Health consequences of boxing. Boxing is dangerous for the brain

Find out the hidden dangers of boxing training for your brain and health. How to minimize the impact of shocks on the human brain.

The content of the article:

For many years, the debate about the dangers of boxing for the health and brain of an athlete has not subsided. It is a risky sport, but it can also be rewarding. In every culture, at different developments of mankind, there was a sport similar to boxing. For example, in Russia these were fist fights. Boxing itself has gained great popularity in England. It happened in the nineteenth century. The rules were first approved in 1867 and gloves were introduced around the same time.

The advantages and disadvantages of boxing

It would be wrong to talk about the dangers of boxing for the health and brain of an athlete without considering the positive aspects of this sport. With regular training and adherence to certain rules, a person will dramatically improve coordination, endurance, and also increase the efficiency of the respiratory and cardiovascular systems.

Among the advantages of boxing, the following should be noted:

1. The muscles are strengthened and the joints become more mobile.
2. Movement becomes easier and agility is increased.
3. The work of the body's defense mechanisms improves.
4. Negative emotions and stress are suppressed.
5. A person learns to protect himself and those close to him.
6. The problem of excess weight is eliminated.

It is quite obvious that such a tough contact sport like boxing has some disadvantages:

1. High risks of injury.
2. There may be problems with the work of the nervous system due to frequent blows to the head.
3. The center of gravity moves to the chest area, which somewhat reduces stability.

How to properly conduct training in boxing?

Of course, boxing training should be supervised by an experienced mentor. This is a difficult sport from a technical point of view and it will be incredibly difficult to comprehend all the nuances on your own. Only a good coach will help with the setting of strikes, and his recommendations will help to avoid injuries.

The technique of wrapping bandages is also quite complicated and you cannot do without the help of a specialist. You can conduct classes on your own only after you have mastered the basic skills. You can then practice the blow at home, but you can't do without sparring. Before starting workouts, you should consult with your doctor about the absence of contraindications.

Boxing harm to athlete's health and brain

Today, more and more people are starting to visit gyms to improve their health. However, medical professionals are constantly reminded that you should do the right thing, because otherwise you can harm the body. Even a sport that seems safe at first glance, like running, can be dangerous for the spinal column. First of all, this applies to people who are overweight.

In the course of research, scientists have found that in certain situations, jogging in the park can be more dangerous than fighting in the ring. At the same time, there is no doubt that frequent blows to the head or body also give reason to talk about the dangers of boxing for the health and brain of the athlete. But it is no longer possible to say with complete confidence that this sport will necessarily cause the development of serious diseases of the nervous system and the brain.

Note that the work carried out by the staff of the University of Heideiberk concerns only amateur boxing. With professional boxers, everything is much more difficult and frequent blows to the head can cause disturbances in blood flow in the brain. After powerful blows, there is a high risk of capillary rupture and blood clots. But do not remember that the involvement of professional boxing in the development of Parkinson's disease in Mohammed Ali has not been proven.

After this incident, many parents took their sons from the boxing sections. Scientists from Germany have tried to refute the talk about the serious harm of boxing to the health and brain of the athlete. During the research, modern equipment was used, which scientists proudly declared. They chose for their experiment a tomograph capable of working with magnetic fields of strength three Tesla. The project manager will note that such equipment made it possible to detect even the smallest hemorrhages.

Recall that hemorrhage is called microscopic strokes of a hemorrhagic nature. At the same time, the quality of nutrition of nerve cells and their processes, which are highly sensitive to oxygen and glucose deficiency, is sharply reduced. If this happens, then the nerve cells, deprived of high-quality nutrition, die within a few hours.

79 people took part in the experiment, 37 of whom had never been involved in combat sports, and the rest were amateur boxers. In the control group, not a single case of hemorrhage was recorded, and among the boxers there were three. Note that the temporal and frontal regions became problem areas of the brain. It is in them, after missed strikes, that the maximum tissue displacement is observed.

At the same time, scientists are confident that such results can be safely called statistically insignificant. In many respects, this conclusion is connected with a significant spread in the degree of boxers' fitness. The duration of their careers ranged from one to 25 years, which significantly influenced the number of fights held, as well as knockouts.

As we have said, you cannot project the results of this experiment onto professional athletes. Almost all previous studies have proven that the duration of a boxer's "athletic life" has a strong impact on his health. However, it is still difficult to say whether hemorrhages can be called essential factors in the development of disorders of the nervous system. The group of scientists is not going to be satisfied with what has already been achieved and in the near future intends to conduct new experiments, but with the involvement of professionals.

