Jack Dempsey became known as the "Manassa Mauler" with his success in the boxing ring throughout the early 1900s.
By the time the 1950s rolled around, the championship fighter decided to share a few of his best brawling tips with the rest of the world in his guidebook, Championship Fighting: Explosive Punching and Aggressive Defense.
With a zingy title like that, plus Jack's renowned reputation, the boxer hoped to help novice fighters learn some handy self-defense tips.
However, some of his surprising advice could leave you scratching your head rather than volunteering for any scraps — especially when he suggests a baby could knock out a burly truck driver if given the right opportunity.
Take a look to see some of the skills folks were able to learn straight form a championship boxer back in the day, and be sure to SHARE all of Jack's tips from 1950 with your friends on Facebook!
1. Don't Underestimate Babies
Jack (shown above in his glory days) starts things off with a bizarre analogy referencing the surprising power of infants.
What would happen if a year-old baby fell from a fourth-floor window onto the head of a burly truck driver standing on the sidewalk?
It's practically certain that the truckman would be knocked unconscious. He might die of brain concussion or a broken neck. Even an innocent little baby can become a dangerous missile when its body weight is set into fast motion.
2. Try Making Fun Of Your Opponent
If you don' feel sure of your surroundings, you can try Jack's method for coaxing them over to a more beneficial setting.
Let me suggest that any time you are about to be drawn into a fight, keep your head and make a split-second survey of your surroundings.
Decide immediately whether you have fighting-room and whether you have good footing. If you haven't, try to force your opponent to shift to another battleground, where your knowledge of fighting will leave the percentage in your favor. Yell at him, for example: "Okay, wise guy! You want to fight! Let's see if you've got the guts to come out into the street and fight me like a man!"
3. Stumble Before Throwing A Punch
It might sound counterintuitive, but the champion boxer swears by the confusing tactic.
It is a quick, convulsive and extremely awkward step, yet it’s one of the most important steps of your fistic life; for that falling-forward lurch is the rough diamond out of which will be ground the beautiful, straight knockout jolt.
It's the gem-movement of straight punching. Try that falling step many times.
4. Don't Forget To Whirl Your Shoulders
You might think the term "whirl" is a bit out of place coming from a boxing champion, but Jack frequently uses it to describe several of his methods.
Although a non-step straight punch from the shoulder whirl is impure, don’t get the idea you shouldn’t use the whirl for straight punching, the whirl is very valuable when you can’t step, and very valuable as an aid to power in the falling step.
The more power you can generate with the shoulder whirl, the harder you will hit with both types of straight punches; and the more explosiveness you will inject into your hooks. The shoulder whirl is extremely important.
5. Crowds Tend To Make People Cranky
Jack placed a lot of blame for violent outbursts on the growth of the general population. He recommends keeping an extra-vigilant eye on any issues that might pop up if you happen to live in a big city.
The pace of living has been so stepped-up that there is much more tension in nearly every activity than there was in the old days.
Crowding, pace, and tension cause friction, flare-ups, angry words and blows. That unprecedented friction can be noted particularly in cities, where tempers are shortened by traffic jams, sidewalk bumpings, crowdings in subways and on buses, and jostlings in theaters, saloons and nightclubs.
6. Your Pinky Holds All The Punching Power
Jack warns against undervaluing the smallest digit on your hand.
The power line runs from either shoulder straight down the length of the arm to the fist knuckle of the little finger, when the fist is doubled. Remember: The power line ends in the fist knuckle of the little finger on either hand.
Gaze upon your "pinky" with new respect. You might call that pinky knuckle the exit of your power line- the muzzle of your cannon.
7. Use Illegal Moves To Fight Dirty
Obviously, there are no rules outside of the ring, so Jack broke down how to use his trusty "sneaker hook."
Keep your head in close to the left side of your opponent’s head, with your chin slightly over his shoulder.
Maneuver with your left hand until you can grab the inside crook of his right elbow, and thus hold his right arm so firmly that he can't punch with it.
Get his left arm under your right arm, and clamp your right hand under his arm—just above the elbow—just below the biceps. When you hold him in that fashion, he can't hit you; but you are in perfect position to break away sharply and deliver a stunning overhanded "sneaker" hook.
8. Remember, Punching Doesn't Come Naturally
Jack gets started early in the guide claiming, "punchers are made, not born." He admitted to his championship status making him forget this until he started teaching others his craft.
In your heyday as champion, you can’t “see the forest for the trees.” As an historian might express it, you’re too close to your career to get the proper perspective of highlights and background.
It was only after I had retired and had begun trying to teach others how to fight that I investigated the steps in my stairway-analyzed my own technique. And that was a tough job.
9. You'll Probably Get Hurt
Jack accentuated the fact that fighting outside the ring comes with higher risk for pain than official boxing matches.
Remember that your face can be cut much more quickly by a bare fist than by one encased in bandages and padded glove. From another angle, the boxer-with fist protected by bandages and glove-has less chance than the bare-fisted man of breaking a
hand-bone or smashing a knuckle, in case the fist lands squarely on forehead or elbow.Those major differences add up to one important total or conclusion: the possibility of getting hurt is greater in a fist-fight than in a boxing bout. Fist-fighting is generally more dangerous than boxing.
10. Try To Get It All Over With Quickly
The best way to make sure you get less injuries? Being speedy!
“Because of the danger in a fist-fight, it is imperative that you end the brawl as quickly as possible; and the best way to do that is by a knockout.
The knockout is far more important in fist-fighting than in boxing, you've got to knock 'em out in fist-fights.
11. It Won't Take Long To Become A "Kayo Kid"
Jack claimed "normal chaps" can gain all the knock-out (or "kayo") skills he shared in the book in as little as three months.
By “normal” I mean healthy and sound-neither ailing nor crippled. You should be able to knock out a fellow of approximately your own weight, with either fist, if you follow my instructions exactly and practice them diligently.
And in six months or a year, you may be able to knock out fellows a lot bigger and heavier than you are."
Were you surprised by any of Jack Dempsey's championship self-defense tips?
Be sure to SHARE his vintage advice with your friends on Facebook!
