Boxing for FMA

[mojo23]

Similar to an earlier thread but different.

Recently started doing Modern Arnis. I love it, but my school only trains twice a week. So, I was thinking of supplementing it with boxing, mostly for physical training, but also because I thought it might be fun. Anyone have any experience with both and how well they might cross over or interfere with one another?

[selfcritical]

Western boxing forms a large portion of many filipino unarmed systems. I don't see why there would be any problems.

[TCDD]

Cant really comment on boxing per say, but Ive been doing FMA for a few years and MT and they work well together, you get a hell of a better work out and general conditioning from the boxing, the only problem comes with competitions, depending on the rules if you start wanting to attack the limbs etc. But for actual fighting they work well, and most importantly, boxing will teach you how to take a proper hit (something lacking from a lot of FMA i find)

[Ryno]

They work quite well together. We do basic boxing in our FMA classes.

[Permalost]

There's some interesting arguments for the modern boxing structure being influenced by panantukan when Americans came into contact with the Phillipines during the occupation.

[Anna Kovacs]

Never done any FMA specifically, but back in the day I used to do a lot of weapons work and my improved boxing footwork, mobility, and reflexes contributed immensely to my weapons fighting ability at the time.

[Bear1980]

They Generally work well together.

See 'Panantukan Boxing'.

[mojo23]

Thanks for the advice folks. Started doing boxing this week, and the stances match each other well, not to mention it's a great workout. Also, if I actually manage to advance a belt, I'll do doing boxing in my FMA, so that'll give me a jump on that.

[bad credit]

Well, I've taken up fencing again recently after a 14 year hiatus from it. Just 3 lessons in even the senior students are having problems dealing with my "intensity" when I explode forward in a lunge. That's from doing the lunge jab in boxing, JKD, and kickboxing all these years.

[dingirfecho]

Well, I´ve been recently back to boxing (in the last six months, but I amateur boxed about six years) and I keep doing Kali, so here´s my two cents:
Things to watch out:
Footwork: the kali footwork is a lot more mobile than the boxing one, and it´s not so adapted to the bob&weave. But it can help a lot in sparring (bear in mind that I tend to be more a boxer-puncher than a swarmer)
Closing the distance (related to the above): while in Kali you tend to go more to the diagonals, my boxing coach tends to emphasize circling. Again, it can only add up.
Clinchwork and throwing: In my Kali school, all of us did some form of grappling (everyone but me do Bjj, I did wrestling for about ten years) so we tend to use the clinch to knee and try to throw. Boxing will help you with some clinchwork that I´ve just not seen in Kali.

Best things:
Power in punches: In my Kali school, the most used punches are the straights, being that we use elbows & forearms, and the jab is just a light set-up. Boxing helped me tremendously to put some power into it.
Conditioning: Kali classes are allmost all technical (you´re supossed to train endurance and strenght on your own). Boxing, with skipping rope and great workouts can only help.
The wonderful world of Hooks & setups: you´ll find that those hooks flow a lot more when you take boxing, and it opens a lot of possibilities.

In sum, boxing (for me,at least) has been an incredible addition to the Kali arsenal. It gives you and understanding of the middle range that Kali has, but it´s not trained half as much.
The endrance and mindset of boxing can only help, too, and it allows you to swarm an opponent who´s looking for a quick takedown. In my case, since I don´t have as many subs as the people who I spar with, that´s invaluable. My advice is that you work on the boxing mechanics of throwing punches while in the more mobile Kali stance, and in keeping an opponent midrange.

And boy, those punches will have more oomph!