I am sure you have always wondered the type of martial art that can be of help in real-life situations, most especially when it comes to street fights. People usually ask the question before they sign up for a combat sport among Muay Thai, MMA, or Boxing that can be of good help in street fights. So let us tell you how effective is boxing in a street fight.
Boxers combine defensive and attacking skills with effective footwork and distance control, and that is what makes boxing effective in a street fight.
While there are disadvantages attached to it, the advantages are more numerous when you consider being well-rooted in boxing skills when attacked in a street fight. The most important skill useful for boxing in a street fight is the ability of a boxer to get out of danger and end the conflict with a single punch that will take out the opponent. Is that not amazing?
Is Boxing Effective in a Street Fight?
Although boxing might not be the best of skills when you are faced with defending yourself in a street fight, it does go a long way if you can follow the correct technique.
Most of the time, people who attack others in a street fight are usually untrained individuals or drunk who know little or nothing about fighting techniques, this will be an advantage for a boxer being attacked to finish the fight quickly with a punch if possible.
However, if a boxer gets into a fight against a trained person, for instance, someone who has also been taught in the martial art, it could get a little tricky depending on how fast the boxer is to avoid being knocked to the ground because boxing does not teach how to fight on the ground.
A boxer will also have to take note of his distance when fighting someone good with his feet because it could be of disadvantage to him.
Another advantage of boxing in a street fight that is not possible with other martial arts is that a boxer can take on multiple attackers at a time. It is more punching each attacker and within 20 seconds, the fight is done.
The truth is this, boxers are well built with their fists being so heavy and they have learned how to endure pain right from training sections. You would also agree that a boxer has an advantage in positioning himself to dodge and block punches.
Just one thing you need to know is that as long as a boxer can stay on his feet in a street fight, he will always have the advantage over all other people; bring a boxer down on the floor and he will be at the mercy of asking to save his life.
Of Course, boxing’s efficiency in street fights cannot be disconnected from a fighter’s ability to strike with speed and precision. The challenges of real-life face-offs demand an acute sense of timing, and speed bag training is invaluable for cultivating this skill. You might consider looking into the best speed bags on the market, as they are a worthy addition to your training regimen, immensely contributing to your preparedness for unexpected confrontations.
Is Boxing good for self-defense in a street fight?
Self-defense comes in different perspectives, it could be in the gym or anywhere, it is usually not what you have planned for. This is the same with street fights, it is not something planned for and it just happens all of a sudden as things get rough.
You will do yourself a great good if you can learn some boxing skills as a way of self-defense in any kind of tricky situation you find yourself.
Boxers combine defensive and attacking skills with effective footwork and distance control, this should be enough to beat an untrained person and the good thing is that you don’t have to be an expert before you can use it for self-defense.
Things to consider as a Boxer in a street fight
There are several things a boxer needs to put into consideration when he is faced with danger in a street fight and it means if you are a boxer, you will need to ensure some of the things we will discuss below when you find yourself in such situations.
- Ensure your timing is good so that you will get to slip, block or parry punches.
- Use your footwork as a defensive maneuver or to attack without losing balance.
- Use your jab as a tool to keep your distance.
- Because street fights often end on the ground, you must keep yourself away from the ground and it means you must be fast with your punches.
Advantages of Boxing in a street fight
If you are deciding on which of the combat sports to take up based on learning self-defense against street fights or for real-life situations, boxing will help you in several ways. Let’s see some of the advantages below:
- Boxing helps your punches to develop better because street fights are usually about the punch before considering its wrestling part and then kicking.
- Boxing will help you to defend yourself against brawlers and punches. Usually, boxers are trained on how to avoid punches and this helps them from getting serious injuries.
- If you can pull a great punch, the fight will end quickly. Boxing is fought with gloves and sometimes the famous boxers knock their opponents out in one punch, imagine punching someone with the bare hand delivering it very fast and accurate, the opponent is surely going to regret ever initiate a fight.
- Boxing helps you to stay on your feet. You will be confident using your feet and this could help you to run away or watch your back.
- You will be able to fight off more than one opponent at ones as long as you can knock them out with a punch.
- Boxing helps you to have a fighter’s mentality, you will not get surprised with the shock, the pain involved with street fights because it is something you are already used to.
Disadvantages of Boxing in a street fight
Having checked out some of the advantages associated with boxing for a street fight, we should check out the disadvantages too.
- Boxers are not trained to fight on the ground and this could be a disadvantage because street fights might sometimes end on the ground and boxing skills will become useless at that point.
- Boxers are usually used to fighting with gloves and this could be a disadvantage because the high guard without using your big gloves will be less effective, allowing the opponent to find an opening.
- Boxing does not train you to learn clinch fighting where an opponent makes use of the elbows, knees, and other sets of dirty boxing that is majorly used by Muay Thai fighters.
- Boxing doesn’t teach you how to defend takedowns or leg kicks and this could be a major problem
Boxing is considered to be very effective in a street fight, it may not be the best, but if you use it in the right way and take the proper precautions, you wouldn’t have a problem if you get into a street fight.