It begins of course, with being ragged for taking up a "man's sport," and if that continuous heckling and demand to justify being there at all is not discouragement enough, the "serious" questions begin to crop up. If it is abroad, then questions about the boxer's sexuality are asked, and if it is India, then questions about whether anybody would want to marry them are raised. And in both geographical locations, the sight of women 'boxing' is reason enough for sexist and racist slurs. But if the defiant popularity of the sport is anything to go by, the message seems to be clear – women's boxing is here to stay, and if it bothers some men, either because it threatens their 'natural physical superiority' or challenges their 'cultural right' to rush to the 'frail' woman's protection… too bad.
It was in the 1990s that the rise of several professional women sports leagues took off, and one sport that rode this boom was boxing. By June 8 2001, when Laila Ali and Jackie Frazier-Lyde squared up for a fight that was part of the International Boxing Hall of Fame, the world had woken up to the fact that 'Ali/Frazier IV' (an allusion to their fathers' fight trilogy) was making history. And by 2005, when Million Dollar Baby won four of its seven Academy Award nominations, women's boxing had become acceptable as a serious challenge to not just a male-dominated sport, but taken-for-granted ideas about masculinity itself.
In 2003, when 45,000 people turned up for the opening day of the second Asian women's boxing tournament in India, with 68 boxers from nine countries, one could truly say that women's boxing had come of age, and shattered myths about it being something only women in the West might be doing. The icing on the cake for Indian women would have been the success of M C Marycom, who won the championship.
Additionally, seven Indian women, including Sarita Devi and Aruna Mishra, had made it to the finals. And if the efforts of the International Boxing Association to get women's boxing recognized by the 2008 Beijing games succeed, India will have a chance to get an Olympic medal in this sport for the first time – thanks to the women.
According to AIBA President Anwar Chowdhry, the International Olympic Committee have agreed in principle to recognize women's boxing as a part of the next Olympic Games 2008.
India has been ranked as high as second in Asia and fifth in the world, with M C Marycom (46 kg) the 2005 reigning Asian and world champion.
A DNA article on 19-year old boxer Jarna Sanghvi highlights the inspirational role of these sportswomen. In Akola, a region in Maharashtra that is seeing an alarming increase of violence against women, over 50 girls train at the district boxing club, that even has a 13 year old schoolgirl as one of its members. Many of the women have faced opposition at home, as well as ridicule and disparaging remarks from the community in which they live. Many believe that the sport does not guarantee money or jobs, although if they go on to win state level tournaments, as in the case of Sarita Devi, getting a job will become easier, with sports quotas in effect. In several cases, the boxers hail from poor families. M C Marycom herself comes from a village in Manipur of less than 300 population. She worked her way to the top while her husband was still jobless and they were working hard to make ends meet. At the World Boxing Championships at Podolsk, Marycom and others returned with a gold and four bronze medals.
Another source of anxiety seems to be marriage, and whether women in such sports will be considered marriageable or not. But the response from the girls has been overwhelming. Muslim girls in particular take heart from their hero Laila Ali – Million Dollar Baby may not have made it to poor Muslim ghettoes but Laila Ali definitely has.
To really get into boxing, one requires a certain amount of grit to fight off prejudices and unnecessary commentary on how different and unique it must be for a woman to be fighting. But aside from that, it provides several benefits for women. It is a great option for keeping fit, is not expensive unlike sports such as tennis, allows women to learn self-defense, is a lot of fun, and with greater visibility of women in these 'masculine' sports, it will help destroy myths about women needing to either submit to physical violence or always depend on men to protect them. While some may think boxing is dangerous, the sport's regulations require protective guards to shield the combatants during amateur competitions; no such protective guards stand ready to shield women in real life, at least not unless there is the expected repayment in the form of physical, mental, sexual and reproductive labor (usually for life). Boxing has allowed several women to stand up for themselves, at least on the streets and public places where women are routinely harassed.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
What characteristics are shared by all the best boxing combinations?
It’s no good simply throwing some unrelated punches one after the other. Odds are, it won’t do you any good.
Instead, you need to construct your combinations out of punches that are related in some way. Without going into it in too much detail, I’ll just say that you should be able to shift your body weight naturally with each punch. Pay attention to the combinations I recommend and you’ll begin to see how each punch leads into the next with no wasted movement.
Since the jab is your most important punch, every combination that I recommend will start off naturally with a jab.
