The "Hands Down" Debate...

[leff]

I think it's a travesty that there's even a need for a discussion like that. Boxers should be allowed to fight any style they want, as long as they don't make any illegal moves, like holding, ducking too deep or hitting outside the designated area. Different styles add spice to boxing. Who wants to watch two robots?

As for the "protect yourself at all times" argument, this just shows me what I already knew: People who become referees and judges in boxing, do so because they don't have the talent to become trainers, and are power hungry control freaks (Okay, that's putting it a bit bluntly ). If you aren't allowed to fight the way you're most comfortable, how is that going to protect you? And where do you draw the line? I mena, throwing your own punches opens you up to get hit by a counter. By that line of thinking, throwing punches should be illegal too. Ridiculous.

uuuum i fight and i ref so i cant agrre there.

det var ganske dumt sagt

[leff]

I don't know about how amateur boxing is conducted everywhere else but here in the UK there is a bit of controversy in the amateurs about having your hands down whilst you box. Boxers have been disqualified for using this tactic, but I was reading another board where they were debating this subject and someone accurately bought up the fact that Cuban boxers often fight with their hands down a little bit to draw the opponent in and then counter to score points. After he said that he then went on to say that Cuba is one of the most successfull amateur boxing nations in the world, if not the most successful.

So it's a valid point, should boxers be penalised for fighting with a certain style?

Actually on that board where I was reading the discussion there was a ref giving his point of view and he was basically saying that referee's should be allowed to penalise a boxer for that. I really disagreed with him but his justification was that a boxer must defend himself at all times. It was interesting to see the responses of others who were saying that havign a traditional hands up approach isnt always the best style. They pointed towards Ali and Hamed who were elusive in their styles to avoid shots who fought with their hands down.

My opinion is that boxers should be allowed to fight how they want. If they have their hands down and are successful then great. If they have their hands down and take shots they'll soon put them up! It only becomes the responsiblity of the ref when the boxer is taking undue punishment. But remember; hands down doesnt always equate to taking shots.

What are your thoughts?

a style which is dangerous without very good reflexes, and a style that will fail if you dont change it as you get older and slower..............that being said i by now means think that it is a valid reason to dq someone

[Exige Jr]

a style which is dangerous without very good reflexes, and a style that will fail if you dont change it as you get older and slower..............that being said i by now means think that it is a valid reason to dq someone

So the debate is now that they arent good enough to do it so we should disqualify anyone that tries?

[leff]

So the debate is now that they arent good enough to do it so we should disqualify anyone that tries?

read it again

[Exige Jr]

read it again

I read it correctly first time.

I know you wouldnt agree with a DQ under those circumstances but the only point people are making in return is "they aren't as good as the pro's, so they shouldn't be able to do it", which has about 0.5% logic to it.

[leff]

I read it correctly first time.

I know you wouldnt agree with a DQ under those circumstances but the only point people are making in return is "they aren't as good as the pro's, so they shouldn't be able to do it", which has about 0.5% logic to it.

well i dont agrre with that point, if thats what you meant.

that style is actually better for ammatures because reflexes are better at young age ang because ammatures has bigger gloves, helmets and because most ammature boxers dont have the power off pros.

[PunchDrunk]

uuuum i fight and i ref so i cant agrre there.

det var ganske dumt sagt

I know I was making a very broad generalization, but for the most part, I do belive I'm right. Sadly.

[KingDosia]

well i dont agrre with that point, if thats what you meant.

that style is actually better for ammatures because reflexes are better at young age ang because ammatures has bigger gloves, helmets and because most ammature boxers dont have the power off pros.

Just because you fight doesn't mean you have the talent to do so. any body with the money or opp can fight.
that style would never be good for an amateur, where tech ability will prevail 99 percent of the time.

[yrrej]

The only reason to DQ someone for fighting with their hands down would be if they are getting creamed, as in stunned and unable to defend himself, or are slapping with the back of their gloves, which is illegal in boxing. As far as ducking below the waist, this generally means bending at the waist, exposing the back of the head to an inadvertent rabbit punch or, at least, not presenting the opponent with any target they can legally hit. Nobody is going to be able to squat straight down until their head is below the waist for very long. It's too tiring. And bending at the waist isn't very advisable either, except for a pure boxer, since nowadays people tend to bring their knees up when they see this. In any case, one hand down doesn't mean the hand has to dangle below the waist. Foreman fought for a long time from the Philly shell, in which one hand is low, but well above the waist. This being said, one needs really good reflexes and body movement to fight with the left low a la Jimmy Young, Roy Jones, etc.

[Lucky466]

yah in my last fight I got 2 points taken off for ducking and putting my left shoulder up.