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Bare knuckle fighting produces blood, which settles feuds. This was known since the beginning, and only recently did we call it "barbaric". Bare Knuckle Fighting Champ. pres David Feldman explains & talks about Bobby Gunn and BKFC origins @RealBobbyGunn @BareKnuckleDF @bkfclub1
Peruvians have regular fist fights at a festival called Takanakuy. Challengers sort out their differences and then shake hands. Check out the refs clearing the crowd with the bullwhips. Keeping the crowd in check keeps the violent (blood) contagion from spilling over.
Here's the Bobby Gunn bare knuckle fight. This seems to have been what kicked off the BKFC.
Bare knuckle fighting is nothing like boxing. Here's an explanation of the difference between the guard styles from the BareFisted YouTube channel
This is a fantastic documentary all about bare knuckle fighting among Irish Travellers called Knuckle
Here's an equally great documentary about bare knuckle fighting in the American south.
Fist fighting was once really brutal, wasn't even bare knuckle. The introduction of the "cestus" in Roman slave fights sped things along in fights to the death. It was so brutal that fist fighting was totally banned by Rome in 393 C.E. They threw the baby out with the bathwater.
Bare knuckle fighting was big in England because of the likes of James Figg. Boxing started attracting the attention of the aristocracy and various rules (no biting, kicking, etc.) entered the equation, but aristocrats were still uncomfortable with the brutality of pugilism.
In 1867 the Marquess of Queensberry Rules took effect which "civilized" boxing almost to the point where it is today. The rules included gloves and the 10-count. It was an attempt to "clean up" the sport for blood-averse aristocrats.
The Puritan values of the USA helped pushed Queensberry rules after every state outlawed bare knuckle fighting. Queensberry rules became the norm. Standard boxing rules today stipulate a ref can stop a fight if a bleeding wound doesn't stop.
Dueling culture and bare knuckle brawls seem "uncivilized", often due to the sight of blood. This fear is rational: blood contagion is real. It's why the Peruvian Takanakuy refs are there to keep people away from the fight.
But bloodless dueling is endless dueling. Humans require bloodshed to settle disputes. The popularity of MMA (and its blood-soaked mats) and the rising popularity of bare knuckle fighting demonstrate the need for this long-overdue blood accounting.
