From: Andrew Flach <andrew_flach@...>
Subject: Re: [classicpugilism] Re: Crazy Monkey Boxing
To: classicpugilism@yahoogroups.com
Cc: western-arts@yahoogroups.com
Date: Friday, December 5, 2008, 9:27 AM

Thanks, Ellis. I am familiar with 52 Handblocks/Jailhous e Rock, having read of it, mainly through the Stickgrappler web pages and the work of Dennis Newsome. Although I am not qualified to comment conclusively on the matter, and despite the marked similarities between the two, I do believe that Crazy Monkey developed independantly from Jailhouse Rock and at the hands of Rodney King. Again, there is more to Crazy Monkey than strickly the defensive posture. But it is a curious point you raise, and I will put it to Rodney, for I have been in contact with him on several occasions. He has always been gracious to reply. I'll try to report back on what he has to say. Andrew --- On Fri, 12/5/08, ELLIS <ellischasemichael@ gmail.com> wrote: From: ELLIS <ellischasemichael@ gmail.com> Subject: [classicpugilism] Re: Crazy Monkey Boxing To: classicpugilism@ yahoogroups. com Date: Friday, December 5, 2008, 9:18 AM Hello Andrew, Nice find. Now as far as this crazy monkey boxing being a new form of boxing, I'm just not so sure about that. After looking at your link and doing some googleing myself this appears to be 52 Blocks aka Jailhouse rock, 52 shuffle, ect... They are all forms, or the type of boxing/fighting style, that has been developed in the "ghetto" areas and prisons of most major cities in the U.S. for years and years. It's main goal is Close quarter fighting and fighting in handcuffs or with the hands very close together. Because of the poor areas and structured criminal systems in the South African jails, it's no surprise it appears there in much the same fashion. 52 Blocks relies heavily on defense as an offence. With your blocks also being strikes, as well as a lot of elbow use in blocking and sticking, which helps you to stay on the inside and stay tight on your opponent leaving no room for the big haymaker type strikes. It also has a lot of short powerful hooks and not a lot of straight 1,2 style punching. It's an art of the inside. Rashaad Evans (http://www.fightgoo d.com/article/ crazy-monkey- post-2/) in MMA employs this method in his own boxing (52`s not crazy monkey), Mike Tyson studied this as well both also lean toward the peek-a-boo style. This crazy monkey doesn't look too far from 52 blocks Google it or check it out on youtube and I think you will agree.--Ellis --- In classicpugilism@ yahoogroups. com, Andrew Flach <andrew_flach@ ...> wrote: > > Have any of you gentlemen had any experience with Rodney "Chico" King's Crazy Monkey Boxing? If so, what is your estimation of it, and what parallels do you find between it and classic pugilism? > > For the curious, Crazy Monkey Boxing is a method of boxing, founded by South African Rodney King (no, not of police battery fame!), that allegedly lends itself more readily to light-glove and bare-handed use than it's modern cousin. It's most widely-known characteristic is its defensive posture--a high guard, in which the hands rest atop the head and blows are deflected using the forearms. In ways, it reminds me of the Mendoza stance. However, King is quick to point out this is only one facet of the curriculum, and he presents it as an integrated system. > > The stance is highly squared, for reasons of power generation and to address the needs of the MMA athlete in countering take-down attempts. Likewise, Crazy Monkey does include elements from Muay Thai, but largely, it seems of Western influence. > > King contends that evasive defensive tactics, such as bobbing and weaving, should actually be taught to the novice, at a latter date, after he has become accustomed to taking blows, using a more rudimentary non-attribute based defense such as the one he teaches. Otherwise, he's gonna get nailed too many times and lose heart. > > As others have commented (perhaps Ken, Kirk, and company) that for boxing to be effective in the light-glove arena, it has actually had to regress, or return to an earlier point in its evolution. Hence, Crazy Monkey. > > King reportedly forged his methods, in a variety of environments, but > namely, door work in Johannesburg, which as we all know is an extremely > violent city. He started out in Eastern martial arts as a lad, but > moved on to the Western Boxing, when he took note of its generally > superior combative utility. > > Here's a link to the Crazy Monkey Defense YouTube channel: > > http://www.youtube. com/user/ CrazyMonkeyDefen se > > I feel this is actually of more use, for our pruposes, than the website (so expansive, it's difficult to navigate) in gaining an > understanding of the physical elements, but here's a link to the web site > as well: > > http://www.crazymon keydefense. com/cmdp/ content/view/ 13/28/ > > I'll be curious to read what you all have to say about it. Feel free to express approval or its opposite. > > Andrew >