Boxing is a contact sport, a martial art in which opponents hit each other on the body. It is possible to win the fight ahead of time by knocking the opponent down, provided that within 10 seconds he does not rise and convince the referee that he can continue the fight.
Classic boxing
Boxing can be amateur or professional. This does not mean at all that factory workers and office clerks are engaged in amateur boxing in their free time. Amateur boxers are the same athletes who perform according to slightly different rules than professional boxers. At the Olympic Games, by the way, just amateur boxers participate.
The external differences between boxers performing in professional and amateur competitions are that the former fight with a naked torso and without protective helmets. Professional boxing gloves are somewhat lighter, so blows soften less well than amateurs in similar categories. Fight amateurs consists of 3 rounds, with breaks of 1 minute. Professionals usually fight 10 to 12 rounds. Sometimes the number of rounds can be less than 10, but there must be more than 3 of them.
Professional boxers are not allowed to participate in the Olympic Games, so young fighters try to win the Olympics as early as possible, and then continue their career in professional boxing, earning large sums of money for participating in fights.
There is also a semi-professional boxing league, where athletes perform without shirts and helmets and can earn money for participating in fights, but retain the right to compete in the Olympic Games.
Combat sambo is much closer to sports sambo than to boxing, however, punches are not fundamentally different from boxing ones.
Sports similar to boxing
Thai boxing, or Muay Thai, appeared in Thailand over 2 thousand years ago. Punching in Muay Thai is mostly similar to punches in classic boxing. There is also a jab, hook, swing and uppercut here. However, in Thai boxing, in addition to punches, kicks with feet, shins, knees and elbows are allowed. Muay Thai is a more traumatic sport than boxing. This is one of the reasons why Muay Thai is not part of the Olympic Games system.
Muay Thai, just like boxing, can be amateur and professional. Amateurs perform in helmets and protectors that cover the shin. Professionals do not have such elements in their equipment.
Mixed martial arts also often use boxing techniques with punches.
Kickboxing originated in the United States in the 1960s. It is closer to classic boxing than Thai. Elbow and knee strikes are prohibited here, but you can kick your opponent. Punches are similar to boxers. In addition to kicks, sweeps are also allowed in kickboxing.
