Soviet school of boxing

[cccp21]

nice post, interesting stuff. I know quite a lot about the Cuban system, which developed from the Soviet system, though I don't know much about the Soviet side of things specifically.
But yes, the fact of the matter is that there IS A SYSTEM (unlike in most countries) which youngsters get channeled into and developed through. This is a comprehensive system with all the things you mentioned but also most of the time includes education.
The other thing that really sets such systems apart is the methodologies that they use, just like weightlifters use training and peaking, but also for the very basics right through there are systems to develop the athletes/boxers, all well-rooted in science and experience. Not to say this is the only way to do things but it sure is a method of quality control. Different trainers and gyms have a different slant on things of course but there is a real solid core of shared knowledge and experience used as a foundation for the teaching and coaching methods, if you read about some of the old American trainers you may hear of a bar called the Neutral Corner where loads of them used to go plus fighters, matchmakers, the lot and that was a real hotbed for exchange of information and had great results, similar principal but in Cuba for example that is all formalised and is ongoing.
I have a good old Soviet textbook on boxing by Degtariov if I remember the name correctly (don't have it to hand), translated into Spanish for the Cubans.

To frosty-G
If you have a book by Digtryaev that would be great.
He submitted an article in Soviet sports review(Michael Yessis phd)
about strength training for boxing in different ages and qualification levels.

[Elroy1]

The Soviet system represented the ultimate of all boxing and sports systems in general.

But even now, that model has been carried through in Europe and Cuba.

Non-nurtured style boxing countries are like the US and Australia for example are approximately 20-30 years behind.

Australia solves this problem occasionally for most of its sports and sometimes even boxing, by abducting great athletes from overseas, making them citizens and then CALLING them Aussies

Like Kostya Tszyu!!

[Weltschmerz]

The Soviets had a whole special school of thought, a belief system, which went hand in hand with their ideology as a communist society. This wasn't just about sports - when they triumfed at the Olympic games, it was a victory for communist belief as well. Their athletes had been identified and hand picked at an early age, and nutured all the way through 'scientifically based' training programs and techniques, utilizing a technology based approach even unheard and unknown of in the West at those times. Their athletes worked for the state. By the time they would compete and often conquer their American counterparts in the Olympics, a typical USSR amateur would already have an extensive amateur background against top-tier competition. And unlike the Americans for instance, they would be able to concentrate fully on their career, without Financial worry etc,. as this would be taken care of by the state, all training, etc. Here lies the main difference in the Soviet school, and this tradition of competitivenss, effectiveness and success carries through to this day with the Eastern European and Russian fighter with their extensive amateur background.

[Elroy1]

The Soviets had a whole special school of thought, a belief system, which went hand in hand with their ideology as a communist society. This wasn't just about sports - when they triumfed at the Olympic games, it was a victory for communist belief as well. Their athletes had been identified and hand picked at an early age, and nutured all the way through 'scientifically based' training programs and techniques, utilizing a technology based approach even unheard and unknown of in the West at those times. Their athletes worked for the state. By the time they would compete and often conquer their American counterparts in the Olympics, a typical USSR amateur would already have an extensive amateur background against top-tier competition. And unlike the Americans for instance, they would be able to concentrate fully on their career, without Financial worry etc,. as this would be taken care of by the state, all training, etc. Here lies the main difference in the Soviet school, and this tradition of competitivenss, effectiveness and success carries through to this day with the Eastern European and Russian fighter with their extensive amateur background.

^This is well said Weltsch.

Now I realise it's stuck up to Western fans often as a kind of "up-yours" when they become overly deluded, and statements like this will be labelled as "Euro-phile" etc as well.

But it was and is, just a different system and approach to not just sports, but other aspects of the state altogether.

The Westerner in both in sport and life in general, expected to respond to outside pressures without direction and by chance may happen to become a great boxer.

In the Eastern Bloc, economics, social programs and sports performance, were not left to chance. Basically sport was "nationalised" and stood as a symbol of state power, the effects of which are still being felt.

Merely the facts!

Rather than excuses, I think the West could learn much from their old adversaries and look into having such organs of state sports programs along with sports science and technology development. It could only benefit.

[cccp21]

^This is well said Weltsch.

Now I realise it's stuck up to Western fans often as a kind of "up-yours" when they become overly deluded, and statements like this will be labelled as "Euro-phile" etc as well.

But it was and is, just a different system and approach to not just sports, but other aspects of the state altogether.

The Westerner in both in sport and life in general, expected to respond to outside pressures without direction and by chance may happen to become a great boxer.

In the Eastern Bloc, economics, social programs and sports performance, were not left to chance. Basically sport was "nationalised" and stood as a symbol of state power, the effects of which are still being felt.

Merely the facts!

Rather than excuses, I think the West could learn much from their old adversaries and look into having such organs of state sports programs along with sports science and technology development. It could only benefit.

Great post.This is what we are doing in many sports. College football nowadays employs much of the old Soviet sport ideology. What we should do is use Soviet sport as a basis for our own system rather than copy. Just like Bruce Lee used to say " take what is useful and discard what is useless" !