quarta-feira, 14 de dezembro de 2011

A História das Luvas de Boxe

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Segue abaixo interessante texto sobre a história das luvas de boxe.
Boa leitura!


Retirado de: Journal of Combative Sport, July 2010

Boxing Gloves of the Ancient World


By Steven Ross Murray 2010

Boxing has a long, storied history. Its origins can be traced as far back as ancient Mesopotamia, where a terracotta relief was discovered that depicts men boxing (Figure 1). Surely, though, boxing is much older, given the fact that the act of striking another with one's fist is simply a basic defensive (as well as offensive) mechanism for survival. Little imagination is necessary to envision how the rudimentary nature of striking could evolve into training activities for hunting and warfare, and, eventually, into an organized sport such as boxing. With any sport's development, however, the use of specialized equipment occurs, and the equipment, too, begins to evolve over time. The literary and archaeological evidence, left by the ancients, provides much detail about boxing in antiquity, especially the type of equipment, particularly the glove (or lack thereof), that was used. The purpose of this paper is to describe the development of the boxing glove in the ancient world, summarizing the major types of gloves used.


Figure 1. Terracotta plaque of wrestlers and boxers. Khafaji, Nintu Temple, Early dynastic Period, 3000-2340 B.C.E., Iraq Museum, Baghdad.
Source: Flickr at www.flickr.com/photos/pankration (Pankration Research Institute's photostream; used with permission).


Mesopotamia, Egypt, and the Minoan and Mycenaean Civilizations

One of the earliest depictions of boxing in antiquity appears in a relief, found in Eshnunna (modern-day Tell Asram, Iraq), of two Mesopotamians from the early third or second millennium B.C.E., (Figure 2). The two boxers, sporting beards and wearing tunics, are facing each other with their arms bent and fists clinched; each is ready to deliver or to defend a blow. Neither is wearing gloves, but both are fitted with some type of band worn around the wrist, presumably for anatomical support. Another terracotta tablet, c. 1200 B.C.E., found in a tomb at Sinkara (modern-day Tell as-Senkereh, Iraq) pictures two men presumptively boxing to musical accompaniment, but that conclusion is open to interpretation (Figure 3) [EN1]. Both men are wearing caps and tunics, but neither is wearing boxing gloves. If these men, indeed, are boxing, they are doing so bare fisted.


Figure 2 Mesopotamian Boxers 3rd-2nd BCE
Figure 2. Terracotta relief of two Mesopotamian boxers, c. 2000 B.C.E. from Eshnunna, (Modern-day Tell Asram, Iraq).
Source: Erich Lessing / Art
Resource, NY; used with permission.



Figure 3. Terracotta relief depicting two men boxing to musical
accompaniment, c. 1200 B.C.E., Sinkara (modern-day Tell as Senkereh, Iraq).
Source: Flickr at www.flickr.com/photos/pankration (Pankration Research
Institute's photostream; used with permission).


Egyptian boxers, too, seemed to fight bare fisted, as a relief from Thebes, c. 1350 B.C.E., shows three pairs of men directly squaring off in boxing matches (Figure 4). The men are clothed only in loincloths. The event being chronicled seems to be important, as the men are purportedly performing for the pharaoh [EN2]. Oddly, one man in the third pair of boxers from the left, seems to be throwing punches simultaneously with both hands while his adversary uses his forearm to block them. The awkward stance of the punch-throwing boxer has some scholars suggesting that these men are actually dancers, but their juxtaposition beside two men stick fighting refutes this interpretation [EN3]. Moreover, the hieroglyphics on the relief next to the boxers have been translated to read as “Hit!,” “Hit, hit!,” and “You have no opponent,” thus removing all doubt that these men are boxers [EN4].


Figure 4 Relief in Tomb of Kheruef
Figure 4. Egyptian boxers and stick fighters, c. 1350 B.C.E., from the Tomb of Kheruef, Thebes, Egypt.
Source: Courtesy of the Oriental Institute of The University of Chicago, used with permission.


The Minoans seem to be the first civilization to employ the use of boxing gloves. A relief on a drinking vessel called the “Boxer Vase” from Hagia Triada, c. 1500 B.C.E., depicts several scenes of combative or ceremonial activities (Figure 5). The conical rhyton, made of black soapstone, is decorated with four sections of reliefs. The top level of the vase is decorated with five men, of whom two are directly engaging in a fist fight; one is throwing a punch to his opponent's head while the other is countering with a body shot. The three other boxers—if they are, in fact, boxers, seem to be watching the other two in action, as they are facing the same direction, with one kneeling, as if to give the other two a better view; all are separated from the two fighting figures by a column. The second section pictures two bulls running, with one having gored a man—who is still attached to the bull's horn—and most definitely signifies some homage to the extremely dangerous, yet seemingly ubiquitous, activity of bull-leaping [EN5]. The third section represents several boxers. Although the original vase has suffered extensive damage, the men pictured seem to be equipped with an object covering the back of their hands, starting at the wrist, but secured with some kind of strap. Unlike modern boxing gloves—which are padded to provide protection for the small bones in the hand as well as for the combatant who is receiving the blow—these objects seem to be designed to produce extensive damage to one's opponent. The artist's depiction of the boxers wearing helmets and arm guards speaks to the potential brutality of the activity being portrayed, and it reinforces the idea that these boxing “gloves” are primarily an offensive weapon designed to inflict physical damage through blunt force, as there is no sign that a sharpened edge is being employed. We have no way of knowing the rules of this activity, and we cannot tell definitively if these men are fighting mano a mano or on teams. Nevertheless, it is clear that these men are engaged in some kind of contest or ceremony. The bottom level of the vase has a number of men engaged in a combative event of some sort, but again, we have no idea of the specific rules or the intended purpose of the activity. Several of the men seem to be holding knives and possibly using them against other men, who are lying on their backs or sitting on their buttocks and attempting to kick up at their respective adversaries. The scene is so perplexing that some scholars even have labeled the combatants as wrestlers [EN6], but I definitely would not classify them that way, even with the broadest of interpretations. It seems, to me, that the pictured combatants are caricatures of either some sort of militaristic training or an elaborate pictorial of what we, today, would call a knife fight.


Figure 5 Boxer Vase Color
Figure 5. “Boxer Vase” from Hagia Triada and drawing, c. 1500 B.C.E.
Source: Flickr at www.flickr.com/photos/pankration (Pankration Research Institute's
photostream; used with permission).



Figure 6. The “Boxing Boys,” fresco from Thera (modern-day Santorini), c.
1600 B.C.E.
Source: The Thera Foundation at www.therafoundation.org/ akrotiri/buildingbeta/boxingboysroombeta1southwall/view.