Ordinary people are sure that boxers and especially professionals, after the end of their careers, have serious problems with the nervous system and brain. According to official statistics, only a fifth of all athletes who have retired have a disease that scientists have called "boxing dementia." Frequent concussions of varying severity cannot pass without leaving a trace and the consequences can be quite serious. First of all, this concerns cognitive abilities, which deteriorate sharply.

Of course, speaking about the harm of boxing to the health and brain of an athlete, one should take into account the length of his career and the total number of fights held in the ring. Although people most often think of negative consequences for professionals when talking, amateurs are also not immune from them. Many sports medicine professionals speak of greater risk among professionals, citing the different goals of athletes as the reason.

Every professional boxer tries to knock out his opponent, and in amateur sports, fights often end in technical knockout. Do not forget about the more rigid rules used in professional sports, because it is very difficult to endure 12 three-minute rounds without even missing blows to the head. Recall that amateurs spend 8-9 minutes in the ring.

Amateur boxers are under close medical scrutiny and undergo a neurological examination after each knockdown. Boxers themselves say that gloves used in amateur sports are softer and are not capable of causing the same damage as in professional boxing. Recently, amateur sports have seen some relaxation of protection requirements. For example, an athlete may not use a helmet if he is already out of junior age.

Although research suggests that the lack of a helmet does not increase the risk of serious head injury, athletes should wear this type of protective equipment. Many amateurs even wear helmets during training. It should be admitted that many studies still suggest that the harm of boxing to the health and brain of the athlete exists even at the amateur level.

For example, in Gothenburg, scientists found that after a fight in the amateur ring, several types of protein compounds are present in the cerebral fluid of athletes. Their presence indicates that the nerve cells have been damaged. Moreover, even after resting, the concentration of two proteins continued to remain high. An interesting fact will be that the project manager, Sanna Nelius, was engaged in boxing at an amateur level in her youth.

The study in question now involved three dozen athletes. All of them had at least 46 fights in the ring. Scientists examined the athletes before the start of the fight, then a week later and 14 days after its completion. The results of the experiment were not encouraging - brain damage was recorded in 80 percent of the subjects. One fifth of the athletes showed signs of injury after rest. Note that not a single boxer was knocked out during the fight.

After the completion of the study, the scientists expressed the hope that their work will be noticed and taken seriously not only by boxers, but also by representatives of other combat sports. In the course of studies conducted by American scientists, it has been proven that the brain gets damaged long before the first symptoms appear.

Scientists have found that in boxers, over time, not only nerve cells die, but also the volume of the brain decreases. This can cause not only memory impairment, but also cause the development of other serious ailments. The head of the research group, Charles Bernik, is sure that if the medical examination of an athlete is not carried out at an early stage of the development of diseases, then the situation can worsen many times over.

He conducted observations at one of the Cleveland clinics and examined about 170 athletes. As a result, Bernik stated that the first irreversible changes in the brain occur after 6 years of active engagement in this sport. If the duration of a boxer's career exceeds twelve years, then the risks increase manifold.

Note that Bernik watched not only boxers, but also representatives of other combat sports. According to the current rules in professional boxing, an athlete must undergo one medical examination without fail. Most often, it is carried out at the dawn of a career. Then the medical board has the right to send the athlete for an additional examination, but this happens quite rarely. We have already said that most diseases are latent in nature and when their symptoms appear, it may be too late to do anything.

Boxing is harmful or beneficial to health, see the video below:

In the classroom, you are in active movement all the time: you hone blows on a pear, bag, etc., work in pairs, carry out shadow boxing and participate in sparring - there is a qualitative release of excess energy and a rapid increase in all physical characteristics of the body. The speed of reaction and the ability to instantly make decisions are provided.

Muay Thai affects almost every muscle in the body. If you practice for several years, you can get a gorgeous muscle relief and, of course, atomic strength. Coordination of movements will significantly improve, you will begin to control the expenditure of forces.

Thai boxing refers to cardio training (running, jumping rope, sparring). It helps to strengthen the heart, increase its endurance level, and accelerates blood circulation and metabolism. The useful volume of the lungs increases, the functions of the respiratory system improve. During training, you will sweat a lot, slags and toxins will come out of the body along with sweat, the skin, intestines and blood vessels will begin to cleanse.

The benefit of Muay Thai is the ability to drain the aggression and irritability accumulated during everyday life. Exercise is soothing and helps to look at any situation from the other side.

It is also good to do Muay Thai for indecisive, soft people - to develop a strong punchy character. True, on the other hand, in order not to quit such intense workouts, you need to have a fair amount of patience. So if the beginner stays and keeps up the pace - consider: he has already won.

Benefits of Muay Thai for Women

It is very important for girls to feel confident and secure. It is these qualities that develop through boxing. The girl learns to rely on herself, to be prepared for peak and stressful situations, and knows how to give back. Increased confidence in physical strength is projected onto all life moments.

