[Vision2020] Re: Boxing

[Eric E.]

Dear Visionaries,

The little flare-up about boxing is amusing to me, and I'd like to put in my
$.02.

It is interesting to me how otherwise liberal thinkers become so incredibly
church-lady-ish when it comes to things that are relatively nuetral morally,
but seem
barbaric to them.  Shouldn't barbarism between two consenting barbarians be
considered 
a valid alternative lifestyle?

I have been a fan of all sorts of sports all my life. I studied various
martial arts, and always
considered boxing extremely silly and pointless-- until I tried it.

I accidentally found myself in on a boxing class one night when I thought I
was going to a 
karate class.  I thought to myself "oh well, I'll give it a shot just to
prove how silly it is"
(I proudly thought that my karate experience would make boxing a cakewalk
for me)

Later in the evening, after some interesting sparring, an older gentleman
walked in, and 
proved himself to be a long lost friend of the boxing instructor.  Over the
25 years since his 
boxing days the gentleman had become probably 500 lbs worth of obese.  He
looked as though
he could hardly move, let alone box.   We'll call him Mr. Smith.  The
instructor said "Hey, Smith,
why don't you put on some gloves and spar a bit with Eric-- he's all warmed
up!"

Amazed, I said "why not?"

Smith put on gloves and stepped toward me.  I said "Aren't you going to put
any headgear on?".
Smith said "You won't hit me."   I thought all sorts of arrogant thoughts
and proceeded to try to hit
him.  My lesson began, and my new respect for boxing began.  Smith was too
big and out of shape to really move his feet, but whenever I swung or jabbed
at him he would simply move his head slightly, just enough that my glove
would miss him by a quarter inch.  This went on to the point of
ridiculousness, and so I decided "that's it-- I'll focus on hitting his body
(how on earth could I miss?").  Well, I worked myself into a frothing
fatigue trying to hit him in the ribs or stomach and
never once scored a point.  Every time I swung, somehow his elbow and bent
arm were always receiving the blow, covering his body, protecting him from
any harm whatsoever, and he just watched me get tired.  He never swung at me
once.  Then he said "You're dropping your guard
when you strike. I'm going to teach you not to. Whenever you drop your guard
I'm going to hit you."  I said to myself "yeah, right."   And he proceeded
to show me that whenever he wanted to he could hit me. Of course, he only
tapped me lightly, but the lesson was learned.

That was one of the most humbling experiences I've had, but also one of the
most fun.  I walked
out of there thinking  "boxing is an art and a science.  Like it or not, I
respect it."

Now, I will never take up boxing as a regular sport-- I need to conserve
living brain cells, and I'm allergic to pain.   But, every once in a while I
love to spar lightly with a friend. Each year, when my brother comes to
visit me, we put on the gloves and headgear and go at it.  I almost always
lose, but I have an absolute blast.  Usually only a few punches actually
land, and are always followed by mutual laughter.  I always get a bloody
nose, (but a fly landing on my nose can cause it to bleed) and because we're
only going at 80% there is rarely any actual pain.  I've never seen a sport
that can wind me as fast, and I've rarely had such a fun adreneline rush.
Non-boxers have no idea how hard it is to actually land a punch in a boxing
match.  It is an absolute blast trying.

If you like chess, you'd like boxing.  Chess is a science of considered
moves, alternatives, and consequences.  That is exactly what boxing is, but
it is like thinking about each chess move at 90mph, and both players moving
their pieces  almost simultaneously.  Contrary to the conception of boxers
being non-thinkers, boxers think at hyperspeed.  And the challenge is really
fun.

As I said, I won't take up the sport.  But anyone who calls it stupid,
simply has no idea what they
are talking about.  Some people say skiing is stupid because of the dangers
involved-- they've never experienced the joys.  Some people have fun
stamp-collecting, some have fun having a philosophical conversation at a
coffeeshop, some have fun knitting, some have fun punching and being
punched--and some have fun doing all of the above. I have.  But for any of
the above folks to imply that someone else's valid form of fun-seeking is
somehow stupid or not fun is the height
of arrogance and prudishness.  And that person is only advertising their
naiveté.

You liberals need to free your minds.

Jovially yours,

Eric E.