Probably the most famous evidence for Minoan boxing is a fresco from the island of Thera (modern-day Santorini) at Akrotiri, c. 1600 B.C.E., aptly called the “Boxing Boys” (Figure 6) [EN7]. Two boys are shown boxing [EN8]. Interestingly, both are wearing only one glove on the right hand, but the damage to the fresco is too extensive to draw any real conclusion as to the makeup and construction of the glove. All that can be ascertained positively is that the glove extended proximally, from the wrist, roughly one-third up the forearm and that it was attached by some type of band, presumably fabric or leather. The covering of the fist itself is lost to antiquity, but the artist who filled in the fresco imagined that the glove was enclosed and of cylindrical shape. We have no way of knowing if the glove had open fingers, as one gloved hand is too damaged (but a small section of the fresco suggests that the glove may have been enclosed), and the other is occluded by one participant's head.


Figure 7. Mycenaean vase 1300-1200 BCE
Figure 7. Mycenaean amphora shard depicting two boxers, c. 1300 B.C.E.
Source: Flickr at www.flickr.com/photos/pankration (Pankration Research
Institute's photostream; used with permission).

A fragmented Mycenaean amphora, c. 1300 B.C.E., pictures what must be two boxers preparing for competition (Figure 7). Both combatants are facing each other in the traditional athletic position, with legs bent, readying each participant for quick, evasive movements. The only truly odd feature of the artwork is that the two combatants are pictured with both arms outstretched—which is pragmatically curious, but probably just a result of artistic license—as outstretched arms would be rather inefficient in a skilled, boxing match. In all likelihood, however, the men pictured on this pottery shard are boxers, as their hands are most definitely covered in some sort of boxing glove. Unfortunately, the artistic rendering is simply too vague to provide us with the specific details of the physical makeup of the boxing gloves.

Figure 8 Greek boxer surrendering
Figure 8. Boxer surrendering by raising one finger, Greek amphora painting, c. 500 B.C.E.
Source: Flickr at www.flickr.com/ photos/pankration (Pankration Research Institute's photostream; used with permission).

Ancient Greece

The era for which we have ample information to draw numerous conclusions about boxing and its concomitant equipment is ancient Greece. The ancient Greeks left us numerous inscriptions, literary references, and a myriad of sculptures and amphorae to understand a great deal about ancient boxing (pyx).

We can summarize the essence of ancient Greek boxing with the following inscription from from the first century B.C.E.:
A boxer's victory is gained in blood [EN9].

A modern-day boxer would be horrified by the rules on ancient Greek boxing. A boxing bout involved no weight classes and no rounds—and thus no mandatory breaks—and to win a boxer must either knock out his opponent or force him to submit; one would signal capitulation ad digitum by raising a single finger (Figure 8). The bouts were generally fought in a softened, dirt pit (skamma), with an official overseeing the contests. It is interesting to note that the officials supervising the boxing carried a long, forked switch that they would use to whip any athlete who violated the rules. The rules were fairly simple and straightforward: no clinching, scratching, or biting [EN10]. Other than that, it was essentially a free for all, but scholars still debate if kicking were allowed [EN11].

To say these boxing matches were gentlemanly contest would be completely wrong; these fights were for glory and immortality, especially if they were at one of the crown games such as those held at Olympia. However, to characterize boxing as an event for a mindless thug would be incorrect. A boxer had to be highly trained, well-conditioned, and extremely skillful. Poliakoff [EN12] writes:
To say that victory in ancient boxing depended on brutality alone would be a great exaggeration, for the sport required a high degree of skill and strategy in addition to courage and fortitude.

An interesting note about Greek boxing, as was with most sport in ancient Greece, is that the athletes competed in the nude. The only article of “clothing” that the Greek boxers typically would wear would be their boxing “gloves.”

Greek boxing gloves were termed himantes (singular: himas), and they were modified over time. The first Greek boxing gloves, called “thongs” (ίμάντες), were nothing more than tanned, leather straps—estimated to be roughly four meters in length [EN13]—which were wrapped around the wrists and hands in deliberate and intricate fashions (Figure 9). There seems to be little consistency in how the boxers fitted their hands with the thongs, though. Some would wrap their wrists and hands completely, creating what the ancients described as something club-like (Figure 10).
Boxers' himantes of leather were wrapped around their hands to make them better for striking and to hold the fingers together, binding them stiffly into a round shape, like some sort of club [EN14].

Figure 9 tongs
Figure 9. Greek boxer applying his “soft thongs” to his hand and wrist, 520-500 B.C.E.
Source: Flickr at www.flickr.com/photos/pankration
(Pankration Research Institute's photostream; used with permission).

Not every fighter wrapped his entire wrists and hands. Some used the thongs simply as braces for the wrists; while others would even leave a single hand completely unwrapped (Figure 11). It seems, then, that the primary purposes for the thongs were to support the wrists and to provide some modest protection for the knuckles and the fingers. These facts suggest that the thongs were designed to be a defensive, and not an offensive, weapon. Nonetheless, it is clear that a secondary purpose of the thongs was to increase the severity of a blow, by cutting in to the skin of an opponent, and causing him to bleed. The noted professor of classics, Dr. Thomas Scanlon, states:
They wound leather straps, of rawhide leather, around their fists and up their arms, in order to increase the violence of the blow itself. The leather would actually cut in to the skin of the opponent. They would very often land a blow in the head, and there would be blood dripping all over, and they would fight on and on [EN15].

Figure 10 Boxers with full thongs
Figure 10. Greek boxers with “soft thongs” wrapped completely around both fists and wrists, c. 520-510 B.C.E. Source: © The Trustees of the BritishMuseum, used with permission.

A perfect example of the damage that these leather straps could inflict is shown on ancient vase paintings (Figure 12). In the figure, the boxer on the right has several cuts on his left cheek, with blood flowing from them and down his face. It is obvious that the thongs increased the severity of a blow [EN16], and, without doubt, provided a useful, offensive weapon. In addition to the graphical examples of the potential damage that could be inflicted with the thongs, literary evidence, too, suggests that injuries to boxers were frequent and, often, quite severe.
O Augustus, this man Olympikos, as he now appears, used to have nose, chin, forehead, ears, and eyelids. But then he enrolled in the guild of boxers, with the result that he did not receive his share of his inheritance in a will. For in the lawsuit about the will his brother shows the judge a portrait of Olympikos, who was judged to be an imposter, bearing no resemblance to his own picture [EN17].

Figure 11 boxers with one hand open
Figure 11. Black figure amphora depicting two boxers with “soft thong” applied to only one hand, c. 500 B.C.E. Source: Flickr at www.flickr.com/photos/pankration
(Pankration Research Institute's photostream; used with permission).