Thai boxing involves not only defense, but also attack - thereby developing wrestling qualities. This is useful in everyday life: often girls do not have enough character to fight for their goals and dreams.

In addition, you can lose a lot of weight. Constant active movement, accelerated metabolism contribute to this. Of course, weight loss processes will go better if nutrition is controlled.

Benefits of Muay Thai for Kids

Muay Thai develops agility, flexibility, speed, coordination, as well as willpower and discipline. Teaches responsibility, as well as the ability to stand up for yourself and your loved ones. If a child has a lot of excess energy, he will successfully and usefully spend it in Muay Thai training.

If we talk about the danger of injury to this sport, then it stands much further than the same football and hockey.

Even comparing Thai boxing with classic boxing, it is safe to say that it is safer for the health of the child. And all because the striking in Muay Thai is distributed throughout the body.

In trainings, much attention is paid to general physical training, practicing protection against various blows, and maneuverability. As a result, pupils enter the competition confidently and with great desire.

Thai boxing is for you if:

I like martial arts

Want to learn how to fight, stand up for yourself in street conditions;

Looking for one of the best avenues for developing self-defense skills;

Doing a different kind of martial art, want to enrich your technique;

Work is very annoying, you have to endure a lot, there is no way to show everything that you think, you need to put the accumulated negative energy somewhere.

Young people often see boxing as a fun pastime: admittedly, outside of large cities, young Thais do not have that much choice of leisure activities. Regular engagement in any sport trains discipline, teaches you to subordination and respect your partners, coaches and other people with whom you contact during training. We figured out that Muay Thai strengthens the psyche, but it also has a beneficial effect on the body. This is a very balanced single combat, which keeps the entire musculoskeletal system in good shape, relieves adolescents and young people from problems with the spine (scoliosis, kyphosis, etc.), improves metabolic processes, strengthens the cardiovascular system, ligaments, muscles. Muay Thai requires coordinating the movements of the arms and legs, maintaining balance, developing speed and responsiveness.

Influence of Muay Thai on the human body

Three disadvantages of boxing People who are poorly knowledgeable and poorly versed in this sport may include: the disadvantages of boxing

1. Numerous injuries ranging from minor injuries to the hands and fists to major head injuries. Yes, like any other type of martial arts, boxing is traumatic, but compared, for example, with football, head injuries are several times less.

   The force of a blow to the head with a ball is comparable to a blow to the head of a middleweight in boxing, only in boxing you are taught to defend against blows - by diving, dodging, side-steps, blocking, or as much as possible to soften the blow from which you do not have time to dodge (head movement accompanying the blow and muscle relaxation ), in football, on the contrary, they tend to beat their heads more often and harder - you can observe the results when one of the players gives interviews.

Is boxing harmful to the health and brain of an athlete?

In fact, a fight boils down to two or three punches, and often with proper preparation, even one is enough. This very training can be obtained in boxing sections under the guidance of a qualified trainer.

• The formation of personality and character in boxing is one of the main factors for the sake of which it is simply necessary for men to engage in boxing.

Boxing strengthens willpower, teaches you to overcome weakness, and as a result - contributes to the formation of a strong spirit. Not everyone can withstand constant training, and most of the newly arrived guys cannot withstand even years of loads in the section. Others, having held out for a year, having taken part in sparring and competitions, so to speak, "breathing" the spirit of boxing, have forever become akin to their gym.

The influence of boxing on the human body

Advantages:

• trained body: strong muscles, flexible joints, improved stretching;
• maneuverability and ease of movement;
• increased immunity;
• reducing the likelihood of injury;
• suppression of stress and negative emotions;
• laying the foundations for the ability to stand up for yourself;
• extended social circle (new acquaintances in the sports environment);
• effective weight loss.

Boxing and harm. However, along with positive qualities, negative ones stand out.

News / 8 invented reasons not to go to Muay Thai and K-1 training.

Perhaps you will not have the opportunity to use your martial arts skills in life, but only in a street fight can the qualities that distinguish a fighter from an ordinary person come in handy? If we take the example of a successful person in almost any field of activity, his inalienable qualities will be: the ability to make decisions quickly, flexibility of thinking, efficiency, the ability to endure the negative impact of the external environment, skills to overcome oneself, leadership qualities. All these features can be purchased by visiting the Muay Thai and K-1 boxing club.

There are only champions, an ordinary person has nothing to do in a Muay Thai sports club…. A good Muay Thai club usually recruits several groups of trainees, according to their level of training. Anyone can come to classes for beginners.

