Sport and/or Martial Art?

[scohen.mma]

I got into an argument with someone today about Boxing. I'm a big fan. I told this person that Boxing is a great Martial Art. They suddenly got defensive and called Boxing a SPORT, not a Martial Art.

Now, Referring to Mixed Martial Arts, and how Boxing is a very famous part of MMA, i commonly refer to Boxing as not only a sport, but also a Martial Art. I told him that I think that Boxing is both a sport and Martial Art.

I told him how Karate is clearly considered a Martial Art, but there are other people that call some forms of Karate "sport Karate." I tried to tell him that we're both right and that Boxing is both a sport and Martial Art.

What do you think? is Boxing a Sport, a Martial Art, or both?

[MasterPain]

Well, it has self defense applications. It has a rich cultural history. It has it's own traditional sign of mutual respect....

What more can you need to have a martial art?

[Zaine]

Martial art definitely. It is also a sport just like every other martial art can be.

[JusticeZero]

"Mu!"

It doesn't really matter in the end. You are really discussing how you experience it.

A lot of skills can be described in a lot of not immediately intuitive way. Both jogging and ballet make great martial arts. Baseball is some awesome martial art training, combining weapon skills in two common basic weapons (both close in and ranged), physical exercise and running.

But most don't perceive it that way, and it is a jarring leap to see something pried out of one linguistic hierarchy into a different one that was never seen as a match.

[MasterPain]

"Mu!"

Hey! Leave my dog out of this.

[sensei8]

"Mu!"

It doesn't really matter in the end. You are really discussing how you experience it.

A lot of skills can be described in a lot of not immediately intuitive way. Both jogging and ballet make great martial arts. Baseball is some awesome martial art training, combining weapon skills in two common basic weapons (both close in and ranged), physical exercise and running.

But most don't perceive it that way, and it is a jarring leap to see something pried out of one linguistic hierarchy into a different one that was never seen as a match.

Solid post!!

[MaxMarks]

Both. Sounds like you made a good argument. Believe it or not, much of western boxing come from the Filipino knife fighting styles. http://www.bakitwhy.com/articles/influence-filipino-martial-arts-western-boxing

[ShoriKid]

Which were influenced by European sword technique, particularly Spanish sword work. Funny how the circle comes back around.

[OneInchPunch]

both, but MUCH more geared towards sport. Very little battlefield history, very rich gladiatorial history, which makes it more of a sport (albiet a violent one) than a fighting art derived from war.

[JusticeZero]

Which doesn't really matter THAT much in the end.. the only thing soldiers really need to train well with these days is the one-finger pull anyways, and we live in one of the safest places on earth in the safest time period in human history.