An added benefit of the thongs is that they allowed an ancient boxer to open and to close his fist at will, thus permitting him to use his hands more as defensive weapons: The boxer could reach out and try to catch or simply to block an incoming punch with his open hand. This technique is shown in vase paintings, leading one to think that it would be a legitimately successful tactic (Figure 13). Perhaps the best example of how a boxer used the ability to open and to close his fist freely is the example of Demoxenos of Syracuse. Pausanias writes:
And I know a similar story about what the judges of Argos did in the case of Kreugas from Epidamnos in boxing. For the Argos judges gave the prize of Nemea to Kreugas although he was dead, because his opponent, a Syracusan named Damoxenos, broke the special rules which the two athletes had agreed upon. For darkness was about to occur as they were fighting, and they agreed in the presence of the judges that each would submit to one blow from the other. The fighters in those days did not have the “sharp gloves,” extending up the wrists on both hands but they were fighting with the “soft gloves” with slim strips of rawhide from an ox, and they were crisscross around the hands in the old-fashioned manner. Well then, Kreugas struck his opponent on the face; Damoxenos then told Kreugas to raise his arm to protect his head, and when Kreugas did this, Damoxenos struck him under the ribcage with fingers stiff. Because of the pointed fingers and the force of the blow he drove his arm into the abdominal cavity of his opponent, seized the entrails, and tore them out. Kreugas expired on the spot, and the Argive judges disqualified Damoxenos because he had not followed the agreement, since instead of one blow he had used several against his opponent. They gave the victory to the deceased Kreugas and set up a statute in Argos, which in my day was located in the sanctuary of Lycian Apollo [EN18].

Figure 12 Thongs on wrists and knuckles
Figure 12. Particular of black figure cup showing boxer's face cut by “soft
thongs,” c. 409 B.C.E. Source: Flickr at www.flickr.com/photos/pankration
(Pankration Research Institute's photostream; used with permission).

Irrespective of the possible embellishment here by Pausanias, it is fair to say, I think, that the ability to open and to close one's hand freely during a fight would affect the various techniques involved in the bouts, especially compared to a modern-day boxer. I would suspect some of the techniques employed in antiquity were similar to the fighting styles of today's mixed martial artists, particularly their stand-up, striking skills. It is important to note that the gloves used in mixed martial arts today are relatively thin, with modest padding, and allow the fighter to open and to close his hands with minimal restrictions. I would submit that history, once again, repeats itself, even though modern, mixed martial arts are more like the ancient pankration [EN19] than ancient boxing. The initial Greek thongs were used from the eighth to the fourth century B.C.E., yet later became known as “soft thongs” (μειλίχαι) [EN20].


Figure 13 vase
Figure 13. Amphora depicting two boxers fighting with open hands, c. 500
B.C.E. Source: Flickr at www.flickr.com/photos/pankration (Pankration
Research Institute's photostream; used with permission).

Excessive sparring with thongs would be painful and, potentially, a career-ending experience. So, the ancient Greeks developed a practice glove called sphairai or episphairai (Figure 14). These gloves were designed to allow boxers to practice at full speed, yet to reduce substantially the chances of injury. Plato describes the purpose of sphairai thus:
In order to imitate as nearly as possible the fighting in the ring...we would put on sphairai so that we could practice striking and the avoidance of blows as much as possible [EN21].

Plutarch goes so far as to describe the blows received from these training gloves as “painless.”
For in the palaestra they put episphairai on the hands of the competitors, so that the bout may not have any serious consequences, since the blows are soft and painless [EN22].

While probably an exaggeration on Plutarch's part, compared to the thongs, the training gloves must have seemed like feather pillows.


Figure 14 practice gloves
Figure 14. Terracotta boxing caricature wearing padded, training gloves (sphairai).
Source: Flickr at www.flickr.com/photos/pankration (Pankration Research Institute's photostream; used with permission).

Figure 15 Soft Thongs
Figure 15. Greek black figure amphora depicting a boxer adjusting his “softer thongs” with his teeth, waiting for his next bout, c. 336 B.C.E. Source: © TheTrustees of the British Museum, used with permission.

A more cushioned, competitive glove (σφαίραι) was developed during the fourth century B.C.E. that was later termed “softer thongs” (ίμάντες μαλαχώτεροι) (Figure 15) [EN23]. These thongs were constructed by using a fleece under-layer—which made the gloves much softer—and it was secured to the forearms, wrists, and hands by leather straps. Note that the boxer in the figure is adjusting his thong by pulling on one of the leather bands with his teeth, apparently for an upcoming fight. These softer thongs must have been heavenly compared to the original thongs, but the reprieve was short lived. The softer thongs, ultimately, served as a precursor to an even more destructive glove, the “sharp thongs” (ίμάυτες), which were developed by adding a hardened piece of leather, serving as a cutting piece, that was interlaced with the other leather bands and placed across the knuckles of the fingers. It was some sort of primitive knuckleduster, and the sharp thongs replaced the softer thongs by the third century B.C.E. [EN24] One suspected reason for the change to the sharp thongs is simply for added brutality, so the excitement at the games could be enhanced and thus the crowd more easily placated. We must remember that it was during this period that the stadia at each of the sites for the Panhellenic games were enlarged and remodeled, so “the added danger of the cutting thongs may have been somewhat a crowd-pleasing attraction” [EN25]. Eventually, the sharp thong developed into a true glove, being much easier to put on and to remove, and had interwoven leather straps, securing the leather knuckleduster so that it would not shift on the hand while a boxer was delivering a blow. An excellent representation of the sharp thongs can be seen in the bronze statue of the Terme Boxer, c. first century B.C.E. (Figure 16). A close examination of the statue's face shows the destructive power of the sharp thongs. It appears the boxer has a broken nose and numerous cuts on his face and ears, with the accompanying swelling one would expect to see. The injurious nature of the thongs led to them earning an interesting nickname, myrmikes (ants), as it is believed, by some, to be a metaphorical reference that the thongs caused pock-marks and pain, much the way ants do when they burrow or sting [EN26]. Scanlon, however, believes that, “[d]uring the Imperial period the sharp thongs acquired the additional popular and humorous name “the ants” (μΰρμηκες) originally on account of their appearance” [EN27]—the enlarged fist being similar in shape to an ant's head, with the wrist and forearm resembling the tapered abdomen of an ant. Regardless of how the thongs earned their popular and ubiquitous moniker, they most definitely were physically destructive. One only needs to note the “cauliflower ears” of the Terme Boxer—and the artist's special attention to detail, showing the cuts in the ear and how they surely would have bled—to be convinced of the thong's destructive ability. The Terme Boxer leaves no doubt that the sport of boxing in ancient Greece was brutal and bloody, verifying the ancient quote, “A boxer's victory is gained in blood.”

Figure 16 Terme Boxer
Figure 16. Bronze statue of a seated boxer (“Terme Boxer”), 2nd or 1st century B.C.E., The National Museum of Rome. A composite of several images available at Flickr at www.flickr.com/photos/pankration (Pankration ResearchInstitute's photostream; used with permission).

