Boxing is an ancient sport. Although it hasn't always been with us in its current form fighting using fists for sport, entertainment and betting has been around for 1000s of years. Ever since then times have changed, boxing equipment improved and techniques altered.
Take the boxing ring as a perfect example. Although a square now with predefined measurements (anything between 16 and 25 feet a side) its name is really a throw back to the roughly drawn rings of history. In Greek พักยก24 and then Roman times boxing, whilst lacking the boxing equipment of the current era, was a precious sport. Using chalk rings boxers would go in bare knuckled and attempt to knock out the opponent, usually for a money prize. Many wagers were made and the betting on such sports was a life style, especially in the military.
Times have moved, new boxing equipment been developed and in 1838 the initial 'square ring' was introduced by the Pugilistic society, with ropes secured around the edge. This has continued now and you will most likely find such square rings atop raised platforms with four parallel ropes running around the outside, usually secured at the mid way point.
Whereas the Greeks and Romans would fight bare knuckle in a history that would last centuries such fighting has become considered dangerous, with a lot of bought ending in serious injury or death. Thankfully modern technology has allowed us the use of pads and gloves along with other boxing equipment that, whilst still ensuring a punch is delivered with force, help minimize the chance of severe injury to an amount in accordance with almost every other impact sports.
Boxing gloves are actually built to spread the force of a blow over a larger area, ensuring an inferior chance of sustaining head and brain injuries. Boxing equipment such as for instance pads and shields help stop and dissipate the force of blows used sparring, meaning less skilled boxers are able to use such boxing equipment - including punch bags to simply help a talented boxer train for a fight.
It's not only safety that has shifted either. Throughout history strength was probably the most prized asset of a fighter, the capacity to take and give punches considered all important. Slowly over the last century or two that has changed, and now speed of feet and speed of hand are just as important, if not more so.
To that end new boxing equipment has been developed from plyometric speed equipment to the speedball and platform. The speedball is really a very clever, and basic, development. It is a ball, suspended by way of a spring loaded platform that is made to swing back in place swiftly. The idea behind this piece of boxing equipment is so it trains the boxers speed of hand and hand eye co-ordination. Attributes that are vital to the current day boxer.
But whilst boxing equipment, techniques and training methods might have shifted from ancient times the theory behind the game continues to be exactly the same, to knock out your opponent. The basic principles have changed little over a few thousand years and it would be surprising if this sport wasn't around, in certain form and other, in a few thousand years more.
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