At the same time, the presence of champions is a mark of quality that distinguishes the professional Muay Thai and K-1 club.

Thai boxing, muay thai, self defense

Pediatrics Boxing develops in a child such useful qualities as courage, perseverance in overcoming difficulties, determination and self-control, reaction speed and others. However, parents need to take into account that the specificity of boxing, as a percussion martial arts, can lead to negative consequences for the health of the child.

Television and other popularization of striking sports (which includes boxing) has led to a decrease in the age limit for admission of children to boxing. It is not uncommon for children to start boxing at the age of 6 and 7. It cannot be denied that boxing exercises develop in a child such useful qualities as courage, perseverance in overcoming difficulties, determination and self-control, reaction speed and others.

Modern active people are really incredibly lucky, since now there are so many sports. Which one to choose, everyone decides independently and always gives preference to what helps in the implementation of certain goals. One of these sports is boxing. He has always been popular.

It is interesting that there are those who associate such popularity of this sport with the animal origin of the stronger sex and the fact that over all these years the basic instincts have remained the same. However, today not only men, but also the fair sex are fond of boxing. But be that as it may, one thing is obvious - boxing will always be popular and in demand.

How important is boxing in life?

Constant boxing has a significant effect on a person, making him many times stronger both physically and morally. It is important to note that all boxers, without exception, are self-confident people who are absolutely not afraid of anything in their lives and at the same time always believe in their own strength.

It is worth noting that boxing has a beneficial effect not only on the respiratory, but also on the cardiovascular system. In addition, such training allows you to develop endurance, become faster and master a difficult hitting technique that allows you to stand up for yourself or your family in unpleasant situations.

How is boxing useful for the development of the human body?

Almost all athletes involved in this sport look muscular and fit. Moreover, they must have a wide back, strong trained arms. In general, the appearance of such athletes is very impressive.

During sparring with an opponent, a boxer uses all muscle groups, and he himself never stands in one place. This is how the body functions at this time, the legs are involved, and most importantly, the head works.

A professional athlete thinks tactfully and always thinks over what the opponent will do in advance. In this case, it will be possible to defend against attacks with confidence and at the same time quickly end the round with a knockout.

So, the advantages of such activities:

1. The body is in good shape and has a strong immune system.
2. Constant training helps to effectively fight extra pounds.
3. Boxing improves lung and heart function.
4. This sport helps to develop a good reaction to impact and at the same time learn to feel the distance.
5. Self-confidence and self-confidence is strengthened.

When is the best time to start exercising?

Experienced boxers claim that there is no ideal age for boxing. Special schools can accept everyone from an early age. Thanks to such training, already in early childhood, the boy will be able to develop a strong character, willpower and, of course, self-confidence.

Initially, it will be very convenient to study individually with a trainer. So you can learn how to put a blow, avoid direct attacks and confidently resist any opponent. However, his physique and experience will not be so important.

In reality, boxing is physical activity, constant training that can have a positive effect on the human body, strengthen muscles, develop strength, endurance, and the ability to take a punch. Thanks to this sport, coordination of movements develops, the work of the heart and respiration is normalized.

When can boxing harm a person?

Before signing up for the section, you should undergo a comprehensive medical examination. So there are a number of contraindications to training, and even more so when there are problems with:

• vestibular apparatus;
• musculoskeletal system;
• heart disease;
• kidney disease;
• congenital or acquired pathologies.

To avoid injury, it is best to engage in this sport with an experienced trainer and be sure to follow the sports regimen. In this case, training will be able to give the desired result and progress will be obvious.

Summing up, we can say that boxing really has a lot of advantages. Without exaggeration, it can be argued that he may well become ideal for every boy whose parents dream of raising their son as a real man. In addition, this kind of sport can become a favorite even for girls and over time develop into something more than just a hobby.

However, do not forget about the possible harm of physical activity to the body. Having weighed all the pros and cons, you can make the only correct decision - to engage in this sport, or it is still better to abandon it.

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Resilience, agility and 5 more advantages of Thai boxing over regular fitness - Challenger warns: the opinion of the editorial board may not coincide with the opinion of the tough guy who wrote this showy text.

A fitness center is a great place for those who are going to build a million completely unnecessary muscles, spend time, effort, money and other pleasant bonuses that life pampers us with from time to time without much sense. Very few people achieve good results in the gym. Most leave after a couple of months of training, unable to withstand the struggle with their own willpower.

There is an alternative to this - and it is absolutely beautiful. Thai boxing allows a person to develop the most important qualities that can be used not only in the ring, but also in everyday life.

Now, bunnies, keep as many as seven reasons in favor of replacing boring fitness for a sharp and vigorous Muay Thai.