Ancient Rome

Greek boxing was, indeed, brutal, but it paled in comparison to the boxing (pugilatus) of the Romans. Initially, the Romans incorporated the sharp thongs of the Greeks for their boxers (figure 17), but they soon modified the sharp thongs, by replacing the leather knuckleduster with a metal insert, forming a glove known as a caestus (Figure 18) [EN28]. The Roman caestus was nothing less than a true, murderous weapon [EN29]. Scanlon states:
So it was almost more like a knife fight than a boxing match. There were very short careers, and there were people who were very successful, and then a lot of newcomers who kept getting stabbed, or actually, ruptured by the gloves [EN30].

Figure 17 Oil Lamps of Boxers
Figure 17. Two terracotta oil lamps depicting Roman boxers equipped with “sharp thongs,” c. 1st century C.E.
Source: Flickr at www.flickr.com/photos/pankration (Pankration Research Institute's photostream; used with permission).

Figure 18 Roman Caestus
Figure 18. The Romans modified the Greek's “sharp thongs” by replacing the leather knuckleduster with metal inserts, forming the caestus, a truly dangerous weapon, c. 150 C.E.
Source: Flickr at www.flickr.com/photos/pankration (Pankration Research Institute's photostream; used with permission).

Figure 19 Entellus and Bull
Figure 19. Mosaic depicting the famed match between Entellus and Dares of Virgil's Aeneid. Source: Flickr at www.flickr.com/photos/pankration(Pankration Research Institute's photostream; used with permission).

Virgil references the brutal nature of the caestus in his fictional Aeneid [EN31]. He tells us of the Sicilian boxer named Entellus, who intended to fight with a pair of metal-laden gloves that previously had been used by his brother Eryx, evident by the fact that they were still “stained with blood and splattered brains” (sanguine cernis adhuc sparsoque infecta cerebro) [EN32]. His opponent, the Trojan, Dares, refused to fight until smaller, lighter gloves were used, so the sponsor of the match, Aeneas, complied with Dares's request. Entellus went on to win the fight and the spoil of victory: a bull. Entellus further demonstrated just how destructive the caestus could be, even the smaller, lighter ones, by using his right hand to deliver one blow to the bull's head, killing it by fracturing its skull. Virgil's story was forever immortalized in a mosaic, depicting the victorious Entellus, with his wounded opponent and dying bull (Figure 19). It is interesting to note that the artist of the mosaic clearly shows the metal knuckleduster on the caesti, but with blunted edges. Perhaps Dares was intelligent enough not to want to fight with the style of caestus that had much sharper edges (see Figure 18). Even though injuries were commonplace and often very serious, if not fatal, boxing remained extremely popular with the ancient Romans. Suetonius tells us that Emperor Augustus was very fond of boxing, “particularly those of Latin birth” [EN33]


Figure 20 Terra Cotta African Boxers
Figure 20. Terracotta figures depicting two African boxers using the caestus, 2nd to 1st century B.C.E.
Source: © The Trustees of the British Museum, used with permission.

Two terracotta figures, now part of The British Museum, dating from the second or first century B.C.E., depict African boxers using caesti (Figure 20). The boxer on the left is delivering a solid uppercut with his left hand to his opponent's chin, knocking his adversary's head upward and backward. The sheer violence of that blow is unimaginable to a modern-day boxer. Outside of these terracotta figures, however, we have little, if any, hard evidence of boxing in ancient Africa. The evidence that we do have is mainly from oral traditions, where various forms of hand-to-hand combat are referenced [EN34]. The Hausa (the northeast portion of Hausaland, particularly modern Sudan and Chad, is the area that overlaps Kush that is mentioned in the Old Testament) compete, today, in Dambe boxing, which has several characteristics, such as stance, armament, and clothing, which are interestingly similar to ancient Egyptian, Greek, and Roman boxing scenes. The Dambe boxers traditionally wear loincloths (warki) (but they are now beginning to wear shorts), and cover their balled, dominant hands with a cloth strip (kara). The kara is secured to the hand, often with a knotted cord (zare), and the cloth-and-cord-covered hand is used only for striking and referred to as a “spear”; the non-dominant hand is called the “shield,” and is used to parry incoming blows [EN35]. Some Dambe boxers have been known to add broken glass to their kara, but, today, the practice is highly discouraged and forbidden in competition [EN36]. The technique employed by the Dambe boxers seems eerily similar to the other ancient boxers, especially the act of using thongs on only one hand and incorporating the other hand as a defensive weapon [EN37]. While there was much exchange between Africa and the Mediterranean during antiquity, it is impossible to know if the these ancient peoples influenced one another with respect to boxing. According to a leading anthropologist, Dr. Thomas A. Green, “Wrapping a rope or leather thong around the hand for fighting isn't a very complex invention, and polygenesis is as likely an explanation as cross-cultural borrowing” (personal communication, 14 April 2008). That said, we do know that boxing was not exclusive to the Mediterranean; the inhabitants of the African continent, too, were involved in some form of boxing that utilized hand coverings, even if only quite rudimentary.
Conclusion

Boxing has a long history that can be traced back to the infancy of mankind, in the “Cradle of Civilization” known as Mesopotamia. Ancient artifacts, from stone tablets to intricate vase paintings reference boxing and the types of gloves developed and used. The initial boxing “gloves” were nothing more than long, thin, leather straps, wrapped uniquely around the wrists and hands to provide anatomical support for one boxer while exacerbating the pain felt by the other. These “soft thongs” eventually evolved into “sharp thongs,” simply to increase the brutality of the sport, and purportedly, to enhance the entertainment value. The ultimate sense of violence, however, is attributed to the Romans, who developed a glove called a caestus, which, from a philosophical standpoint, was little more than a modern, switch-blade knife.

