hey, I spent all morning writing this, sourced it all. please have a read. I hope to eventually cover the entire timeline of boxing, and learn more along the way. the goal is not just history, but to find applications for the modern fighter to replicate. I am open to suggestion, as this is a work in progress. please read, I have attempted to keep my tone of writing, while also sticking to facts and not being to biased and opinionated that it becomes unreadable. after this, I will tackle Greece, which likely has a lot more info to compile compared to egypt - then asia, rome etc all the way till HBO cut off its boxing. I apologize for artifacts and typos, I had to edit this thing so the forum posted it. extremely irritating but what can you do.
Preface
I've long been invested in uncovering the lost art of old-school boxing from the mud-soaked arenas of ancient Greece to the final broadcasts of HBO and translating that knowledge into something fighters today can use. This book combines historical research, fight footage analysis, and hands-on sparring with both professionals and amateurs to recover training drills, tactical systems, and ring wisdom that once passed strictly through apprenticeship. These aren't just stories of legendary warriors or eras long gone they're drills and insights you can apply in the gym today: the subtle finesse of Sam Langford, the chaos and volume of Harry Greb, the bruising pressure of Rocky Marciano. My goal is to take these forgotten methods and make them functional again for fighters, trainers, and students of the craft.
This is an ongoing effort. The deeper you go, the more you realize how much is missing. That's why I've committed to tracing the entire history of boxing starting from the old worlds earliest fighting cultures. Its important not just to respect ancient combat systems, but to recognize their practical value. These people weren't primitive they lived under constant physical demand, many with far more real-world hand-to-hand experience than modern athletes.
________________________________________
A Brief Overview of Ancient Boxing in Sumer and Egypt (c. 3000-1350 BCE)
Long before padded gloves and round timers, both Sumer and Egypt had cultivated boxing as a form of training, ceremony, and spectacle. Reliefs, tomb paintings, and archaeological remains show boxing as a blend of physical discipline, religious offering, and martial preparation. Here's what can be reconstructed through the available evidence cross-referenced with lived training insight and historical logic.
In Sumer, combat preparation happened in hard-packed courtyards beside temples or militia training grounds. Young recruits usually soldiers or laborers began with practical conditioning: sprinting irrigation ***es, hauling bundles of reeds, lifting clay bricks. Wrestling came next to build grip, balance, and body control. Once foundational strength was in place, striking work began. Fighters struck leather sacks filled with chaff or hit palm-wood posts to condition the hands and stabilize the wrists. Wool wraps added reinforcement. These drills were often performed to drumbeats bridging physical movement with religious rhythm, linking the temple to the training ground.
In Egypt, a millennium later, similar scenes unfolded across Nile-side barracks. Soldiers ran on sand at dawn and rowed on the river before beginning daily combat training. Wrestling developed strength and control; stick fighting (tahtib) built timing and reaction; boxing sharpened targeting and pressure tolerance. Drill-sergeants often soldier-scribes called out precise orders. Phrases like Strike! (ná¸r) and âProtect! (Ê¿nmt) appear in training inscriptions. Fighters practiced clean, deliberate punches against padded poles and shield targets, with emphasis on sharp form over wild power. Treatment for injuries included linen wraps soaked in honey and natron baths both antiseptic and restorative, revealing how hard these sessions could be.
Stylistically, Sumerian boxers used a low, forward-leaning stance knees bent, elbows in, fists at beard level. Their movement emphasized direct entry, with short, aggressive bursts ending when one fighter dropped or yielded. Egyptian boxers, as shown in Kheruefs tomb, fought more upright, weight forward on the balls of the feet. Punches were quick and precise, often thrown in pairs with an immediate reset. While it may seem unorthodox, the double-fisted punch appears in both ancient reliefs and modern fights Manny Pacquiao famously used the move against Joshua Clottey in 2010. Referees, often priests or state officials, had final say. Phrases like You have no opponent marked either a declared victory or a psychological tactic meant to unnerve the loser.
