Imperative Actions in Boxing Sparring Sessions

ABSTRACT

This article examines actions formulated as imperatives in sparring sessions, in which coaches tell boxers to perform certain boxing movements. It shows that before the targeted action, imperatives are often used to seek the boxer’s immediate compliance. When used concurrently or after the boxer’s performance of the targeted action, the coach can articulate when to use the targeted action by linking it with features of the immediate boxing circumstances. The participants orient to present pugilistic moments when using imperatives, and the imperative actions become instructional mostly within the continuous flow of sparring. Data are in Japanese, with English translation.

Notes

¹ For discussions of seeking the boxer's immediate compliance with regard to issues in Japanese sociolinguistics, see Okada (2008).

² Naomi has never been a boxer, but she is successful as a coach because a professional boxer whom she instructed became a national champion in Japan (Okada, 2008).

³ While Osamu failed to respond to the directive in the first relevant moment (Kent & Kendrick, 2016), he is orienting to the progressivity of a larger activity (sparring) by hitting the opponent in line 3. In this sense, he is “less guilty” than those participants who are “held accountable” (Kent & Kendrick, 2016) for their inaction in the relevant moment in addition to their stopping the flow of the activity (e.g., a card game).

⁴ I say “mostly” because there are some moments when part of Osamu’s body is out of sight.