MichaelS: I added the McSweeny stuff so folks can use Boxing for self defense. it transforms Boxing.

Nice thread guys! I don't come to this or the gun forum much. But I did box alot myself and it was and is my choice of self defense. MikeNY thanks for post the articles and the McSweeny stuff.

Add McSweeney Nine Power Strikes to make Boxing for the street . Stand in a Boxing guard and hands up as in boxing.

1. Chop (to larynx, side of neck, back of neck, and brain stem) fingers curved down, wrist bent back slightly up in the tiger’s claw position. Strike sideways.

2. Palm Heel (to forehead, eye socket, base of nose and jaw) can be same tiger’s claws and strike with palm heel, just palm heel of hand.

3. Leopard’s Palm (to bridge of nose, upper skull, and jawbone) tiger’s claw hand position; circular strike; looping down, this strike travels along a half-circle; hold your hand it travels up along the circle and down to strike. The uppercut works as good as this, but this can be used to stun and it will knock out someone. Practice strike your other open hand.

4. Eagles claw (to larynx) grasp throat hard between thumb and fingers

5. Fingers/thumb (poke & scratch eyeball; put out the eyeballs, grab testicles)

6. Side Fist vertical fist. strike to heart (little finger & palm edge remains down, hand vertical) or use Hammer Fist(heart, neck, face & jaw) strike using hand as if it is a hammer.

7. Upswing fist (to jawbone) hand low in front of body, palm down and upward arch striking with backs large knuckles; sort of a backwards upper cut. Again an uppercut works here.

8. Elbow (to jawbone, upper skull and rib cage) rising, falling or side elbow

9. Knee (to pubic bones, bladder, and testicles) jump into attack, drive the knee in

Sounds like my experience in School. I was the first Italian decent boy in the School (there were many female decent Italian-Americans in School) and I was an 8th grader. The 8th Grade building was attached to the new High School, but both used common areas ie shared.

I had five fist fights in my first two weeks with bullies from the Senior Class; and won all five. I was hated by the Bullies; but the 8th Graders loved it!

I believe, in an unexpected comnfrontation, if a guy or gal can throw a good jab (if that situation arises, and it is the last resort), followed by a straight, or good hook to the ribs, you are a leg up. I used to spend my afternoons after work watching Tony "The Tiger" Lopez train in Newcastle, California. The guy was a dude. In regards to the first part of my post, while in high school we were harrassed daily by the school bully, who happened to be the first string QB. He was given free reign for the most part. Well one day he "goosed" a young lady who was not used to be treated like that and it really upset her. So her boyfriend "Jimmy" walked up to the sports star and said "after school". Jimmy had boxed Gold Gloves in Los Angeles before moving to Northern California. So it was on. The unbeatable school bully versus Jimmy. First thing that happened was, the bully tried to sucker ;unch Jimmy. Jimmy turned, snapped the QB's head back with a left jab, and then knocked him cold with a straight right. We were given a few eeks reprieve as the bully was humbled.

ddmoates29 how you punch to protect the hands, striking wit te fist upside down and strikingwit te 2 large knuckles; plus we trained using a chart on the wall marked with the pressure points to punch, so you were striking the area to injure. In Little Italy Boxing was loved old fashioned bare knuckel boxing still taught in New York.

PS we were taught to strike using the edge of the knife, palm heel etc.

MikeNY, I grew up in the 50s when boxing was a big sport unlike today where sadly it doesn't have the following it used to have. Sparred with Golden Gloves guys I knew, wrestled etc. and even enjoyed the bag training and medicine ball stuff. Can't say I was a good boxer - I wasn't, but I really enjoyed it. I remember guys like Fullmer, Liston, Ezzard Charles etc. Never could figure out how to protect my hands during bare knuckle "disagreements" though. Anyway it was a great time for me and I'm glad to see someone else here who enjoys it too.

In New York during the 1950s/60s Boxing and old fashioned Fist Figthing were still taught, and even Savate was available. In Little Italy Boxing was taught as a self defense art, and included low kicks to the shins/knees and stomps to the foot, not a lot of kicks since in Italy Greco-Roman Wrestling was a major sport in Sicily & Southern Italy and kicking a man that uses Greco-Roman Wrestling (a Jujitsu like Sport) will get you hurt! My uncle trained Professional Boxers; dad and him trained me to Box and it's Street version.