How long does it take to get good self defense skills?

Hi, I just started to practice boxing last week. I love it.

I was wondering, as you can see by the title of this topic, how long does it take to get good self-defense skills. I do take 3 classes per week, each one lasts almost 1 hour and half. Plus, once a week I do some muay thai training with one of my friends. He's very good in muay thai and he's teaching me lot of stuff.

So, what are your opinions guys?

 

You'll get good at hitting and covering your head pretty quickly at that rate. If you're friend is good you should get a reasonable proficiency at clinch based tactics.

That's not exactly the same as getting good self defence skills.

How are you at hard targeting (avoidance, deterrence), conflict management (de-escalation, verbal, tone and body language and positioning tactics, situation appropriate legally underpinned decision making), and physical self defence skills (defending against habitual acts of violence)?

 

boxing can be great for self defense, but you have to keep in mind that even aside from learning how to talk things down, or just walk away that boxing in a club is not the same as a street situation where you could get sucker punched, thrown on the ground where a boxer is venerable, you might have 2, 3 or more attackers. Boxing is built around rules like many MA's and those rules go out the window on the street.

 

Better boxing than most martial arts that claim they train for the streets. :3

 

I'll take boxing over most for a base toolset

Geoff Thompson would agree

 

Don't get me wrong, so would I... which is the very reason I started studying it years ago... of course when I say study I mean I had to do it alone. There weren't (and still aren't) ANY boxing gyms around here close and the one guy I'd like to train me has a few kids and such and thus he can't do it. Boxing in some areas is a dying breed and everything is MMA. That's great, but with MMA there's a lot more to learn and for the OP 3 sessions per week will definitely get him on his way.

On a side note... I'm excited to start MT up soon, I think that's about the closest I will get next to boxing in terms of a bit more simplicity.

 

As someone with a bit (not much mind) of knowledge in Karate I've sparred with a couple people who have come in to the dojo who have a good base in boxing. Hands down (huh, maybe that was my problem) they could out punch me any day. Rushing them and taking them to the ground was another matter, until I said "sure you can hit from the ground" my kidneys wept for days.

 

You'll never know what works in self-defence unless you really need to defend yourself. Hopefully you'll never need to find out. How you going to prepare yourself against 3 drugged up lunatics in a cold, dark, wet alley when they are armed with knives? Don't think you can. There is different senarios to self-defence. One-on-one, maybe road rage or something, where there might be a bit of distance between you and your opponent. Or it might be a pub brawl where if you want to start grappling on the ground you'll get your head kicked in. Could be anything. I don't know if there is an answer to your question. It also depends what your character is. Stay out of trouble and don't try to find out is my advice.

 

I think he's just asking as a sort of general question like "how long do I have to practice before my skills are good enough to be able to use them"

Of course I understand your response where there is NO set standard and as you say, anything can happen... you think you're good in a ring or sparring until a guy that's twice as fast as you and is more fluid comes along, then it's back to the drawing board. For me? I say jab jab jab and keep that distance for a good right hand, left hook and then keep following up until he's out on his feet or on his back. Unusually... most people are not prepared for a jab alone. I love boxing though... it does make me wish I could get that guy I know to train me :-(

 

My first training was in Issin Ryu karate and I only stayed with it for about a year, not because it wasn't a good style or school but because I was a poor (bad) student. After about 6 months of training I asked a similar question of my schools Master.
I asked "When will I feel ready to use what I have learned should I encounter a real fight situation?"
His answer started with a question. "Do you know any other fighting or self defense techniques?"
I said "No".
"Then you better be ready to use the ones you are learning right now." He said.
I think it was an honest answer. Whatever level of training you are at, if it's all you've got, use it.