A list of good boxing combinations
Here are some classic boxing combos, in no particular order. I assume that you are an orthodox fighter — one who jabs with his left hand. If you’re asouthpaw, simply reverse these combos.
Jab — Straight Right — Left Hook
This is the classic 1-2-3 combination. It is one of the most famous — and most popular — combinations in boxing.
You’ll get your range with the jab, then throw out the straight right to get him to cover up in front of his face. As you throw the straight right, you’re shifting in towards your opponent while shifting your weight onto your lead left foot. Then, you should be able to land the left hook to the side of his head because both his hands are still in front of his face.
It’s a mistake to try to land the left hook from the same distance that you can land the straight right. You need to be closer to land a proper left hook. Therefore, the right hand is just a set-up punch. It’s not thrown with knockout power; rather, it’s just there to get his hands out of position and to allow you to shift your weight in preparation for throwing the left hook.
Jab — Straight Right — Left Hook to Body — Left Hook to Head
Like the previous combination (the 1-2-3), this combo relies on getting your opponent’s hands up and in front of his face by peppering him with your straight right hand.
But this time, you go to the body first with your left hook.
In this case, the body shot isn’t a true left hook because you don’t really shift your weight from your front foot to your rear foot. It’s actually more of anupperhook which is a blend of an uppercut and a hook. That is, your weight remains on the lead leg like it does when you throw a lead-hand uppercut, but instead of punching straight up, you’re punching in more of a rounded, hooking motion. Some people refer to this punch as a dig, a shovel-hook, or even a rip.
After the body shot, follow up with a true left hook to the head. Use full power and make sure to shift your weight and pivot. You can even step back a bit during this punch. The left hook is a good punch to end your combinations with because you can step back to clear yourself out of danger while simultaneously guarding yourself against a counter right hand.
Jab — Right Uppercut — Left Hook
This is a close-range combination. You use the jab to get him to put up his guard while you move into range.
The right uppercut is designed to get his head up. If it lands, that’s fine, but you really want to use it to set up the left hook.
While it’s possible to throw the right uppercut without shifting your weight, to make the most of this combination it’s best to let your weight shift to the front leg so you are in position to throw a powerful left hook.
Once you get his chin up with the right uppercut, knock him out with the left hook.
Jab — Left Hook
This is a deceptive combination.
Your opponent will probably expect you to follow up your jab with a right hand punch. This is especially true if you’ve been throwing Jab — Right Hand combos at him; he should already be used to the pattern.
But instead of throwing the right hand, you simply dip over to the leftwithout moving your right, then throw a powerful left hook. The movement you make while preparing to throw the left hook should fake him out if everything goes well. He’ll assume you’re throwing the right and he’ll bring his hands up to block his face. But the left hook will come instead.
Some people refer to this combo as “Hooking off the jab“.
Jab — Right Uppercut — Left Hook — Short Right Hand — Left Hook
Here’s one that’s a bit longer.
Again, you want to get his chin up with the uppercut, then clip it with the hook. But the short straight right hand will hit with a lot of power if he’s covering up against your left hook and not trying to throw punches back at you.
If you manage to land something, use the final left hook as a knockout punch. If not, use it to clear yourself out of danger and regroup back into your boxing stance.
Ways to modify these boxing combinations
A great way to increase the effectiveness of these combos is to add a double-jab or a feint at the very beginning. Or, jab (or feint) to the body and try to get your opponent’s hands down before you launch into your combos.
I hope you get something out of these basic boxing combinations. They should give you some things to think about, and if you master them you’ll be well on your way towards learning an effective offense. Let me know whatyour favorites are!
Boxers Diet
The importance of a good diet
For boxers, as with any sport, a good diet is a crucial part of staying in shape and keeping up with the demands of the training regime. Boxers need to eat well in order to maintain muscle strength and energy in the ring and avoid feeling tired and sluggish part way through a fight. Boxers use punches, jabs, speed and flexibility requiring strength, endurance and energy to defeat their opponent. As a result, they require a nutritious diet which will provide high levels of energy to last throughout the duration of a fight.
Unlike most other sports, whilst a boxer needs muscle and power behind them, they are conditioned by the weight restrictions of their weight class. Boxers seek to be at the top end of their weight boundaries to maximise strength and energy, so it is crucial that they have the right diet to ensure they have enough energy to undertake fights and intensive training sessions, whilst staying within the limitations of their weight class. Most boxers aim to stay within 3-5 % of their ideal fighting weight during their training in order to avoid having to lose weight drastically as a fight approaches, as dramatic crash diets before a fight can result in reduced levels of performance.