Notes
1. Crowther, N. B. (2007). Sport in Ancient Times. Westport, Connecticut and London: Praeger. Crowther writes, “A representation on a clay tablet from a tomb at Sinkara suggests to some researchers that the Sumerians also boxed with bare fists; however, others interpret this scene as dancing.” p. 19
2. Poliakoff, M. B. (1987). Combat Sports in the Ancient World: Competition, Violence, and Culture. New Haven: Yale University Press. p. 65.
3. Crowther (above n. 1) states, “The consensus is that these are indeed boxers, because they are located next to a combat scene of stick fighters. Other scholars, however, have suggested that the figures may not be boxers but dancers....” p. 31
4. The Epigraphic Survey in cooperation with The Department of Antiquities of Egypt. (1980). The University of Chicago Oriental Institute Publications. Volume 102. The Tomb of Kheruef: Theban Tomb 192. Chicago: The Oriental Institute of The University of Chicago. The document is available for download in portable document format at http://oi.uchicago.edu/research/pubs/catalog/oip/oip102.html.
5. For further information about bull-leaping see Marie Brennan's article at www.strangehorizons.com/2005/ 20050124/bull-leaping-a.shtml
6. Crowther (above n. 1) states, “These last scenes are so unclear that some identify the figures as wrestlers.” p. 37
7. The Thera Foundation, “Boxing Boys” - Room Beta 1, South Wall, H: 2.75m / W: 0.94m http://www.therafoundation.org/akrotiri/buildingbeta/boxingboysroombeta1southwall/view
8. Not all scholars agree that these “boys” are boxing. Crowther (above n. 1) states, “Although the modern viewer may see this fresco as a spirited boxing scene that is more competitive and closer to boxing of today than boxing on Crete, we should exercise caution and interpret it in the context of the site where archaeologists discovered it. Researchers believe that it represents a ritual activity, noting that artists painted it in a room that probably functioned as a shrine. Whether the boys are engaged in an adolescent game that simulates a sporting contest for adults, with possible connections to boxing on Crete, is more speculative.” p. 39. I respectfully disagree with this interpretation. It is my opinion that the “Boxing Boys” are doing just that: boxing.
9. Kaibel, G. (1878). Epigrammata Graeca. Berlin, no. 942.
10. Sweet, W. E. (1987). Sport and Recreation in Ancient Greece. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 71
11. Crowther, N. B. (1990). The Evidence for Kicking in Greek Boxing. The American Journal of Philology, 111(2), 176-181.
12. Poliakoff, M. B. (1987). Combat Sports in the Ancient World: Competition, Violence, and Culture. New Haven: Yale University Press. p. 68
13. Miller, S. G. (2004). Ancient Greek Athletics. New Haven: Yale University Press. p. 51
14. Eustathius, 1324.18 (translation to English from Sweet, W. E. (1987). Sport and Recreation in Ancient Greece: A Sourcebook with Translations. New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press.)
15. Haffner, C. and Lusitant, D. E. (Executive Producers). (1996). Blood and Honor at the First Olympics. [Motion Picture]. United States: Greystone Communications, Inc.
16. Frost, K. T. (1906). Greek Boxing. The Journal of Hellenic Studies, 26, 213-225. Frost writes, “Professional pugilists seem to agree that fights of the present day in which very light gloves are used are more severe than if bare fists were allowed: the gloves have not enough padding to make any appreciable difference, while they prevent the knuckles from swelling and deadening the blows. This must have been the case to an even greater extent when strips of leather were employed.” p. 214
17. Lucillus, Greek Anthology 11.75 (translation to English from Sweet, W. E. (1987). Sport and Recreation in Ancient Greece: A Sourcebook with Translations. New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press.)
18. Pausanias, 8.40.4-5; A 38 (translation to English from Sweet, W. E. (1987). Sport and Recreation in Ancient Greece: A Sourcebook with Translations. New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press.)
19. The pnakration was essentially a no-holds-barred fight that was extremely popular to the ancient Greeks
20. Plato, Laws 8.830B (translation to English from Sweet, W. E. (1987). Sport and Recreation in Ancient Greece: A Sourcebook with Translations. New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press.)
21. Plato, Laws 8.830B (translation to English from Sweet, W. E. (1987). Sport and Recreation in Ancient Greece: A Sourcebook with Translations. New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press.)
22. Plutarch, Moralia 825e (translation to English from Sweet, W. E. (1987). Sport and Recreation in Ancient Greece: A Sourcebook with Translations. New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press.)
23. Pausanius, 6.23.4
24. Scanlon, T. F. (1982/3). Greek Boxing Gloves: Terminology and Evolution. Stadion 8-9, 
25. Ibid, p. 40
26. Crowther (above n. 1) states, “The Greeks called both types of coverings [soft and sharp thongs] “ants,” because they had a tendency to bite, or sting.” p. 69; Poliakoff (above n. 12) writes, “A popular name for boxing thongs both light and sharp—myrmex—means “ant.” Ants, then as now, were known for their ability to bite, and myrmex lends itself to boxers' gallows humor.” p. 73; Miller writes, “...their [boxing thongs] nickname was myrmikes (ants) because they stung and left nicks and abrasions on the boxers.” p. 51.
27. Scanlon, (above n. 24) p. 39.
28. Not all scholars agree that the caestus had metal inserts. See Lee, H. M. (1997). The Later Greek Boxing Glove and the “Roman” Caestus: A centennial reevaluation of Juthner's 'Uber Antike Turngerathe'. Nikephoros 10, 161-178. Care must be taken here, as the word caestus is a Latin term that the ancient Romans purportedly used to refer to boxing gloves in general. I use the term deliberately to refer to a Roman boxing glove with metal inserts, as many of the figures and literary references included in this paper, in my opinion, clearly depict or describe, respectively, metal within the caesti.
29. Kohne, E. and C. Ewigleben. (2000). Gladiators and Caesars: The Power of Spectacle in Ancient Rome: Berkeley: University of California Press.
30. Haffner, C., Lusitana, D. E. (Executive Producers). (1996). Blood & Honor at the First Olympics [Motion Pictures]. United States: Greystone Communicaitons, Inc. We must assume that Scanlon was discussing Olympic boxing during Roman rule. Again, however, the evidence for metal inserts in the boxing gloves is limited, and some scholars believe that the caestus actually never had metal inserts (see 28 above).
31. Virgil, Aeneid V.404-484
32. Virgil, Aeneid V.413
33. Suetonius, Divus Augustus, 45
34. Tremearne, A. J. N. (1910). Fifty Hausa Folk-Tales (Continued). Folklore, 21(4), 487-503.
35. Green, T. (2005). Dambe: Traditional Nigerian Boxing. InYo: Journal of Alternative Perspectives http://ejmas.com/jalt/2005jalt/jcsart_Green_0905.html Green states, “This shield and spear aspect is literal rather than figurative...”
36. Ibid.
37. See Figure 11, where only the striking hand of Greek boxers is fitted with a thong; Figure 13 depicts boxers using one hand in an “open-hand” configuration, probably for defensive tactics.

quinta-feira, 8 de dezembro de 2011

Seminário Internacional de Kickboxing K1 Rules

Boa tarde a todos!

Divulgação de grande evento a ser realizado neste próximo final de semana.






"Com o passar do tempo, teu corpo e mente se acostumam com o estímulo ou seja, se adaptam, e para evoluir você precisa de estímulos cada vez maiores ou diferentes." (Josias Rodrigues, mestre de Shotokan).


sexta-feira, 2 de dezembro de 2011

A cafeína aumenta a queima de gordura após treinamento de força

Boa tarde! Segue mais um estudo sobre o efeito da cafeína no exercício. 
 
Boa leitura!
Após um treino extenuante as células musculares precisam de energia para se recuperarem. Elas precisam repor as suas reservas de creatina fosfato e do glicogênio que fora depletado. Sem contar recuperação das fibras musculares, antes danificadas durante a proteólise muscular, processo de síntese proteíca, que demanda muita energia.
 
Há vários anos vem sendo estudado o efeito da cafeína sobre o treinamento físico, e tem se constatado que a cafeína aumenta a disponibilidade de ácidos graxos livres além de aumentar o consumo de oxigênio após um treinamento de força, o EPOC. 
 
