Some old musings on ring generalship

[Dadi Astthorsson]

A boxing match is often won and lost on a very subtle level. The feeling out round of the first three minutes is seldom given importance beyond a kind of a generic warming up to an engagement. However, the entire tone of the match is often set in these tense moments. Things such as the proper gauging of distance and space, as well as the confidence level of the fighters are important to the actual determination of initiative. Distance is something more than a sense of how long your opponent's reach is or how to position yourself to be able to properly land a punch.

Just as important is seeing how well the opponent gives ground (alternately how easily he loses it) and how assertively he takes it. Anyone can move backwards and forwards but to do so with assertiveness is the mark of a skilled fighter. This will allow the cognizant fighter to shape the direction of the fight with what is often referred to as ring generalship. A match between two technically astute fighters will be one of constant battle for the tight control of initiative. A fighter can either be pushed backwards or led forward. Being the more measured one in either role is the greater part of being an effective ring general. If you push the opponent back on your terms the initiative is yours. If you go backwards as if leading your opponent with a rope the initiative is yours. This struggle for initiative can lead to various positions and openings and is exactly the correct moment to use feints properly. Total awareness is required to stay on top of every development as the fight unfolds. There is no difference between attack or defense, so do not relax your attention to shift gears.

When two fighters engage, sooner or later one will be pushed back or one will follow the other. The battle to determine this depends on the reaction to movement. If movement creates a reaction proper distance will insure continued initiative. If movement fails to create a reaction it will become a battle of assertive mental tension. A break in concentration can lead to the seizure of initiative by a cognizant fighter - he can determine during a lull in the action if the opponent has "fallen asleep at the gate" and then simply calmly stroll inside and wreck the place.

The ability of the fighter to stay in the flow of the present will allow him to observe a preoccupation with the past and future in the opponent. This preoccupation is particularly vulnerable to seizure of initiative. A fight is not a good time to think deeply! How tired you are or how you look has no place in your thoughts at that moment. It is very important to choose the correct moment to consider tactics and overall progression of strategy. This is where a good trainer in the corner is invaluable. The proper things said in the corner and in training running up to the bout eliminate unnecessary doubts during the rounds themselves. Moments of indecision are the same as the previously described moments of preoccupation. The fighter who feels a need to improvise or choose new tactics during rounds should do so at moments where there is distance between himself and the adversary. He must be aware of the gross actions of his opponent and be ready to break his reverie at a moment's notice.