This stat is definitive for Muay Thai. A tough fighter is a fighter who gets out of the ring with his feet. The lion's share of every workout is devoted to endurance development. Long-distance running at a ragged pace, jumping on tires, countless rounds with a padman, and then on bags. Of course, you can develop endurance and enhanced cardio workouts, the benefits of which are surpassed only by their hopeless boredom.

Not the kind of power that allows you to proudly lift a closet or two in front of a bunch of admiring high school girls. The strength that Muay Thai gives is labeled "explosive": it enables the athlete to move quickly, hit powerfully and not waste energy in battle. A fitness room might be able to equip you with the skills of a professional loader - is that what you really want?

Losing weight, strengthening the heart, developing muscles, working out the relief, quitting, in the end, smoking - this is the basic package that Muay Thai training offers even to a novice athlete. To achieve these effects in the gym, any beginner will first have to sweat a lot on their own willpower. This is, unfortunately, an almost insurmountable obstacle for most people.

In Muay Thai, the speed with which the punch is delivered is very important. Usually fighters with the same level of training enter the ring - in order to force the opponent to miss a blow, you have to be either super fast or super smart. Sly Muay Thai adepts prefer to train both. We'll talk about the importance of strategy and how the brain works in battle a little later, and about speed right now. To develop a sharp, quick blow, fighters spend several sessions on pads each workout, focusing on attack speed. Usually, these are several rounds during which the trainee works without stopping middle kick, changing legs. Needless to say, at the exit from the hall, no one asks to leave the accumulated reaction speed? It is simply impossible to work out something like this during a regular workout.

It would be more accurate to call this point coordination of movements. Some people are naturally more agile than others. The latter have to develop this skill separately. To be dexterous means to clearly feel your own body, not to think about individual movements in difficult situations, and in everyday life too. Agility, as some think, we need not only for climbing trees and other joys. The better the consciousness is connected with the body, the easier and more natural absolutely all human movements. Active gestures, helping to build the necessary level of non-verbal communication, facial expressions that cause the interlocutor's subconscious sympathy - that's all. Better than Thai boxing, only gymnastics will develop dexterity.

Strategy and tactics are the hallmarks of even a practicing Muay Thai fighter. There is no place in the ring for those who hope at random: simultaneously with the activity of the body, the brain does its own (and considerable) part of the work. A good Muay Thai trainer can teach strategic thinking to any student. The acquired skills work great in everyday life: you will learn to anticipate the actions of your interlocutors and build your tactical schemes in any conversation.

A Muay Thai fighter puts his whole body weight into the punch. It takes a long time to learn, but the result is worth it. Behind the seeming ease of movement is a hidden spring, ready to turn around at any moment - and at the same time to turn the opponent's jaw in the opposite direction. Even the most dexterous warriors miss blows. Instead of trying to achieve the impossible, Thai coaches develop resilience in students so that they do not fall into shock after a successful knee. A whole range of exercises is designed for this, the so-called "stuffing" and sparring in full force.

“I realized that I could hold on much longer than I thought before. The understanding that I can force myself, in spite of fatigue, gives me confidence in my strength. "

Calm and endurance

The best boxers have composure. Excessive excitement, or worse, worry and anxiety, weaken your strength. If you expend energy on emotions, you will not be able to focus on the nearest goal - necessity and defend against enemy attacks. Since boxing requires a high concentration of attention, over time you will begin to show yourself calmer and more restrained in any life situations.

“I found peace of mind by training, overcoming limitations and winning.”

Liberation from aggression

Any physical exercise, especially such an intense sport like boxing, relieves inner tension and negative emotions. Gender, if you took up this sport to free yourself from aggression and other negative emotions, you will succeed, and you will feel better in all aspects of your life. Also, once you start playing this sport, you will find that aggression is actually incompatible with boxing. You won't find aggressive boxers among the winners. If a boxer is aggressive and irritated, he is unable to concentrate and control himself. Such a technique as "piss off the enemy" often gives the desired result. Angry, the enemy begins to give up, take big steps, "" his movements, wastes energy and forgets about his battle plan.

“Now that my self-perception has changed, I am calmer about myself and my body. For me now it is not so important to be slim or to look a certain way - it is much more important to be stronger and healthier. In addition, now I rarely feel aggression and irritation in relation to the outside world, since I found an application for these emotions in another sphere».

Pros and cons of boxing

Boxing is known to many and has never lost its popularity as a form of single combat. It is characterized by blows to the head and body of the enemy and defense by diving and dodging. Much attention is paid to the physical training of the boxer. There is a lot of controversy about the benefits and harms of this sport. Whose side is the truth on? Let's try to figure it out in this article.

