Why Box?--An Answer to a Question

On the message board of one of the boxing clubs that populate (or pollute depending on your point of view) the world wide web, a 16-year-old who just got into boxing to get into better shape and to possibly compete, posed this question, "...I need to know, why do people box? I mean it has to hurt...when you get hit, but why do they do it? Is it for the money? Because I mean you could be permanently damaged. Well I know its stupid, but can someone please answer this for me."

I was intrigued by his question. Why do we box? It is something that I have done for most of my life, and I am rapidly approaching middle age. (Some would say I'm already there and it was not a soft landing.) From the question, the youngster certainly has a basic grounding in the reality of boxing. Yeah it does hurt, sometimes really hurt, when you get hit. I don't consider "he can take a punch" to be high praise. A better accolade is, "he can throw a punch." And yes, serious injury can and does result when, as the sport is professionally practiced, the objective and surest way to victory is to render your opponent unconscious. That is why I partake in the supervised recreational version of the sport.

Wrapped within the labyrinth of this website are my own reasons for being a member of "the fancy." So in response to the question I turned to a book written by former middleweight champion Rocky Graziano with Howard Liss. In a recent conversation, a kid not much older than the one posing the question identified Graziano as "that guy that hosts the show with the fights in black and white on the Classic Sports Channel." The kid watched the fights at the suggestion of his trainer who believed that a young boxer could learn technique by watching and mimicking the styles of the fighters. As Rocky notes in his book, "not every young man can be taught to box in the same way, simply because people are different."

The introduction of "Rocky's Boxing Book" reveals the answer that the youngster seeks and from his question intuitively realizes.

First, boxing develops the body. Before a boxer climbs into the ring he has to be in excellent physical condition. He does miles of road work to improve his wind and stamina, skips rope and punches the light bag to sharpen his timing, works out in a gym to take the fat and flab off his body.

Second, boxing improves the mind. A good, trained boxer needs quick reflexes in order to react to any situation in a split second. The "smart" boxers plan their strategy, to out-think and out-maneuver their opponents, in the ring a boxer has to be alert, never letting his guard down.

Third, boxing builds sportsmanship. There are rules in boxing which must be obeyed, just as there are rules in all sports. When a boxer is knocked down or slips accidentally, his opponent must step back and let the man get back on his feet. When one boxer is obviously outclassed, the referee stops the bout so that the loser will not be seriously injured. The boxers shake hands before a match, and they shake hands again after the match.

Fourth, boxing builds initiative. Boxing is an individual sport. When a boxer climbs into the ring, he has no teammates to help him, he is one-on-one against his opponent. This is a test of one single person's skill, strength, agility and brains.

Fifth--and I think this is most important of all--boxing is fun. There is a sense of satisfaction in knowing that the body and mind are trained, and the boxer can defend himself if attacked. He has built up the courage to see him through life.

I think Rocky's response pretty well covers it. You would do well to heed his other advice that no boxing manual can ever take the place of a good boxing instructor who can point out the beginners mistake, teach proper techniques, and keep the youngster motivated. Without it, bad habits creep in to your style and once they take root, changing them is a long, repetitive, and arduous process. Conversely, mastering the basics under supervision is a way to accelerate the acquisition of the skills that makes recreational boxing so rewarding.