Championship Fighting: Explosive Punching and Aggressive Defense

by Jack Dempsey

Fighting techniques and strategies from World Champion and Hall of Fame Boxer, Jack Dempsey.

Jack Dempsey, one of the greatest and most popular boxers of all time, reveals the techniques behind his unparalleled success in the ring. Straightforward and with detailed illustrations, Championship Fighting instructs the reader in the theory, training, and application of powerful punching, aggressive defense, proper stance, feinting, and footwork. The boxing methods Dempsey reveals will prove useful to both amateurs and professionals or anyone interested in teaching themselves how to box or practice martial arts.

“I was confident that I could take the rawest beginner, or even an experienced fighter, and teach him exactly what self-defense was all about.” —Jack Dempsey

Genres: Martial Arts, Sports, Nonfiction, Unfinished, War, Fitness

208 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1983

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads data base.

Reviews

[Thibault Busschots · Rating 4 out of 5]

Boxing techniques from one of the greatest legends in the sport. This is an old book but it’s still very relevant. If you’re looking for a book on techniques and the foundations of boxing, this is a very good book to start with. Add in a few interesting stories from the legend himself about some of his greatest fights and you’ve got an absolute winner here.

[Erwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books about boxing, as a boxer myself, I appreciated this book very much. You learn how to punch from the very beginning and you need to read and train the whole different techniques at the same time at the boxclub or at home. There are lot of sparring techniques; which I trained with my sparrmate (middleweight) at the boxclub to develop the attack and the defense.
Thank you Jack Dempsey, you are one of the best heavyweight-champions of the whole world.

[Joshua Marshall · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been boxing for over 10 years and have read at least 10 books about boxing technique. This is by far the best.

[Jarrod · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really fun read. like the man said he has plenty yo teach someone who knows nothing about boxing but also even someone who knows a decent amount as well. Some of the writing feels almost too in depth but ti Dempsey's credit i had a very easy time visualizing what he was talking about in terms of technique and it was refreshing to hear new perspectives on something as easy as "how to punch"

[Mauro Martinez · Rating 4 out of 5]

La información de este libro es muy valiosa, y una lectura importante para cualquier practicante de boxeo o deportes de lucha con puños. Hoy en día existe un exceso de información que produce más confusión que buenos resultados. Y muchas veces la instrucción que se puede recibir en determinados clubes es errónea. Incluso se pueden encontrar en internet multitud de ejemplos y explicaciones de los conceptos de este libro, pero la mayoría no han sido comprendidos correctamente.
Muy recomendable para quien quiera aprender los porqués, y quiera disfrutar de una práctica bien hecha.

[Roman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really great at teaching fundamentals of old school boxing. Everything is clearly explained and reasoned by Dempsey. There are some deviations on certain technique and training aspects that modern boxing differs in, such as that the bob and weave nowadays emphasizes the squatting motion whereas Dempsey strongly recommends the bowing motion instead, or the incorporation of weight training into conditioning that the old school was really against. Nevertheless, I have not read a better explanation of boxing fundamentals regarding the description of setting the weight in motion, purity of punching, punching types, defense and fainting.

“Each defensive move must be accompanied by a counter-punch or be followed immediately by a counterpunch.”

Also really notable was the reasoning why proper punching must be taught before the teaching of defense:

“Fellows with defense complexes rarely develop into good punchers. Even when they are shown how to hit correctly, they sprout bad punching habits while concentrating on blacking, parrying, back-pedaling and the like. They ‘pull’ their punches; they side-step while trying to throw straight smashes; they move in with ‘clutching’ fists that seek to encircle their opponents for clinches; and they do much showy but purposeless footwork.”

[Ian · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a pretty thorough explanation of boxing techniques for a beginner or novice. I learned a fair amount.
If I had someone to practice the techniques with, I would have gotten more out of the book, but even still it was decent. The training advice is a bit outdated, though.
I'm gonna use it as a reference in the future.

[Steve Cran · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jack Dempsey is one of boxings all time greats. He wrote a book on boxing. The main focus of the book is on punching. This is what he starts off with before teaching the beginner anything else. Punching is the most important element in a fight. All too sad is that not enough trainers teach their students how to punch.

The most important part of a punch is to put your body weight behind so you hit with more force. The falling step has you step forward with your left foot and launch your jab a the same time. The line of power extends in a line all the way to you’s bottom two knuckles. There are several types of punches in boxing. There’s jabs, shovel, upper cuts and hooks. He explains step by step how to launch those punches along with good illustration on how to launch those punches. There is a section on footwork cause remember footwork is just as crucial to the success of a boxer as is punching.

