Boxers hitting themselves

[Miles Teg]

Just a quick question from someone who has no experience in boxibng or kick boxing.
How come many boxers and kick boxers even Pride fighters often hit them selves in the face? Is it something to do with preparing themselves for getting hit?

[KenWingJitsu]

yes.

[anerlich]

KWJ is correct.

[Miles Teg]

OK - now I finally know for sure. It always seemed weird to me.

[Vajramusti]

I dont know about kick boxers and pride fighters.
Generally their hands are NOT as good as boxers.
(I know- everyone has an opinion on practically everything on the net)
Yes -partly for psyching themselves for the challenge ahead, But for boxers- an additional reason--- depending on their preferred hand positions- a last minute check of their specific hand positions- knowing that the defensive lines are ready and possible openings are appropriately under their control..
They will also- stretch their jaws . Siff jaw connections can relay
hard punches to the brain more easily than a too tight jaw connection. You can get hurt if the jaw is too tight or too loose.
Too loose was Ali getting his jaw broken while laughing. Too tight was Joe Mesi being knocked down severakl times by Jirov. Oscar de la Hoya does the jaw thing in a pronounced way. The result is that he is good in head rolling and not takinga full blow.
Tyson in his Cus DAmato days and Floyd Patterson would check on their peekaboo structure- there are all kinds of alternative structuring in boxing.

The devil is always in the details.

[Ernie]

in a street fight you should eye jab yourself and kick yourself in the nuts to prepare :)

[kj]

Originally posted by Ernie
in a street fight you should eye jab yourself and kick yourself in the nuts to prepare :)

Finally, something I can agree with. ;):D

Regards,
- kj

[Vajramusti]

Sure Ernie- but that does not deal with Mile's question.

[Ernie]

Originally posted by Vajramusti
Sure Ernie- but that does not deal with Mile's question.

but my answer was funny :)

[Vyvial]

me and a few others at my school train that way as well as standing in stance while someone lightly (increasing intensity) hits you all over the body including collarbones. Ouch.

I spend a few minutes each day lightly hitting my knuckles (which are very hard at this point from the sau bou wall bags) on my jaw and cheeks. I did it for a little bit and noticed a great difference last time I brought my sifu out here for a seminar so now I do it much more often training my arm bridge, hands, body and face all the same in "iron" techniques (lack of a better term). I hardly bruise at all anymore, but i also don't often get hit in face either.

This training is kinda silly in many ways but I'm really into it because I came across this William Cheung lineage Sifu who I could control and hit at any point but none of my body hits even fazed him, he even told me to try and hurt him and I really could not get through his "iron Shirt" as he called it. So i decided that I need to get at his level so I started this program which is something from Oscar De la Hoya and also work a lot more on the internal aspects of the art.

--aaron vyvial

[anerlich]

Russian MA has shock absorption training, which teaches you to deal with impact using relaxation, breathing and moving with the impellent force. Not the same as iron shirt, but in my experience works quite well. They also incorporate the notion of "tempering", which is more like what you are talking about.

Both require training regimens of learning to deal with incremental applications of force.

There are limits to all these things - no one's ever going to be able survive a stomp from a bull elephant or being hit by a car at 100 kph.

[Miles Teg]

With all the times that you likely to get hit in the ring, wouldnt hitting yourself (however lightly) wear you out faster or add to the damage further?

Surely conditioning and preparation as discussed above is better done leading up to a fight not during.

[AztecaPreist]

Back in the days of hard hitting football in the 70's there was a lineman for the Rams who before every game would sit in the locker room and whiloe every one was praying and slugging eachothers pads he was just sitting there touching his eyeball with his fingers over and over again before every game. They asked him why he was doing this and his reply was it trained him not to bilnk at the snap of the ball so that he could have that extra edge on watching the ball and getting off at the snap with less of a hesitation and also he did not want to blink when he hit someone . It worked out very well for him so everyone has there own way of preparing

[namron]

Originally posted by Vyvial
me and a few others at my school train that way as well as standing in stance while someone lightly (increasing intensity) hits you all over the body including collarbones. Ouch.

I spend a few minutes each day lightly hitting my knuckles (which are very hard at this point from the sau bou wall bags) on my jaw and cheeks. I did it for a little bit and noticed a great difference last time I brought my sifu out here for a seminar so now I do it much more often training my arm bridge, hands, body and face all the same in "iron" techniques (lack of a better term). I hardly bruise at all anymore, but i also don't often get hit in face either.

This training is kinda silly in many ways but I'm really into it because I came across this William Cheung lineage Sifu who I could control and hit at any point but none of my body hits even fazed him, he even told me to try and hurt him and I really could not get through his "iron Shirt" as he called it. So i decided that I need to get at his level so I started this program which is something from Oscar De la Hoya and also work a lot more on the internal aspects of the art.

--aaron vyvial

Just curious but that sifu wasnt an Aussie by chance?

[Spark]

What you mentioned could also be applied to the fighter warming up in the change room before the fight. Often they do glove work to the point of building up a pretty good sweat. Now this could be said that, aren't they tiring themselves out throwing all those punches before a 12 rounder? But the reality is that they need to loosen up all those muscles and be COMPLETELY physically sharp before entering the ring, otherwise they run the risk of their opponent being better warmed up and taking advantage of them needing a few rounds to get into 5th gear.
This also applies to giving yourself a few shots and stretching out your jaw, watch De La Hoya or Marco Antonio Barrera those are two who I know really exaggerate this.

oops i only read the begginning of your post sorry, well hope this answers some of your q. haha.

[Vyvial]

Namron.

He was an Eastcoaster.

It was Victor...... nah just kiddding it wasn't him.