Boxing and martial arts are the same things if you go by the definition as boxing is also a form of martial art.
However, when we speak of the modern sport of boxing there can be a lot of differences between martial art vs boxing. Martial arts as we know it is generally described as the art of fighting derived from Asian countries primarily Japan, Korea and China and usually consists of various forms of martial arts such as Karate, Chinese martial arts, Taekwondo and several others.
Let us look at these two forms of sport that are boxing and martial arts and how they are similar or even different from one another.
WHAT IS BOXING AS A SPORT?
Boxing is derived from the term pugilism from the ancient Latin word ‘pugil’ which means a boxer. This is related to the term ‘pugnus’ which means fist. This word first came to be used in ancient Greek from the word ‘pyx’.
Boxing is primarily considered a western sport that is played between 2 people who play this sport in a square enclosed area called the ring. Usually, in boxing, the participants tend to wear productive pieces of equipment and the higher the weight category and the more professional the championship the lesser the equipment they tend to wear. In terms of rules, boxing is quite a bit stricter than martial arts wherein a certain set of rules are followed throughout the world which participants have to follow to gain points. The participants in this sport are encouraged to hit the face and the front of the upper body and not encouraged and in some cases penalized for hitting the back of the head or the lower body.
WHAT IS MARTIAL ARTS AS A SPORT?
Martial arts, on the other hand, is quite a bit relaxed in the terms of rules wherein the opponents are allowed to hit anywhere they please to score a competitive victory. If boxing is the sport of fighting that is believed to be the ideal form and performed in a formal and controlled environment. Martial arts is believed to be the practical form of the sport primarily used for self-defence and fighting, where stopping the opponent from attacking you is the biggest goal here.
WHAT IS THE HISTORY OF BOXING?
The formal adaptation of boxing as a sport can be traced back to the ancient Romans and the ancient Greeks. Boxing was formally adopted in the Olympic event that was held in the 23rd Olympiad off 688 BCE. Boxing was back then considered prize fighting as there were no strict rules and boxers were simply two trained athletes who had to knockout the other person any way they could. Mentions of boxing and different versions of boxing can even be found in ancient Egypt as bare-knuckle fighting as well as in various Sumerian relief carvings from the 3rd century BC.
Bare-knuckle fighting as it was then known was done without the use of gloves. This was quite common among different civilizations but the first evidence of gloves being used in pugilism or boxing can be traced back to various depictions carved in vases discovered in Crete that show boxers using hand protection as well as archaic forms of what we know now as the boxing helmet.
WHAT IS THE HISTORY OF MARTIAL ARTS?
Martial arts as we know it is primarily the use of armed and unarmed techniques in a fighting sport originating in East Asia. In the armed category, we can find various forms of archery, spearmanship and swordsmanship which have their origins in China and Japan. Modern versions of these are made into sports wherein participants compete in performing with these weapons and are marked accordingly. However, the more popular version of martial arts as we know it is the unarmed category wherein we find various martial arts such as sumo, karate, taekwondo, judo and many more. There are also various forms of martial arts that are primarily self-defence techniques such as kung fu and aikido. We can also find various forms of martial arts that are practised for spiritual and physical development and these types of martial arts can be seen practised by the elderly and are quite popular in China.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BOXING AND MARTIAL ARTS
- ROUNDS – The biggest difference between martial arts and boxing is the number of specified rounds. In boxing, these rounds are universally accepted to be 12 in number wherein each round should not exceed more than 3 minutes and the winner is decided based on who gets knocked out during these 12 rounds. If both of the fighters are still standing till the 12th round then the winner is decided on the basis of points which are given on the basis of strikes and technique and other calculations. Martial arts however generally has 3 rounds where each round should not exist for more than 5 minutes and the winner is decided based on a knockout or if the contestants are standing at the end of the 3rd round then the winner is decided by points.
- SAFETY GEAR AND RING – There is also this distinction between safety gear and ring. Boxing usually has 16 to 20 feet boxing ring which is enclosed with ropes and the surface of the boxing ring is usually padded. Martial art rings and traditional wrestling rings are usually octagons of 750 square feet where ropes are generally not used to encircle the ring. The gloves used by boxing fighters are heavier and enclose the fist and fingers. Martial art gloves are usually lighter and expose fingers so that they can perform various strikes with them. Headgear is usually worn by both the disciplines of fighting.
- CLOTHING AND RULES – Martial arts usually have a specific type of clothing which is traditional and worn across that discipline of martial arts and boxing fighters wear loose-fitting shorts and tank tops.
- RULES – The rules vary greatly when it comes to martial arts and boxing. Boxing has this specific rule where boxers need to hit the front of the face and the upper body facing them and are not encouraged and sometimes not permitted to hit the opponent’s back of the head and their lower body and are even penalized for that. Martial arts as we said is considered a practical self-defence sport wherein opponents are allowed to hit any part of the body they want but there are slight differences in rules and regulations that are specific to the various forms of martial arts.
So, these were the main basic differences between the fighting styles and fighting art of boxing and martial arts. Both of these forms of sport are done in professional fighting from boxing’s punches to martial art like Karate’s kicks flying, they are best in their own manner. At the end of it all, the fighting skills of the individual matter. So, arguing about karate vs boxing or is karate better than boxing or is boxing better than karate or any other martial art, is pointless. If you are someone who is willing to learn self-defence from your home as well as get fit in the process then we at Martial Art Extreme (MAE) are the perfect option for you because we are India’s fastest growing online fitness training program provider. We offer multiple courses catered to all your fitness and self-defence needs. At MAE, you will be instructed by the martial arts master and fitness enthusiast Jerry Bola who will personally guide you on our video courses. The courses are easy to follow and will allow you to learn all the basics of self-defence and get fit.