ABSTRACT
Boxing is a non-co-operative skill contest between two people in which the global goal is either to win more points by applying successful punches to an opponent’s head or body, or alternatively to win the match with a knockout. According to expert literature in boxing (see Kajchevski et al., 2003), one of the most important abilities of skilled boxers with tactical significance, is the ability to apply diverse punches with relatively high frequency at close and medium distances from an opponent on the basis of perceived distance and the guard of the opponent. Diversity of punches constrains the opponent to depend on probabilistic perceptual judgments for decision-making rather than accurate knowledge of an opponent’s actions. Additionally, the opponent would have to maintain a very high level of alertness and attention in order to evade or block an attack, which is why experienced boxers with well-developed punching diversity usually capture the attention of an opponent with a deceptive movement before starting a series of punches within close range. Alternatively, punching diversity is used when the opponent has already lost his/her alertness as a result of being close to a knock-down state or as a consequence of exhaustion.