So, let's look at the main arguments of opponents and supporters of boxing. It should be noted right away that there are not so few of them both on one side and on the other. Let's start with the pros.

Six pluses of boxing

The main advantage of boxing is actually what people generally strive to engage in martial arts for, and boxing in particular, is learning the skills to effectively stand up for themselves. Many will ask: "Isn't it possible to stand up for yourself without practicing martial arts?" - the answer is simple: of course you can, but not so effectively. In the street skirmishes that almost all guys have faced, self-confidence is one of the most important character traits.

Of course, confidence must be backed up by certain skills, and boxing provides them in full. With a well-delivered blow, you don't have to be afraid of anyone. Someone will say: "boxing will not help a fighter in close range", but is it? In many ways, yes, in boxing they do not teach how to get away from a grip, pass to the legs, etc., however, a competent boxer will not even let an opponent approach him. If, nevertheless, this happened, then the technical and shock arsenal of a fighter in close combat will allow him to emerge victorious over an opponent with wrestling skills.

1. Do not consider the parody that we are shown on TV as a fight. It is there that you can observe the ideal blows performed by the opponents with a "turntable", all kinds of somersaults and the like. In fact, a fight boils down to two or three punches, and often with proper preparation, even one is enough. This very training can be obtained in boxing sections under the guidance of a qualified trainer.
2. The formation of personality and character in boxing is one of the main factors for the sake of which it is simply necessary for men to engage in boxing. Boxing strengthens willpower, teaches you to overcome weakness, and as a result - contributes to the formation of a strong spirit. Not everyone can withstand constant training, and most of the newly arrived guys cannot withstand even years of loads in the section. Others, having held out for a year, having taken part in sparring and competitions, so to speak, "breathing" the spirit of boxing, have forever become akin to their gym. Such athletes are unlikely to leave their section even in case of defeat.
3. Development of strength and speed endurance, improvement of reaction and balance, and, of course, constant maintenance of proper body tone after six months of active boxing. Development of the shoulder girdle, chest, muscles of the arms, abs and legs.
4. Those people who believe that boxers are aggressive, who like to show their strength to everyone and everyone, are very mistaken. Boxing gives the trainees the proper composure and calmness.
5. It's not news to anyone that boxing involves sparring, which in turn allows you to relieve stress and throw out emotions.
6. The acquisition of a goal in life and new friends can also be attributed to the advantages of practicing this type of martial arts.

With the pluses figured out, you can go to the minuses.

Three cons of boxing

These people, poorly knowledgeable and poorly versed in this sport, can include:

1. Numerous injuries ranging from minor injuries to the hands and fists to major head injuries. Yes, like any other type of martial arts, boxing is traumatic, but compared, for example, with football, head injuries are several times less. The force of a blow to the head with a ball is comparable to a blow to the head of a middleweight in boxing, only in boxing you are taught to defend against blows - by diving, dodging, side-steps, blocking, or as much as possible to soften the blow from which you do not have time to dodge (head movement accompanying the blow and muscle relaxation ), in football, on the contrary, they tend to beat their heads more often and harder - you can observe the results when one of the players gives interviews. The first and basic rule for beginners in boxing is to listen carefully and try to remember this during each workout, what the coach said about how to defend correctly and where to keep your hands while working in sparring, how to hold your hands at the moment of impact and constantly monitor the performance these "simple" rules. Undoubtedly, it is very important in the process of training to use good quality boxing ammunition, to bandage your hands correctly, not to hit the punching bag without bandages and shell gloves, and then your training will only bring joy and satisfaction.
2. Health problems after prolonged boxing (applies only to professional boxers).
3. Fanatical boxing has a bad effect on study, because there is always no time for it, and many trainee students consider boxing to be an important reason for not completing lessons, going to school, etc.

These disadvantages are easy to avoid, and they are unlikely to become a significant obstacle for future boxers. However, it is worth considering: if from the very beginning there is a desire to look for disadvantages in martial arts, then is it worth going to practice at all?

All those who have firmly decided to devote their lives to boxing can only wish good luck on the way to their cherished goal and remember the advice of Muhammad Ali:

"Whatever your goal, you can achieve it if you only want to work hard."

The discussion about boxing that took place in our twenties is a very characteristic phenomenon for this sport. It is associated with the specifics of boxing, which consists in striking, sometimes causing serious injury.

Someone of the opponents of boxing flashed at one time with a funny aphorism: "Preventing injuries in boxing is like disinfecting swords before a duel." As long as boxing has existed, there has been talk about the dangers of this sport for human health. Conversations flare up with a heated discussion, then quietly smolder with the grunts of amateurs. But boxing is alive, moreover - unlike the times of the Marquis of Queensberry, who regulated the "noble art of self-defense", he gained popularity, second only to football, athletics and even two or three sports.

