Abstract
In recent years, there has been an explosion of interest and participation in fighting sports. Whether it would be active participation or as spectators, the media focused on the increased popularity of these events. These sports include mixed martial arts, karate, and the most recent, boxing. This research paper focuses on one of these three sports; boxing, but more specifically, the biomechanics of the punch and the development of the equipment to ensure the safety of its participants. Within this document, we will discuss how the forces are created during a punch, the injuries that are or can be created as a result, and apply that understanding to how safety equipment is developed or has to evolve to ensure the most optimum level of safety for the fighters using the equipment
Introduction/Background:
You sit on your couch and turn on the television to the title fight that you have been waiting to watch for a month. During the first round, the person you are rooting for takes a punch to the chin and falls down. The bell rings and the fight is over. You now ask yourself “what happened?” To answer this question, one must understand the underlying biomechanics behind the knock out punch.
What is biomechanics? According to McGinnis(2005), “biomechanics is the study of forces and their effects on living things.” In essence, the study of biomechanics in relation to boxing or any other activity or sports is simply the relationship of movement and the forces pre, intra, and post of the initial activity or movement. As it relates to the subject of boxing, physiological or anatomical recruitment of specific muscles generate the forces necessary to create sufficient acceleration and torque which generate the forces needed to knock out the opponent.
When describing or attempting to discuss the forces behind a boxer’s punch and its effects on the body, one must take into account Newton’s three laws of physics; 1.an object at rest stays at rest or an object in motion stays in motion, unless a another outside force acts upon it, 2. The relationship of mass and it’s acceleration resulting in a force produced, and finally the third law which states the concept of action reaction (McGinnis, 2005).
Along with the three laws of Newton, we also must take into consideration muscular recruitment that causes movement to translate and transfer these forces from the puncher to the punched. Muscular flexion and extension, creating a kinetic chain (Wilmore, Costill, & Kennedy, 2008) allows the forces to move and achieve a successful knock-out punch.
The Punch: Forces and Biomechanics
-Muscular/Skeletal Component
Let us start with the muscular recruitment required to achieve the punch. The punch is a successful kinetic chain that releases energy at rest to energy in motion or force. The punch starts from the lower limbs and ends at the fist.
The punch starts with the right foot back. The right foot creates a plantar flexion (which primarily uses the gastrocnemius, soleus, and plantaris muscles). After the plantar flexion occurs, it is follow by the rotation of the right hip in the longitudinal plane. The rotation is then followed by a rotation of the torso, as the result of the flexion of the right internal oblique and left external oblique. As the rotation of the lower and mid body occurs, the right scapula is raised, and the flexion of the glenohumeral joint occurs (mainly caused by the pectoralis muscles, anterior deltoids, and latissimus dorsi)(http://www.180mma.com). Finally, the elbow joint is extended, as a result from the flexion of the triceps (http://www.180mma.com). The end result; a punch.
-The Forces Involved
Now that there is an understanding of the muscular recruitment required to create and translate these forces, we must understand what forces are created. To understand what forces are created, one must apply the three laws of Newton, as described in the previous pages.
According to Newtons 1st Law of Motion, a body at rest stays at rest, while a body in motion stays in motion (McGinnis, 2005). Initially, it is a pretty basic principle, if the boxer’s fist is not moving, then it will stay motionless until a force is generated to move it.
Newton’s 2nd Law is more complicated. In this law, he states that there is a relationship between acceleration and mass (McGinnis, 2005). This relationship is represented by the formula, F=MA (F=force, M=mass, and A=acceleration). What does this mean for boxing? According to this formula, the product of mass and acceleration will equal the amount of force. Greater the mass or great acceleration will yield a greater force output. In the sport of boxing, this is where weight classes come into play. According Stradley (2009), weight classes are important due to the amount of forces that boxers with a greater mass can create. In defense of this article, take into consideration a 210lbs fighter vs. a 150lbs fighter. According to the equation F=MA, the 210lbs fighter will yield a higher force output than the 150lbs fighter; this creates an unfair and unsafe fight. Although punching force does favor the heavier fighter, the equation gives the fighter two ways to increase the force output of the punch. As we already understand, an increase in mass will increase the force, but the force of the punch can also be increased by increasing the acceleration. Ultimately, there are two ways to create a stronger knock-out punch: an increase in mass and/or increase in acceleration.
