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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.
 

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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