All injuries in boxing can be roughly divided into three groups. These are facial injuries, hand injuries and, finally, the most serious damage to the central nervous system.

Facial injuries are more of a cosmetic nature and may not cause serious health concerns for athletes. Most often, eyebrows are damaged in combat. From a blow, especially to the head, the skin of the brow ridge breaks, sometimes causing quite severe bleeding. These wounds tend to heal quickly. True, the often repeated cutting of the eyebrow leads to the fact that the boxer has to lose.

Damage to the hands - mainly of the hands and wrists - is also harmless to the athlete's health, but poses a serious threat to his career. The famous Laszlo Papp, the hero of the three Olympic Games, and later the European champion among professionals, had permanent injuries to his hands, which greatly limited his fighting.

This is how our conversation began with Mr. Gerard Blonstein, Head of the Medical Commission of the European Amateur Boxing Association.

I am a supporter of a substantive discussion, said Dr. Blonstein. “My clinic in London has collected a lot of material that allows me to develop4 an objective view of the danger in boxing. Here are the statistics. Of every 6,000 athletes injured, boxers account for 100. Boxing is outperformed by alpine skiing, American football, gymnastics, swimming and diving, handball, ice skating, sledging, hockey and wrestling. Boxing is in tenth place in the world list in terms of the number of accidents with a tragic outcome, yielding to auto racing, cycling, golf, equestrian sports, mountaineering, etc.

It is difficult to imagine, we argue, that such a harmless sport as gymnastics leaves behind boxing in terms of the number of injuries, where almost every one of the countless blows inflicted during the fight is fraught with trouble.

The fact that gymnastics is ahead of boxing according to these statistics does not at all indicate a large number of injuries among gymnasts. Of course, they have few injuries, but still more than boxers. Indeed, the statistics also include all kinds of sprains, bruises that occur during training. And as for the countless punches in boxing, don't forget about the defense that neutralizes the vast majority of those punches. The subject of discussion can, of course, be only the blows that have reached the target.

These strikes, as everyone knows, can be quite impressive. Remember how many fights are interrupted by you doctors. Think about bruises, stickers, knockouts.

Incidentally, continues Dr. Blonstein, the most common injury in boxers is an eyebrow cut. The eyebrow is easily damaged in a collision, with a slight bump. This wound usually bleeds a lot, and therefore makes a greater impression on the audience than on boxers who do not experience tangible pain with such an injury.

Your statistics include injuries for which athletes consulted a doctor. But do you know to what extent the most common blows to the head, recorded not by a doctor, but by a judge, affect the health of boxers?

It is this question, says Dr. Blonstein, that I was interested in doing a large study using instrumental tools. In particular, we filmed the brain biocurrents of hundreds of boxers before the fight and immediately after the fight. It turned out that often, even after a knockout, no changes in brain biocurrents were observed. After a severe knockout, its effects disappeared within six minutes at the latest. Do not be surprised - a sharp blow to the chin temporarily disrupts the activity of the vestibular apparatus. For the brain, such a blow is not dangerous, just like blows delivered within the rules. Only those blows that are prohibited by the rules, say, a blow to the back of the head, carry tangible damage to the brain.

Over the years, the residual effects after such blows accumulate, and I think that it is hardly worth playing actively for more than 15 years. Although this period is very conditional: many boxers, who are fully proficient in the art of defense, manage not to receive serious blows for years. We must not forget about the individual characteristics of people.

Dr. Blonstein goes on to say that he does not know of a single accident in the ring that could not have been prevented. Each such case is the result of a referee's error. Sometimes it is caused by poor preparation of the ring flooring, sometimes the referee did not react to the fact that one of the opponents received a blow, after which he was not able to continue the fight. Often a situation in which the referee allows "dirty boxing" to use prohibited punches. According to the English expert, refereeing mistakes cause enormous damage to boxing, which, perhaps like no other sport, fosters determination, fearlessness, readiness to fight, and nobility.

In April 1963, a joint meeting of the presidiums of the Federation of Sports Medicine of the USSR and the Boxing Federation of the USSR on the topic "Boxing and Health" was held with the wide involvement of leading specialists in medicine, pedagogy, psychology, aesthetics and boxing.

The meeting came to the conclusion: modern boxing, based on the high technical and tactical skill of the participants, with strict adherence to the rules and a clear organization of the educational and training process, is an effective means of comprehensive development and education.

Here is what V. A. Sergeev and S. P. Kukishev reported: “The influence of boxing on the health of athletes can be shown on the materials of the dispensary examination and medical and pedagogical observations of the members of the USSR national boxing team for the period 1956-1963.

