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!

A boxing match typically consists of a set number of three-minute rounds, a total of up to 12 rounds. The fight is controlled by a referee who works with the boxers in the ring to judge and control the conduct of the fighters. There are normally three judges present at the side of the ring to score the bout and assign points to the boxers, based on punches, defense and knockdowns. The boxers have an assigned corner of the ring, where his or her coach may manage them at the beginning of the fight and between rounds.

The bouts are won by boxers normally by points given by judges but bouts can also end in split decisions and draws. A boxer may win the bout before a decision is reached through a knockout which is when a boxer is knocked down during the fight and the referee begins counting and should the referee count to ten, then the knocked-down boxer is ruled out as knocked out. A boxer can also win a bout by a technical knockout which is when a boxer is ruled by the referee as unable to safely continue to fight, based upon injuries or being judged unable to effectively defend themselves. When a boxer is knocked down, the other boxer must immediately stop fighting and move to the nearest neutral corner of the ring until the referee has either ruled a knockout or called for the fight to continue.

When in the ring boxers are prohibited from hitting below the belt, holding, tripping, pushing, biting, spitting or wrestling their opponent. They are also prohibited from kicking, head-butting, or hitting with any part of the arm other than the knuckles. If a boxer violates these rules then they may be ruled as fouls by the referee, who may issue warnings, deduct points, or disqualify an offending boxer which may cause an automatic loss depending on the seriousness of the foul committed.