Boxing had multiple roles. It was a ritual act offering controlled violence to gods and pharaohs during temple rites and jubilees. It was a military tool, building readiness through structured, demanding drills. It was a public entertainment accompanied by music, cheers, and formal recognition. And it was a means of social elevation: victory in the ring could lead to livestock, weapons, appointment to the pharaohs guard, or lasting fame. It was a different time, but the stakes were not unlike todays prizefights under arena lights.
In short, boxing in ancient Sumer and Egypt wasn't crude brawling it was calculated, trained, and multi-functional. Fighters honed timing, balance, pressure resistance, and above all, the will to stay upright longer than the man across from them.
________________________________________
Unarmed Combat in Ancient Egypt: Wrestling and Boxing
In ancient Egypt, wrestling wasn't just a sports it was core training. As early as the Old Kingdom (c. 2400 BCE), tombs at Saqqara show men locked in holds and throws. By the Middle Kingdom (c. 2000 BCE), the tomb of Baqet III at Beni Hasan documents over 400 wrestling techniques serving almost as a carved curriculum. Wrestlers wore short kilts for mobility and worked from a stance that emphasized hip control, body leverage, and precision over brute strength. Wrestling was not optional it was foundational, especially for soldiers.
Boxing, while less frequently represented, was no less developed. New Kingdom paintings from Amarna (c. 1350 BCE) depict bare-knuckle boxing bouts before royalty. Often shown alongside stick-fighting, these scenes reveal boxing as part athletic performance, part ritual demonstration. Fighters used minimal hand-wraps and showed restraint in technique indicating the bouts were tightly controlled contests, not chaotic brawls.
________________________________________
Conditioning for the Fight: Strength, Endurance, Agility
The Egyptians trained holistically. Tomb murals show early weightlifting men lifting heavy sandbags with one arm, essentially proto-clean-and-jerks. Strength was cultivated through carrying loads, wrestling drills, and stick fighting. Gymnastic feats leaps, flips, controlled falls developed agility and balance.
Endurance was equally emphasized. Soldiers and noble youth trained through running (often on sand), swimming, and rowing. Amenhotep IIs physical feats out-rowing trained crews, launching arrows through copper plates weren't just legend, they were used as state propaganda for what constituted combat readiness. The Heb-Sed ritual marathon run by the pharaoh as a public test of vitality underscores how serious endurance training was.
________________________________________
How a Modern Pugilist Can Train Like an Ancient Egyptian
Despite the gap in time, much of ancient training still applies. Egyptian boxers built their foundation on grit, physical repetition, and whole-body strength. Sand running, in particular, is worth noting. Its native to Egypts environment and was likely a daily demand for soldiers. Running or even walking long distances on sand activates stabilizer muscles feet, calves, hips, and core all constantly adjusting to shifting ground. Because these muscles only fire for a split second with each step, long-duration efforts are essential. Short sprints wont cut it you have to go long and grind it out to really develop the stabilizers.
Rowing, while not originally native to Egypts culture, became a staple training method thanks to the Nile. It builds endurance in the legs, back, and arms key muscle groups for fighters. But like anything, its only as useful as the effort behind it. Distance, form, and intensity matter more than reps. Combine rowing and sand running, and youll have a conditioning base most modern fighters don't touch.
Academic Articles and Journals:
⢠Islam, M. S. & De, A., "Ancient Boxing: A Narrative Discussion," Montenegrin Journal of Sports Science & Medicine, 2022.
⢠Alwan, A. S. & Ibrahim, E. M., "Sports Scenes in the Ancient Civilization of Iraq," TOJQI, 2021.
⢠"Early Evidence of Boxing in Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia," Shedet Journal Vol. 7, 2020.
⢠Zeina, M., "Scenes of Some Sports Activities and their Double Significance in New Kingdom Theban Tombs," Minia Journal of Tourism & Hospitality Research, 2022.
Web and Encyclopedia Sources:
⢠Mark, Joshua J., "Games, Sports & Recreation in Ancient Egypt," World History Encyclopedia, 2017.
⢠"Tahtib," Wikipedia, accessed July 2025.
