Kick-boxing and self-defense

[TomIL]

Me and my gf are going to start kickboxing and I want to know if it is a good sport for self-defense? The following video shows a girl who is a German kickbox champion and who holds the 2nd Dan and I wonder if I would have a chance in a fight against her. How would you assess her kicks, punches and skills in the Video?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNP6hPom6QI

 

[roman2314]

hmmmmm, CHAMPION VS A GUY WITH ZERO EXPERIENCE. when you wake up in a hospital bed... i think then youll know the answer

 

[bernsy666]

She'll probably kick your ass! Though being a man if you hit her once clean she should be out. Also kickboxing will certainly improve your self defence although bjj would be far more effective. Especially for your gf.

 

[Hagelslag2]

I have seen grown untrained men getting whooped by lesser kickboxers than her.

 

[Lito Lapida]

I'll pay to see you get beat up.

 

[Harukaze]

I'll pay to see you get beat up.

You're gonna fap to it, aren't you?

 

[Tayski]

kickboxing is a good sport for self defense of course, definitely better than nothing at all.
In my opinion for self defense it's important to practice something full contact but with also some self defense drills. Some kickboxing gyms might focus entirely on the sport aspect, which again is better than nothing but not focused on self defense.

Martial arts like Kyokushin Karate that have both the full contact elements and the self defense training is perfect for self defense in my opinion, or kickboxing gyms with self defense training as well.
Some grappling can also be effective for self defense, for instance Judo or Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
For your girlfriend if she doesn't want to train a full contact sport she could do something purely self defense such as Krav Maga, that's what I would recommend my girlfriend as she's not a fighter and would be looking for something easy and efficient without going through the vigorous training of a full contact martial art. But nothing will prepare you better than a full contact art in my opinion (for instance: Muay Thai, Kyokushin Karate, Full contact Kickboxing with low kicks, Boxing, etc.)
the reasons are simple: you will be used and conditioned to receive hits without falling apart, you will be able to deliver powerful hits, and you will lean to control your nerves and emotions when in a dangerous situation.

but the best self defense of all can be summed up in 3 parts:
awareness, avoidance, deescalation. this is what will save your life more than learning how to fight.

 

[shinkyoku]

Kickboxing makes able to hit hard&fast, and to be able take a punch without freezing up -which is very necessary for self defence. But that said, it also teaches some terribly bad habits for self defence.
So do all fight-sports.

A self defence situation is not a fair fight, starting at a given command at safe distance with two fighter circling each other looking for an opening. It does not involve feints (and rarely blocks), in/out movements or long (30-40second) fights. Fights are what happens when self defence fails.

Self defence is all about "get free, hit hard enough to buy you time, get away FAST, dont get trapped in a dick measuring contest".
Self defence situations (once self awareness and avoidance fails) are fast, brutal and are over in 3-4 seconds, or you are in trouble.
Typical situations are an opponent are close in and demands something from you (possibly grabbing you so you are unable to get away), who grabs you (or pushes you against a wall or something) and starts to punch you. screams and bull-rushes you, or (especially in the case of women) grabs you and tries to drag you somewhere.

Grappling fight-sports always focus on getting the opponent down and holding him there. Which is fine if you are one-to-one, with the enemy not palming a knife (the nature of grappling makes a knife a very nasty surprise) or having friends willing to kick you in the head while you are down on the ground pinning the first enemy. And if you ARE one-on-one with an unarmed enemy, you better hope your friends get there in time or that you are able/willing to choke him or break a limb to immobilize him. Sooner or later you will have to let go, and then he will right there next to you.

Self defence training courses (krav maga etc) usually gets the tactics right, but fail to toughen the trainee to be able to take a hit, or give him the ability to hit a resisting target.

Three interesting podcast related to the subject:
Streetfighting: Why streetfights are not self defence.
http://iainabernethy.co.uk/sites/default/files/podcasts/Street_fighting_pc_10_13.mp3
In defense of combat sport: What TMA/self defence NEEDS to learn from sport fighting.
http://iainabernethy.co.uk/sites/default/files/podcasts/In_defence_of_sport_04_14.mp3
The martial map: martial art, self defence, fighting -why they do not necessarily overlap.
http://iainabernethy.co.uk/sites/default/files/podcasts/The_Martial_Map_Jan_11.mp3

 

[Heikki Mustola]

You're gonna fap to it, aren't you?

Nothing wrong with that.

Or fapping to that dream you had last night which included some hot chicks from Bahamas, drunk panda bear with a sombrero and sudden Spanish inquisition

 

[Harukaze]

Nothing wrong with that.

Or fapping to that dream you had last night which included some hot chicks from Bahamas, drunk panda bear with a sombrero and sudden Spanish inquisition

WITCH!!!! How is it that you know my dreams?!??!?!?!


:icon_chee

 

[TheWaxMurderer]

That girl would probably knock you out.

Get your girlfriend to train BJJ over kickboxing I'd say.

Or both.

 

[Fr3ddy]

She'll probably kick your ass! Though being a man if you hit her once clean she should be out. Also kickboxing will certainly improve your self defence although bjj would be far more effective. Especially for your gf.

I know a couple of women with a much better chin than many men have :icon_chee

There are a couple of ladies in my gym who can handle themselves really well against well-trained men in the same weight-class.

 

[Azam]

Any martial arts training provided it's good quality training will give you the necessary advantage to defend yourself against the average joe. But that said no martial arts will prepare you adequately for self-defense because unlike combat sports/competitions there is no fixed rule or anything in place, self-defense is very unpredictable for that reason, you don't know what to expect; a knife, a gun, a gang vs 1 confrontation, or even someone much larger/more physical than yourself - that is why even experts in martial arts always recommend avoiding situations like that altogether.


I've seen even guys who've trained get ktfo by the average joe, that's how unpredictable they are.