Subject: Swords, Guns, and Boxing
Date: Wednesday, October 06, 2004 10:20 AM
Hi
I’m currently enrolled in a boxing class, and I’m thoroughly enjoying it.
I’ve studied western style boxing for about 10 years now and am hard pressed to
find a better workout or more well defined skill.
Historians know that the Greeks and Romans boxed. Boxing was part of
Pancraetion in the Greek Olympics, and the loser occasionally went home in a box.
The Romans, with their love of blood sport, developed a spiked glove called the
cestus, which gave one a little edge when fighting the lions, but not nearly
enough.
All that boxing fun died out during the Middle Ages when chain mail and morning
stars came into vogue. Then the heavy armor was ditched with the development of
firearms. When guns came along, European warriors kept their swords – muskets
take time to reload – but they needed something light and fast for thrusting,
rather than big and solid for hacking through armor.
Lighter swords were used, speed, footwork and straight lunging moves were born.
Fencing emerged as a sport and combat art, and from there western boxers learned
the straight right.
Now I’m relearning it. You see, the course I signed up for was Basic Boxing.
Why the Basics after 10 years? Because the basics are everything. Study them
and you’ll clean up bad habits, reinvigorate yourself with a “beginner’s
outlook,” and reinforce everything you’re already doing right. You’ll also
relearn a bunch of stuff you knew at one time but lost along the way.
Oh, and it’s fun.
Take care, train like you mean it.
Rob LaPointe
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