⢠"Ancient Mesopotamia: Sports and Entertainment," World History Encyclopedia.
Museum Collections and Archives:
⢠Oriental Institute Museum, University of Chicago (Terracotta and limestone boxing reliefs from Khafaji and Eshnunna).
⢠Erich Lessing Archive (Terracotta boxing relief im?
Preface
I've long been invested in uncovering the lost art of old-school boxing from the mud-soaked arenas of ancient Greece to the final broadcasts of HBO and translating that knowledge into something fighters today can use. This book combines historical research, fight footage analysis, and hands-on sparring with both professionals and amateurs to recover training drills, tactical systems, and ring wisdom that once passed strictly through apprenticeship. These aren't just stories of legendary warriors or eras long gone they're drills and insights you can apply in the gym today: the subtle finesse of Sam Langford, the chaos and volume of Harry Greb, the bruising pressure of Rocky Marciano. My goal is to take these forgotten methods and make them functional again for fighters, trainers, and students of the craft.
This is an ongoing effort. The deeper you go, the more you realize how much is missing. That's why I've committed to tracing the entire history of boxing starting from the old worlds earliest fighting cultures. Its important not just to respect ancient combat systems, but to recognize their practical value. These people weren't primitive they lived under constant physical demand, many with far more real-world hand-to-hand experience than modern athletes.
________________________________________
A Brief Overview of Ancient Boxing in Sumer and Egypt (c. 3000-1350 BCE)
Long before padded gloves and round timers, both Sumer and Egypt had cultivated boxing as a form of training, ceremony, and spectacle. Reliefs, tomb paintings, and archaeological remains show boxing as a blend of physical discipline, religious offering, and martial preparation. Here's what can be reconstructed through the available evidence cross-referenced with lived training insight and historical logic.
In Sumer, combat preparation happened in hard-packed courtyards beside temples or militia training grounds. Young recruits usually soldiers or laborers began with practical conditioning: sprinting irrigation ***es, hauling bundles of reeds, lifting clay bricks. Wrestling came next to build grip, balance, and body control. Once foundational strength was in place, striking work began. Fighters struck leather sacks filled with chaff or hit palm-wood posts to condition the hands and stabilize the wrists. Wool wraps added reinforcement. These drills were often performed to drumbeats bridging physical movement with religious rhythm, linking the temple to the training ground.
In Egypt, a millennium later, similar scenes unfolded across Nile-side barracks. Soldiers ran on sand at dawn and rowed on the river before beginning daily combat training. Wrestling developed strength and control; stick fighting (tahtib) built timing and reaction; boxing sharpened targeting and pressure tolerance. Drill-sergeants often soldier-scribes called out precise orders. Phrases like Strike! (ná¸r) and âProtect! (Ê¿nmt) appear in training inscriptions. Fighters practiced clean, deliberate punches against padded poles and shield targets, with emphasis on sharp form over wild power. Treatment for injuries included linen wraps soaked in honey and natron baths both antiseptic and restorative, revealing how hard these sessions could be.
Stylistically, Sumerian boxers used a low, forward-leaning stance knees bent, elbows in, fists at beard level. Their movement emphasized direct entry, with short, aggressive bursts ending when one fighter dropped or yielded. Egyptian boxers, as shown in Kheruefs tomb, fought more upright, weight forward on the balls of the feet. Punches were quick and precise, often thrown in pairs with an immediate reset. While it may seem unorthodox, the double-fisted punch appears in both ancient reliefs and modern fights Manny Pacquiao famously used the move against Joshua Clottey in 2010. Referees, often priests or state officials, had final say. Phrases like You have no opponent marked either a declared victory or a psychological tactic meant to unnerve the loser.
Boxing had multiple roles. It was a ritual act offering controlled violence to gods and pharaohs during temple rites and jubilees. It was a military tool, building readiness through structured, demanding drills. It was a public entertainment accompanied by music, cheers, and formal recognition. And it was a means of social elevation: victory in the ring could lead to livestock, weapons, appointment to the pharaohs guard, or lasting fame. It was a different time, but the stakes were not unlike todays prizefights under arena lights.
