Jokes aside tho, all Marxist-Leninists that CAN learn a combat sport/self defense, definitely should. If you have the opportunity to learn how to legally use a firearm, or own one, I suggest that highly as well. And firearms while less legal, can be used by disabled comrades that can’t pick up combat sports or self defense training
I understand the statistics, but I'm skeptical of the idea that guns inherently make you and those around you less safe. I think discipline, peaceful conflict resolution skills and a healthy dose of reason mitigate the effects/risks of gun misuse.
It depends on who has it. I would feel safe having one, I’m in a state where I can legally own one and I feel safe enough to use it. My brother suffers from Depression and he has said before that he wouldn’t trust himself being in a house with a firearm, so I don’t own one currently, but when I move out I most likely will get one.
And when it comes to self-defense, anything is better than nothing. But if you have options, study something practical.
By no means a full list but BJJ, Krav Maga, Muy Thai Filipino Kali, and Fencing all have very practical applications. Anything that has a focus on ending encounters quickly, whether by escaping or disabling an attacker, or protecting yourself from weapons is going to more useful than something that looks cool but prioritizes form and tradition over training for real life scenarios.
Boxing's dope. It serves as the basis for a lot of the MA I mentioned. I think because of that you can learn to throw a good punch combo from pretty much any hand to hand art.
I think the biggest thing formal boxing training has going for it is the agility and footwork. Learning how to avoid strikes, get faster and take advantage of openings is pretty useful in a fight scenario.
I completely agree, at my gym I usually train boxing at the end of every session. I try to hit the bag hard enough so I can dodge it on its way back to me. My absolute favorite part of boxing is shadow-speedbag. Basically just act like you have a speedbag in front of you. You’d be amazed at what you can train and accomplish with no equipment.