The thought of being punched is unsettling to most
people. Unless you have a history of participating
in contact sports, the fear of being hit can be
intimidating and can compromise your ability to
defend yourself. In a confrontation the chance of
being hit is significant.
What if you were struck, kicked or knocked down in
a violent encounter? Would you be able to shrug
it off and stay focused on defending yourself? If
you want to enhance your ability to defend yourself,
you need to come to terms with the reality of
being hit.
Boxing and kickboxing training have become very
popular with both men and woman as a means of
developing all around fitness, skill, coordination,
timing and reflexes. Just as importantly,
training with boxing gloves improves your emotional
resilience y “de-sensitizing” you to impact and reducing
your fear of being hit. What’s more, this training can
be safe and enjoyable.
This article contains:
=> the benefits of boxing glove training drills
=> advice to improve training and reduce the
potential for injury
=> recommendations about the equipment you need
BENEFITS OF BOXING GLOVE DRILLS
Far too often, people walk away from a self-
defense class with a false perception of their own
effectiveness. There is a good chance that
defensive skills were not included in the training
and if they were, they were probably in response
to a static, predictable and unrealistic “attack.”
Incorporating light to medium contact boxing glove
drills provides you with experience in responding
to actual blows. Contact work, if properly done,
can make you more resilient and relaxed in a
confrontation.
Psychologists call this “de-sensitization.” You
deliberately and repeatedly expose yourself to
something you fear (being hit) and that fear will
dissipate.
Before long, you can be “hit” several times
during a training session and think nothing of it.
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NOTE: When I say, “hit” I am not
talking about a full force, solid punch to
the head. I am referring to light to moderate
impact, with protective equipment, during
training drills consistent with your physical
condition and skill level.
=================================================
TRAINING ADVICE
If you are considering incorporating some light
boxing glove drills I congratulate you.
However, I must also caution you that if done improperly,
this training can be counterproductive and result in
injury.
Keep these issues in mind when participating
training with boxing gloves:
DRILLS ARE NOT SPARRING
Unless you are already skilled at self-defense or
martial arts, I do not advocate “sparring” on
your own. For “self training” purposes I recommend
simple, controlled training drills. If you are
interested in sparring, I encourage you to seek
out a qualified instructor and participate
under supervision.
TRAIN WITH A NON-COMPETITIVE MINDSET
Nothing sabotages the quality of impact training
like a competitive attitude. In order to train
safely and gain maximum benefit, avoid “keeping score”
or trying to out do your partner. The best way to
de-sensitize yourself to impact is keep it light,
non-threatening, and view being hit with
disinterest. Learn to relax and have fun.
TRAIN AT THE THRESHOLD OF ERROR
How intense should this training be? In impact
training, intensity refers to the speed andforce
of the strikes being thrown.
In an unsupervised, self-training session punch
lightly and train on the “threshold” of occasional
errors.
If you are making no mistakes and successful
defending yourself against each and every blow, chances
are the training is too easy. If you are being hit
repeatedly, it is unlikely you are developing anything
useful.
Adjust the speed and complexity of your drills
based on an occasional strike landing.
DESIGN YOUR OWN DRILLS
I wrote this article in response to requests from
students of my self-defense and defensive tactics
seminars. I assume that the reader has knowledge
of basic defensive skills.
Start slow and simple by having your partner
throw a single attack. Gradually change the timing,
the order and the number of strikes. Use your own
“threshold of error” to determine the speed and
complexity. Focus on relaxing and enjoying
yourself.
WHAT DO YOU NEED TO THIS TRAINING?
In order to conduct this training safely, you
need the right equipment. It’s easy to justify the
cost of training equipment when you realize that this
training not only de-sensitizes you to impact but
also is also excellent for conditioning and
skill development.
You will need the following:
A TRAINING PARTNER
Duh!!! Obviously you’ll need a training partner.
Notice I said training “partner; not training
“opponent.”
If your partner is not mature and trustworthy
don’t bother!
The idea is to conduct this training in a safe
and cooperative manner. Competing or proving
how tough you are will get someone hurt.
BOXING GLOVES
I recommend a decent pair of 14-16 ounce boxing
gloves. These are firm enough to provide some
impact energy but padded enough to reduce the
potential for injury. Look for good quality
gloves with Velcro around the wrists instead
of laces.
A MOUTH GUARD
A good “boil and bite” plastic mouth guard can be
picked up at just about any sporting goods store
for a few dollars. These guards are soaked in hot
water until they are soft and then they can be
molded to your teeth with your fingers. (read the
instructions!)
Mouth guards prevent you from biting your tongue
or chipping your teeth. The can also reduce the
potential for a concusion if you were to take a
hard blow to the head. (which shouldn’t happen if
you’re training properly)
GROIN(AND/OR BREAST) PROTECTION
Wear groin protection. Boxers use equipment that
protects not only the groin but the kidneys as
well. If you can afford the boxing gear fine, but
if you are doing only light, controlled impact
work, a regular athletic groin protector will do. I
encourage women to invest in athletic breast
protectors.
HEADGEAR
Boxing headgear is an optional piece of equipment
you might want to invest in. If you are going to
get into sparring and more intense training, I
highly recommend it. However, for lighter, more
controlled “de-sensitization” training, it is not
necessary.
CONCLUSION
If you are interested in developing realistic self defense skills you must come to terms with the reality that you might get hit. Self-doubt or
being overwhelmed with fear compromises successful
defense.
Properly conducted impact training is an
excellent fear management strategy that will
enhance your resilience and effectiveness.
Randy LaHaie
www.ProtectiveStrategies.com
Randy LaHaie is the president of Protective Strategies and has been teaching reality-based
self-defense for over 30 years. He is the author
of several “Toughen Up Combative Training Guides”
(http://www.ToughenUp.com)
Subscribe to his Free Self-Defense Newsletter at
http://www.ProtectiveStrategies.com.
