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A History of Organized
Violence
Have you ever wondered if people have been fighting in an
organized way forever? Have you ever had someone tell you
that prize fights are not civilized and barbaric? The truth
is the art of fighting is something that has been a part of
our culture for nearly as long as mankind has been forming
large societies.
It doesn’t matter
if you are hitting a punching bag or moving
around the ring, the practice of organized
fighting for sport is something that is a part
of human nature. There is something primal
within us that rages to burst out, whether it is
defending yourself or simply testing your
skills.
Also called pugilism, this combat sport can be
found in many cultures all over the world, and
despite the fact that this seems to be a
fundamental part of human existence the formal
sport of fighting with fists against another
human being first appeared in recorded history
with the Greeks. Through their guidance it
formed to have official rules, and as the
passion and interest grew with the creation of
tournaments. Eventually there came to be
professional fighters.
There are many who believe that the actual birth
of boxing as a sport did not begin until it was
allowed into the Olympics, which first happened
in 688 BC. In 1927 the archaeologist E.A.
Speiser found a stone tablet in Baghdad, Iraq of
Mesopotamian origin that depicted a prize fight
involving two men using some form of boxing
gloves. The stone is dated as being
approximately 7,000 years old and is the oldest
record of gloved fist fighting.
Our modern form of
Boxing did not come into being until it
found its way into Europe, and then Great
Britain. The classical form of boxing evolved
through out the 12th to 17th centuries and the
first account of a bare fisted boxing match in
England occurred in 1681. The first English bare
fisted champion was James Figg, who won is fight
in 1719. It was during this time period that the
term “boxing” began to be first used.
London Prize Ring rules were first codified in
1838 which consisted of fights taking place in a
24 foot square ring. Also included was the
declaring of head-butting, hitting below the
belt, and biting as fouls, and if a fighter was
unable to get up after 30 seconds, on his own,
then he was not allowed to continue.
The Marques of Queensberry Rules were introduced
in 1867, which brought with it many changes
including the introduction of fair sized gloves.
As boxing changed over the next century it grew
into a remarkable machine all to its own. It now
sees whole countries absolutely enthralled and
there are contemporary boxers who make as much
as 20 million for just one fight.
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The next time you hit a
punching-bag or watch a prize fight, remember that
this is part of a human institution that has seen its
practice evolve over thousands of years.
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