Boxing Lessons, Part 4: Boxing for Self Defense

Boxing is considered to be mostly a sportive endeavor, like any combat sport. However, boxing can be easily adapted to use as a street-fighting art. Boxing offers many skills useful to self defense, such as hand speed, defense, the ability to take a punch and the ability to spot potential openings in an attacker's defense. Before we begin we need to make it clear I mean this information to be used purely for self defense, not for an individual to use as a means of hurting others for fun or profit. If you want to fight for fun, join a boxing gym or dojo, which takes part in competition.

Dirty Boxing- The first thing that must be understood in order to use boxing as a means of self defense is that the kind of boxing we use in a street fight are different from the skills used in the ring. First off, look at all the things not allowed in professional boxing matches, such as kicks/low punches to the groin, head butts, eye gouges, etc. It's a good bet that if there is something a pro fighter doesn't want done to them, that it will make a good self defense technique. Commonly this is referred to as dirty boxing and makes use of knees, elbows, and the rest that is illegal in a regulation match.

Important Skills- Next, if you are looking only for self defense you need to identify what aspects of boxing you should seek to use. A good health or exercise plan is really a good idea for anyone, athlete or not. Of course, as with any self defense system you'll want to practice the skills needed, so using even a watered down version of the boxing exercise program I outlined in part 2 of the boxing lesson series would be good to adhere to. Of course next is to identify what punches work best in a self defense situation. A fight in a bar, on the street or anywhere else that is not held in a ring needs somewhat different techniques than those in a ring. Let's take a quick look at the punches of boxing, and some other techniques, as they relate to self defense.

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Jab- The jab can be useful because it is fast, straight forward and when used properly can hurt an untrained opponent. Many fights end after the first few punches, so snapping a few stinging jabs out can end a fight if the attacker decides your too much trouble.

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Cross- A power punch that has the ability to end a fight fast. Use is either after a jab or on its own. Most attackers do not have a lot of training and rely on size or strength advantages or on surprise. A strong cross can held them decide that a fight is not the right way to go, just don't throw it sloppy and leave yourself open.

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Hooks- Not as effective in a street fight as in a boxing match, a hook can never the less surprise an unwary foe. Not to be used unless you've practiced how to throw it right, the hook is slower than the other two punches so it is more dangerous to throw.

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Uppercuts- Much slower and more easily spotted; I would not recommend an uppercut unless you have an opening that is sure will work. The possibility of being hit, tripped or thrown in the wind up really make this punch a poor choice for self defense.

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Knees- Using your knees to strike an opponent in the groin or stomach is very effective. If you watch Muay Thai kickboxing or mixed martial arts you have seen knees being thrown from a clinch. Do not over use though, as you may be taken to the ground, somewhere you rarely want to be in a street fight.

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Elbows- A good in close arm strike, elbows aimed for the face can be devastating. With more power than a punch and a harder striking surface, a good elbow can take the fight right out of your foe.

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Clinching- I am a big proponent of grappling in MMA though in a street fight it can be a bit less effective, especially if your facing off with more than one person. A good behind the neck clinch-illegal in sport boxing-can be used to secure a foe for repeated knee strikes. Be aware though, that once you grapple your stationary for the most part, and vulnerable to any friends of your foe.

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Head butts- If you can do this right, it can be devastating, you use your forehead to slam into an opponents face, typically the nose which can easily break under such an attack. If you miss and hit the foe on the top of the head or forehead however, you can easily daze or knock yourself out.

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Eye gouge- A typical cheap shot, but an effective one if you're outsized by an attacker, blinding them momentarily allowing you to escape or finish them off. Useful if you use an open palm smash to the face than rake the eyes roughly.

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Footwork- Though not actually a technique, the footwork learned in boxing can be useful to moving around an attacker or attackers, keeping you mobile. The last thing you want to do in a multiple attacker scenario is to stay still, where all the time conditioning comes in handy. Being able to move easily around an attacker not only helps you escape an attack, but frustrates your foe, which makes them more likely to make some kind of mistake.

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Slipping, ducking, blocking and dodging- Any kind defensive move that makes your foe miss is good. I don't suggest blocking an ungloved fist with your forearm unless you have to however, as this can be very painful. Slipping and ducking are good, but sometimes too slow; make sure you keep your hands up just in case you do get tagged. In the end, use your footwork and defense skills to get away or open up weakness in your foe's guard to let you land your hits and end the fight fast.

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Awareness- All the time you spend stalking a sparring partner looking for a lapse in their guard helps you on the street too. Most attackers are not really well trained fighters and as such they do not guard as much as they should. This allows you to slip jabs over a poor guard, helping to hurt or dissuade the attacker.

Targets- Next lets look at where to hit. This is important as sometimes just slamming a fist into a person's face without proper safety gear can be a little bit painful and damaging.

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Groin- The most obvious target is the groin, not just for men. Women who I have talked to regarding self defense assure me it is not a pleasant feeling to be kicked or low punched in the groin either. An upward blow, such as a knee strike or low kick, is best, as it crushes the target between your foot and the attacker's body.

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Throat- A damaging shot to the throat can cut off an opponent's breathe and end the fight fast. Since most street thugs do not keep their chins tucked down, this is a great target to hit if you're fast.

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Nose- The nose is a very sensitive spot for most people. The pain it generates is a great way to dissuade an attacker and breaking the nose of an attacker usually ends the fight fast. A good tactic is to use the open palm of your hand to smash the nose while clawing at the eyes.

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Chest- Hitting an opponent in the sternum takes their breathe away as well as causing them to feel disoriented. Additionally if you are attacked by a woman the chest is a good idea as a punch to the breast of a woman has a similar effect to the kick to the groin for a man.

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Knees- A strong kick to the knee can knock a foe down or shatter their knee cap. While I do not advocate hurting an attacker more than you have to, it is good to know how to end the fight quickly with the minimum of danger to yourself.

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Solar plexus- The upper abs, even when well conditioned, can make for another great target, as they are tender and sensitive. A good target for an elbow strike if you're grabbed from behind.

Self defense does not have to be overly complicated; I suggest learning the basics, such as presented here. A class in karate or, my personal choice, Krav Maga can easily add to your skills and make you a formidable fighter. For now, I hope this gets you started and gives you a little bit to help keep you safe. The most important aspect of self defense is avoiding the situation all together. Defense begins long before an attack is launched, knowing your surroundings and being aware of who and what are around you and may cause a potential threat are better than even the most advanced fighting techniques. Also, not playing into someone's attempts to rile you up and start a fight are great ways to avoid conflict. Next time you're at a party or a bar and someone tries to get you mad enough to fight, just ignore them and walk away, maybe you won't be the big tough man you want everyone to think you are, but you could easily avoid injury as well as legal trouble.

Well, this concludes my four part series on boxing. I hope you have enjoyed the articles and please remember these four articles in no way represent even a small sample of the boxing world. I simply intend to give people an introduction to boxing to maybe help pique their interest in a wonderful sport that deserves to be revived to the greatness it once enjoyed.