Blood; Brawn; Brains and Broken Noses
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€21.99
Blood, Brawn, Brain and Broken Noses explores the evolution of pugilism, better known as boxing, from its origins in Ancient Greece and Rome to the present day. In England, pugilism became a popular form of entertainment, leading to a golden age, which the book covers in detail along with the careers of five champion pugilists. But the sport hit a major hitch when bare-knuckle pugilism clashed with Victorian morals, and it was superseded by gloved boxing. Afterwards, bare-knuckle boxing went underground and was practised clandestinely and seen only by a select few. The book examines the thoughts of ancient philosophers to explain why pugilism became part of British culture. Nineteenth-century philosophies such as Social Darwinism, Muscular Christianity and Rational Recreation are also explored along with how Rational Recreation influences boxing today. What are the sociological factors that motivate people to take up boxing? And how can the sport prevent societal ills? Blood, Brawn, Brain and Broken Noses holds the answers.
Chris Sykes has trained in the art of boxing since childhood and pursued other martial arts, such as karate and savate. He holds black belts in jiu-jitsu and kick boxing. He has been a full ABA coach and gained a first-class Bachelor of Arts in Martial Arts Theory and Practice and Sports Development in 2010. Eager to share his pugilistic knowledge, this is his first book.