An attempt at a confirmation seminar.

1. Can a Modified, Low-Risk Form Of Competitive
Boxing Achieve Significant Community Uptake?
Confirmation of Candidature
Paul Perkins
Research Student
University of Canberra National Institute of Sport Studies
(UCNISS)
30 August 2013

2. Background Information About The Candidate
I consider it important to clarify the perspective that the candidate
brings to the project.
 I grew up around boxing and competed for a number of years
 I have coached boxing at International level and hold the highest
international coaching qualification (AIBA 3 Star)
 I am a former National and AIS Boxing coach
 I am currently employed by the Canberra PCYC as their research
and development coach
 I am fascinated with the Cuban sports system, particularly given
its ability to achieve outstanding results with very limited
resources
 I have worked in several settings in which sport has acted as a
positive force in disadvantaged communities
 After lifelong involvement with conventional boxing, I
have become disappointed and disillusioned with many
aspects of the sport and am interested in possibilities for
change

3. Outline of Presentation
Part1: Research Interest, Problems & Questions
Part 2: Literature Review
Part 3: Research Significance
Part 4: Research Components
Part 5: Research Setting
Part 6: Research Plan
Part 7: Questions

4. Part 1: Research Interest, Problems and Questions

5. Box’Tag is a modified, low-risk form of traditional boxing. It
emphasises high levels of fitness, skill and personal enjoyment.
Part 1: Research Interest, Problems and Questions
 Points are recorded by using minimal low-force strikes to the body and upper arms
 Strikes to the opponent’s head are prohibited
 There is a primary focus on safety
Research Interest

6. The Scoring Technology
 Is based on the use of an automated system initially developed by the Australian
Institute of Sport (AIS) in conjunction with the Cooperative Research Centre for
Microtechnology
 later improved through scientific and technical inputs from the AIS, the
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) and the
small Melbourne research and development (R&D) company PWP Designs
Part1: Research Interest, Questions and Problems
Research Interest

7. The scoring system
 Is built around sensors that have been placed on the scoring part of the
gloves and specially constructed vests
 The sensors transmit data via wireless mechanisms to a ringside computer,
and dedicated software enables the detection of simultaneous impacts from a
glove of one competitor and the vest of the other
 A competitor is awarded a point when he/she successfully strikes the target
area of the opponent’s vest, with scores being displayed in real time on a
large screen
Part 1: Research Interest, Problems and Questions
Research Interest

8. Part 1: Research Interest, Questions and Problems
Research Interest
Key Points
 There is strong medical opposition to conventional boxing
 A number of medical authorities, including the American Medical Association, have
called for boxing to be either banned or substantially modified
 A commonly suggested modification is the prohibition of impacts to the head (and
the American Medical Association also suggests the development of impact-
absorbing gloves)
 In Box’Tag, strikes to the head are prohibited, as are any impacts above a
moderate level of force
 Box’Tag is a practical exemplar of what the American Medical Association has
recommended

9. Part 1: Research Interest, Problems and Questions
Research Problems
 Despite the fact that uptake to date has been encouraging, a
question remains as to whether Box’Tag can be developed in a
way that will lead to sustainable large-scale community
participation
 There are technological, scientific and cultural challenges

10. Part 1: Research Interest, Problems and Questions
Research Questions
 The proposed study aims to identify and address factors that could affect
the uptake of this emerging sport
 This question is the focus of the proposed research project

11. Part 2: Literature Review
Establishing a theoretical framework

12. Part 2: Literature Review
 An extensive literature review has been conducted to establish current
knowledge in regard to the legal, medical, ethical and moral concerns of
participating in boxing
 The review also presents a case for boxing by highlighting the social and
physical benefits associated with participation
 It summarises, interprets, and critically evaluates the existing literature
and introduces a safer alternative (Box’Tag)

13. Part 2: Literature Review
The Legal Debate
There is unanimous agreement that boxing consists of activities that in other
circumstances would clearly constitute the criminal offence of ‘aggravated
assault’ and, in some cases, assault occasioning grievous bodily harm
Beran, R. and Beran, J., The law(s) of the rings: boxing and the law. Journal of Law
and Medicine, 2009. 16 (4): p. 684-695
Brayne H, S.L., Brayne C., Could boxing be banned? A legal and epidemiological
perspective. British Medical Journal, 1998. 316(7147): p. 1813-1815
Anderson, J., The Legality of Boxing: A Punch Drunk Love? 2007, New York USA:
Routledge