What to eat
A boxer’s diet should be drawn up according to the recommended ratios of particular foodstuffs. Carbohydrates, proteins and fats are all crucial for providing the energy and nutrition a boxer needs.
Carbohydrates - boxing is an anaerobic activity which requires professional boxers to maintain high energy levels for fifteen intensive 3-minute rounds. A boxer’s intention should be to eat foods which will provide the correct strength, power and weight ratio which is best maintained by sources of high energy and low fat content. For this reason carbohydrates are the ideal foodstuff for boxers, slowly releasing energy for a sustained period of time, replacing lost glycogen stores and increasing stamina during fights and training. Some carbohydrates, particularly processed carbohydrates which are derived from white flour, such as white bread and pasta, contain calories that are less useful, given their low nutritional value.
Instead boxers should eat natural carbohydrates such as yams, beans, whole-wheat grain, fruits and oatmeal, which are packed full of useful nutrients. Because carbohydrates are such effective sources of energy, boxers should eat more of them than any other foodstuff. Dieticians recommend that 45 - 55 percent of a boxer’s diet should be made up of carbohydrates. For example, out of a daily diet that consists of 4000 calories, 1800 to 2200 calories of those should be derived from carbohydrates, roughly equating to 550 grams in weight.
Protein - boxers often experience small tears in their muscles after a fight, causing them to feel tired and sore, so it is crucial that enough protein is included in their daily diet. Protein works to repair muscles and increase muscle growth, preventing long lasting damage but it also acts as a further energy source, preventing the body from using its much-valued muscle for energy.
Chicken, tuna, eggs and lean beef are all good sources of protein as are protein drinks (such as ‘Accelerade’ or ‘Rapid Recovery’) although these should only be taken by those engaged in a serious and intensive training routine. For concentrated muscle increase, boxers should consume a protein drink during training sessions and another shake immediately after training. Dieticians recommend that protein should make up 30 to 40 percent of the boxer’s daily diet.
Fats - whilst excessive fat consumption can cause unwanted weight gain and should be avoided, boxers do need some fats to maintain important internal bodily functions. Omega-3 and Omega-6 fats, also known as essential fats or fatty acids, are both needed for the production of prostaglandins, a type of hormone which keeps the body in working order. Seafood or walnuts are ideal sources of omega fat or alternatively flaxseed oil and cod liver oil can be taken as healthy supplements which are purified of the contaminants often found in fish.
The body also needs monounsaturated fats which are found in food such as olives, seeds and avocado. Dieticians recommend that boxers should ensure that 15 percent of their daily diet is made up of essential and monounsaturated fats. Good fats absorb certain vitamins essential for a healthy body, so keeping fat intake to lower than 15 percent is likely only to have a harmful effect.
Water - water is essential for staying healthy and energised, particularly in a strenuous sport such as boxing where it is easy to become dehydrated. Boxers should ensure that 8 - 10 glasses of water are included in their daily diet, increasing their water consumption during a fight.
The following foods are all high in fat and sugar content and although they may provide the boxer with high bursts of energy, they are short-lasting energy sources and will cause the boxer to feel tired, sluggish and to put on unwanted weight. For this reason they should be avoided as far as possible: During the period when a boxer is not fighting or in pre-fight training, their diet will need to change slightly to accommodate the less intensive training schedule. Dieticians usually recommend that, during the off-season period, boxers should maintain a daily ratio of 60 percent carbohydrates, 20 percent protein and 20 percent fat. The food a boxer eats just before they fight, is crucial for their performance in the ring. In order to delay feelings of tiredness during a fight, boxers must eat food that will provide energy, be easily digested and maintain blood sugar levels during the fight. Dieticians recommend that boxers eat increasingly smaller meals as a fight gets closer, sticking to lighter starchy foods such as brown bread sandwiches, fruit and cereals. Most vegetables, beans and bulky fruits should be avoided as these can cause diarrhoea, particularly when the boxer is nervous, and similarly cabbage and dry beans can be bad given their gas-forming potential. Boxers should never eat new foods just before a fight, to avoid the risk of a bad reaction. They should drink 400 - 600 ml of water, two or three hours before the fight, to maintain hydration although drinking too much just before a ring could have an adverse reaction. The main intent of a post-fight diet is to help the body recover from a fight as effectively as possible, by restoring glycogen levels, preventing the body from consuming its own muscle mass for energy. Immediately after a fight, the boxer should eat food which is high in protein and carbohydrates and low in fibre and consume low fibrous drinks, eating a similar meal every two hours for the following two hours. The recovery meal is even more effective if it is liquidized, aiding digestion. The combination of protein and carbohydrates aids the repair of muscle tissue, speeding up the period of recovery before a boxer can return to intensive training. Once six hours have passed after the fight, the boxer should return to their ordinary diet. Do: Don’t:What not to eat
Off-season diets
Pre-fight diet
Post-fight diet
General Dietary tips
Boxing Exercises
The overall objectives of a boxing strength and training program are similar to those found in most contact sports, emphasizing physical fitness and endurance. Boxing is atypical in that it places equal emphasis on the ability of the athlete to deliver and to absorb powerful physical blows in competition, without significant protective equipment.
