# Boxing - Martial Art or Not



## Aaron Little (Oct 9, 2004)

Do you consider Western Boxing to be a Martial Art or Not?

I saw this question on another forum and was interested in seeing the views of the members here?


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## markulous (Oct 9, 2004)

Yes and a very good one.


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## Xequat (Oct 9, 2004)

Sure.  It's martial and it's an art.  I guess just because you don't use holds, throws or kicks doesn't mean it can't be a martial art.  It's just more focused.


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## Fightfan00 (Oct 9, 2004)

Yes I belive boxing is a martial art form.Boxing is also just another tool to use in your arsonal!


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## Baytor (Oct 9, 2004)

Yup.  I think it's a good tool.


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## DeLamar.J (Oct 9, 2004)

Yes it is. :boxing:


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## Kane (Oct 9, 2004)

Well ya, of course it is a martial art. Martial Art includes ANY fighting style. Whether boxing, wrestling, kenpp, or karate it is all the same.


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## ThatWasAKick (Oct 9, 2004)

Yes.  <points up>  What Kane said.  

But personally, when I think MA, in my head I include guns, the military, etc.


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## Andrew Green (Oct 9, 2004)

You guys are silly, it can't be a martial art.

ALL martial arts come from ASIA, don't you guys know anything, I mean really....

[/sarcastic mode]


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## ace (Oct 9, 2004)

Andrew Green said:
			
		

> You guys are silly, it can't be a martial art.
> 
> ALL martial arts come from ASIA, don't you guys know anything, I mean really....
> 
> [/sarcastic mode]



Are U kidding or for real????
Boxing is as Much a Martial Art as Mauy Thai & Savate


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## Andrew Green (Oct 9, 2004)

ace said:
			
		

> Are U kidding or for real????
> Boxing is as Much a Martial Art as Mauy Thai & Savate


take careful not of the sarcasim tag at the end...

Yes boxing is a martial art.


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## ace (Oct 9, 2004)

So U were Kidding


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## KenpoNoChikara (Oct 9, 2004)

It seems to be more of a sport to me, but it does have some good stuff, I guess you could call it a martial art.


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## ace (Oct 9, 2004)

KenpoNoChikara said:
			
		

> It seems to be more of a sport to me, but it does have some good stuff, I guess you could call it a martial art.




Agreed it is a Sport form of Martial Arts.
But So is Savte & Mauy Thai.....

They would Be modifide for Street self defence.
The Boxer would not beable to throw 
a ton of head shot beacuse his hand is exposed.

He/She would beable to hit below the Waist Line.
And not have to wory about being seperated in a clinch.


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## KenpoNoChikara (Oct 10, 2004)

True


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## loki09789 (Oct 12, 2004)

Boxing (western boxing that is) has a combatives root and should be recognized as a martial art.  Lots of good 'dirty school of boxing' stuff out there the directly translates to the street applications (and the ring when the officials aren't looking).  Even in sport application, I think there are many a martial artist who trains for self defense that would have a hard fight against a sport trained boxer.


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## kanjc (Oct 12, 2004)

I am going to say yes simply because that is where I learned how to fight, I have the benifit of its training when it comes to my punches (lotsa power - the popeye forearms may have a litle to do with it as well ) also my ability to take a punch with out much notice on my part. This is probably why Tae Kwon Do is so alien to me;  "What you mean I have to kick 'em and I can't just break their nose and get it over with?"


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## Hwoarang_tkd26 (Oct 12, 2004)

I think that Western Boxing is a little more of a martial "sport" than an "art", but I can see how it can be interpeted as an "art" as well, I also see great elements that would work on the street, not just the ring.
So my answer is yes, I consider it as a Martial Art.

- Hwoarang_tkd26


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## Aaron Little (Oct 12, 2004)

As I said at the top, this is a question I read on another forum.  There seemed to be more people there siding on the "just a sport" side.  This is the post I made there.




> Two boxers step into the ring for 12 rounds. What they are doing may very well be science but how they do it is most certainly art. The free form interaction with an opponent is poetry in motion. One person imposing his will on another.A Physical Poetry Slam.


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## Scout_379 (Oct 12, 2004)

In total agreement with all of the above.

Boxing is a martial art. Sport or otherwise, boxers can hold thier own, fulfilling the _martial_ aspect. And I've seen some beautiful fights that can only qualify as _art_.


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## YouAgain (Oct 13, 2004)

markulous said:
			
		

> Yes and a very good one.



^


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## Corporal Hicks (Oct 15, 2004)

I dont consider it a Martial Art, where's the art is boxing? Fair enough it takes as much physical training, but its not formalised (not that formality makes it an art) and its on a huge range with so many different developments, but still boxing is boxing and it doesnt feel to me to be a Martial Art. Boxing with just hands I dont consider a Martial Art because I dont see how it would be. However kickboxing and Tai Boxing I would consider to be a Martial Arts, no offence anybody!


