Often when I read old text or articles about boxers they will describe a boxer as milling. What does that mean in boxing context? What are some other no longer or rarely used vocabulary in boxing? (Eg. Palooka).
Milling = infighting (or that's the way I always took it) I used to actually love some of Nat Fleischer's quaint references such as Bash Boulevard (the fight game), Ballyhoo (hype), Gotham (NY). And of course there was also the phrases that aren't exactly PC today such as old writers mentioning "the dusky battler" (Black fighter).
I dont think milling is infighting. I might be wrong but I believe it was used to describe boxing activity in a broad, general manner: moving about feinting, jockeying for an opening, throwing a punch here and there. Just general activity with nothing noteworthy going on. I may be wrong but thats how Ive always read it. Because when you have a crowd of people "milling about" they are sort of ambling around the way you would generally expect a crowd to behave with nothing noteworthy going on.
I always thought of Milling as having your hands in constant motion trying to confuse your opponent on your offense and also making it difficult for your opponent to land himself, not sure but I think this might be the origin of it, maybe from the bareknuckle times ... who knows
I've heard it is a description of the fast rotation of the hands in defence as in windmilling, milling on the retreat.Don't know if its true.
One of the earliest written references to the bare knuckle contender of Bill Richmond, describes an incident where he beat up a tavern owner, who insulted his female companion. He was described as having given the man "a good milling". This makes me think that it was used as a broad definition of boxing.
Interesting, I’ve seen clips of Jack Johnson doing a windmilling motion when demonstrating for audience and it didn’t look like punching...perhaps he was demonstrating milling???
Yeah I wouldn’t be surprised if it started as a description of something specific but went on to just become a way of saying boxing.
According to this article you’re right: https://www.google.com/amp/s/civili...the-use-of-milling-in-bareknuckle-boxing/amp/ I think you can see a little remnant if it in Grebs shadow boxing here, but it seems to have already been fading as a strategy at this time: This content is protected Perhaps a better demonstration is seen in Jack Johnson’s shadowboxing. See the video at about 1:10: This content is protected
