# Western Boxing's influence on Chinese Martial Arts



## Hanzou (Dec 6, 2015)

I've read that the introduction of western boxing at the turn of the previous century had a pretty large effect on Chinese martial arts. I was interested in getting more information about this, and how western boxing effected CMA. I found some interesting musings on this blog;

Dojo Rat: Western Boxing Influence In Asian Martial Arts

However, I haven't found much else. Does anyone have anymore information about this?


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## Anyan (Jan 12, 2016)

Hanzou said:


> I've read that the introduction of western boxing at the turn of the previous century had a pretty large effect on Chinese martial arts. I was interested in getting more information about this, and how western boxing effected CMA. I found some interesting musings on this blog;
> 
> Dojo Rat: Western Boxing Influence In Asian Martial Arts
> 
> However, I haven't found much else. Does anyone have anymore information about this?


Yes! CMA with Box very effective merger


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## Monkey Turned Wolf (Jan 13, 2016)

Anyan said:


> Yes! CMA with Box very effective merger


Do you have any information on how/why boxing effected cma, outside of it vaguely being effective somehow? I would assume that it would have effected Sanshou more than 'traditional' Kung fu styles, and according to the blog wing chun as well, but not sure how and would also like to know more, if you have definitive information.


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## Hanzou (Jan 13, 2016)

Yeah, if you have any documented info Anyan that would be very helpful.

I've tried getting more info about the WC link to western boxing, but I've come up empty.


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## greytowhite (Jan 15, 2016)

As far as I'm aware sanda and Yiquan through the Yao line are the only Chinese arts that are influenced by Western boxing.


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## Kung Fu Wang (Jan 15, 2016)

The CMA has jab, cross, uppercut, and hook too. In the praying mantis system, the hook punch, back fist, and uppercut combo is very common. 

The major difference is in

- boxing, a punch is just a punch.
- CMA, a punch is a punch followed by a "pull".

Old CMA saying said, "拳不空回" that you should never pull your punching hand back without pulling something back with you. In other words, CMA's punch can be used to set up "clinch" which is not addressed in boxing (may be because the gloves).


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## greytowhite (Jan 15, 2016)

Grappling used to be a part of many Western boxing matches until the rules change in the 18th century or so.


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## Xue Sheng (Jan 15, 2016)

greytowhite said:


> As far as I'm aware sanda and Yiquan through the Yao line are the only Chinese arts that are influenced by Western boxing.



Agreed, with one caveat; Sports Sanda.


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## clfsean (Jan 29, 2016)

Everything found in boxing is found in CMA under the current rule set. 
Everything found in CMA is not found in boxing under the current rule set. 

Sanda / Sport Sanda is all ruleset. One has a few, one has none.


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## Kung Fu Wang (Jan 29, 2016)

greytowhite said:


> Grappling used to be a part of many Western boxing matches until the rules change in the 18th century or so.


Striking also used to be part of the Shuai Chiao (Chinese wrestling) many hundreds years ago in order to make it a pure "sport". The striking has been added back into Shuai Chiao in the past 30 years. Not sure if boxing will evolve in the near future.


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## punisher73 (Feb 15, 2016)

Not sure I have ever seen any actual documented proof of CMA's changing their art due to western boxing.  Old school boxing was more similar to many of the traditional arts using limited throws, kicks and a vertical fist (even Jack Dempsey advocated a lead vertical fist punch and not the more modern flicking jab used by many), in bareknuckle boxing you saw more body punching and a lot less face/head punching like you also see in the more traditional arts.  

I think that most of the changes in boxing (bigger gloves, smaller striking zone by using a higher waistband) have moved boxing further away from the traditional arts to maximize the use of the rules.

If I had to wager a guess, I would say that the biggest influence was on training ideas and safety equipment to train in a more spontaneous sparring mode.


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## Nobody Important (Jun 23, 2016)

Hanzou said:


> I've read that the introduction of western boxing at the turn of the previous century had a pretty large effect on Chinese martial arts. I was interested in getting more information about this, and how western boxing effected CMA. I found some interesting musings on this blog;
> 
> Dojo Rat: Western Boxing Influence In Asian Martial Arts
> 
> However, I haven't found much else. Does anyone have anymore information about this?



Here is an interesting historical event on how Western Boxing had some influence on CMA.

The Universe Of Knowledge: The legendary story of Chinese military martial arts in the 1969 Sino-Soviet border wars


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