Boxing has been variously described as the "sweet science" and as "show business with blood." A successful boxer will be required to commit to a focused and demanding physical training program that will incorporate a number of overarching principles, including: intensity; physical strength; injury reduction; training regimen variety; and mental training, especially with respect to the boxer's ability to deal with pain.
It is the nature of boxing that the athlete will compete in a series of two- to three-minute segments, or rounds, interspersed with one-minute rest intervals. The length and the number of rounds will vary depending on the age of the competitor and the level of competition. There are often shorter periods of extreme activity, as in a flurry of punches exchanged or delivered. The punching mechanism, the defensive blocking mechanism, and the boxer's movements within the ring require a smooth synchronization of arm, core, and leg functions. Leg strength is particularly important in the stability of a boxer, as well as assisting in the generation of power in a punch. Boxers adopt a stance that is a posture similar to the crouched position of athletes in other sports, such as a fielder in baseball; this position is generally referred to as the athletic position. In boxing, this position is known as a fighting stance. This stable stance permits the boxer to better react to the movements of the opponent, as well as provide an optimum physical platform from which to deliver a punch.
The short intervals within which the boxer competes place high demands on the body's anaerobic energy system; the efficient recovery of the boxer between rounds will depend on the aerobic capacity of the boxer, as aerobic fitness is a determining factor in how quickly the heart rate returns to resting level. The entire body must be trained for a boxer to successfully compete; particular focus is placed on the neck, shoulders, bicep, triceps, wrists and hands, and the abdominal, gluteal, and leg muscles.
As boxing competitions are organized on the basis of weight divisions—athletes compete against an opponent of similar size—boxing strength training is centered on relative strength, which is the strength of the boxer in relation to his weight as opposed to absolute strength. The act of delivering a punch requires the development of ballistic strength, the term used to describe the starting strength available to a boxer at the commencement of a punch.
The manner in which boxing blows are generated by the arm muscles is also a factor in how a boxing strength and training regimen should be developed. The delivery of a punch involves rapidly accelerating and decelerating the fist, and to a lesser degree, the attached musculoskeletal structure.
The various training goals of a boxer can be achieved through employing all or some of the following techniques: running, plyometrics; and arm (muscle), leg (muscle), and core strength development.
Running, the legendary road work (or indoor training machine work) of the boxer, will develop the aerobic capacity of the athlete. Jumping rope and skipping are exercises that allow the boxer to both build aerobic capacity and develop footwork and agility. Plyometric exercises develop ballistic strength. The plyometric exercises used by boxers focus on the explosive capability of the upper body and arm muscles; they may include the rapid performance of push-ups or chin-ups, as well as rapid repeated throws with a medicine ball.
A regimen designed for arm, and particularly triceps, development is enhanced with push-ups, or similar exercises that have the effect of extending the triceps through their full range. Sessions with the boxing heavy bag, the large punching bag weighted to provide extra resistance to a punch, place additional, muscle-building stress on the triceps. Boxers also train with a speed bag, a smaller, lighter object that helps them develop reflexes and build muscular endurance. Leg strength can be developed, in part, through aerobic running. Explosive leg strength will be developed through leg press exercises and plyometric training. Finally, core strength development, that of the muscle structure of the abdomen, pelvis, and gluteal muscles (buttocks), will provide both increased protection of vital internal organs, as well as contributing to the stability of the body. Core strength exercises include sit-ups, abdominal crunches, and rowing machine workouts.
It is essential to a successful boxing strength and training program that the athlete incorporate appropriate rest intervals into the schedule and pay strict attention to diet and nutrition. The demands of high-level strength training, coupled with the forces applied to the body through boxing competition, compel many boxers to maintain a training log, where all training, rest, competition, and nutritional matters are noted.
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