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Out of the Ring
The Boxer's Self-Defense Dilemma
© 2013 James LaFond
Scott the Grocer
A friend who owns a retail business recently related a story to me about two women arguing over a point of courtesy in the checkout lane. The particulars are not important. He was of the opinion that the athletic looking lady did not start the altercation. When the other woman suggested they fight the athletic one said, “I’m a licensed professional boxer. I cannot fight you.”
Once the louder woman was convinced that the polite athletic one was sincere, she really turned up the volume and became bolder, egging on the lady who claimed to be a boxer. It seemed to the oft-sued ghetto businessman that the loudmouth was demonstrating a propensity to sue, possibly himself and her adversary. His security detail ushered the ladies outside, and he had no knowledge of what transpired thereafter.
He did have some questions for me about ‘boxers having their hands licensed’ and so on. It then occurred to me that I have not addressed this legal point for my boxing readers. For another view of this subject go to the Modern Combat page on this site and read Death Master Database.
The Boxer's Self-defense Situation
As a boxer, what do you need to be aware of concerning enhanced criminal penalties or civil liabilities if you are forced to defend yourself?
First off, a professional boxer’s hands are not "registered weapons." Indeed, in many states there is not even a governing body to sanction combat sports. If you are a licensed professional boxer than the only worry you have that is not shared by other self-defenders, is the possibility that a criminal conviction for a violent act may come to the attention of your state athletic commission, causing them to review, revoke, decline to grant, or decline to renew your boxing license. Your license is more akin to a retailer’s merchant’s license than to any perceived relationship to a concealed carry handgun license.
The young lady above may have erred in her belief that her ‘hands were registered’. She did not err, however, when she declared herself to be in greater legal liability than her adversary, for she was.
There are no statutes specifically preventing boxers, MMA fighters or even ping pong players from fighting.
Why not?
Because it is against the law for any and all of us to fight! Anytime you strike or grapple another person outside of a sporting or training context you are breaking the law. If your adversary is injured the criminal and civil courts, beginning with the officer on the scene, will be looking at damage inflicted and eyewitness statements to determine who is at fault.
Your best defense is that your adversary was not injured!
If the person who attacked you was injured, your best defense is a witness who will swear in court that you were defending yourself.
If you don’t have a witness you are screwed.
If the injured party has a witness you are really screwed!
If it is known by the injured party, witness, or responding law officer that you are a trained fighter then you are totally screwed!
And if the person you injured retains a lawyer, and it finds out that you are a licensed pro, or an amateur champion, or a former pro, then you are not only screwed, but might as well be a kidnapped tourist starring in an Armenian snuff flick.
Since it is always against the law, even for a cop, to strike someone, the person doing the striking must be able to prove "justification;" this being a reason compelling enough for the fat chick in the bathrobe sitting up behind that ridiculously big box-table that they call a bench, to give you a pass. And even if she gives you a pass, you are still on the ambulance chasing lawyer’s menu, as a tasty treat.
Stay Free Tips for the Boxer
1. Never fight outside the ring, ever. A fight, by definition, is something that you can walk away from. Always decline to fight.
2. Never let a challenger or attacker know that you are a boxer, or any other type of trained combatant. This will not just protect you from cops, judges and lawyers, but from knives, pipes and bullets as well.
3. If you are attacked, or if you must go to the aid of a person who is being attacked, limit your tactics to defense, clinching, pushing and slapping. Never use the closed fist unless you are in fear for your life. Fear for your life is your criteria for kayoing somebody on the pavement, which their head may well slingshot into, causing death.
4. Yes, I said "slap." When I train muscle heads and grapplers that are too tight to punch, or arm-punchers that need to develop leverage, I make them slap the heavy bag. Try it. If you are pivoting and stepping behind your punches you can knock a regular guy out with a slap, and be able to prove via a show of your knuckles to the responding cop that you did not use your fists. The making of a fist shows intent to do bodily harm and pretty much guarantees a battery charge.
5. Unless there is a huge disparity of force, such as you being a woman attacked by a man or a flyweight dealing with an NFL linebacker, you can slip, catch, duck, parry, block, roll with, and even eat more punches than a normal human being can even throw. Just let them punch themselves out and then talk them down.
6. If it really is as bad as all that and some goon is barreling down on you, well, if you have been listening to Coach and doing your roadwork then you should be able to outrun him even if he has a relief runner stationed every quarter of a mile! Running is not a crime, and it’s damn hard to hurt you when you are headed the other way.
Do not forget that learning how to knock people senseless comes with a price, and that price is accountability. U.S. case law has established that even amateur boxers are held to a higher standard upon injuring another person during a brawl. Think of it this way: it is not as if your hands are now regarded as deadly weapons—unless you are a pro heavyweight—but that in the eyes of the law you are the "big guy" in the fight. If you are a boxer that punches out a man his own size, law enforcement will look at you in a similar light as a big man who punched out a small one, or a young man who punched out an old one, or a man who hit a woman.
"Disparity of force" [size, weapons, training, numbers] is the advantageous physical relationship that every person wants to enjoy on the street, and that no one enjoys in court. When considering self-defense, remember that each situation is different, and that they are often weighted differently in court than at the scene.
If you want to be able to claim self-defense in such a case, you might want to practice some defense in the gym. Do you spend as much time practicing defense as you do offense?
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alex konstantaras     Mar 10, 2015

Very good advice to stay jail free!On a technical level regarding point 4,the use of slaps.Apparently they apply for hook punches,but what about the straight open -palm strikes.Will you use the same mechanics as you use in the jab?I have tried to shadowbox with open palms and it felt really akward (not that i know how to shadowbox properly)but anyway.I have tried to find clips of PANCRASE fighters working on their open hand strikes,but could'nt find any.SUMO fighters work their slaps on a wooden post in a static manner but with no fluidity.How can you develop them Mr LaFond ?
James     Mar 10, 2015

This requires and article Alex.

It will be up in a day or two.

You keep me on my toes.
alex konstantaras     Mar 11, 2015

Very kind of you.I feel quilty of spending your precious time,many thanks.
James     Mar 13, 2015

It is what this comment function is for Alex. Charles and I want an interactive site for various reasons, one of mine being that reader questions and comments push me as a writer.
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