From: hahn@plugh.network.com (Peter Hahn)
Newsgroups: rec.martial-arts
Subject: Re: Western Boxing, how 'imprecise' is it ?
Date: 26 Aug 92 17:12:29 GMT
Organization: Network Systems Corporation

In article <1992Aug25.203433.24222@PA.dec.com> stark@dwovax.enet.dec.com (Todd I. Stark) writes:
>
>In the 'Different karate fists' thread, Peter, David, and others wrote ...
>and I attempt to defend the noble martial art of Western (esp. American)
>Boxing from accusations of being 'imprecise.'   
>
>hahn@plugh.network.com (Peter Hahn) writes...

	[much good sense from Todd that I agree with deleted]

>>It seems that a fair number of boxing coaches teach pretty much this
>>same technique as well.  Just let one fly at the creep's upper chest.
>>Maybe it hits, maybe it doesn't.  And maybe he ducks into it.

	[yet more deletions]

>punches a day, that's almost all they do in a day.  Do you really think they 
>can't anticipate and pinpoint a moving target precisely and need to throw 
>to the chest to hit the head ?   That advice might be used in certain 
>situations, but using it to show the imprecision of the art isn't fair,
>I think.
>
>Ok, I'm better now.   Tell me what you really meant.  :-)

Well, that is pretty much what I meant, though you argue strongly
enough for the opposite view that I'm wondering whether I've misinterpreted
what I've heard (as regular readers may have come to realize, this is
always a distinct possibility with me).

I'd swear I'd personally heard this advice, but that may just be a
reflection of that fact that (again, as regular readers may have come
to realize) I'm not the sort of person likely to benefit from
coaching in the sort of arcane technicalities you describe.

I'd also thought that this was pretty much the advice Holyfield's corner
(Lou Duva, wasn't it?) gave him in his fight against Buster Douglas.  The
particular context in which the technique was to be thrown was when Buster
threw a lead uppercut.  I saw Duva, or whoever it was, talking about this
on TV.  But again, I may have misinterpreted what was said.

Am I just way out in left field here, or has anyone else ever heard this?
Joe T., where have you gotten to?

Anyway, 'imprecise' was ill-chosen, and probably came across as a lot
snottier than I had intended.  But, no, I don't think that boxers can,
in any situation this side of a gross mismatch "anticipate and pinpoint
a moving target precisely", at least with any regularity.  If they
could, fights would never reach the second round.  Half the time, they
don't even land the jab to the head, right?  This wasn't intended to be
a criticism of the Golden Gloves Ryu -- it isn't clear to me that
*anyone* can, against a reasonably well-matched opponent.

At any rate, the apparent similarity of between the advice given by boxing
coaches and by karate teachers struck me.  And I certainly wouldn't
call karate imprecise.

-- 
Peter Hahn           |hahn@network.com|"...In Peking, he told me, there lived a
7600 Boone Ave. N    |+1 612 424-4888 |famous boxer who dropped down from three
Brooklyn Park, MN USA|                |stories onto an interior courtyard
55428                |                |without making a sound when he landed."