staying fit to defend yourself

[M0ller]

So today when i was at the gym, a guy came up to me asking about how long i have been boxing in. Then he told me that he had taken boxing lesson at a boxing gym for 6-8 months and sparring, and a couple of months in a muay thai. To learn the basics in jab, footwork, kicks and knees, hip rotation. So he would be able to defend himself if he ever needed to. He uses i think it was 3-4 times a week on a heavy bag, doing what he learned and trying to better it with the help of videos on youtube, and get his form perfect.

So i was wondering afterwards, can this really benefit him? if we take a guy who can the basics like him, and it looked fine to me when he showed it to me. Can you benefit from doing shadowboxing and bag work in a regular gym, doing circuits of boxing and muay thai, and be able to use it on the streets in self defense ?

what are you guys opinion, and anyone doing the same?

 

[exclamatio]

It's best to be training regularly with skilled partners, but he will sure have an advantage over not having trained. I always say if you're not fit you can't fight and you can't run away. I think the mian problem of not having training partners is never training under pressure, then a real fight kicks off and the adrenaline is too much.

The same time spent in BJJ then staying fit afterwards may be more useful for self defence.

 

[freaky]

He said he sparred, so he should be fine. Just need to keep his tools sharp. The problem is if he never sparred before. He'd be in for a shocker when he gets hit IRL.

You wouldn't be in your prime but if you shadow box or do drills you'd be keeping your tools sharp and would still be a good fighter. Robbie didn't spar back in the days.

I'm actually also planning to stop training soon. I'm pretty happy with my skillset now and I know I can beat up any untrained street thug. Even if I stopped training for a year, I'll still have an advantage over them.

 

[FadeLess]

Yes, of course. But the more you train and the more skilled guys you train with , the better.
Its not only our discipline, determination and competence that shapes us, the surrounding environment also moldes the individual.

 

[jonander50]

Any training is better than no training

 

[M0ller]

I also keep sharp with the help of new drills and routines, so i can give these street bullies an ass kicking if i have to.

 

[Hotora86]

He said he sparred, so he should be fine. Just need to keep his tools sharp. The problem is if he never sparred before. He'd be in for a shocker when he gets hit IRL.

You wouldn't be in your prime but if you shadow box or do drills you'd be keeping your tools sharp and would still be a good fighter. Robbie didn't spar back in the days.

I'm actually also planning to stop training soon. I'm pretty happy with my skillset now and I know I can beat up any untrained street thug. Even if I stopped training for a year, I'll still have an advantage over them.

Personal experience from years back:
As a crappy Shotokan orange belt with no contact sparring experience I sparred full contact with a boxer (2 years) and then a kung fu chick (8 years in training).

Boxer lit me up with hooks which I had no idea how to defend. He was closing the distance and making me dizzy with shots. I finally jumped back, found my distance, parried a jab and darted in with the classic lunge reverse punch. Knocked him down.

Kung Fu girl dodged every punch I threw and hit me a few times but was susceptible to low kicks. Focused on kicks to both her legs and lunged in with a punch after faking a kick (almost like a superman punch). Knocked her down.

My point: I fully agree that first contact sparring sessions are enlightening if not shocking. However, if you drill something for years (like my reverse punch) you get pretty good at it - it's gonna work if you manage to land it. Of course it's best to test it in sparring regularly but it's not useless to practice it solo.