Text written in Basque and translated automatically by Elia without any subsequent editing. SEE ORIGINAL

Against the ropes

Manu Maritxalar is also a former boxer, international boxing referee and broadcaster. His colleague Nagore Rementeria, who met him at the Anoeta Boxing Association in San Sebastián, told us about the techniques of boxing, the evolution of gloves and, of course, the most painful blows.

NAGORE REMENTERIA; Elhuyar Foundation: Today we are going to try to put Manu Maritxalar against the ropes.

MANU MARITXALAR; boxing judge: No, no, no, we're off the ropes today.

NAGORE REMENTERIA; Elhuyar Foundation: Manu, you know that in this section of Teknopolis we talk about sports technology or the vision of science. Does boxing have that?

MANU MARITXALAR; boxing judge: Yes, without any doubt. Even though people may think otherwise (that it’s mediocre), they have a very elaborate technique that provides benefits. Among other things, the first goal of boxing: to hit and not to receive.

NAGORE REMENTERIA; Elhuyar Foundation: In the ring we see boxers dancing, in a game of legs. What is that dance for?

MANU MARITXALAR; boxing judge: On the one hand, to prevent the opponent from capturing you as much as possible. The faster, the lighter you are, the harder it will be for you to get your punches in. And at the same time, you try to open your paths to include your punches. The blow will come out of your thumb, the force will rise, and in this way, with all your strength and inertia, you will be able to penetrate that hand.

NAGORE REMENTERIA; Elhuyar Foundation: It will be important to beat the opponent, but it will be more important to protect them, that is why you have such strict rules.

MANU MARITXALAR; boxing judge: We want to see the sport. And see what two athletes can do in the best shape, and that show is what we are grateful for; not to see two top athletes crawling. There have been changes in this regard. There have also been major changes in training. The neck is tremendously elaborated because it has been observed that with the elaboration of this section there are fewer lesions. There have also been changes in the gloves: the gloves of today have their thumbs tied, because there was a time when the opponent had their thumbs stuck in his eye; in the United States it was very widespread. People don't know, but the glove protects the opponent.

NAGORE REMENTERIA; Elhuyar Foundation: Not the one who's playing, but the opponent.

MANU MARITXALAR; boxing judge: That's right, you're much more effective without guantes than with guantes. Yes, the bandage protects you.

NAGORE REMENTERIA; Elhuyar Foundation: That's what I was going to tell you: the boxer has a bandage first, and then a glove.

MANU MARITXALAR; boxing judge: A bandage to protect your hand. This way, when you touch it, your hand will be harder and it will protect your wrist. It will also protect your knuckles. These are the ones who suffer the most when it comes to playing. They are the Guantes to make the fight as bearable as possible.

NAGORE REMENTERIA; Elhuyar Foundation: To extend it in time?

MANU MARITXALAR; boxing judge: Yeah, otherwise the wounds would open up to one and the other, and the condom would be canceled.

NAGORE REMENTERIA; Elhuyar Foundation: Nowadays, the minute you see a drop of blood in most sports, the athlete has to leave the field or the match stops. Not in boxing, right?

MANU MARITXALAR; boxing judge: It is one of the consequences of AIDS. Not in boxing, but all boxers are required to be tested for AIDS and other diseases (hepatitis, etc.). Blood doesn’t cut as much as in other sports, but control is greater.

NAGORE REMENTERIA; Elhuyar Foundation: Which strokes are the most painful, in which part of the body?

MANU MARITXALAR; boxing judge: Really painful... one: the hook received in the liver. That hurts, real pain. Also, when you put the hook in, you don’t feel pain, but one or two seconds later you twist, you can’t breathe, you feel real pain, and you go to the ground.

NAGORE REMENTERIA; Elhuyar Foundation: And the noses?

MANU MARITXALAR; boxing judge: No, you don't usually feel those punches, taken on the head and face. If it's a terrible blow and it breaks your nose, maybe it does, but you usually don't feel what you've got on your face.

NAGORE REMENTERIA; Elhuyar Foundation: If one of the most painful blows is to the liver, that means that the lefties have some sort of advantage, right?

MANU MARITXALAR; boxing judge: Yeah, they're really erratic. Don't get mad at us, but they're erratic. They have a different technique, a different guard... and you're not used to it.

NAGORE REMENTERIA; Elhuyar Foundation: Those are painful blows. And those who leave K.O.?

MANU MARITXALAR; boxing judge: The effective blows? Well, the liver hook we talked about, the hook inserted under the abdomen... it's not that painful but it's effective because you cut off the opponent's breath, you make him fill the bellows. And the ones that are most easily considered are those of the upper part, those of the upper jaw. The most impacting strokes on the brain are those that hit the jaw: the brain crashes with the skull when it goes backwards and then comes back forward. And that's usually the K. O.aren reason.