Great Book, the best i have ever read as far a "how to" on boxing..of course only so much you can learn from a book..
kind of both...talks about his technique for punching..on a side note, bruce lee lifted allot of it for the parts on punching for his book.... if you do a yahoo search and type Jack Dempsey championship fighting a pdf will come up as the first opition, as long as you have adobe pdf you can read it on your computer or print it out. I printed it out once....had it made into a book..but lost the damn thing because i am a idiot.
any rate, I CAME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT SELF-DEFENSE IS BEING TAUGHT WRONG NEARLY EVERYWHERE, FOR THE FOLLOWING MAJOR REASONS:1. Beginners are not grounded in the four principal methods of putting the body-weight into fast motion: (a) FALLING STEP, (b) LEG SPRING, (c) SHOULDER WHIRL, (d) UPWARD SURGE.2. The extremely important POWER LINE in punching seems to have been forgotten.3. The wholesale failure of instructors and trainers to appreciate the close cooperation necessary between the POWER LINE and WEIGHT-MOTION results generally in impure punching-weak hitting.4. Explosive straight punching has become almost a lost art because instructors place so much emphasis on shoulder whirl that beginners are taught wrongfully to punch straight 'without stepping whenever possible.5. Failure to teach the FALLING STEP ("trigger step") for straight punching has resulted in the LEFT JAB being used generally as a light, auxiliary weapon for making openings and "setting up," instead of as a stunning blow.6. Beginners are not shown the difference between SHOVEL HOOKS and UPPERCUTS.7. Beginners are not warned that taking LONG STEPS with hooks may open up those hooks into SWINGS.8. The BOB-WEAVE rarely is explained properly.9. Necessity for the THREE-KNUCKLE LANDING is never pointed out.10. It is my personal belief that BEGINNERS SHOULD BE TAUGHT ALL TYPES OF PUNCHES BEFORE BEING INSTRUCTED IN DEFENSIVE MOVES, for nearly every defensive move should be accompanied by a simultaneous or a delayed counterpunch. You must know how to punch and you must have punching confidence before you can learn aggressive defense.My dissatisfaction with current methods of teaching self-defense was the principal reason why I decided to put my panorama into a book.I realized, too, that my explosive performances and big gates in the "Golden Decade" were indirectly responsible for current unsatisfactory methods; so, it was my duty to lend a helping hand.Moreover, it's my impression now that thousands of boys and men throughout the world would grasp eagerly at the chance to learn how to use their fists-how to become knockout punchers in a hurry.Never before has there been such need for self-defense among fellows everywhere as there is today. Populations increased so rapidly during the past quarter-century, while improved methods in transportation shrank the globe, that there is much crowding now. Also the pace of living has been so stepped-up that there is much more tension in nearly every activity than there was in the old days.
Excellent book. The chapter on conditioning and fitness is worth it alone. Many modern day fighters would do well to emulate the conditioning routine Dempsey prescribes.
i remember reading years ago..holyfields conditioning coach talking about how they where making holys workout "modern" and scientific" and how old school guys didnt really know about that stuff...Holy did pulleys, interval running, and polymetrics...then i read dempseys books..and where he described running...where he said some days you should do slow runs, then sprint, then do shadowboxing for a bit, then jog, then sprint..i though "wow, thats interval training" and of course he did pulleys, and he did medicine ball and calactics..thats basically polymetrics...only thing he didnt do was lifting..but he wrestled..and did various other things for strength.
