The Art of In-Fighting by Frank Klaus

I am pleased to announce the republication of "The Art of In-Fighting" by Frank Klaus.

The download is, as always, free.

Special thanks to Professor Bruno Cruicchi, collector and life-long Martial Artist for providing the original of this book for me to republish.

http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/the-art-of-in-fighting/15104806

Marketoid blurb:

Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in Frank Klaus was a German-American boxer. His professional career spanning 39 matches netted 32 wins 21 by KO. He won the Middleweight Championship of the world in 1913 and was elected to the Ring Boxing Hall of Fame in 1974.

Acclaimed as an inside fighter, in approximately late 1913 or some time thereafter he penned his book of instruction on in-fighting.

Klaus packs a great number of photograph into his work for such a comparatively short and focused book: 27 in all including several “action shots” from his fights giving this book a ratio of about 1 photo for every 2 ½ pages of instruction.

Particular gems include “The Liver Punch,” “Feigning ‘Grogginess’,” and “Beating an Opponent by Punching his Gloved Hands or Arms.”

Truly a Historic Boxing “must have!”
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Peace favor your sword,
Kirk

 

Weird. It doesn't have the download link on the specific page.

Go here: http://stores.lulu.com/lawson and click the "Download for Free" link just below the "Add print to cart" link.

I generally avoid using the "store" link because 1) its got all of the other titles there too which can make it hard to find the one I'm announcing and 2) my book is there on top and is non-free (the only one, but still).

That's only for the tree-ware. The download is free.

Peace favor your sword,
Kirk

 

Klaus advocates the Heart and Stomach punch but says that the Liver Punch is third in line particularly since, at the time of his writing, the Kidney Punch had been made illegal. Which, according to him, is fine because he, "never made much use of the punch" and instead, "made a study of the liver punch, which, although less painful, plays no small part in an opponent's undoing."

You're right that "The Mark" was always a primary target in pre-Marquis boxing. I hold that this is because the MoQ rules barred grappling, tripping, and throwing. Why spend much time perfecting in-fighting when you can Cross-Buttock your opponent and fall on top of him or wrap his head in Chancery and strangle him or whale on his kidneys and liver while he's wrapped up? This desire to aim for "The Mark" held over for a very long time even after our good Marquis barred grappling.

Grappling pushed the punching repertoire out to long range.

It's interesting to note here that, near the end of the book, Klaus states a (somewhat brief) argument against "Old-Fashioned Methods."

Peace favor your sword,
Kirk