More than 200 people (honored masters, masters of sports, first-grade athletes) were under the supervision of doctors, who systematically trained and participated in competitions. Members of the USSR national boxing team-81 people were most fully examined and regularly observed.

The analysis of the material shows that with the correct organization of boxing training sessions and the observance of the basic hygienic principles of training, the trainees show positive changes in health: physical development improves (spirometry, dynamometry), functional state improves, the number of diseases decreases, and traumatism decreases. However, with the wrong training method, with too many fights (up to 32 in a season), with irregular training, with unprepared performances, after illnesses, etc., athletes in the process of training and competition can receive persistent injuries of an unfavorable nature (residual phenomena of repeated brain injury). Only with the correct educational and training process injuries and other negative changes in boxers can be minimized. "

FG Fedorkova, an employee of the Estonian SSR Republican Medical and Physical Training Dispensary, noted that out of 34 examined boxers from the Estonian SSR national team (among them there were masters of sports and first-grade athletes), none of them had significant deviations in health from the internal organs and nervous system.

“Under our supervision for three years, - wrote LS Maksimova, - there were 71 strongest boxers from the Russian Federation during the preparation for important competitions. Comparative analysis of data on physical development of boxers for this period shows improvement in the level of physical development. For 3 years, 132 cases of injuries and exacerbations of former injuries were registered. By the nature of damage, abrasions rank first - 26.1%; bruises of the hands - 18.4%; dissection of the brow-16.5%; bruised nose with subsequent bleeding - 15.6%; sprains of the ligamentous apparatus - 11.3%; scuffs of feet - 9.5%; dissection of the mucous membrane of the lip - 1.8%; head bruises - 0.8%. All injuries did not require a break in training. Exacerbations of old injuries were observed in 17 people, among them deforming arthrosis of the elbow joints, bursitis and exacerbation of lumbosacral radiculitis. Causes of injuries: insufficient technical preparedness of boxers, neglect of protective devices (masks, bandaging of hands), lack of discipline among boxers. "

And here is the opinion of the famous neuropathologist, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor Konstantin Filippovich Nikitin, the champion of the country in 1920:

Based on my experience as a boxer and neuropathologist, - says Nikitin, - I dare say that the opinion about the danger of a strong blow is greatly exaggerated. I remember my fight with the famous Gradopolov. After a quick and accurate blow to the chin of my opponent, I was on the floor, came to my senses in a few seconds. It was a knockout. But after 15 minutes I did not experience any unpleasant sensations, and after the competition I went to the cinema.

Together with my teacher, the famous physiologist Professor M.F. Ivanitsky, continues K.F. very large. In a young trained boxer, the brain quickly adapts to combat conditions and creates reliable defense reactions. True, this only applies to blows to the chin. And the brain reacts extremely painfully to blows to the crown and especially to the back of the head. However, everyone knows that such attacks are prohibited by the rules of boxing. You just need to strictly follow the rules.

So, judging. It should be considered the main problem of modern boxing. There are no specialists who would see any serious shortcomings in the rules of modern amateur boxing. The rules are good and fully meet the tasks that this courageous sport is called upon to solve.

We have no doubt that the time is not far off when objective refereeing of competitions will prevail: mistakes are too expensive for boxers and boxing as a sport. After all, every year the contradiction between the rapid growth of popularity of boxing and the low level of refereeing is sharpening, which gives rise to statements similar to that made recently by Professor Coyle from Germany: “Boxing is the only sport in which the initial task of a combatant is to achieve an advantage over an opponent by damaging his body. "

Of course, boxing has completely different tasks. The boxer strives to win by opposing the will and courage of the opponent with his will and courage, his skill, tactical, physical and technical readiness, his skill. Not to injure the opponent, but within the framework of the rules to demonstrate their advantage in the ability to defend and attack - this is the goal of every boxer. No wonder the British, the founders of this sport, called boxing "the noble art of self-defense." They place such a high value on the educational value of boxing that they strive to teach this art to every man: boxing is a compulsory subject in English schools.

Of course, we, setting as our task the upbringing of a harmonious personality, must popularize boxing. But what about the health hazard? - skeptics may ask. After all, it is difficult to imagine that after blows to the head, a person becomes healthier. But these blows are opposed by the adaptive capabilities of the body and the boxer's ability to defend himself. According to statistics, boxing is no more dangerous than other sports. And do not frighten the uninitiated with a knockout bogey: a strong blow will always be in the arsenal of boxers. Without it, without a sense of sharpness and danger, what makes boxing a courageous sport will disappear. The danger in boxing will always remain, but let this danger be strictly regulated by the rules that guarantee the health of a man wearing boxing gloves.