Em 1989 e em 1992,
Chad  and Quigley mostraram que a cafeína [5 mg/ kg de massa corporal] levantou o EPOC de mulheres não treinadas após uma sessão de treino cardiovascular. [Segue resumo abaixo - Eur J Appl Physiol Occup Physiol. 1989; 59 (1-2):. 48-54] [Eur J Appl Physiol Occup Physiol. 1992; 65 (5): 459-63].
 
Mas isso também aconteceu após uma sessão de treinamento de força. E em homens treinados. De acordo com os resultados mostrados por Astorino e cols., 2011, o suplemento contendo uma dose de 6mg/kg de cafeína aumentou o consumo de oxigênio durante o treinamento, como você pode ver na tabela abaixo. O estimulante também elevou o gasto energético pós-treinamento em 15%. Resumidmente, isso significa que houve uma maior oferta de gordura e menor de glicogênio.


 

 
 
 
 
J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 2011 Mar;51(1):11-7.

Effect of acute caffeine ingestion on EPOC after intense resistance training.

Source

Department of Kinesiology, California State University, San Marcos, CA, USA. astorino@csusm.edu

Abstract

AIM:

This study investigated the effect of acute caffeine (CAF) intake on postexercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) after intense resistance training.

METHODS:

Fourteen strength-trained men (mean ± SD age and mass =23.1 ± 4.2 yr and 83.4 ± 13.2 kg, respectively) who were caffeine users initially completed one-repetition maximum testing (1-RM) of four exercises: bench press, leg press, lat row, and shoulder press. On each of two days separated by one week, they completed four sets of each exercise to fatigue at 70-80% 1-RM, which was preceded by ingestion of CAF (6 mg/kg) or placebo. Pre-exercise, indirect calorimetry was used to assess energy expenditure for 35 min; this was repeated for 75 min postexercise while subjects remained seated in a quiet lab. Two-way analysis of variance with repeated measures was used to examine differences in gas exchange variables across time and treatment.

RESULTS:

Results revealed that EPOC was significantly higher (P<0.05) with CAF (26.7 ± 4.1 L) compared to placebo (22.8 ± 3.8 L). With CAF ingestion, oxygen uptake was significantly higher (P<0.05) from 10 min pre-exercise to 70 min postexercise. Respiratory exchange ratio was significantly different (P<0.05) with CAF versus placebo. Caffeine intake increased total energy expenditure by 15% (P<0.05), but the additional calories burned was minimal (+27 kcal).

CONCLUSION:

Caffeine ingestion in individuals regularly completing rigorous resistance training significantly increases EPOC and energy expenditure pre-and post-exercise, yet the magnitude of this effect is relatively small.
PMID: 21297558 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] 
 
 
 

The effects of substrate utilization, manipulated by caffeine, on post-exercise oxygen consumption in untrained female subjects.

Source

Department of Human Movement Studies, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Australia.

Abstract

The effect of substrate utilization manipulated by caffeine on post-exercise oxygen consumption was investigated in five untrained females (age = 21 +/- 1.5 years), following 90 min of treadmill walking at 55% maximal oxygen consumption. Each subject participated in the two trials (control and experimental) within 2 weeks of each other. Immediately following the measurement of resting oxygen consumption, subjects consumed one of the two test beverages 60 min prior to exercise: 5 mg of caffeine per kg of body-weight in 200 ml of orange juice (CA) or 200 ml of orange juice (C). Assignment of CA and C was made in a random, double blind fashion. Immediately prior to the exercise phase (0 min) resting oxygen consumption was again measured. Following exercise, subjects returned to the same pre-exercise sitting position where respiratory data was collected over 1 h. No significant differences were found in resting oxygen consumption and respiratory exchange ratio (R) prior to caffeine ingestion (-60 min). One hour after caffeine ingestion (0 min) oxygen consumption and free fatty acid (FFA) levels increased significantly compared to C. During and 1 h following exercise, oxygen consumption and FFA levels were significantly greater, with R values being significantly lower in CA compared to C. These findings provide further evidence that metabolic substrate is somehow implicated in elevating oxygen consumption following exercise cessation.
PMID:2583149 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] 
 
 

The effects of two levels of caffeine ingestion on excess postexercise oxygen consumption in untrained women.

Source

Centre for Physical Education, University of Tasmania, Launceston, Australia.

Abstract

The effects of two levels of caffeine ingestion (5 mg.kg-1, CAF1, and 10 mg.kg-1, CAF2) on postexercise oxygen consumption was investigated in six untrained women aged 20.5 (SEM 0.5) years. After a test to determine maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max) each subject underwent three test sessions at 55% VO2max either in a control condition (CON) or with the CAF1 or CAF2 dose of caffeine. During exercise, oxygen consumption was found to be significantly higher in the CAF1 and CAF2 trials, compared to CON (P < 0.05). During the hour postexercise, oxygen consumption in CAF1 and CAF2 remained significantly higher than in CON (P < 0.05). At all times throughout the exercise, free fatty acid (FFA) concentrations were significantly higher in the caffeine trials than in CON. The FFA concentrations 1 h postexercise (+60 min) were further elevated above resting values for all three trials. Caffeine ingestion caused the greatest elevation above resting levels being 1.89 (SEM 0.19) mmol.l-1 and 1.96 (SEM 0.22) mmol.l-1 for the CAF1 and CAF2 trials, respectively. This was significantly higher (P < 0.0001) than the CON level which was 0.97 (SEM 0.19) mmol.l-1. Respiratory exchange ratio (R) values became significantly lower (P < 0.05) in CAF1 and CAF2 compared to CON at the onset of exercise and continued to decrease during the activity. Throughout the recovery period, R values were significantly lower for both caffeine trials compared to CON. The results of this study would suggest that caffeine is useful in significantly increasing metabolic rate above normal levels in untrained women during, as well as after, exercising at 55% VO2max.
PMID:1425653 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
 

quinta-feira, 1 de dezembro de 2011

Top 10 Martial Arts for Self Defense

Bom dia! Matéria interessante sobre as 10 melhores lutas para defesa pessoal. Segundo Pesquisa, a lista foi criada baseando-se em técnicas que realmente funcionam em situações de combate. O melhor está no bônus, que se encontra no fim da reportagem.
Por favor, tirem suas próprias conclusões!
10 - Kickboxing
Kickboxing Fight1

Firstly, and this is true for all these entries, if you’re on the street and a stranger attempts to mug you, or worse, he most likely doesn’t know any particular fighting style, other than “swing for the fences and keep moving forward.”

There are quite a few offshoots of kickboxing, the most famous of which is Muay Thai, which roughly translates to “art of the eight limbs.”
Kickboxing for self-defense concentrates on its version of punches, knees, and kicks: fast-paced, distracting, and aimed at all available openings. If the attacker has a knife or gun, and is within arm’s reach, he will use the weapon. The defender is thus armed with more weapons, hands, feet, knees, elbows, head.

