Is it true that bare-knuckle fighting would cause less brain damage?

I was actually referring to more modern legal "bare-knuckle fighting" - like UFC. Studies have proven that it does less damage, since modern rules make it last less longer. And what you're doing is comparing two completely different time periods. Boxing in the old days used to go until someone got knocked out or gave up. The longest boxing fight ever fought went up to 111 rounds.

 

I thought you were advocating a retun to the bareknuckle boxing of the Sullivan days.

When gloves were introduced, John L is said to have remarked that the sport had degenerated into a game for sissies.

 

Yes and No. Youd hit equally hard (providing your wrists can take it)_but the damage would remain more superficial. The glove padding acts as a shock absorber buffering the proximal damage, causing the force to spread *through* and around the target instead of being concentrated at the surface.

Thats why a steel bar will break your bones but a rubber coated one causes internal bleeding. The same effect applies for hard or soft objects landing on the cranium -aka your brain.

 

as koa was saying as well as some other people were getting at. In a way, this is true. It is because your fist is not as big as it is while you have a boxing glove on. Nor is it as heavy. For example, if you get hit with an aerobics ball, although it's softer, it will probably hurt more internally than if you get hit with a baseball (not at a fast speed) but the baseball will definitely externally leave a very noticable mark.

 

It's true that the gloves changes the feel of the punch, because the force is distributed. But the momentum is equal if you punch with the same force. Momentum is mass times velocity. The higher mass when you wear gloves is compensated for by a smaller velocity given a constant force.

 

I think eye injuries would go way up in bare knuckle fighting though...

 

average joe:

punching with a glove and bare-handed is going to change the force. gloves add weight and are also larger than ur barehand. if i punch the side of ur face w/out a glove, it's going to cover a less area than with a glove. bare-handed it will probably leave more external damage, but with my glove it will make ur whole head move. Just as well as if i held a roll of quarters (no glove) and punched u in the side of ur face same place, the damage is going to be MUCH MUCH MUCH more worse than without. Right...?