I am not entirely sure exactly when boxing became an official sport instead of a way to settle aggressive debates, but I am fairly confident that it must have been a very long time ago, being one of oldest sports in history, dating back to 688 BC.
?The bottom line is, boxing is violent.? ? Dr. Danelle Fisher
There are way too many people who perceive boxing as a brutal nasty sport, fitting for social outcasts and aggressive delinquents. It sure looks that way when you think about it: two men are trained to hit each other in the head and body, with hopes of hurting the other one to the point of a knockout. Inflicting serious damage to your opponent seems to be the main point in a boxing match when watching it on television without any education about the sport and its roots. People hear about brain injuries and deaths in the ring on a regular basis, with young fighters dying from brain bleeding and other serious damage.
But is boxing really that bad? Is football for instance, a much safer sport? I am aware that I will likely get a colossal amount of criticism for this comparison, but I just couldn?t resist. Injuries ranging from mild to severe happen in football a lot more often than in boxing, and that?s not arguable. And what about kickboxing? Karate? MMA?
Any contact sport will have its obvious hazards, but that doesn?t mean that it is focused on molding aggressive personalities and damaged outcomes. Haven?t you ever heard boxing being labeled as ?the art of boxing?? There is a very good reason for labeling boxing as a form of art, and with a little historical education, curiosity, and maybe even a few lessons, people would realize just how beautiful, intricate, demanding as well as rewarding this sport really is. Those people who go boxing for fitness are generally in great shape, both physically and mentally.
At this point in time, you may be asking yourself, ?Where is this guy going with all this?? Well, let me point you to an article from the Los Angeles Times, where a few health professionals argue that boxing is not a good place to send your kids for exercise as it has too much potential to cause early brain damage: http://www.latimes.com/health/boostershots/la-heb-boxing-youth-children-pediatrics-20110829,0,6816738.story
After reading this piece, I felt that many people will be cheated by its content and direction.
?Pediatricians should strongly discourage boxing participation among their patients and guide them toward alternative sport and recreational activities that do not encourage intentional head injuries,? coauthors Laura Purcell and Claire LeBlanc, both doctors affiliated with the Canadian Pediatric Society, wrote in the journal Pediatrics.
