If someone asked me for my opinion on which martial art I would spend my money on, I would get confused. That is because whether you are a newbie or doing martial arts for years, you will be apt to discover plenty of new facts from this martial art breakdown.
The reason behind it is that all martial arts are beneficial and unique. One cannot compare them because it will be like comparing apples with oranges. Yet, there some fundamental differences to consider.
Let us find out through this article what these differences are. Also, try to understand which of the two martial arts can benefit the practitioner more than the other and how.
Origin: Kung Fu Versus Boxing
If you go back to ancient times, Kung Fu forms emerged in India. However, a significant part of martial arts development took place in China, in the Shaolin Monastery, built during the time of the Sui Dynasty (that is 581-618 AD). From the day of establishment, the Shaolin was famous for creating a fighting system and was assumed to be a mighty military foe.
Kung Fu has always been important to the Shaolin monks, who were putting it into use from the times they had to deal with wukou pirates. So, Kung Fu became a martial art. The current status of Kung Fu has changed according to the statement of Ma Yongzhi from Tsinghua University.
He said that Wushu, the Chinese Kung Fu, had become a procession in modern China rather than fighting.
He also said that the people prefer the Sanshou, which is one of the Kung Fu styles in China, but it has no deadly moves in it. Also, he said there is a need to review the old fighting style of wushu (an old Chinese name of Kung Fu).
On the other side of the ring, boxing originated as a sport and is still a sport to this very day. Looking back to ancient Egypt, you will be able to find an old version of boxing prevailing in the sands of Cairo at least 3,000 years BC.
You can also find boxing at the original Olympics in Greece back in the 7th Century. Its craze lasted until the 17th Century AD when it came to England. It has been well-known as a contemporary Olympic sport since 1904. Due to the fact that boxing was forbidden in Sweden, it didn’t appear at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics.
Boxing was not created for the battleground but rather for the sake of competitive fighting between two people.
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One Clear Disadvantage of Kung Fu compared to Boxing
The one explicit difficulty for the most famous Kung Fu practitioners when it comes to battleground is that they do not practice it enough.
While boxers practice daily, they fight as they would in the ring and behave the same way they would behave in the actual match.
Kung Fu emphasizes soft sparring in which the practitioner pulls the final blow so that the opponent does not get injured. That implies that a boxer has a significant advantage in a street fight because he will not hold back the blows.
You can notice these differences if you watch this video carefully. This shows how sparring is like in Kung Fu.
And this one shows how sparring is like in boxing
Complexity: Kung Fu Versus Boxing
Many martial artists insist that the essential problem of Kung Fu is that it is too complex when compared to other, more elementary martial arts. They complain that boxers, Taekwondo practitioners, and Karate practitioners have an advantage over Kung Fu fighters because their fights are easier to carry out.
However, when speaking to the best Kung Fu practitioners, they said that this was an inaccurate impression. They say that the average Kung Fu practitioner may struggle to execute a complex move in a battle against another discipline. However, the professional Kung Fu master does face any such issues.
Philosophy: Kung Fu Versus Boxing
When talking about the basics of Kung Fu philosophy, one of the main principles is to exhaust the opponent and take advantage of his weaknesses.
When coming into a fight with a boxer, the first intention is to deflect the punches of the boxer. It is important to note that Kung Fu is not as fast as boxing, so when it comes to punching or trying to block blows, a conventional Kung Fu fighter may struggle.
Better for self-defense: Kung Fu or Boxing
If we talk about Kung Fu, which was practiced in ancient times, the answer would be different. The methods and techniques were more candid, and sparring was an inevitable part of each training.
However, if we talk about the current practices of Kung Fu, then boxing is the favorable choice for self-defense. That does not mean that there are no academies and schools where you can learn proper Kung Fu techniques, which can be very effective for self-defense.
The issue is that Hollywood has commercialized Kung Fu, and now there are many Kung Fu instructors who are not masters of this age-old art. They will instruct you on all the lethal moves. However, when it comes to the practical part, you will find out that they are incompetent. So, here boxing has a clear win over Kung Fu.
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From A Kung Fu Practitioner’s Perspective, Drawbacks of Being A Boxer
The boxer faces many shortcomings in a fight. One can take advantage of them only if one knows how to benefit from them using Kung Fu.
A Kung Fu fighter may not be able to punch as well as a boxer, but the lower body of the boxers is always uncovered, and they lack the solid balance which a trained Kung Fu practitioner has.
The Kung Fu masters suggest that if you join a fight with a competitor whose style you do not recognize, you should attack with a humble Shaolin Pose. A good example could be the pose with the most interesting name Single Tiger Emerges from Cave. The next step is to see the structure of the opponent’s body before making any further decisions.
To check out the recommended pose, click here.
If your opponent happens to be a boxer, then take time to assess his moves and then act according to them. This formula is beneficial when fighting against a boxer. Now let us check out some strategies that you can use to shake the confidence of your opponent.
One of the best moves is the Lohan Strikes Drum. You can use it to attack under a boxer’s arms when he comes to punch you. Then do Bow-Arrow Stance, which can help to take advantage of the vulnerable ribs of the boxer.
Next, it is time to perform the Precious Duck Swims through Lotus and then give a blow to the head. Now move into the Throw Ball in Waves stance and bang the ribs of the boxer.
For better understanding, watch this video and perform the practice.
Precious Duck Swims through Lotus
Try to keep yourself out of the way of the boxer`s strike, while repeating the entire procedure all over again until getting the desired result.
As per the professionals of Kung Fu, this simple strategy of dealing with a boxer may not bring out fruitful results for a newbie practitioner immediately.
However, suppose you practice the abovementioned combination over and over again for at least six months. In that case, it will leave you in a much better position to uphold yourself against a boxer and even beat him up with your mind-blowing game.
Kung Fu professionals also suggest that if you knock the ribs hard enough as part of this technique, it would only take one or two winning strikes to drive a boxer to his knees.
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Final Thoughts
Okay, you may feel that it is easy to declare that a Kung Fu fighter can defeat a boxer, but has it ever happened?
Well, we do not know whether this kind of fight takes place at all. Nevertheless, we know that if it was to happen, then a Kung Fu fighter could beat the boxer if he was good enough. Till then, enjoy the exciting video where a Hung Gar Kung Fu practitioner fights a boxer in the ring.
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