In boxing there are several ways to defend against a punch. The most effective way is evading . When a punch is coming the boxer somehow moves out of the way. There is ducking , bobbing and weaving and slipping. Most beginner start with blocking. Blocking is done with the hand, forearm and even shoulders. The second most effective defense is parrying or redirecting the punch.

Finally at the end there are exercises to improve your stamina and physical shape. A good easy to read classic on boxing. Coming from a real old fashioned fighter this book is worth it.

[Jamoy Gali · Rating 4 out of 5]

Besides the lukewarm, underdeveloped, and inefficient training routine he supplies at the end, this is a very solid handbook for beating your opposition: in and out of the ring.

Don’t really have much else to say but here is a handful of unorganized notes I jotted down whilst reading this:





The best defense is an aggressive defense, and countering will be your best friend.

Learn how to be a master bob-and-weaver. The genuine bobber-weaver uses it fully. They are hook specialists and use it to get to close quarters.

Break your rhythm.

Watch your opponents body, not his eyes; how he pivots his foot, shifts his weight, leans the hip.

Spar as much as you can. This will shape your conditioning and training better than any other routine.

Punch with your second knuckle (knuckle of the ring finger). This is your power line that shoots through your elbow.

Best stance is the semi-crouch, as it allows for all opportunities of offense, defense, and movement.

Right straight is the deadliest counterpunch. Utilize this when a jabber leaves their chin wide open. Only do it when you confirm they leave it open.

Always hit on the slip! This creates an opening by forcing your opponent to create another defensive gesture.

When a left jab is thrown, slip/bob to the outside and deliver a left shovel to the chin as you rise. Then follow with a right hook.

2 ways to fight a bobber-weaver:
Get down and bob-weave with him
Work from upright position and smash him with shovels, uppercuts, and straight 1-2’s

[Dylan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The most enjoyable book I've read. I learned so much about boxing and even just how people workout and get around in the early 1900's. The book is about aggressive defensive and delayed and instant counters but before it even gets into defense it teaches you every type of punch to make sure you know how to perfectly execute it and put your body weight into it. It has pictures of how and what to do and detailed lists of what not to do. Once Dempsey informs you on all the types of punches, he get's into what punches you should follow up to the opponents, what side to slip on and what counter to use for each slip and then after that he gets into feinting and drawing and gives a few combo's that can set you up. This book is made for boxers and is a great help for them, even after the main parts of the book he goes into good workouts, good schedules, foods you should eat, and how to properly enjoy a fight. Such a good book, I wasn't much of a fan of reading until now and I was in class reading when I wasn't supposed to instead of being on my phone or something, most informational book out there. Rip Dempsey

[Sebastian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ah, the early days of the sweet science, the earliest infancy of the theory that would back up the practice, and all the romance of that not-so-long-ago time when spirits were brave, the stakes were high, men were real men, women were real women and small furry creatures from Alpha Centauri were real small furry creatures from Alpha Centauri.

All joking aside, I don’t do boxing, I don’t even like boxing, but as this was espoused as one of the best martial arts books of all time I just had to give it a whirl, and it does not disappoint. It works well both as a tutorial and an instructions manual (though I can’t tell how much of it is dated), as well as a snapshot of a period both in the history of the striking arts, as well as the world in general. Occasionally the verbiage describing the techniques would get confusingly tangled, but cross-referencing it with the excellent hand-drawn illustrations and trying to follow the actual movements can usually clear things up quickly.

[Bobby24 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good very dated and much fluff but in all clearly written by a man that knows, strange thing is i have trained all my life i'm 47 now and i knew most of this through my own experience, particularly the so called shoulder jolt and the left shovel punch/hook to the body a chin liver, truly and effective secret weapon..to those in the "know"

His views on "modern boxing, ie his 60's" era were interesting to he said that those boxers in his era up until the 60's were essentially fighters first then boxers second and that boxer "now" are boxers who look at the strategy of rounds rather than rely on punch power ...this is true today IMO Dempsey, Tunney, Greb, Zale LaMotta, Graziano, Sugar Ray , Monzon, Duran Tyson etc could all have a fight out of the ring and these days a lot of boxers would be useless in that situation, his argument was essentially boxing is and should be a way for a man to defend himself, and this was/is often forgotten.

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book on boxing by the 1920’s world champion heavyweight boxer Jack Dempsey, first published in 1950 in his retirement years. Dempsey spends the first half of the book covering different types of punches you would throw as a boxer, then goes on to discuss defensive moves. The last two chapters are about training to be a boxer and how to watch a fight. There are simple illustrations throughout showing how to perform the moves.

