Muhammad Ali won the Rumble in the Jungle by using his opponent George Foreman’s weaknesses against him.
Boxing lessons can teach you how to fight and how to best train yourself for said fighting, but they can’t tell you what kind of fighter you’ll be. However, boxing is a sport of strategy, as much as it is a display of brute force and athletic power. And any good boxing lessons will help you learn that strategy, in turn helping you define yourself and your abilities as a fighter. The question is, do you want to use that strategy to fight offensively or defensively?
Consider what Muhammad Ali did in the Rumble in the Jungle – one of the most talked about techniques ever implemented in boxing history, which helped Ali win one of the most crucial fights of his career. He withstood punishment and took all the hits he could for a number of rounds, and when he opponent was finally weakened after wailing on him for all that time, Ali pounced and knocked out George Foreman, then the Heavyweight champion. (Ali then claimed the title of course.)
That’s not to say that boxing defensively is for everyone, or every fight for that matter. Ali won a number of fights through sheer aggression as opposed to endurance. But if you know you can’t knock your opponent out clean that easily, and if you need a little extra something to win, play defensively. Use the ring to your advantage. And know when to let your opponent beat themselves.
(image via)
Chris McEwen is an NYU Media, Culture, & Communication major, who spent his formative years in New Jersey, though he'd prefer if you didn't hold that against him. He has large portions of The Big Lebowski committed to memory and is probably eating a Dos Toros burrito right now.