14. Part 2: Literature Review
The medical Concerns
 There is unequivocal evidence that participation in boxing entails serious risk
 It has been estimated that the condition popularly known as punch-
drunkenness develops in about 20% of professional boxers, and there is
evidence that amateur boxers can also incur neurological damage
 Ongoing improvements in the regulation and medical supervision of
professional and amateur boxing might reduce inherent injury risks associated
with the sport but cannot eliminate them
Sawauchi, S., Murakami, S., Tani, S., Ogawa, T., Suzuki, T., and Abe, T., Acute subdural
hematoma caused by professional boxing. No Shinkei Geka, 1996. 24(10): p. 905-11
Jordan, B., Chronic traumatic brain injury associated with boxing. Seminars in Neurology
2000. 20(2): p. 179-185
Clausen, H., McCrory, P., and Anderson, V., The risk of chronic traumatic brain injury in
professional boxing: change in exposure variables over the past century. British Journal of
Sports Medicine, 2005. 39: p. 661-664

15. Part 2: Literature Review
Ethical considerations
 The risk of death or injury
 Intent to harm
 Glamorising violence
 Exploitation of participants
Svinth, J., Death under the spotlight: analysing the data. Journal of Combative Sport, 2007.
November: p. 1-19
Davis, P., Ethical issues in boxing. Journal of the Philosophy of Sport, 1993-94. XX-XXI: p.
48-63
Bandura, A., Influence of models' reinforcement contingencies on the acquisition of imitative
responses. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1965. 1(6): p. 589-595
Oates, J., On Boxing. 1987, Garden City New York: Dolphin/Doubleday
Woodward, K., Globalizing Boxing. 2014, London UK: Bloomsbury Academic. 192

16. Part 2: Literature Review
A Case For Boxing
 Development of Physical Fitness
 Character Building
 Boxing provides a medium for reaching and influencing lower socio-
economic sectors of the population
Smith, M., Physiological profile of senior and junior England international amateur boxers Journal of
Sports Science and Medicine, 2006. CSSI: p. 74-89
Townson, N., Sport and the Working Classes, in The British at Play – a social history of British sport
from 1600 to the present. 1997, Cavallioti Publishers: Bucharest
DiDomenico, T., Why Boxing? , in Family Times: The Parenting Guide of Central New York. 2012:
New York USA

17. Part 2: Literature Review
Introducing a new variant of boxing
 A review of the current literature reveals that some very legitimate
concerns surround boxing. However, the sport also has positive aspects.
It therefore seems worth exploring whether it is conceivable that boxing
could be modified to overcome the objections without loss of the benefits
 Box’Tag, an Australian development that now has a 7-year history, is
providing a useful test case
Leclerc, S. and Herrera, C., Sport medicine and the ethics of boxing. British Journal of Sports
Medicine, 1999. 33: p. 426-429
American Medical Association, 1999 Meeting of the American Medical Association: Reports of the
Council on Scientific Affairs, in 1999 Meeting of the American Medical Association: Reports of the
Council on Scientific Affairs; Boxing Injuries. 1999. p. 6-7.

18. Part 3: Research Significance

19. Part 3: Research Significance
 The proposed project will play a primary role in guiding the development
of a modified sport that could have transformational effects on a sport that
is in need of positive change. It will be an enabler of genuine innovation,
at first within Australia, but potentially on an international scale
 It will entail the design of a new sport, specialised equipment, training
programs and the development of general infrastructure including
optimum training environments
 A major focus of the research is the exploration of new, more socially
inclusive models for training and competitions and the development of
free online tools for coach and athlete education. The aim is to develop an
entirely new dimension to boxing - a dimension in which the primary focus
is on safety and enjoyment of the participants

20. Part 4: Research Components
Enhancing safety
 The proposed project aims to further enhance the safety of the emerging
sport with the development of an impact-absorbing glove
 An initial investigation into how this might be achieved is already
underway

21. Part 4: Research Components
Technology development
 Modifications and refinement of the technology will be an integral
component of the proposed project. Including:
 The development of a bout-quality index to encourage and reward
technical excellence
 Improvements to the current vest design

22. Part 4: Research Components
Coach education and athlete development
This will include the exploration and development of online tools and resources with the
aim of developing new approaches for connecting and sharing information and
experiences.

23. Part 4: Research Components
Documenting and interpreting the Erindale experience
 A detailed journal will be kept to record my observations as well as
comments and other feedback provided by participants in the Erindale
Box’Tag program
 The journal will be used as a basis for ‘teasing out’ factors that influence
athlete involvement in the program, including their adherence
 An attempt will be made to approach this matter in a very holistic way

24. Part 5: Research Setting
A recent partnership between the Canberra PCYC and the University of
Canberra’s Research Institute for Sport and Exercise (RISE) has enabled the
establishment of a Field Research Centre at Erindale. The facility has an
established Box’Tag program with approximately 100 participants of various
ages and levels of experience. This will be the primary setting for the field
study

25. Part 6 : Research Plan
Roles and Responsibilities
Paul Perkins: Field researcher/Research and Development Coach
My role as Research and Development coach for the Canberra PCYC will
provide the opportunity and means to investigate the concept of Box’Tag in
‘real –world’ training and competition settings
Professor Allan Hahn: Primary Supervisor
Allan will assist with the technological testing, while providing support and
guidance with other project issues. He will be a source of inspiration
throughout the project
Professor Keith Lyons: Secondary Supervisor
As well as providing support and advice at regular meetings Keith will be a
mentor and guide through this journey. His support and advice will be an
integral part of the project team

