Boxing's Dirty Tricks and Outlaw Killer Punches Paperback – January 1, 1997

nothing great ,

Jay "Champ" Thomas offers insights from his decades as a carnival, circus fighter, on dirty blows and tactics, which long-defunct publisher Loompanics assembled from two books into a single volume.From a boxing perspective, Champ's readily available compilation of manuals is the better read. It elaborates on his "stonewall" (Philly Shell) technique, combinations, and unique isometric regimen.This book is a curiosity, though with much practical advice. If you remember Loompanics, it was ... an eccentric and often edgelord publisher. Many of its titles offered how-tos on anti-social behavior or illicit skills, ultimately gleaned from TV shows and detective novels by fantasist authors who used pseudonyms. At the same time, Loompanics had solid entries on personal freedom, practical self-protection -- physical and otherwise -- and an abiding philosophy that people can regulate their own behaviors.As we come this entry, "Champ" Thomas's two manuals encompass dirty tricks and his "killer punches." The first covers everything from foot stomping to arm bars, falling on your opponent with knees and elbows dug in, low blows, rabbit punches, chokes (including a basic guillotine) and thumbing. Thomas didn't offer this information idly. Boxing is and will remain a dirty sport. Certain fighters artfully position their opponents with their backs to the referee to blind the officiant to elbows, low blows, "accidental" headbutts, or anything that will give them an edge. Thomas offers a litany of fouls one should be aware of, or should employ to punish a dirty opponent.Boxers still could benefit from this book despite modern gloves that inhibit thumbing the eyes, tape that has eliminated the ripping potential of laces, and a relative absence of blinding resin. Boxing already is dangerous and deadly, so one needs to practice self-defense in an already violent sport. (Recall in 2004, when James Butler sucker punched Richard Grant after losing in a unanimous decision. Grant went to congratulate his opponent and was leveled by a bare-handed sucker punch that dislocated his jaw and lacerated his tongue.)My "boxing" was relegated to extensive gym sparring. I had dirty tactics used on me. I found the best way to deal with it, rather than complain, was to launch my own knee knock, foot stomp, groin punch, or elbow. If they want to wrestle, throw them hard to the canvas so the issue gets addressed. This book certainly would have been helpful. Boxing gyms let a lot of things slide if you're not a prospect or an upper amateur, and some of the people you spar with can be asocial, boring, or wannabe tough guys who don't respect the sport and want to show off to their coterie of friends.From a self-protection or martial arts standpoint, the book is rich. Forget ripping with the laces. There's a practical hitting crossface here, with sliding impact and damage. Dirty techniques use the forearms, thumbs, and fingers. Thomas offers the body mechanics behind techniques usually relegated to forms and katas. More so if it's winter and you're wearing gloves of some kind. If someone drags you down on top of them, you could do worse than drive your entire body weight through their groin and spleen with your knee and elbow.Thomas offers set-ups, practical advice, targeting, and how to put power into the movements while disguising them as accidents. Proximity always helps with the aid of a clinch.The "outlaw killer punches" represent forearm chops and hammerfists. Before anyone rolls their eyes, both work and both usually are taught poorly. Instead of the cartoon "bonk," Thomas offers multiple angles and targets, set ups, how to throw these off of traditional left hooks and overhand rights for snapping power. He adds the penetration and rotation often missing even in MMA fights, especially where one contender hurriedly arm bonks an opponent on the ground.With the rise of South Asian fighting systems, and their techniques' inclusion in combatives regimens, we've seen more practical hammerfists from empty-handed Kali and Silat than previously available. Instructors like Lee Morrison (Urban Combatives) and Eddie Quinn ("The Approach") employ them extensively. Thomas' derive from boxing punches, though aim for a similar goal of broken bones and blunt force trauma by throwing full-power bareknuckle shots without risk of damaging one's knuckles. Thomas offers a weapon equivalent to the blows, characterizing them as baseball bat, hammer, guillotine, and ax punches. Throughout, he offers tactical advice. Miss a hook, return with a hammerfist to the opponent's chin or neck before he can counter. (Or land a hook and use the backfist, as we saw Chris Weidman do to knock out Anderson Silva at 2013's UFC 162.) Use the guillotine downwards strike -- butt of fist or forearm -- to hit a crouched opponent's neck or back. Again, these aren't the errant bonks often mistaught at martial arts dojos. They are technical, bodyweight-powered strikes with snap and follow through. They are thrown from cross-guards or otherwise disguised. None of them have the big wind-up of the kata blows that are guaranteed to face preemption or miss completely. Thomas also offers combinations, such as a right ax punch to the opponent's neck, quickly followed with a left hook and standard right. One also could build their own combos, such as the moving pinion and elbow lock to someone's right hand paired with your own right ax and baseball bat punches.As supporting material, I recommend watching dirty fights online for context. A standout is Manny Pacquiao's 2001 contest against the late Agapito Sanchez. Sanchez used knee knocks, head locks, headbutts, repeated low blows, often in explicit combinations. Awful sport fight to watch, though illustrative of a ring nightmare with some techniques that could translate well to a back alley.Unfortunately, this book is rare and expensive. Don't pay $250 for it. No one has republished it or archived it online in PDF form. It took me years to find a copy less than $50, and the next-cheapest copies were $75.