I really enjoyed this book. I’ve never thrown a punch in my life but I found it interesting to learn about what goes into boxing and different characteristics of each type of punch and defensive move. The discussion is direct and informative; it may get a bit technical sometimes but I probably should have been physically following along more as I read. This book gave me an appreciation for boxing and made me realize that it can be a bit like chess in terms of strategy. I also enjoyed some of the older vernacular used throughout.

[Stephen Romney · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a definite must read for any boxing enthusiast. I would also highly recommend it to any and all martial artists, as much of the information can be applied to any fighting style.

Written by Dempsey himself, it presents its information in a very straightforward, concise manner.

The book covers offensive techniques, defensive techniques, footwork, and even a fitness regimen to get you fighting fit. While some of the information is a bit dated considering when it was written, most of the information is still sound.

It's also a short read, as Dempsey wastes no time in getting to the point. It is not a memoir, nor does it enter the realm of esoterics, it's just a no-nonsense guide to fist-fighting, whether in the ring or on the street, with Dempsey devoting a sizable portion of the first chapters to the latter.

[Wes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Boxing basics from one of boxing's great Heavyweight legends. Dempsey was still flooring youths that tried to rob him as a nearly 80 year old man. He was also one of Mike Tyson's favorite boxers. If you don't know who Jack Dempsey is, you should probably start there. Heck you should probably combine that with the book The Arc of Boxing, that way you can get a good understanding of what has happened to boxing and, more importantly, boxing technique. Do that, and you'll appreciate why this book is so important.

[James Barrs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for teaching the fundamentals of fighting (boxing) explained with beginners in mind.
Although some techniques are a little dated, specifically the training section the book is fantastic.
Personal takeaways are the powerline running down from the shoulder to the tip of the pinky finger and the corkscrew punch that I'll be using in the future.
Reccommend this book to anyone looking to learn more about boxing and fighting.

[Sven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Useful for any level boxer, but especially for the beginner. Dempsey explains all the fundamentals and has pictures to show how. I enjoyed his explanation of the biomechanics (Not sure if this is the correct term, but lets go with it) of punching. He divides punches into pure and impure, depending on the powerline. This has helped me personally by changing the way I look at my punches and where power should come from.

Easy to read, easy to implement and extremely useful.

[Levas · Rating 4 out of 5]

You will never learn a martial art or sport, or anything, by reading only. But this book is a pretty solid fundamental for boxing technique. Some of the stuff in the book is quite opinionated, so to say, some perhaps even outdated, but overall it's great to read this and then adapt recommendations from that to real training sessions.

[Jim Castine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jack Dempsey was heavyweight champion a century ago, and write this book in 1950. Yet it's contents still hold true today, even taking shots at current fighters.
Part biography, part training manual, part history lesson, this book is great for any young fighter, and I wish I had read it thirty years ago
If you know a boxer, amateur or veteran, send this their way. #boxing

[Richard Wolff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great basic "how to" introduction to boxing from an all-time world-class champ. Occasionally surprising in his advice (ie: not to "turn over" the fist on all punches, and to hit not with the index and middle finger but the smaller ones), occasionally almost little too detailed to follow (the illustrations are very helpful, but physicalizing the movements seems integral to "get" some movements), the advice you get here is essential for anyone wanting to learn from a master. Adds tips on how to train and watch a fight, too.

[Grzegorz Szopinski · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oldschool, but in a good way. Some tips from Dempsey are bit archaic (that is, today we know how do things better) but there's also a lot of useful stuff. It's also written in a very uplifting way - it makes you feel you can become a decent boxer no matter who you are.

[Michael Gegen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting to learn about how an OG approached boxing. Some really odd stuff in hear that they don't teach in today's gyms, but a lot of timeless advice. Great anecdotes from his fighting career. Absolute dog.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maybe the best book on boxing I've ever read. A slender, easy read, but as soon as you're done you want to start over because you know there's going to be something new to absorb every time you go through it.

[Avel Deleon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the best introductory book on boxing.

[Mashaal · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve boxed for around 8 years with 3 of those years being at an amateur level studied the sport through and through this is one of the best if not the best boxing book someone can read as a boxer.

[Bart · Rating 5 out of 5]

A classic and, along with Joe Frazier's Box Like the Pros, the best book a beginning fighter can read

[Daniel Haire · Rating 5 out of 5]

It maybe old, but it is still one of the greatest books on classic boxing written. Jack Dempsey was an expert in explaining in clear terms the theory behind how and why he punched the way he did.

[Dejan Kuric · Rating 5 out of 5]

Minor things might be a bit outdated, but it's still a great book about the core basics of boxing. Definitely worth a read.

[Charles S · Rating 5 out of 5]

A knockout read

[Lindsey.parks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Try me.