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## Corporal Hicks (Oct 15, 2004)

Aaron Little said:
			
		

> As I said at the top, this is a question I read on another forum. There seemed to be more people there siding on the "just a sport" side. This is the post I made there.


Just because you can describe it as being so, and say its like so, doesnt bring it into existance or make it so! Opps, sounds like a god arguement! No offence!


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## Ronald R. Harbers (Oct 15, 2004)

American Boxing is an excellent example of putting the concept of "No Mind" into action.


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## markulous (Oct 15, 2004)

Corporal Hicks said:
			
		

> I dont consider it a Martial Art, where's the art is boxing? Fair enough it takes as much physical training, but its not formalised (not that formality makes it an art) and its on a huge range with so many different developments, but still boxing is boxing and it doesnt feel to me to be a Martial Art. Boxing with just hands I dont consider a Martial Art because I dont see how it would be. However kickboxing and Tai Boxing I would consider to be a Martial Arts, no offence anybody!



I won't take offense to your post but I do question it.  The reason you think that it is not a martial art because it only uses "just hands"(Boxing has THE best punches in just about in martial art)?  Clenching is taught as well, and you must have good footwork.  Judo, Aikido, BJJ have very few kicks and punches(if any depending on how you train) are those not martial arts?


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## sasquatchnaruto (Oct 15, 2004)

im going to say yea on this one they train like everybody else does, just on a single area though


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## loki09789 (Oct 15, 2004)

Hwoarang_tkd26 said:
			
		

> I think that Western Boxing is a little more of a martial "sport" than an "art", but I can see how it can be interpeted as an "art" as well, I also see great elements that would work on the street, not just the ring.
> So my answer is yes, I consider it as a Martial Art.
> 
> - Hwoarang_tkd26


a sport has a recreational connotation and an art has an enlightning/revealing/asthetic connotation, so I guess I would say that you could teach boxing artistically or recreationally...

but try this on for a brain strain, if you look at the root of recreation as a word you have 're-create' so, at least in the olympic/greek/Romantic/latin view of 'sport' one of the goals was to 're-create' yourself through the process of participation...that would, to me, parallel the 'artistic' idea that most people have about 'eastern arts.'


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## loki09789 (Oct 15, 2004)

markulous said:
			
		

> I won't take offense to your post but I do question it. The reason you think that it is not a martial art because it only uses "just hands"(Boxing has THE best punches in just about in martial art)? Clenching is taught as well, and you must have good footwork. Judo, Aikido, BJJ have very few kicks and punches(if any depending on how you train) are those not martial arts?


Boxing is also known as 'the sweet science' and is worth looking more deeply into if you really want to understand it as more than just a 'hands' style of fighting.


It derives from the old Euro "Sword and Shield" stance and movement (which explains the 'power back' idea of leads) and some have theorized (though I don't remember where I read it/heard it right now) that Eastern 'boxing' influenced the current styles because of the 'friendly matches' between sailors/servicemen and locals as westerners traded/warred across the globe...

it is far more than just a 'hands' style of fighting IMO.


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## clapping_tiger (Oct 15, 2004)

I feel it is a martial art, without a doubt in my mind. I challenge anyone who doesn't believe it is an art to go down to a decent boxing gym and take lessons for a week. You will see there is more to boxing than just hitting the bags and throwing some punches. As with all martial arts you really have to use your head and strategize. And even if you are only attacking with your fists, you are using all parts of your body, from your toes to your head. You have to learn deception (feinting, bob and weave, slipping punches, ect.), body mechanics, and footwork. Also building muscle memory with various punching combinations, and not to mention how to get yourself out of trouble if you do get rocked. If that is not an art then what is it?


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## Corporal Hicks (Oct 16, 2004)

markulous said:
			
		

> I won't take offense to your post but I do question it. The reason you think that it is not a martial art because it only uses "just hands"(Boxing has THE best punches in just about in martial art)? Clenching is taught as well, and you must have good footwork. Judo, Aikido, BJJ have very few kicks and punches(if any depending on how you train) are those not martial arts?


 
Yeah I guess your right , its only that I know a couple of boxers and they consider themselves a seperate sport from Martial Arts, but then again thats just a select few so thats not really valid.

However somebody mentioned about there being a "no mind" which is involved in every Martial Art but then again thats really valid because thats with almost every physical sport. To rid the consiousness of self sort of thing, thats not just to fighting arts buts that applyable to everything, I know because my volleyball coach used to drill it into me lol! oh happy days!


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