When is fighting a sport?

Mark Pawlak    Adventure Sports & Travel Thoughts     box, Boxing, Danger, extreme sport, extreme sports, fight, fighting, fighting sports, fit, fitness, Martial Arts, mixed martial arts, Risk, Safety, skill, Sports

We’ve long accepted fighting as sport. It’s established in so many forms, disciplines and cultures that it’s rarely criticised. Most recently we’ve seen the extreme sports of fighting, Mixed Martial Arts, move further toward the mainstream.

Pitting one style against another is always interesting. However, there is a line past which extreme fighting becomes more about violence than skill. So, where do we draw the line?

Fighting is probably the oldest of sports. It’s a noble test of courage: warriors honing their physical strength and guile to outsmart their opponents. There is much to be admired from the pugilistic professionals, as most are incredibly fit, driven, determined people who never say die.

Boxing is a fine example. But the skill and fitness serve just one purpose: to help punch another person. About the body, in the face: even at amateur level, under the guise of the International Olympic Committee, the medals go to fighters who win on points or by knockout. In case there is any misunderstanding, a knockout is a temporary loss of consciousness, and it is usually followed by a rapid recovery.

The British Medical Association is strongly against MMA as, they say, its sole aim is “to cause physical harm and injury to an opponent until they are unable to continue; the primary goal being to knock the opponent unconscious”.

But are the medics missing the point? There are dedicated people in gyms all over the country who train but never fight. And if they do fight, it’s a test of their own mettle, not an outpouring of violence.

So then, is it rules that define sport?

Boxing, Mixed Martial Arts and other fighting sports have helped keep young people focused and often away from more damaging influences. But they still have a case to answer. When it comes to qualifying as an extreme sport, you first need to be a sport. And rules, official bodies and TV deals do not a sport make.

It’s a difficult topic, and a post to provoke discussion. So, if you are a fighter or a critic, let’s hear your opinions:

“Seconds out…Round 1, ding, ding!”

About the author

Mark Pawlak wrote 170 articles on this blog.

Editor at Adventure Sports Holidays, Mark's love affair with travel and the challenges of adventure sports continues... "You could save all year for a two-week, all-inclusive, doss by the pool, booze and buffet binge. Or, with a little planning and some good equipment, get off your arse and plan an adventure!"

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