26. Part 6: Research Plan
Research Perspective and Methodology
A qualitative research approach from an interpretivist point-of-view is
proposed for this project. As the coach of the Erindale program I will
essentially become part of what is being researched, so this study will seek to
provide subjective meanings to the Erindale experience and the reality behind
it
To gain a greater understanding of the situation the research will employ two
types of methodological traditions: action research and phenomenology
By following a phenomenological approach I hope to gain an understanding
of the training environment through daily interactions with the athletes and
provide meanings to these events through systematic observations. Using an
inquiry-based approach that entails repeated cycles of reflect, plan,
implement and evaluate will enable me to make changes, while still collecting
and interpreting data

27. Part 6: Research Plan
The diagram below represents the framework for the proposed project. It demonstrates
how an action research model uses repeated cycles of reflect, plan, implement and
evaluate to enable changes to be made to the situation being studied, while still collecting
and interpreting the data
Plan
Act
ObserveReflect
Revised
Plan
Action research methodology will be employed not only in the technological aspects of the
research, but also will be combined with phenomenology in the other aspects

28. Part 6: Research Plan
This figure portrays the continual flow of an inquiry-based approach
Cycle 1
Cycle 2
Cycle 3

29. Part 6: Research Plan
Data Collection
It is proposed that secondary data be used for this project. This will be collected through my role as coach
and facilitator of the Canberra PCYC/UC-RISE Box’Tag program. The information will be collected from a
variety of sources including:
 Term evaluations and reports
 Online course comments and posts
 Online surveys
 Attendance sheets
 Training footage
 Trials of new equipment
 Journal notes and diary entries
Additional information will be available from semi-structured interviews and surveys, which are completed
when preparing various reports and documents for my employer.

30. Part 6: Research Plan
Data Analysis
Qualitative content analysis will be carried out using a thematic method. This
approach will be used to identify, analyse and report themes from the
collected information and to ensure the data is credible, dependable and
confirmable

31. Part 6: Research Plan
Reporting of Research
 It is intended that the research will be reported through publication of a series of
papers in peer-reviewed journals
 The collaborating experts will be consulted in regard to the target journals for the
papers
 It is envisaged that at least two papers will be submitted for publication by the end
of 2014
 This includes the completed literature review

32. References
Anderson, J., The Legality of Boxing: A Punch Drunk Love? 2007, New York USA: Routledge
American Medical Association, 1999 Meeting of the American Medical Association: Reports of the Council on Scientific Affairs, in 1999 Meeting of the American Medical Association: Reports of the
Council on Scientific Affairs; Boxing Injuries. 1999. p. 6-7.
Bandura, A., Influence of models' reinforcement contingencies on the acquisition of imitative responses. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1965. 1(6): p. 589-595
Beran, R. and Beran, J., The law(s) of the rings: boxing and the law. Journal of Law and Medicine, 2009. 16 (4): p. 684-695
Brayne H, S.L., Brayne C., Could boxing be banned? A legal and epidemiological perspective. British Medical Journal, 1998. 316(7147): p. 1813-1815
Clausen, H., McCrory, P., and Anderson, V., The risk of chronic traumatic brain injury in professional boxing: change in exposure variables over the past century. British Journal of Sports Medicine,
2005. 39: p. 661-664
Davis, P., Ethical issues in boxing. Journal of the Philosophy of Sport, 1993-94. XX-XXI: p. 48-63
DiDomenico, T., Why Boxing? , in Family Times: The Parenting Guide of Central New York. 2012: New York USA
Jordan, B., Chronic traumatic brain injury associated with boxing. Seminars in Neurology 2000. 20(2): p. 179-185
Kemmis, S., & McTaggart, R. (2005). Participatory action research: communicative action and the public sphere. In N. Denzin & Y. Lincoln (Eds.), The sage handbook of qualitative research (3rd ed.,
pp. 559–603). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage
Mark Nesti (2011): Phenomenology and Sports Psychology: Back To The Things Themselves!, Sport, Ethics and Philosophy, 5:3
Oates, J., On Boxing. 1987, Garden City New York: Dolphin/Doubleday
Sawauchi, S., Murakami, S., Tani, S., Ogawa, T., Suzuki, T., and Abe, T., Acute subdural hematoma caused by professional boxing. No Shinkei Geka, 1996. 24(10): p. 905-11
Svinth, J., Death under the spotlight: analysing the data. Journal of Combative Sport, 2007. November: p. 1-19
Smith, M., Physiological profile of senior and junior England international amateur boxers Journal of Sports Science and Medicine, 2006. CSSI: p. 74-89
Woodward, K., Globalizing Boxing. 2014, London UK: Bloomsbury Academic. 192

33. Part 7 : Questions
Thank you for attending