« The first time was violent. The first time was fascinating.
As usual, the first time was left more to chance than to any intentional approach. I opened the doors onto the first match with the same curiosity that leads one to enter a store to see its exotic wares.
And what I saw there shocked me.
It was like a stage with every emotion coming together in its rawest state: from fear to hatred, from euphoria to loneliness, from heroism to sadness.
I saw strong men moved by this powerful inner force that drives them to conquer, to bite off a piece of eternity… Men who want to hurt the “other” while feeling the utmost respect for them.
I learned that being persistent is not the same thing as being stubborn, that acceptance of pain is not resignation.
And I wanted to know.
So from the stage I made my way behind the curtains into the backrooms, from boxing clubs in the Parisian suburbs to training camps in rural Thailand.
No matter where I was, I always found in the boxer, whether it was a child or a seasoned fighter, the common values of work, selflessness, and courage.
While boxing is often a tragicomedy where cash is king, where the only value is speculative, the boxer ripens in his solitude, expressing himself only through the virtuosity of his art.
That, for me, is nobility.»
Laure Bernard
Laure Bernard is a fashion and portrait photographer. Her photography book on boxing, Build Me Up, took six years to produce. She followed boxers all over the world, documenting their training sessions and matches.
