Boxing for self-defense.

...my last post above sums this thread up,for the most part I agree,fights end up on the ground mostly no matter where it takes place,though.

 

I can't post links yet but check out "How to win a street fight with head movement"on YouTube. Crime statics relating to unarmed assault in the likes of the UK say the most common form of attack is a punch to the head.

There is no better art than boxing in terms of avoiding blows to the head IMO.

I've tried BJJ. Mostly it's rubbish for self defense as the emphasis is on submitting someone on the ground, rather than getting back on your feet and escaping (which should be your goal).

Boxing with a bit of wrestling (or vice versa) would be perfect for unarmed, one on one self defence. The fitness you develop from both or either will help you run away etc...

 

Also the whole "fights always go to the ground" is pure BS from the Gracie family to market their system. They claimed they studied video footage showing this. Most of what they studied were arrests or bouncers detaining people. A security or law enforcement officer putting someone on the ground to detain them is a different situation from a civilian trying to protect themselves. Of the few actual SD/street fights I've watched, none have ever ended up in a ground grappling match.

Another study found that going to ground only happened around half the time, and most of the time it did go to ground guess what? It was LEO or security professionals putting people down to detain them.

The police in the UK advise people in SD situations to "bash and dash" i.e. hit someone as much as you need to safely escape then get out of there.

Sorry I can't link references yet or I would.

 

You guys watch UFC like it is reality. It is a sport with rules, and participants with varying degrees of efficiency in multiple disciplines....they work to their strengths, within a competetive sporting event. That isn't reality.....take your bjj black belt for what it is, it won't help when someone bites your face off, or gouges your eyes out, or smashes you across the face with a weapon, or rings your bell with the first punch they throw, or pulls a knife, or pulls a gun, or if there are people who will jump in while you try to do a flying armbar and vulnerable....or or or or or. Saying most fights end up on the ground is bs. I seriously question how old a lot of posters here are....or what life experiences they have had, like working security at clubs and bars, actually being in streetfights, actually having their life on the line when some jackwagon pulls a weapon, having been outnumbered and what that is truly like, having to run from a situation for self preservation. A little boxing know how is without a doubt a very effective skill set to have for the vast majority of drunken bar s****s or loud mouth tough guys you run across. Grappling undoubtedly helps...but isn't some ultimate nullifier.

 

Also another point occurred to me: Boxing is the best combat system for getting you fit. Being fit is massive in any self defence situation. The amount of traditional martial arts guys I've trained with who talk about "defending themselves" with confidence, yet are seriously overweight is ridiculous. How the they expect to run away from someone is amazing.

I know grapplers talk about how good wrestling/judo/BJJ is for fitness buttttt:

1) I can more or less replicate boxing fitness at home by myself (e.g. shadow boxing, bag work). Grapplers have to have a training partner to do any meaningful fitness work.

2) More experienced grapplers use less energy against less experienced grapplers, so it's the law of diminishing returns regarding the fitness. The more experienced you are, the less energy you use, the more your fitness drops. The fattest dudes in a BJJ or Judo class are usually total newbies or the senior black belts.

 

To everyone so concerned with self defense. Exactly who wants to attack you? Are you some criminal with enemies and you are forced to look behind your back every second? Or maybe you are just some paranoid stupid ****. Either way then go and buy a gun, dumbass.

 

Doesn't worry me a bit to be honest. That said, as someone who did martial arts for a time, I know there is a lot of marketing out there aimed at convincing people that:

A) You need to know self-defence skills, and martial arts teach those.

B) Said martial art will teach you those skills.

It's all BS. So many people I know who have done martial arts have still gotten their asses kicked, more often than not because they thought they could fight when they couldn't.

I can understand if the OP wonders if he is wasting time on boxing as it isn't really marketed the way traditional martial arts are marketed. I think compared to most martial arts, boxing offers more benefits in a myriad of ways.

 

I couldnt agree more. It grinds my gears that people spend so much time mulling over and obsessing about something that wouldnt happen to 99.99% of people and if it does there are tools available that is far better than going hand to hand. On top of that youve got all these misinformation floating around and conartists ready to cash into these peoples fears. Sickening actually.

Just the other day I saw one of these self proclaimed 'self defense experts' throw pathetic punches on the bag. Just to give him some rope to hang himself I started up a chat and asked how he would defend against this combo or that punch etc. He then proceeded to tell me how he will move this way and stand this way etc so I would be unable to ever land a punch on him, he would just move out of the way. Asked this guy ok do you want to spar and we can put it to the test. He declined...lol. Still tried to sell his 'combat system' to me tho. fking t.wat.

 

No martial art is a "cure all" for self defense. Boxing only works well for self defense if the person regularly goes to a gym and has had at least 6 months of full on training after learning the basics.

 

Any fighting system requires constant training to be effective and actually getting into fights helps. Thats why so many top boxers are from the projects and have bad upbringings fighting to get by from a young age. They learn toughness and streetfighting skills when young then add boxing as they get older

 

:deal

 

Exactly. The "most fights end up on the ground" line is rubbish. Most fights are over with one punch.

 

If you can learn to backup and pivot out to the left while check hooking you'd be fine 97% of the time