"If I'm attacked I'm not just going to defend and get away."
Really? Why not? There is no trophy after a street fight. What happens if you "unload" and it becomes clear that your best is not good enough? What if he has a group of friends you have not noticed? Or, perhaps a concealed weapon? If you do not try to get away, now you are in the attacker's zone. He may have planned everything carefully.
You may have your own plan, but will it work in this moment of surprise? Will you be able to carry out your plan if you are then hurt.
Remember, there is no referee to call fouls, protect you if injured, or call for the ringside doctor.
As the great Joe Lewis said "everyone has a plan until they get punched in the nose".
You might think that rage or adrenaline will be helpful and that there will be enough time to recover and apply technique, but this is an assumption, as a real attack is always unpredictable. Even the toughest individual will be greatly affected by pain and injury, and often freeze or react differently than they expect.
For this reason, elite military (and police) operate in teams so they can support one another. A sole individual, even if well-trained, is at a disadvantage during any kind of attack situation, as the attacker has both the element of surprise and importantly, first strike.
The best defense against an attack is to avoid it. That means either to plan in advance to avoid the attack by not being where one may occur, or by fleeing when one is about to occur, or to flee during the attack.
Great boxers know the importance of not getting hit. In his early career, Tyson had a great jab and superb head movement. This helped him not get hit. After Rooney left the camp, Tyson forgot to jab and move. He got hit more frequently, and he was no longer as effective.
To engage during an attack is risky, as again, the attacker has both surprise and first strike advantage. Moreover, even a trained individual will raise the risk level by engaging, as the risk of injury continues when in the attacker's vicinity.
This is why self-defense teaches escape rather than fighting, and why military and police avoid hand-to-hand combat. Watch police handle a violent individual, and you will notice that they call for back-up, keep their distance, and use tools such as tazers, bats, or flashlights rather than engaging in a MMA or boxing match. They want to go home to their families in one piece.
Boxing and MMA are great sports and very entertaining. Sometimes, they might be used in real-life situations as a last resort.
But really, the best speed and power in such situations is applied to running skills.....run with pride.
It's best to be well rounded.
Against a knife or a baseball bat, which is more important, speed or power?
Against multiple attackers, which is better?
A lot of people will say power because if you can knock out your opponent, or do severe amounts of damage, you win. This is true to an extent.
Even if you aren't strong, if you know how to put your body behind your punch, you can hit very hard.
Speed is good, so is strength. Do both.
Have good cardio. Get strong, but don't bulk up too much.
Most likely if someone was going to attack you they wouldnt know how to fight at all their shots would probably be soft i think power is really important in a street fight because you can have a really good opportunity to f u ck the other guy up you can practice on a heavy bag or join a gym where they can help you with form and power and if you can get some sparring matches you would defiantly know how to fight good
Neither... Technique is most needed in a self defence situation. What's the point of having power and speed if you don't know how to throw a punch properly. Believe me technique is the most important attribute when it comes to fighting
Sure, it can be employed for self-defense, but it's quite limited, especially if you're facing an armed attacker. In self-defense, you need to disarm your attacker or render him immobilized, and the only way you could do that using boxing skills is if you could punch like Tyson.
I hate using the term self defense. Because if I'm attacked I'm not just going to defend and get away. Personally I'm gonna be enraged and jacked up with adrenaline, so I'll defend till I can clear my head and then unload. My question is, what's more important to have in case of "self defense"? Speed or power? And how can I improve that attribute?
