traditionally, I’ve alvays been quite dove-ish; I was never interested in fighting, but this was partly because I was afraid.
after a few years of being a bicycle messenger and taking hits orders of magnitude larger in mass than even the burliest human, I’m not afraid of getting hit anymore. but that doesn’t mean I can fight.
I took a brief course in Tai Chi one semester long ago. The writer of our text outlined that, in terms of body mechanics, a successful strike is a successful strike no matter what the discipline. it flows up your legs and is perfectly timed to connect with the opponent by the time the blow flows out of one’s fist, accompanied by inhalation from the diaphragm. Master Chen spoke favorably of western boxing as one example of this truth. In class, we did it all in slow motion with no opponent trying to wriggle out of our way. when I see a boxer land a good blow, it is, to me, a fascinating sight. it is not mere aggrandizement when proponents of boxing refer to it as “the sweet science.”
but as @miasm and others have pointed out, with current medical knowledge regarding concussions, the officiating needs an overhaul.
