We’ve all seen those movies. You know what I’m talking about. The ones with those bare-knuckle boxing scenes, with taut, glistening, Irish fellows beating each other around a ring, no gloves, sweat pouring, knuckles bloody, adrenaline pumping…real manly stuff.
Why, just look at Robert Downy Jr. in the upcoming Sherlock Holmes movie, and tell me I’m the only one that sees that and wants to jump into the ring…for entirely competitive reasons, of course.
But the fact is that bare knuckle boxing is actually a pretty ugly pastime, and as such, boxing sans gloves has not been nearly as popular, throughout history, as Hollywood might have us believe. Gloves have been around in some form or another almost since the first fighter stepped into a ring. Thousands of years ago, the ancient Greeks would wrap their hands in leather before a fight, and the practice continued until Jack Broughton, a British fighter constructed the padded boxing glove that we are more familiar with today.
In fact, the popularity of boxing, as a whole, has risen and fallen, seemingly in correlation with the common practice of wearing gloves in the ring. Historically, bare knuckles seem to make the sport too brutal to bear. When the Romans first adopted boxing from the Greeks, they, too, embraced the glove, but often fitted the leather with metal studs or spikes. However, the death and disfigurement that resulted, were even a bit much for the Romans, and the practice was quickly discontinued. In 1867 John Graham Chambers published The Queensbury Rules, dictating that gloves are an essential.
Sure, the thought of old-school fisticuffs is all very raw and earthy, but, truth be told boxing gloves aren’t just for sissies. If you’re going to box, there are a couple of great reasons to wear gloves. The first is, of course, the safety of your opponent. It’s a sport, not a street brawl. You don’t actually want to hurt anyone…at least, not permanently.
The second is this:
That, right there, is known as Boxer’s Fraction. The abduction of the finger during a punch causes a break, near the knuckle.
If you’re lucky, it can be healed by placing pins through the skin to hold the bone in place.
So, if you like your fingers, gloves are a good idea. That being settled, there are several different kinds of gloves to choose from. Gloves are defined by weight. The heavier the glove, the more padding it has, the slower your punch is going to be. Generally, this means that heavier gloves are safer.
Now, if you are going to box competitively, you’re going to need competitive gloves. These come in a variety of weights and sizes, and you’ll choose based on your gender and body weight. You should also factor in your experience. Gloves vary from amateur to pro. However, on the whole, competitive gloves are normally smaller, compact, and more durable. If you’re wearing these, you want some protection, but you don’t want gloves to slow you down.
However, if you like to hit stuff, but don’t want to be hit back, boxing training is great exercise, combining cardio and strength techniques. Weight counts here, too, but for a slightly different reason. The glove can also be a resistance tool. Think about it. A 16oz glove weighs the same as a 16oz free weight.
If fitness is your main focus, you have the choice of working with training, aerobic, or bag gloves. Aerobic gloves tend not to be durable. They are meant to be worn for shadow boxing and cardio training. They are not meant to be used to hit, and as such, they offer little protection. Bag gloves are normally used with heavy bags. They are very durable, and offer some form of protection, but they tend to be less padded and lighter. You’ll want to wear these if you are working with a heavy bag and your focus is speed and distance.
Now, for my money, I would suggest investing in some training gloves. These are durable, well-padded, and multi-functional. Whether you’re working on strength or cardio, with a bag or in front of a mirror, these will get you through. Training gloves are heavy enough to be used for resistance work, and heavier than competitive gloves. In order to improved your strength and speed, you want to train with more weight than you would wear in a match.
You may now consider yourself glove savvy.
And if you ever find yourself alone in a boxing ring with Robert Downey, Jr., remember, safety first.
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