If you have ever watched a boxing match with a professional boxer you will have experienced a completely different point of view of the fight. What may seem ridiculous or crazy to you may receive praise from your viewing companion. This is because they understand that in contrast to the lay person’s opinion that it is not just a match of exchanging random blows, but that the opponents must rely on employing great strategy to win.

Many martial arts and MMA fans may now find boxing dull in comparison to the UFC or hate not being able to use their feet and have the ability to use all their techniques. However boxing being one of the oldest fighting arts is also one of the most developed. Whether you practice Tae Kwon Do, Karate or Muy Thai there are many lessons you can learn from understanding boxing strategies that can be used in your martial arts tournaments. Any serious fighter should also spend time practicing sparring using just punches or kicks in order to develop and hone those skills to perfection.

There isn’t one magic strategy to master for every fight but a number of strategies that can be used depending on your on physical characteristics and talents and be used used against differing opponents depending on their strengths and weaknesses. You also need to learn to change up strategies because as you progress your way up the food chain there is big money at stake and your opponent’s camps will focus a lot of time and resources on studying your style and tactics.

There are basic strategies that are more common sense than anything else like using distance to your advantage. If you have longer arms then keep your opponent farther away so they cannot get any shots in. Or if they have a longer reach find a way to close the distance and get inside their optimal striking distance. Or like Muhammad Ali learn to make your opponents tire themselves out so till you can slow them down and weaken them enough to get in that perfect blow on the knock out button. In the case you are up against a fighter with incredibly strong punching power and he has a chin of steel you may want to work on his arms until they are so numb he can’t hold his hands up and then you can finish him off in any way you want. Finally learn to become unpredictable, don’t let your movements telegraph your next shot, throw them off with your rhythm and catch them by surprise!

Today Boxing is conducted in a regulated manner, normally in a series of one to three minute intervals know as ‘rounds’. The winner is chosen if any one of the player or boxer is knocked down and incapable to get up before the referee begins counts one to ten or if the opponent is deemed too tired or injured to go on. If the fist fighting never end before an agreed number of rounds, then the winner is chosen either by the judges’ score cards or by the referee’s decision. The ancient Greek people were the first to make a sport from fighting with fists, giving rules and even organizing tournaments with their experts. The birth of boxing was marked by its allowance in the game of Olympics as early as 688 BC. Modern boxing slowly evolved in Europe, principally in Great Britain, UK.

There are many different forms of boxing played across the globe. For instance, boxing is shown in Sumerian relief arts during the 3rd Millennium B.C, while an ancient Egyptian relief at Thebes; it depicts the spectators with fist fighters, both arts depict bare fisted contests. In the year 1927 an archaeologist, Dr E.A Speiser discovered a stone tablet in Iraq showing two men gearing up for a fight, the stone is believed to be at least 7,000 years old. Boxing or Fist fighting is also described in various ancient Indian texts such as the Vedas, Mahabarata and Ramayana, as well as during the excavations made in Harappa and Mohenjadaro.

In 1989, the International Boxing Hall of Fame was opened in Canastota. The first inductees in 1990 included famous boxers like Benny Leonard, Jack Johnson, Jack Dempsey, Henry Armstrong, Archie Moore, Sugar Ray Robinson and Muhammad Ali. Other world class boxing figures are Roberto “Manos de Piedra” Duran, Eusebio Pedroza, Ismael Laguna, Carlos Monzon, Rocky Marciano, Azumah Nelson, Pipino Cuevas and Ken Buchanan. The Hall of Fame’s induction event is held every year in the month of June as part of a four day ceremony. Fans who visit Canastota for the Induction Weekend are treated to various events such as autograph sessions with the boxers, boxing exhibitions, a parade featuring present and past inductees and also an induction to the boxing ceremony itself.