I was thrilled to view this sampling of Bobby Gunn’s bareknuckle work. Bare knuckle bouts do not replicate real survival situations any better than boxing, kickboxing or MMA, all of them being ritualized bone duels. However, each prizefighting art offers functional tools for survival and any bout can be broken down into attack-length scenarios and studied. I recommend taking 3 to 15 second clutch segments of his two bouts and developing them for scenario training, in some cases as mere entries to grappling defenses or as clearing drills to achieve weapon deployment.

I really like Bobby Gunn as an ambassador for the rebirth of bare knuckle honor sports. His easygoing demeanor is necessary for success in the cool-headed bone duel as opposed to the hyperactive personality evolved to milk gloved money sports for its masters. Bobby’s techniques essentially consist of counter-adapted gloved boxing, using the same tools as and types of punches already practiced by gloved boxers as specialty punches [his hybrid overhand right cross and cutter hook] and making them central to his doctrine, which must be his approach as a converted pugilist. Eventually we will see some guard modifications and the adaptation of the supinated up jab, body blow, rake, pivot punch and facer. Eventually, Bobby’s method will converge with resurrected techniques to form an art superior to either of its ancestral parts.

I love that leather heavy bag!

Hopefully the organizer will reintroduce the horse hair hanging bag, the flying bag and the springboard bag to their old school gym.

Thanks to Big Ron for these links.

In the still frame at the top, where Bobby is demonstrating technique with his grappling coach, the grappler adopts a wide, evenly displaced, bent-knee boxing stance while Bobby's feet are closer together and he is using his rear knee bend to regulate his weight displacement. The grappling/kicking stance to the right invites the clinch [why not, that is his specialty] while the more narrow stance to the left, if weight is not committed over the lead knee and the rear hip is not torqued forward, is a better sprawling guard for avoiding the clinch.