Boxing - Martial Art or Not

[YouAgain]

Yes and a very good one.

^

 

[Corporal Hicks]

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!

 

[Corporal Hicks]

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!

 

[Ronald R. Harbers]

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

 

[markulous]

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?

 

[sasquatchnaruto]

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

 

[loki09789]

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.'

 

[loki09789]

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.

 

[clapping_tiger]

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?

 

[Corporal Hicks]

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!