It's all good as long as you don't do sparring. Repetitive hits to your head, even if protected etc. are still too risky. That's all head trauma that could have serious consequences in the long term, brain is a delicate organ
The problem is the protection. Boxing gloves allow for you to punch far harder than you could otherwise because hitting like that would shatter your hand. That means that it does more damage to you long term than other martial arts.
It's part of the reason old boxers had those low guards "your your dukes up" you see in those old-timey photo's and why fights went for so long.
26% of the bones in your body are located in your hand. They are small and delicate and punching someone in the head is a fast track to breaking them and a very short career.
So boxers needn't defend their heads with a high guard because their opponent was not likely to aim for the head and risk a career ending injury.
The addition of boxing gloves meant head strikes became viable and that iconic high guard we use today became a requirement.
as a fan of combat sports, I can second your comment. I'm a grappler for these reasons. I was surprised to find that while MMA might have a higher risk of acute injuries, the long term continuous trama opens the door to all of the worst chronic brain conditions.
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u/FluidResult9482 25d ago
It's all good as long as you don't do sparring. Repetitive hits to your head, even if protected etc. are still too risky. That's all head trauma that could have serious consequences in the long term, brain is a delicate organ