Simply walk toward the attacker (who has any weapon but a gun), and throw a front kick straight up against his chin as hard as possible. Kickboxing thrives on this sort of move, and teaches the practitioner to execute it with such extreme speed, faster than the attacker can react, that it virtually rules out the risk of “fancy kicks.” Do it correctly and it will almost always break his jaw, crush his larynx, shatter his teeth, force him to bite off his tongue, etc. He will not fight after this. This sort of kick is well trained to the point that it can, in fact, be delivered efficiently, that is, quickly and powerfully, without being telegraphed.

Alternatively, step to the side, grab the attackers weapon arm, and sling your forehead into the his nose. This will not hurt you nearly as much as you think. The attacker’s nose, on the other hand, will shatter like a firecracker.

Well trained kickboxers practice something called “combat qi”,which is the physical conditioning of any part of the body through repeated damage, until it no longer sends sufficient pain signals to the brain to bother the person. Kickboxers will roll a baseball bat handle up and down the shin firmly enough to cause aching, for about an hour a day for 2 years. The tibia is repeatedly damaged and rebuilds itself stronger and thicker. Eventually, the kickboxer can kick the baseball bat in half with his or her shin, and not feel pain.
9 - Karate
Karate-1

Here, special emphasis is placed on attack deflection. Most punches or knife lunges are performed straight toward you, not in an arc. Few fighters are stupid enough to try a looping haymaker.

Thus, step to the side, creating a lateral line toward the attacker’s arm, strike the attacker’s punch or knife hand, then quickly strike his lower side, belly, or back with your other fist. This is very difficult to defend against, and most likely he will not be able to. Push forward and throw a knee into his quadriceps. This hurts like crazy.

Strikes to the face and head are important, but the attacker will expect them, so instead, block his right-handed attack with your left fist (or vice versa), and punch with your other hand straight into the soft spot below his sternum as hard as possible, twisting the hips. This target is the solar plexus, and will incapacitate him as effectively as a strike to the groin.
Or, if he charges forward, snap a front kick straight up with the ball of the foot planted as hard as possible into his stomach or solar plexus, not the groin. If one of the former targets is struck, the attacker will be forced back in agony, by means of his center of gravity. He is leaning forward while charging, and a kick to his groin will cause him to lunge into you.
8 - Aikido
Aikido The Art Of Peace

An interesting art that is immediately recognizable. It does have a few striking moves in it, but for the most part, it is based on the principle that when an attacker strikes, he leaves some part of his defense vulnerable. If you, the defender, do not attack him, you remain defensively invulnerable.

Do not resist his attack. Use its momentum against him. Steven Seagal is the most famous Aikido practitioner in the Western world. He may be a horrible actor, but he is a genuine 7th degree black belt in Aikido, and his signature move is absolutely essential to any self-defense arsenal: the kote gaeshi, or “forearm return.”

The attacker steps forward and throws a straight punch. You sidestep, snatch hold of his wrist, and twist around in time with his punch. Do it right, and it will fling him completely off balance, using his own momentum, while you whirl around, and twist his wrist toward the outside. He probably will not flip over like the classic theatrics in a Seagal film, but his wrist may well break. He’s unlikely to fight anymore after that.

Most critics of this art point out that it is nearly impossible for the average black belt to catch a person’s punch and turn fast enough to perform this move, but that’s not true. It’s actually a very easy move to learn and perfect.

Aikido thrives on joint locks, which do not require much speed to perform, compared to the kote gaeshi, and are extremely effective in immobilizing and incapacitating an attacker.
7 - Wing Chun
F9Cb2A055F0240 Full

Wing Chun Kung Fu is the art that Yip Man taught to Bruce Lee, and which Lee rebelled against as too slow and formal for self-defense. That’s quite misleading. He meant that it was insufficient for him when fighting against professional martial art experts, like Wong Jack Man, with whom he fought a famous duel.

Lee invented his own version of Wing Chun, which became entry #5, because of the inadequacies he noticed in Wing Chun. With this method, he defeated Wong in 3 minutes, when almost any other fighter in the world would have needed a lot more time, and would have suffered much more injury.
He won by delivering Wing Chun’s signature punches: they do not use the hips, but are instead, very fast, rapid-fire left, right punches to the attacker’s chest, not the belly, not the throat, but the sternum or solar plexus.

You block the opponent’s attack with one hand and respond with the other fist straight into his chest, following with the other fist, again and again, walking into the attacker as you punch. The forward motion of your whole body adds power, which, coupled with the arm strength of the average 100 pound woman, results in about 300 pounds of force rammed repeatedly into the attacker’s chest. The only thing left is to practice your speed in doing this. 15 punches before the attacker can react are not unheard of. These punches also have the advantage of keeping the elbows close to the sides, preventing the attacker from grabbing the punching arm.

Then there’s the centerline defense versus looping attacks, like a haymaker or roundhouse kick. The shortest distance between two points is a straight line, so instead of picking up extra power by swinging around and twisting the hips, you block the attacker’s strike and simultaneously throw a front kick straight forward into his belly. This will take almost anyone off his feet the first time, if you kick as hard as possible.

The closer range of this method favors a shorter person, like a woman defending herself against a would-be rapist, etc. The closer the two people are, the easier it is for the shorter person to invade the reach of the larger person, effectively penetrating his defense.
6 - Jiu-Jitsu
Jiujitsu1

This is the most universal style on this list. It is a true hybrid, incorporating elements of grappling, hard striking, eye gouging, choke holds, biting, joint locks, as well as the awareness of the defender’s center of gravity versus the attacker’s center of gravity.

You throw your attacker by lowering your center of gravity under his, and jerking him over you, or around you. It’s simple and effective. If he attacks with a weapon, you trap this arm, then deliver a knife-hand strike to his collarbone, while shoving him backward and down, locking the weapon wrist and breaking it.

If he throws either a front or roundhouse kick of any kind, he must stand on the other leg. You sidestep his kick, trap the leg, and deliver your own kick into his standing knee, breaking it backward, then whipping him around by his raised leg. He will go down and will be unlikely to be capable of much retaliation.

If he charges forward and grabs your shirt, you do not move backward. You move forward and bend down, ram your hip into his midsection, grab one of his shoulders with one hand, and with the other grab him around his back, and whip him over your own shoulder, shoving upward with both legs. A 100 pound woman can do this very easily to a 250 pound man. You can then trap one of his arms and lock one of its joints while he is down.
5 - Jeet Kune Do
Screen Shot 2010-05-14 At 11.22.20 Am

Bruce Lee envisioned “a style without style,” which seems nonsensical. But try to understand the concept of adaptation. Lee emphasized this above all: “the worst thing you can do is to anticipate the outcome of a fight. You ought not to be thinking of anything but his attack and your response. Clear all other thoughts from your head, or they will slow you down.”

