Championship Streetfighting: Boxing as a Martial Art

Ned Beaumont does an exceptional job with Championship Streetfighting: Boxing as a Martial Art.

In the beginning he outlines why boxing is effective for real fights. His argument for the effectiveness of boxing is right on the money and his examples illustrate this perfectly. He then moves to principles of the ring and street and the difference between gloves and bare fists. This chapter is very important because Beaumont describes how to minimize hurting your own hand and fist when boxing.

Chapter four discusses the physics and psychology of power punching. If you want to punch hard, this chapter is a must. And who doesn’t want to know how to punch hard?

The next chapters talk about stance, guard, straight punches, hooks, and uppercuts. These chapters are very good for describing boxing basics. These are the skills you must learn to make boxing work. And if you learn them well, boxing will work!

Chapter eight shows you how to put those skills together with combinations and related matters. Then chapter nine teaches defense and how not to get hit.

Chapter ten goes into fouls and other dirty tricks. Things you would not do in the ring, but that can be very useful in self-defense situations. And self-defense is Beaumont’s goal with this book.

The last chapter is on training, roadwork, gymwork, and floorwork. Beaumont gives some basic ingredients that have helped boxers stay in shape for years, and if you want to box, you better get in shape. The book ends with a recommended reading list.

The is a very good book, and one of the things I liked most about it was that Beaumont illustrates his points with stories of older boxers. So many of the lessons are not just Beaumont’s but Jack Dempsey’s, Joe Louis’, and many others. This is an exceptional primer on boxing and a great addition to anyone’s self-defense library.