The Newtons 3rd Law states the action reaction principle. According to McGinnis (2005), the 3rd law concludes that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. In relation to boxing, there are two primary components of the punch where this can be applied. First and foremost, as the boxer stands in his stance and pivots on the plantar flexion of the right back foot, gravity is acting downwards, while the reactant force from the ground pushes right back at the boxer. The other applicable case is when the hand makes contact with the strike zone or face, as the fist makes contact the force applied has an equal but opposite reaction on the punching hand.
Aftermath: Injuries
In the sport of boxing, there are three areas where the most injury occurs; the head, hands, and arms. As we discussed in the previous page, force is the result of the product of mass and acceleration. The greater the mass and/or acceleration, the higher the force created, which ultimately increases the risk of injury. According to the study performed by Potter, Snyder, and Smith (2011), there is an estimated 165,602 individuals who have sustained boxing related injury between the years of 1990-2008.
The forces created by the boxer as he/she delivers the punch has the potential to create tremendous damage to the opponent, especially if the contact point is the head. According to the study by Walilko, Viano, and Bir (2005), head punches increase the risk of head and jaw injury due to the straight punches delivered with such high impact velocity, and energy transfer. Ultimately, the level of severity increases as weight class increases. In relation to head injury and damage, ”punches to the head can cause detached retinas, brain hemorrhage, fractured bones, and permanent neurological disorders” (Walilko, Viano, and Bir 2008).
According to Newton’s 3rd law of action reaction, for every force applied, there is an equal and opposite reaction. This holds absolutely true for the damage to the boxers hand and arm. As the boxer punches, the force applied to the opponent is the same force applied to the boxers hand. Such tremendous force over long duration of time creates injury within the bones of the hand. According to a study by Keel (1995), metacarpal fractures are sustained from repetitive punching. The damage created by the reactive forces are also magnified when the hand is in a clenching position. The clenched fist creates exposure of the metacarpophalangeal joints. When tremendous forces are placed on these exposed areas, damage is most likely to occur (Hame & Melone, 2000). Moving up to the arm, forces transferring from hand to lower arm is also enough to create damage in the extensor carpi radialis brevis (Breeze, Ouellette, & Mays, 2009).
Safety Equipment: Forces and Rationale
How does understanding the forces created by the boxer effect the development of boxing equipment or protective equipment? By understanding the forces, an understanding of how to counteract the forces can be achieved. The impact or pressure of the impact is greatest at the sharpest point. By creating and engineering equipment such as a helmet, energy or force can be dispersed over a greater surface area. According to McGinnis (2005), as we increase the surface area and or time it takes to disperse force, the lesser its effect on the individual. Once these forces are absorbed or spread out, the risk of injury is greatly reduced. With the same thought process, the boxing gloves act the same way as the helmet. The gloves disperse the forces or energy over a greater surface area thus increasing the amount of time to disperse the energy. Instead of taking on the force at one point or a short period of time, gloves and helmets, increase the time it takes to disperse the forces due to the material and increased surface area.
Conclusion
There are two components to create a knock-out punch. The first component is muscular and skeletal recruitment and the second is the actual forces necessary to create the perfect punch. As we discussed, these forces are governed by the three laws of Newton; rest and motion, F=MA, and action reaction. Over years of continuous training, the boxer can increase his/her ability to punch harder either by increasing his/her ability to accelerate the fist, better muscular recruitment and strength, and finally increase in mass and size. Ultimately, by understanding the forces created to injure, the same knowledge can be used to create and develop equipment to decrease or eliminate boxing related hand or head injuries.
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