 

That's easier said than done. I agree it was an honest answer, and 6 months is a fairly decent amount of time to train. I'll now be completely honest with myself and everyone here and just say if I were to encounter a real fight situation, I would not use much of my CHKD, and it's not because I don't know it well and it's not because I am a poor student or have poor instructors... but because it takes IMO years to fully develop habits that come second nature and don't degrade under pressured situations. I didn't know if I agreed with that when I first got on here, but after doing the 4 corners work that we started, even with your instructors and people you train with in slow conditions... you can't think. Everything comes back to you right after, but immediately, you have a much harder time remembering. It would be much easier to fall back on the little bit of boxing skill I have, which was simply training myself. Now my training used to consist of 45 minutes on the speed bag, about 15 minutes of heavy bag work and a few times a week shadow boxing alternating with 2 lb weights and then no weight. Those few punches stick with you a whole lot easier than 30-50 moves that other MA's might consist of. The simple arts IMO are the best if you want to be able to remember a decent amount of what you learn.

As a for instance. I have no heavy bag set up at my house as of yet... so when I go to my class they have the wavemasters there, so I work on my kicks and punches for about 15 minutes to warm up and before everyone else gets there. With doing that for about 2 months I've already started to kick in my sleep. Know how many wrist locks I've done in my sleep? None lol.

This is not meant to put down my own art, but that technique is crucial with everything, and I simply haven't been doing it long enough to where I feel quite comfortable, though there are several locks I can do at the drop of a hat. It all comes with time.

 

so that's interesting. you train in combat hapkido, but wouldn't use it in an actual physical confrontation.

that right there should be telling you something.

edit...

if i can also add, you're willing to instead use boxing which you've never actually trained with anyone in, just yourself by hitting bags.

 

to the op: keep up the boxing. there's no better training than learning how to hit a moving target with your hands, in a pressure situation. i think you'll be surprised how well muscle memory works if you ever need to use it, even after a short amount of time. also, keep up the muay thai. add in some grappling with your striking skill-sets, and prepare to destroy worlds. cheers.

 

No, it shouldn't tell me anything actually. What it does say is that I'm honest enough with myself that I need more practice, more class time, more 4 corner and sparring work and I just got to a purple belt... it's not like I'm high up or anything. I will feel more comfortable once I get more work under pressured situations to trust my instincts.

I've done enough boxing that I could handle myself as well thank you.

 

By the way... since you are on me about my post, then i'll get on you about yours... muscle memory is a MYTH... the brain is what remembers and tells the body what to do... so choose your words more carefully.

http://drmchiro.blogspot.com/2013/11/no-such-thing-as-muscle-memory.html

 

i don't think you're being honest with yourself. who doesn't need more practice?

think about what you're saying. the "martial art" that you train in isn't pressure tested, the "martial art" you train in takes time to get comfortable in. to which i wonder: what good is it then? what the heck is "4 corner" training--whatever that is--going to get you when some drunk idiot decides he doesn't like the look on your face.

i have a black belt in hapkido. and while i enjoyed it immensely, it's not fighting. no matter what they tell you. it's not. it's the absence of fighting; instead, it's "martial arts".

and also, you're going to dispute my muscle memory comment with a blog post from a chiropractor? seriously? motor learning is a well-researched and well-established phenomenon.

 

It's not a myth; at worst it's a misnomer

 

Do a search, muscles don't have a brain and thus "muscle memory" doesn't exist... it's all over the place if you just do a search.

4 corners is where you have 4 people that come at you at random, they may grab your back, they may throw a punch, grab a wrist, whatever. Hapkido isn't combat hapkido either... this isn't some artsy MA, it's built around it, but it has involved many other arts that GM Pellegrini brought in to make it more effective and simplify standard Hapkido.

 

Sorry about hijacking the thread OP... glad you are enjoying your training. I'd do it myself if I could, but nothing here for me ATM. Good luck though!

 

Again you are using the words but missing the meaning; you know how a "hot dog" isn't actually a dog but the term is commonly understood to mean a frank in a bun? Muscle memory is actually the memory of the muscle but a more efficient neural link between the extremity concerned and the brain - hence the term became simplified

I wish you would stop being so polemic because your enthusiasm when harnessed is laudable...when you go off half-cocked you just look silly