17
votes
Accepted
How do boxers survive punches to the head?
There's basically a few things going on, for boxers, or any heavy contact sport that involves potential head hits:
Neck muscles are stabilizers
In general, better stabilizer muscles for the head ...
- 8,553
17
votes
Accepted
Why do boxers huff each time they throw a punch?
I am an amateur boxer competing so perhaps I can share some insight.
Basically breathing technique is a major aspect one needs to learn. You can very quickly gas out (lose your breath, which also ...
- 645
15
votes
Accepted
Best to learn for self defense: Wrestling, Boxing, or Jiu Jitsu
I want to be able to be prepared against any kind of opponent.
You are looking for a unicorn there. No martial art whatsoever is able to do that. There is no ultimate fighting art. That said, most ...
14
votes
Accepted
A straight Punch on the nose can knock a person unconscious.How do fighters (MMA, Boxers etc) survive such repeated direct blows to their nose?
As others have said, a knockout is typically not the result of a blow to the nose, but to the chin.
The brain is basically a loose spongy thing trapped inside your skull. When you receive a hard blow ...
- 1,041
14
votes
Why don't male professional boxers wear shirts?
There are many reasons for this.
Boxers use oil/vaseline to make their bodies more slippery. Obviously doesn't work in a tank-top.
12-rounds of boxing against 8/10oz gloves would end up wrecking an ...
- 645
13
votes
Accepted
To what extent does height give an advantage in any type of fight?
Height gives a considerable advantage to striking martial arts. The first and most obvious advantage is that height means you can reach out further than your opponent, meaning you can hit him before ...
- 4,158
13
votes
Accepted
Is laundry punching bag the same as regular punching bag?
It's hard to tell without examining or testing the actual item, but I'm skeptical that they would be the same.
It's marketed as a "novelty", which is often used as shorthand for "not ...
- 11k
12
votes
How do boxers survive punches to the head?
They don't train their head. They train their ability to dodge out of the way of the punch, block it, or take enough of its force out of the equation as to impact with a lot less force or impact on ...
- 17.4k
12
votes
Accepted
How to effectively defend against a boxer with kicks
The subject of "puncher vs. kicker vs. wrestler" comes up a lot in martial arts. The general philosophy that's put forward is: "Don't box a boxer. Don't kick a kicker. Don't wrestle a wrestler."
The ...
- 17.4k
11
votes
A straight Punch on the nose can knock a person unconscious.How do fighters (MMA, Boxers etc) survive such repeated direct blows to their nose?
This is really simple. Not every impact to the head (whether jaw or nose) knocks someone unconscious. Plenty of soccer players get hit hard by the ball in the face and don't get knocked out.
You're ...
- 21.2k
11
votes
Accepted
Which will result in more brain damage, being a heavy weight or lightweight boxer?
Heavyweight fighters are more susceptible to knock-outs. It's why heavyweight fights sell better than lightweight fights. Fans want to see a knock-out.
Heavyweights generally hit harder than ...
- 17.4k
11
votes
Accepted
Defence in martial arts in general
One thing to realize is that you have two factors that affect blocking a strike: 1) reaction time, and 2) tracking.
Reaction time is the time taken by your brain to notice the strike coming towards ...
- 17.4k
10
votes
Accepted
Doing MMA or a doing multiple individual martial arts, which is more effective?
The question asks which is more effective: Doing MMA or doing multiple different martial arts.
There are a couple of different interpretations about what is meant by "effective" in this context, ...
- 17.4k
9
votes
Accepted
Developing arm strength and stamina for boxing. Dumbbells or wrist weights?
First, I think your coach is wrong: weightlifting, properly done, is excellent for boxing.
Second, I think your assumption that your legs are strong is wrong: running is not a particularly good way ...
- 21.2k
9
votes
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Are there viable ways to simulate the body reactions to a punch landed to the face?
But, when training, you can stop and breathe. But there's no time to breathe in a real fight.
This difference does not have to exist. A coach should occasionally put students through sparring of some ...
