Can Sport Boxing Be Effective Self Defense Training?

Boxing -- where two powerful athletes square off and apply the 'sweet science'

, keeping their heads in the game even while getting punched in the face -- is an exciting sport, but can it make for effective self defense training? Boxing does require a degree of physical fitness and conditioning that many people on the street simply don't have, but is that a good reason to discard it as a self defense option?

The simple answer is no.

Any self-defense course, properly undertaken, is going to improve your fitness level. Even if it's a 'sporty' version of self defense training like Tae Kwon Do or 'soft' martial art like Tai Chi, you will have to work at first to get fit enough to continue practice. Boxing is the same way -- the practice might be a little more active than Tai Chi, but if you're going to commit enough to self defense training to get fit for it, you might as well go for the gold standard.

You might not ever be fit or strong enough to be a Golden Glove, but if you're looking to protect yourself from an aggressor, that's not terribly relevant, is it?

When it comes to real-world self defense training, you have to expect the worst-case scenario all the time, and boxing prepares you for just that. The presence of mind it takes to string together a knockout combo after you've been slammed in the face a dozen times is the same presence of mind it takes to protect yourself from a mugger who just smacked you in the skull with some brass knuckles.

Boxing teaches vital areas of the head and body, the footwork necessary to continuously adjust range and angle to keep your foe's attacks ineffective, and the simple discipline and endurance needed to take a fight all the way to the end. A fight is a dirty mess, and it takes aggression, skill, power, and tenacity to win. Boxing will give you all of that.

Martial arts are good for some things, but the simple fact is that a reverse punch no matter how perfectly executed is a waste of motion and a massively telegraphed attack. Compare that to a straight jab -- a simple acceleration of your knuckles into your opponent's face and snap right back into guard position -- and you'll see why all of those martial arts throws and counterattacks rely on a reverse punch to work. They assume you're going to overextend and then remain extended, and they have to assume that because those tricks don't work on a boxer who stands back and snaps off fast jabs, period. All the fancy judo self defense training in the world won't help you; you'd better have pepper spray or know how to box right back.

Watch some points sparring competition sometime to see a glimpse of the difference between the dojo and the squared circle. Points sparring is almost always scored by the person who uses the simplest technique, because simple techniques are faster. So why not cut out the crap and concentrate on making those simple, fast techniques as devastating as they can be? That is the essence of boxing - one of the most effective self defense training sports in the world.

by: Bruce Strong

POST COMMENT

Unravel the thrill of adventure sports with Kerala tour package Ning Your Boat Using Orland Park Storage Facilities Jiangxi Wuyuan backpack, self-help all Raiders - Jiangxi Wuyuan Walks, Wuyuan Walks - Sports and Leisure Industry Online ESPN TV- A Must Have Facility for Diehard Sports Addicts Motorsports Vogalonga: Sport, Folklore And Protest Vertical Cable: The Transporters Sports Management Degree Online - Get Paid Even When You Don't Play Transportation Services at Chicago and Boston Airport How the Jaguar XK-E Changed Sports Car Norms Are The Biggest Boats Ever The Safest Boats Ever? The Growing Role Of Chiropractic In Sports Medicine Vibram Outdoor Create "Outdoor Community Sports Brand"