I am an active boxer myself and this book is rather ridiculous and amusing than anything else! It starts with the fact that that guy and his little *tricks* refer to a time where i have still be fluent, and im 21. Stuff like: "Scratch your opponents face with the ropes of your gloves"...uhm: Mr. Thomas...today the part of the gloves where the "ropes" are gets covered with tape! Then most of his punches are basically the same. The whole book could be done in 5 pages! His little stories are pretty boring and one feels like sitting at a table with a guy who wont stop telling you what a damn hard guy he's been and yadda yadda...simply never stops talking about his past and all! *yawwwn* The KILLER PUNCHES are actually not really executable in a ring...first of all: The motion you have to do is too slow! The opponent will hit you before you can do that lil *miss, pull back, and hit him with the outside of the glove* thingy...pathetic! Second: Most of the punches will definately NOT be tolerated by ANY official in the ring! I mean: sure...go for the shot...perhaps you are lucky and do knock him out, just dont be surprised if you get disqualified! Seriously...the techniques and tricks he describes in that book reminds me of a "low budget production" where the guy gets a bottle dragged across his skull and 10 guys attack that one hardass one after the other...life is NOT like that. A glass bottle breaks your face and 10 guys attack you all at once! Same with the book...reality is different! If a punch takes almost 2 seconds your opponent has ripped you apart in the mean time and the ring official is NOT blind! So, sorry pal...that book sucks! If you are interested in boxing and some hard punches: do NOT buy this book, but train hard and be hard in the ring! Take care and keep it real... ...singing off with with a jab, jab, uppercut, hook combination from the city of guts and balls, Mad Dawg

Champ Thomas book gives a good overview of the dirty tricks that one may encounter in a boxing ring but I cannot see how one might encounter them, or use them, in a streetfight. The author's war stories add some spice to the book however and readers will get a feeling of nostalgia from the type of politicaly incorrect language he uses.

It's real. Do alot of freeze framing on championship fights and you will notice the top tranked boxers usings these techniques with skill. Usually the outlaw punches are done very quick and in the middle of a blindingly fast combination, as they are very hard to pick up, even in slow motion. You have to freeze frame, like when Buster douglas knocked out Mike Tyson, he did a crushing uppercut, then finished "iron" mike off with an elbow to the head and the old 1 - 2 to make it look good. These tactics are so smooth, even professional commentators, referees, and judges don't know they happened. This book doesn't concentrate on low blows and other obvious lawbreakers, but uses deception. Glove laces are tapped up in regular matches, but are not in amateur bouts and sparring, so that is a great tip to look out for. GH

If you box, or even plan on boxing, I suggest that you read this book. It will let you know all the dirty tricks used in the ring. I think you need this knowledge in order for you to compete without getting suckerd. Face it, there are alot of dirty boxers that will do anything to win. You must be prepared for the worst. The only downside is that you need to know the basics of boxing in order to apply the techniques suggested in this book. CHECK IT OUT.

THE BOOK SHOWS MANY RING AND STREETFIGHTING TECHNIQUES AND HOW TO APPLY THEM IN A FIGHT.THE INFORMATION IN THIS BOOK TEACHES YOU THE DIRTY FIGHTING SKILLS YOU MAY NEED TO USE IN A REAL FIGHT.I ENJOYED THE BOOK AND RECOMMEND IT FOR THOSE INTERESTED IN STREET STYLE FIGHTING SKILLS.