- 21.2k
9
votes
Why do boxers huff each time they throw a punch?
Exhaling on a strike is common in many martial arts as well as boxing (most forms of Karate and Tae Kwon Do for example).
The purpose of a short sharp exhalation at the end of the technique is to ...
- 2,709
9
votes
Accepted
Scientific evidence that punches to the head is harmful in boxing? (Even with protective gear)
Yes, there is scientific evidence that boxing is harmful to the head -
Amateur/Olympic boxers show cerebrospinal fluid changes indicative of neural injury
Neurochemical aftermath of boxing (Note - ...
- 4,549
8
votes
Accepted
How do Boxers and other Martial Arts practitioners deal with pain?
There are all kinds of places on the body where fighters can get hit (the nose, the jaw, the solar plexus, the thigh, the liver, the kidneys, etc.), and each one of those triggers not just pain but ...
- 17.4k
8
votes
Accepted
Is the way US military academies teach boxing atypical with respect to concussions?
An analysis of the literature in 2006 presented data for a number of team and individual contact sports.
Concussions in boxing were identified at a rate of 0.8/10 rounds (for pros) or 7.9/1000 man-...
- 707
8
votes
Any conditioning exercise that can prevent concussion caused by a punch or kick to the head or neck?
My first piece of advice is to see a doctor. If you are suffering something other than a concussion, that's important to know. However, if you are suffering concussions, you are risking your health ...
- 8,553
8
votes
Accepted
Is the differentiation between southpaw and orthodox stance useful?
Symmetric training is encouraged only at higher levels, and only by some coaches. The reason people mostly stick to their base stance in training is because "you need to learn to walk before you can ...
- 1,756
8
votes
Accepted
Can one be a formidable MT fighter, if they are unable to jump-rope, swim, cycle, or run long distances?
The only thing wrong is that you are currently out of shape and really have presented no evidence that you are doing anything to get back into shape.
I used to play basketball a lot, I could play 3 ...
- 4,549
8
votes
Why does every boxing coach recommend this stance that nobody actually uses?
What am I missing?
You're not watching boxers train, you're watching them fight, and at a high level.
Watch amateur and olympic boxing, rather than solely pro-level fighters.
When learning to box, ...
- 628
7
votes
Best to learn for self defense: Wrestling, Boxing, or Jiu Jitsu
"I'm trying to diet and exercise properly to reach my low body fat goal. (..)"
That said, boxing is the way to go. The workout is quite intense, because you need to build stamina in order to box ...
7
votes
Accepted
How do I choose a boxing glove?
I know this answer comes late, but perhaps it will add additional info for folks coming here for the first time.
The weight of the glove is not related to the hand size or amount of protection that ...
- 186
7
votes
Boxing vs karate for self-defense?
Karate
Pros
More techniques = more options
Actually addresses self-defense as a concern. May contain scenarios specifically geared toward self defense situations. Depends on school. Ask.
Cons
...
- 4,081
7
votes
Accepted
What kind of stretching should I do before starting my boxing practice?
At our club we typically don't stretch prior to training. Instead we do about 10 minutes of either skipping rope or shadow boxing to warm up.
After training we will stretch in the following order:
...
- 707
7
votes
Vegetarian diet for a combat sport athlete?
Carefully planned vegetarian and vegan diets do provide adequate nutrition for athletes. The active phrase being, "carefully planned".
Martial artists don't have any special nutritional requirements ...
- 17.4k
7
votes
Accepted
How to deal with a substantially shorter opponent?
Here is my opinion:
Your jab is the most important weapon to use (if you are taller then your opponent), it is different if he is left handed, then a different tactic is preferred.
Your footwork is ...
- 1,176
7
votes
Accepted
If clinching is technically illegal, why does it almost always go unpunished?
The fact that Wladimir Klitscho could hug his way to win after win keeps me up at night tbh...
Clinching is difficult to manage as a ringleader. That's why, I assume, it goes unpunished. At one point,...
- 645
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