I was thinking of takeing boxing. But i wanted to know if it is a street worthy style or is it good in those inevitable street fights.
It's a very practical method of self defence. There is no good and bad system. You and your teacher make an art good or bad. Boxing -pros and cons for t3h str33t. Pros :1) You learn the stronger faster and yet simpler method of punching (nuff said).2) A lot of conditioning is going on meaning you will get stronger , you will have good stamina. 3)If you're in a street fight you'll probably notice your legs will get kind of num (thats the adrenaline kicking in) and you will be more comfortable using your hands so boxing has an advatage to other arts that concertrate more on kicking when it comes to street fighting. (but the adrenaline effect isn't the same for everyone) 4)Sparring is going on so you will get comfortable with people trying to hit you and trading punches Cons.1) The limited rules. You will only learn to punch and thats it. No elbow strikes , no knees , no kicks, no grappling, no takedowns, no clinching. 2)You will be more comfortable fighting with the gloves than your hands but you can work it out. 3)No "self defence" training - like how to avoid a fight , fighting multiple opponents , no weapons training. 4)weight divisions , thats not a bad thing if you're heavy but boxing doesn't have the small guy kicking ass approatch other MA's do. To sum it up the heavier you are the more affective boxing will be. In general i think that a good boxer is very capable of defending himself anywhere.
Boxing for Self Defence Although boxing only teaches you to use your fists this is often all you will be able to use in a self defence situation. Quite often people are attacked in a bus or train where the floor is jolting and moving so much that it is not possible to use kicks or knees. They may also be seated and not have room for anything but punching. I have used boxing to defend myself in that type of situation and it was very effective. It may also be a good idea to cross train with some grappling style such as Judo.
I don't really know anything about boxing personally other than what I've seen on TV. But I have just sparred a guy from my kung fu club (Mantis[him] vs. Wing Chun[me]) and he was suddenly so much better, which he put down to some boxing training he'd put in at a gym. His own words were to the effect that it had helped a lot with his footwork. His hands were much faster too. I have no doubts that boxing and its training regime can make someone street effective, even from a SD point of view.
Very true... Fists are a natural and instinctive weapon when it comes to fighting. You see a 2 year old baby hit another baby because he stole her toy. That wasn't learned from TV, or magazine. It was instinct. Boxing is a very practical fighting art with simple, direct, straight, simple strikes. It gets you confident using your hands, and you also begin to become more comfortable when striking at close distances.
wasn't there a hybrid style called judoboxe or juboxe? judo + boxing + knees and elbows! boxing is applicable for self defense. variations of boxing like "jailhouse boxing" and "tondo freestyle" were really created on the streets with a solid foundation on boxing without rules. another "ancient" western martial art, pugalism, was a very very brutal way of boxing. it had no rules.
I think you'll find babies SLAP with open hands rather than PUNCH with closed fists. I have never seen a toddler hit out with a closed fist. The fist has to be learnt , and the majority of people who attempt to punch for the first time end up holding the thumb inside the fingers. Besides striking may be a natural reaction , but so is grappling ( watch any schoolyard fight). I do , however, agree with the gist of your post.
how does being bigger make boxing more effective, i would bet on hagler or Hearns to beat Harrison, tyson, holmes. Boxing does have it's levels of self defence as well, it has blocking and trapping modes, a clinch is a trap.
How? Because in most cases, weight matters in a fight. This is why they have weight divisions in boxing compititions.
i agree to a certain degree but when you get larger guys in the ring they are usually slower and sluggish concentrating on the big punch, not necessarily boxing(Ali v Foreman) yes there are divisions within boxing as it has rules and a governing body, but it does not make weightier blokes better boxers.
I'm not going to get into pro vs pro debate. If you are 150pounds and you fight a 200pound equal skilled boxer you'll understand yourself why weight makes boxing more effective. What I mostly talked about though is that boxing has the weight division approach meaning a)you will seldomly fight guys bigger than you b)the approach other MA's have to fighting -technique is more important that strenght so you will learn how to fight bigger and stronger guys- isn't exactly there in boxing. (I don't think that is so important but i thought i'd mention it)
A big man with a black belt in karate will have an advantage over a small man with a black belt in karate. Skill is more important then size yes, but if you ever go off and face a fighter who is big and skilled, then you are in trouble!
