The Theory of the Sweet Science
The Theory of the Sweet Science
Books are lighthouses erected in the great sea of time. ~ E.P. Whipple
According to the foreword, the book is the culmination of 16 years of boxing experience and the author was the boxing coach and assistant professor of physical education at Minnesota University, perhaps sometime around the 1930’s.
Boxing fundamentals such as the hierarchy of skills that need to be learnt in succession, the art of hitting, avoiding being hit, stance, balance, movement, what to do and very logical reasons as to why, how and in some cases when to do it, along with other sage advice on boxing strategy and ring craft make up the bulk of this brilliant book. It is in effect, a theory of boxing that is very practical.
At the beginning of each chapter you’ll read a short definition of the topic e.g. Hitting, moving, blocking etc and then an explanation of what it is and importantly in some cases what is not and finally a lengthy discussion on the fundamental movements, proper form and execution of the techniques. In some cases there is a brief talk about the history of the movement being taught to add some context to the reasons why certain blows, blocks and what not came into use.
In one chapter he cites Ben Brain as the father of the straight right way back in the year 1786. And one of my favorite passages in reading this was the explanation of why straight hitting is thought of as superior to the bent arm punches and why the unskilled and unlearned combatant is likely to use swinging and hook movements. He makes an interesting and succinct case and while I could quote it here its best left for you to read, I don’t want to spoil it.
Before he closes out each chapter he will wrap things up with some quick points to remember that could easily act as simple reminders of things to implement and work on within your next training session. Things like clinching and defensive movements are just some of the elements in the book you could pick out on any particular day to work on with a sparring partner. Speaking of which there are common sense strategies for fighting opponents of different sizes and styles.
He places great emphasis on being conditioned physically as well as psychologically stating:
"Conditioning is a process whereby a specific stimulus will cause a specific reaction… such action is instantaneous and almost unconscious which is necessary for effective countering… Boxing will never reach the stage of a true art unless performance of skill is made automatic and the cortex freed to think and to associate, to make plans and to judge…"
There is a very good explanation as to what punch combinations make good set-ups for a KO blow. His reasoning and strategies are very easy for anyone to understand and make good sense of.
His 32 points of ring craft provide excellent advice for any amateur boxer and I feel it’s a culmination of hard won experience and many years of close study of this sport. Print them out and pin them on the inside of your locker.
You’ll also note that he breaks broad subjects down into smaller units and I think this allows people to think more about what they are doing and why they are doing it. As an example he breaks a basic topic like footwork into the following.
If you want a book that gives you a better feel for the art of boxing and something that will give you a good grounding in the fundamentals, then this is the one. It covers all elements of boxing, the training, the fighting, the non-participants roles, psychology of boxing, diet and hydration†, leadership in the boxing gym, overcoming fear and injuries and preparing for bouts, training equipment and everything in between. It’s free, it’s practical and I think most people, in particular novice and amateur boxers will take a lot from it.
You can download it from the forum here
†Talks about refraining from liquid intake 24 hours before a bout in order to increase electric conduction of nervous energy in order to improve reflexes. Personally I do not know about this practice or have any experience in it and I would encourage anyone to be careful when experimenting with such methods and certainly do not try it in competition without having first tested it in training under the supervision of an experienced trainer and or physician. He does clearly state that it is not a drying out to “make weight”, which is a practice that has contributed to lightweight boxers and wrestlers in particular, sustaining brain injuries or even death.