In short, boxing in ancient Sumer and Egypt wasn't crude brawling it was calculated, trained, and multi-functional. Fighters honed timing, balance, pressure resistance, and above all, the will to stay upright longer than the man across from them.
________________________________________
Unarmed Combat in Ancient Egypt: Wrestling and Boxing
In ancient Egypt, wrestling wasn't just a sports it was core training. As early as the Old Kingdom (c. 2400 BCE), tombs at Saqqara show men locked in holds and throws. By the Middle Kingdom (c. 2000 BCE), the tomb of Baqet III at Beni Hasan documents over 400 wrestling techniques serving almost as a carved curriculum. Wrestlers wore short kilts for mobility and worked from a stance that emphasized hip control, body leverage, and precision over brute strength. Wrestling was not optional it was foundational, especially for soldiers.
Boxing, while less frequently represented, was no less developed. New Kingdom paintings from Amarna (c. 1350 BCE) depict bare-knuckle boxing bouts before royalty. Often shown alongside stick-fighting, these scenes reveal boxing as part athletic performance, part ritual demonstration. Fighters used minimal hand-wraps and showed restraint in technique indicating the bouts were tightly controlled contests, not chaotic brawls.
________________________________________
Conditioning for the Fight: Strength, Endurance, Agility
The Egyptians trained holistically. Tomb murals show early weightlifting men lifting heavy sandbags with one arm, essentially proto-clean-and-jerks. Strength was cultivated through carrying loads, wrestling drills, and stick fighting. Gymnastic feats leaps, flips, controlled falls developed agility and balance.
Endurance was equally emphasized. Soldiers and noble youth trained through running (often on sand), swimming, and rowing. Amenhotep IIs physical feats out-rowing trained crews, launching arrows through copper plates weren't just legend, they were used as state propaganda for what constituted combat readiness. The Heb-Sed ritual marathon run by the pharaoh as a public test of vitality underscores how serious endurance training was.
________________________________________
How a Modern Pugilist Can Train Like an Ancient Egyptian
Despite the gap in time, much of ancient training still applies. Egyptian boxers built their foundation on grit, physical repetition, and whole-body strength. Sand running, in particular, is worth noting. Its native to Egypts environment and was likely a daily demand for soldiers. Running or even walking long distances on sand activates stabilizer muscles feet, calves, hips, and core all constantly adjusting to shifting ground. Because these muscles only fire for a split second with each step, long-duration efforts are essential. Short sprints wont cut it you have to go long and grind it out to really develop the stabilizers.
Rowing, while not originally native to Egypts culture, became a staple training method thanks to the Nile. It builds endurance in the legs, back, and arms key muscle groups for fighters. But like anything, its only as useful as the effort behind it. Distance, form, and intensity matter more than reps. Combine rowing and sand running, and youll have a conditioning base most modern fighters don't touch.
Academic Articles and Journals:
⢠Islam, M. S. & De, A., "Ancient Boxing: A Narrative Discussion," Montenegrin Journal of Sports Science & Medicine, 2022.
⢠Alwan, A. S. & Ibrahim, E. M., "Sports Scenes in the Ancient Civilization of Iraq," TOJQI, 2021.
⢠"Early Evidence of Boxing in Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia," Shedet Journal Vol. 7, 2020.
⢠Zeina, M., "Scenes of Some Sports Activities and their Double Significance in New Kingdom Theban Tombs," Minia Journal of Tourism & Hospitality Research, 2022.
Web and Encyclopedia Sources:
⢠Mark, Joshua J., "Games, Sports & Recreation in Ancient Egypt," World History Encyclopedia, 2017.
⢠"Tahtib," Wikipedia, accessed July 2025.
⢠"Ancient Mesopotamia: Sports and Entertainment," World History Encyclopedia.
Museum Collections and Archives:
⢠Oriental Institute Museum, University of Chicago (Terracotta and limestone boxing reliefs from Khafaji and Eshnunna).
⢠Erich Lessing Archive (Terracotta boxing relief im?
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