their victim to the ground in a mass attack. Anyone whose been in a mass attack or even engaged in a simple game of American tackle football or Rugby knows a single man fares a rough chance in remaining on his feet should a small group of strong men wish to take him to the ground. And anyone whose ever witnessed a bare knuckle fight between a boxer and a single wrestler knows that it's very difficult for the boxer to remain standing if he doesn't score a very fortunate knockout before the grappler gets in clinch range. Multiply that by three or more and even a blind man can see the limitations in the social fighting science of fisticuffs or boxing within an 'asocial' situation.
Never the less, the bare knuckle fisticuffs boxing method was very effective given it's purpose and design. Long after the advent of the Marquis of Queensberry Rules boxing became more of a spectator event rather than solely a method of settling a dispute between two men. This brought in the gambling, the fight promoters, scheduled rounds, and eventually the hand protection with gloves.
My understanding is that the use of boxing gloves was introduced precisely to enable fighters to punch one another with full abandon: promoters liked that it made the fights more exciting and never mind the harm done to the fighters along the way. This is part of why the incidence of serious brain trauma among boxers may have increased after the introduction of gloves.
This is also why modern day boxers often break their hands when they try to transfer their sport (gloved) boxing style to the streets in bare knuckle combat.
For one they're still 'swinging for the ropes' as they're accustomed to doing with taped, wrapped, and gloved hands.
Secondly, they pronate until their hands are all the way horizontal as they're use to doing in gloved boxing which can often result in what doctors call a 'boxer's fracture'.
Bare knuckle boxing styles like old school Fisticuffs, Wing Tsun, Kunfa, Jeet kun do, and several others propagate the straight punch or the forty five degree angle (three quarter twist) punch to prevent breaking the conditioned bones and knuckles in the hands when striking above shoulder level during bare knuckle fisticuffs.
Sport boxing is great for training the body but to be applicable for bare knuckle combat it must be modified and trained differently. The fighter's guard, surface area of the fist, and even the intent must all be adapted for bare knuckle boxing.
With gloves the boxer can be more of a head hunter in his strikes as well as fully pronate his punches and hit full power with most any part of his fist. While the old bare knuckle boxers relied more on discombobulating their opponent with sharp snapping strikes to the facial targets followed by powerful knockout blows to the torso targets: liver, solar plexus, floating ribs, kidneys, and the sternum.
All of this being said, let us consider the nature and purpose of which such boxing methods of 'social' combat were designed to serve when we consider our own reasons and purpose for training in the unarmed combat methods.
All methods are like 'tools' and as with tools they are designed for a specific purpose. We can sometimes successfully drive a nail with a large wrench but this does not make that's it's proper purpose and design. And if we were to acquire the proper tool we'd be more appropriately prepared to drive that nail.
In combat: depending upon the terrain, social or asocial setting, threat, intent and many other factors, we must be prepared with the proper method for dealing with each situation prudently.
"Failure to properly prepare means preparing to fail." In the Army we have a saying, 'Train how you fight'. This doesn't mean to actually attempt to maim and kill your partner in training. But it means to train properly for that situation...In other words, don't train sport boxing methods if you're preparing for bare knuckle 'social' violence. Likewise don't train bare-knuckle if you aspire to fight in the sporting ring with gloves.
And finally, don't merely train in 'social' violence methods/sciences if your desire is to prepare for surviving 'asocial' violence.
♣Hoo-ah4Life♣
AnDrew Soldier.
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