Thread: Technology and boxing

I am an IT instructor at a College and am encouraging my students to do a paper on anything to do with technology as it relates to their personal interests/hobbies. I want to give them an example as my passion is Boxing. I can explain how technology changed after RJJ's loss at the Olympics and the way scoring was changed but was looking for more positive and negative examples. Training, scoring etc. Anyone have any suggestions?

Originally Posted by frasd

I am an IT instructor at a College and am encouraging my students to do a paper on anything to do with technology as it relates to their personal interests/hobbies. I want to give them an example as my passion is Boxing. I can explain how technology changed after RJJ's loss at the Olympics and the way scoring was changed but was looking for more positive and negative examples. Training, scoring etc. Anyone have any suggestions?

You can suggest your students to place the paper between their elbows and body, so that they learn to keep elbows tight. That's the most modern boxing technology!

PED testing is an obvious choice, and an example of where science is constantly trying to keep up with cheating techniques.

Good idea. I was thinking training and compubox but testing is a good example as well. As well as the usage of the web that gives fans that don't always have others that follow the sport around them like hockey fans might have. Like this site for instance. (I'm in Canada, eh) Looking for bad and good.

Punch Stats, scoring rounds/fights, would be interesting.

Teach them how the tech nerds get bullied by the guys that are forced to be fighters in school, and then let them find out that the end of the story shapes up with the nerds finding jobs, ways and means, with or without tech, to screw those same bullies out of title shots because of dodgy scoring and crappy tech tabulations and calculations- rankings included with the compubox.

That should be a wonderful story.

video booth and variety of different tools for judges to use for better scoring of fights would be a massive one. More effective and less intrusive means to check against PED's. Better ways to monitor a boxers health after a 'war' or a vicious KO to prevent further trauma.

Originally Posted by ykdadamaja

Teach them how the tech nerds get bullied by the guys that are forced to be fighters in school, and then let them find out that the end of the story shapes up with the nerds finding jobs, ways and means, with or without tech, to screw those same bullies out of title shots because of dodgy scoring and crappy tech tabulations and calculations- rankings included with the compubox.

That should be a wonderful story.

Actually that isn't half bad. Revenge of the Nerds part 3.

You might want start off by saying or claiming that there are certain things amongst human endeavors that technology cannot improve on and that one of those things fundamentally is the purity of pugilism. I suppose you might want to narrow the scope a bit. I mean gloves can be seen to be technology. Lets just say there is no application or techno gizmo to predict when spontaneity occurs and that's what much of boxing is both in a proactive and reactive way. There is no math equation to which a device may solve in order to sort out the riddle that is Floyd Mayweather.

You could then show them compubox numbers to prove the point. Technology cant even get that right on the most basic level. I've heard rumours of lasers being the next punch counter. Its technology trying to compensate for non boxing viewers and actually making matters worse. Like the silly blue light FOX implemented so people could follow the puck.

There is so much technology going on these days that even many of the judges dont know how to score a fight. Bad and even downright ridiculous cards have not decreased over time, they have increased. Its the dummy down effect lol. Watch the Bizier/JoJo Dan fight with the students after explaining to them the theory behind the ten point must system. A great example of a fight seen completely different by three different judges.

Great topic. Way to mix it up for the IT class

Ps- Yvon Durelle is one of my favourite native sons. I could watch that first Moore fight over and over again although it bugs me every time.

Explain to them that as far as implementing technology to benefit the sport boxing remains stuck in a cave and remains slow to evolve. Instant replay or the lack there of for example. One of the biggest uses of a technical feature are indeed punch stats and punch graphics but they are in fact strictly dependent on human reaction and often a skewed interpretation of the action. They are used as clear examples of a fighters effectivness and victory or defeat but are actually eye-ear candy for the announcers and viewers and do not tell the actual story of the ebb & flow that makes up a fight.

On a big picture scale the use of everyday technology and its constant improvement has broadened the visibility and in turn increased the fan base greatly. The simply access to information now finds a sport that was once considered a back room dealing, the red headed step child of professional sports, on level with other popular sports. I would never have dreamed of the simplicity and constant availability of a place like this with a wide range of fans from every walk of life to share. Not to long ago if you did not actually live near a fight town or were inside in some way...honestly you had to work to follow boxing. Look it up, dig for info in 4 newspapers and were stuck following 1,2 networks and hoping they dropped info on fights you knew happened, were happening, but heard nothing. Tell them a low point was spending $2.99 on 900 numbers to listen to world results for the weekend for some fans

Social media basically being used more and more to do the negotiations and garner support by any fighter or promoter like never before. Press conferences are going the way of the dinosaur when all you have to do is announce a date via tweet. Health and nutrition, training has to be at the top of the list too as far as a benefit with technology. Great topic and good on you for incorporating a passion and hobby into career and passing it forward to students.

Originally Posted by NVSemin

Originally Posted by frasd

I am an IT instructor at a College and am encouraging my students to do a paper on anything to do with technology as it relates to their personal interests/hobbies. I want to give them an example as my passion is Boxing. I can explain how technology changed after RJJ's loss at the Olympics and the way scoring was changed but was looking for more positive and negative examples. Training, scoring etc. Anyone have any suggestions?

You can suggest your students to place the paper between their elbows and body, so that they learn to keep elbows tight. That's the most modern boxing technology!

Can they not just ask your god to help them?

youd have to make the technology not only count the number of punches landed but the area they land and the damage they do

which is probly pretty impossible

I am not sure what you mean but I had a couple of beer so maybe I am not getting the sarcasm/reference.
Unless that is directed to another poster.
Regardless, thanks to anyone who gave me suggestions as I believe the things that I learned in boxing can be translated to most aspects of life and I end up using it as an example for a lot of things. God knows the discipline it taught kept me out of the big house as although I took it up at 12, I did get in trouble and my mentor at juvie reinforced the things I learned and I have been on the straight and narrow ever since. I'm 40 now and have a family of five I provide for. That could not have happened without the things I learned in boxing, I believe. In terms of my post, Technology may be stretching it but I use what I know.


Sorry for the Oprah moment.


I

Originally Posted by Dark Lord Al

Originally Posted by NVSemin

Originally Posted by frasd

I am an IT instructor at a College and am encouraging my students to do a paper on anything to do with technology as it relates to their personal interests/hobbies. I want to give them an example as my passion is Boxing. I can explain how technology changed after RJJ's loss at the Olympics and the way scoring was changed but was looking for more positive and negative examples. Training, scoring etc. Anyone have any suggestions?

You can suggest your students to place the paper between their elbows and body, so that they learn to keep elbows tight. That's the most modern boxing technology!

Can they not just ask your god to help them?