BOXING

What's English boxing?

Combat sports are popular. For a long time avoided because of the consequences that frightened the most timid, these sports are back on the scene, with many promises. Skill, agility, weight loss... the list goes on. Among these sports, English boxing figures prominently. What is English boxing? How is it practiced? What are its rules? So many questions that we will answer following this article.

History of English boxing

English boxing or "noble art" is a combat sport that pits two protagonists against each other in a ring. Both opponents must be of the same sex and be in the same weight category. The origins of this fighting sport date back to antiquity, as evidenced by engravings dating from that period. English boxing as we know it today was inspired by Greek boxing. In the 18th century, its first rules were codified by its followers among whom we find :

James Figg, the first great boxing champion (with his bare hands);

Jack Broughton, a pupil of the first, he began the codification of this sport after the accidental death of his opponent, after more than 400 fights won;

John Graham Chambers, Marquis of Queensberry, who imposed the wearing of protective gloves during fights, and removed from the rules the "fight at the finish" which also forbade hitting an opponent on the floor.

Agility came to the fore, reducing the dominance of force in combat.

The rules of English boxing

There are 18 professional categories: 17 for men and 4 for women in the professional category, and 10 for men and 3 for women in the amateur category. A boxer's outfit is mandatory and includes: boxing gloves, shorts, boxing shoes, mouth guard, shell. In some cases, the discipline requires the wearing of a boxing helmet. It all depends on the age, the competition or the level of practice.

The main rule of English boxing is to knock out the opponent for ten seconds; the opponent must be unable to fight. Each fight is divided into rounds of three minutes each. Only fists are used in this sport, unlike French or Thai boxing. The number of rounds also depends on the level or type of fight. In the absence of a knockout, the player with the most points is the winner. A referee makes sure that the rules are strictly respected.

The techniques of English boxing

Like all combat sports, English boxing has techniques that you must master if you are going to knock out your opponent:

Attack techniques: jab, hook, uppercut, overhand, cross-counter, polo-punch, semi-hook, semi-uppercut.
Defensive techniques: attitude (defence, counter-attack, attack), guard (profile, three-quarter face, crouch, low, high).
One cannot end this article without mentioning the legends of English boxing, namely: Muhammad Ali, Julio Cesar Chavez, Mike Tyson...