Boxing is often called the Western martial art, but it’s more accurately identified as a martial sport. Since the appearance of humans, competition for food, mates and territory, people have undoubtedly been attacking each other with fists. The oldest record of boxing dates back to 4000 B.C.; an Egyptian pyramid from that era contain hieroglyphics and mural paintings that show men punching each other with laced gloves that have twine wrapped halfway up their forearms—similar to traditional muay boran kickboxing in Thailand.
The foundation for what most associate with typical Western-style boxing is arguably the unarmed fighting sport of pankration (Crete, 648 B.C.), which included bare-knuckle fighting, i.e., boxing. Although the pugilistic sport then spread to many Western countries, the first documented account of bare-knuckled fights occurred in 1681 in England. The sport eventually became known as prizefighting (today’s boxing), with the first recorded bare-knuckle champion being Englishman James Figg in 1719. Heavyweight champion Jack Broughton introduced the first set of boxing rules in 1743. These set the stage for the Marquess of Queensberry rules for amateur boxing in England. Created by John Chambers in 1867, Marquess of Queensberry rules became the foundation for today’s professional boxing rules.
– October 14, 2011
Decades before Royce Gracie donned his gi and choked out Ken Shamrock at the UFC 1, “Judo” Gene LeBell stepped into the ring to face boxer Milo Savage. In this exclusive interview from our magazine, the legendary grappler reveals how the match went down and why it’s so important to
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– October 11, 2011
Chael Sonnen isn’t your typical politician. For one, he actually answered our questions. But more important, the All-American wrestler from Oregon taught us some of the best tricks from his playbook.
Despite his reputation as one of the UFC’s loudest stars, he doesn’t have a bad word to say about
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– September 30, 2011
I selected 10 systems that I’ve practiced and found to be self-defense worthy. It’s hard to say just one art does it all. The best advice is to try them all and get in combat shape. Ultimately, it’s not the art that’s important; it’s the individual. It’s not the technique
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– August 26, 2011
This list is in no particular order. I could have put krav maga, haganah and others in there, but when I got to 10, I stopped. This list will piss off many instructors, but they have to realize, for example, that with a system like kyokushinkai, which came from goju-ryu
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– August 12, 2011
Editor’s Note: Because it’s impossible to defend yourself when you’re unconscious, knockouts play a critical role in any fight, whether it takes place in the ring or on the street. In our September issue, we explored the physiological effects of a knockout and why head trauma is such a controversial
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– July 10, 2011
For much of the world, MMA was born on November 12, 1993, when the Ultimate Fighting Championship debuted in Denver. Most martial artists know otherwise, however. They know the date was actually December 2, 1963, the day “Judo” Gene LeBell stepped into the ring to face boxer Milo Savage. Black
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– July 7, 2011
There’s no denying that Jim Arvanitis is a skilled martial artist. He moves like a 30-year-old both on his feet and on the ground, where he flows from technique to technique with an ease you seldom see outside a high-end grappling school. And there’s no denying that he’s a martial
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– June 30, 2011
I had never seen anyone quite like Ken Shamrock, who at 6 feet 1 inch tall and 217 pounds handily dropped opponent after opponent in World Wrestling Entertainment (then World Wrestling Federation) matches. An Ultimate Fighting Championship veteran, Ken Shamrock brought a unique style to the pro-wrestling milieu in 1997,
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– June 29, 2011
The Asian martial arts have received a tremendous amount of exposure in the past century and are now almost universally known. Meanwhile, we in the West have neglected many of our own martial arts traditions, which in some cases have fallen into obscurity—much as the Asian systems had at the
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– June 27, 2011
By the 19th century, the walking stick had become the hallmark of distinction, authority and strength. For the gentlemen of the era, it was not only an indispensable fashion accessory but also a source of confidence, security and nonverbal deterrence on the streets of Europe. In its various designs and
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