Thus, you use one stance, the western fencing “en garde” stance. Remain bouncing on the toes in order to switch from left forward to right forward foot, to retreat or to advance, to be able to kick with either leg. Footwork is all-important in a real fight, as it determines how far you are from the attacker.

Elements of Wing Chun include close-quarters trapping of hands and feet; no kicks higher than the waist, since kicking higher than this leaves the groin and standing leg vulnerable; and simultaneous attack/defense (see #1).

Elements of Jiu-jitsu include body throws and strike deflection. Emphasis is placed on the speed of strike combinations, and well trained practitioners can strike the attacker’s throat up to 10 times in one second.
4 - Western Boxing
Degale1 516X350 4609A

You’ve heard stories of would-be muggers picking the wrong old man to mug. The fight typically ends with one swing. That’s all a boxer needs. In fact, boxers have been imprisoned (wrongfully, in my opinion) for defending themselves from muggers, murderers, bank robbers, etc., on the grounds that their hands are lethal weapons. Boxers throw punches faster, harder and more accurately than any other trained fighter on the planet.

This is because boxers train on average for 4 years to do just that: punch properly. They are not allowed to kick, so their hands are all they have. Consider that Rocky Marciano knocked out Rex Layne with an off-balance, out-of-reach right hand, covered with a 16-ounce leather glove. This punch knocked Layne’s mouthpiece 10 feet across the ring, out of clenched jaws, and sheared off four of his teeth at the gumline.

Boxers also toughen their bodies religiously, every day, to strengthen their muscles for endurance and durability. They don’t look as hulkingly large as bodybuilders, but their muscles are as powerful and hard as a farmer’s.

They punch, block, bob and weave going forward, and punch, block, bob and weave going backward. They are drilled relentlessly with the maxim, “Always protect yourself”. The hands stay on both sides of the head, the posture crouched so that the whole body is ready for explosive power, and that the front of the torso is protected by the forearms.

Your target is the side of the chin, which will wrench the attacker’s head sideways and shut off his brain by pinching the spinal cord in the neck. His strength and rage do not matter. He will black out instantaneously.
3 - Brazilian Jiu-jitsu
Photo Bjj

This hybrid mixes Jiu-jitsu’s standing throws and strikes with ground fighting, which emphasizes joint manipulation and overall control of the opponent, effectively ending a fight very quickly. The larger the attacker, the more easily he can be grappled off his feet, using his center of gravity against him, and forcing him to submit (or pass out).

Once on the ground, the first thing Brazilian jiu-jitsu teaches is to seize a limb and break it at a joint: kneebars for snapping knees or ankles, armbars for snapping elbows and wrists, chokeholds and the use of the powerful legs to immobilize the attacker’s torso while the defender ends the fight with fists or elbows to the face.
2 - Keysi Fighting Method
Gal 174 Crop

You’ll see it in Chris Nolan’s Batman films. It was developed by Justo Dieguez and Andy Norman, based on Dieguez’s street fighting experiences in Spain. Batman’s method of fighting is understood from the comic books to require the utmost efficiency, because Batman is a genius at fighting crime, and will not waste time or effort in putting criminals away. Ten or twenty bad guys at a time routinely attack him, and Dieguez and Norman have developed the style to defend against this many people. It sounds impossible, but after 6 or 7 years of training in it, which is not too terribly long, anyone can perform all the necessary moves. You become a self-defense machine.

Nolan looked around for a style of fighting never depicted on screen, something fast-paced, close-quarters, but quick, dirty and brutal. Classical Tae Kwon Do is beautiful to watch, but terribly inefficient in terms of the street fight, in which there are no rules.

The Keysi Method has almost no kicks of any kind. It thrives on extreme close-quarters combat using every weapon the body can quickly wield in such a small space: fists, head, knees, and especially the elbows.

There is only one stance to know, and when you see it one time, you can do it: “the thinking man,” with the hands clasped on the head, and the elbows raised to protect the head, neck and upper chest.

It looks like a man holding his head while deep in thought.
It is designed to strike with the sharp elbows, and lots of hammer fists, which are MUCH more powerful and devastating than straight punches, because they employ the entire upper body in bringing the firm, outside muscle, from the root of the little finger to the wrist, down like a hammer against the target.

This is a hybrid style, using elements of grappling from Jiu-jitsu and Aikido, ground fighting from Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, close strikes and centerline defense from Wing Chun, and trapping from Jeet Kune Do. The Keysi Method teaches its practitioners to defend themselves against any number of attackers, 5, 10, 20 and even more, with a 360 degree range of aggression, and to observe all objects in the vicinity for their potential as weapons.
1 - Krav Maga
Krav Maga 004-1

It is Israel’s national martial art, developed largely by Imi Lichtenfeld, and dedicated to no-holds-barred incapacitation for the purpose of street survival. No quarter is expected or given.

It incorporates Western boxing punches, Karate kicks and knees, Greco-Roman wrestling, Brazilian Jiu-jitsu ground fighting, Jiu-jitsu throws and grappling, and most importantly, “bursting,” adapted from Wing Chun. This is a simultaneous defense/attack: instead of blocking an attack and then delivering a response, you block the attack and deliver a response at the same time, i. e., block with the left arm and push forward with the legs, striking with the right fist to the throat, all simultaneously.

Also stressed are attacks to vulnerable body parts: the eyes, throat, and groin. Attackers can expect testicular ruptures. Emphasis is also placed on disarming attackers with both knives and handguns, and turning these weapons on the attacker. It also exclusively trains hand-eye coordination, until defense becomes second nature and does not require thought. And a good Krav Maga instructor can teach all of this to anyone, regardless of athletic prowess, in only 3 to 6 months.
Bonus - Firearms
Screen Shot 2010-05-14 At 11.25.50 Am

It’s something of a joke, and out of regard for the popular definition of “martial arts,” firearms were left off the list. They are, however, by far the most efficient method of self-defense. Bruce Lee carried a .357 magnum everywhere once he became famous as the guy no one could beat in a fight, because there are always stupid jerks who want to prove that wrong. He had no intention of risking injury.

Chuck Norris is well known as a pro-gun advocate, and in response to a reporter’s ironic question, “If someone broke into your house, would you use your roundhouse kick?” he replied, “No, I’d use my 10 gauge.”

The ranking of most of the entries on this list does not account for the length of time it takes to master the given art. Krav Maga is #1 largely because it can be learned proficiently in only 3 to 6 months. But then, you can learn how to shoot the chest and head of a man-size silhouette target from 50 yards (46m) in one afternoon. And most street violence occurs within arm’s reach. No caliber smaller than the .380 (or .38 revolver) is recommended.

Fonte: Modificado de http://listverse.com/2010/05/15/top-10-martial-arts-for-self-defense/