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January 25, 2008
Thoughts on Boxing
I've actually been thinking a lot about martial arts and boxing lately. I really miss the training, the people I worked out with (and, of course, the self-confidence that comes with knowing you can throw a grown man to the ground and choke him unconscious in less than 30 seconds). I suppose many would find my martial arts and boxing obsession odd for a woman, but I think it's a combination of a lot of things for me. I never liked team sports, so when I found martial arts it was like a whole new world of enjoying exercise opened up to me. It helped me get in really good shape, I made a lot of great friends, and it was something that not everyone did.
Other than watching some old Muhammed Ali fights, I never watched a whole lot of heavyweight boxing. A lot of people say that it's gotten too commercialized, that a lot of the spirit of the training has been lost, but now there are a lot of up-and-comers who seem to be bringing some life back to the sport. The Oscar de la Hoya/Floyd Mayweather fight broke all Pay-Per-View records, and the proposed rematch this fall is looking to match it. Here's a link to get Oscar De La Hoya vs Floyd Mayweather Jr. tickets, if seeing it live is your thing.
I think whether you're watching UFC/Mixed Martial Arts style fighting or professional boxing, it's more enjoyable to watch people who really know what they're doing and are really on top of their game. There has been a lot of controversy over UFC-style fighting, but here's the thing... now that it's gone pro, it's pretty darn safe. The bar-room "ultimate fights" that go on can be pretty bad, because there's no regulation of equal matchups, weight classes, or ability levels. And the other thing is the blood. People freak out about the blood. There's less of that now that so many people are training in jiu jitsu and have a good ground game. What happens when you don't wear boxing gloves is that skin ends up splitting from punches. It's ugly, but actually does less damage than 16-oz boxing gloves. Those rattle your brain, which causes knockouts, and can cause swelling and long-term damage to the brain. But it's all safer than Nascar, statistically speaking.
I really need to re-read Joyce Carol Oates' On Boxing. There's another woman obsessed with the sport. Her book is a really great ode to boxing that also explores a lot of the racial, class, and social politics that go with it. Really interesting stuff. I also think it's awesome that more women are getting into boxing and mixed martial arts. Although I think as long as there are ring card girls, it's going to be hard for female athletes to get the respect they deserve. We can be warriors too, dammit.
In any case, as I don't have Pay-Per-View, I doubt I'll be watching the de la Hoya/Mayweather fight live, but who knows, I might check it out online later. Stay tuned.
Posted by mwashburn at January 25, 2008 09:04 AMPosted to Culture & Politics | Sponsored Posts | self reflection