History Main / BoxingLessonsForSuperman

** In the third season, all the major heroic characters go through some form of this, first at a training camp where they all essentially overexert their powers to make them more powerful, and later when the class is tasked with inventing "ultimate moves" that use their abilities in new and creative ways. Mundane combat training also proves useful for characters like Uraraka, who has an anti-gravity power that's often tricky to apply in battle, so she learns martial arts and often uses it to catch opponents (who are expecting a Quirk-based attack) off-guard.

** Mirio's power is {{intangibility}}, but comes with a LogicalWeakness: while intangible, he cannot see, hear, or breathe. So he's had to develop AwesomenessByAnalysis to anticipate where his opponent will be when he regains solidity. [[spoiler: This was best shown when he was shot by a [[BroughtDownToNormal quirk destroying bullet]] but still managed to go toe to toe with ''Overhaul'']]

* Ainz from ''LightNovel/Overlord2012'', despite being a spellcaster, has the ability to change classes to a fighter dual-wielding {{BFS}}es, which he uses for his Momon disguise. Though he has zero experience in swordfighting (to the point that more experienced fighters note how amateurish his fighting style is) he's still able to win any fight by virtue of being grossly overleveled compared to everyone else. Despite this, there are some occasions where instead of simply crushing his opponent outright he'll drag the fight on so he can study their fighting style to take notes on how to properly counter it without having to rely entirely on his stats.

* Philuffy in ''LightNovel/UndefeatedBahamutChronicle'' gained SuperStrength after [[spoiler:having an Abyss parasite implanted in her]]. Even as a child, she was as strong as an adult man, and she's even stronger as a teenager. She was taught martial arts in order to control this and prevent her accidentally crushing people in her everyday life, but this training synergizes well with her strength when she does need to fight.

* ''Webcomic/GrrlPower'': Maxima was arguably the most powerful super in the world, with an incredible array of abilities including the ability to produce effects measured in ''kilotons'' and survive the same. And then when she was eighteen, she joined the United States military, and became ''inarguably'' the most powerful super in the world. She combines her jaw-dropping powers with shameless {{Combat Pragmatis|t}}m, use of allies and teamwork, and expert martial arts. There are only two people in the world who have ever fought her to a draw, and she [[NeverFoundTheBody seemingly]] managed to kill one of them. [[DefeatMeansFrienship The other one joined her team.]]

* ''Webcomic/GrrlPower'': Maxima was arguably the most powerful super in the world, with an incredible array of abilities including the ability to produce effects measured in ''kilotons'' and survive the same. And then when she was eighteen, she joined the United States military, and became ''inarguably'' the most powerful super in the world. She combines her jaw-dropping powers with shameless {{Combat Pragmatis|t}}m, use of allies and teamwork, and expert martial arts. There are only two people in the world who have ever fought her to a draw, and she [[NeverFoundTheBody seemingly]] managed to kill one of them.

** Another good example is Trafalgar Law, who has the ability to connect pieces of different objects together or swap them with other pieces. To make the best use of this ability, he mastered the SwordBeam to slice things up so he can have the pieces needed to manipulate, and from a distance where most fighters cannot safely reach him. Even better, it was revealed that Law [[spoiler:used to suffer from a illness considered terminal]]. By eating the Op-Op Fruit, he could make use of its power to the fullest, having received training as a doctor. [[spoiler:He even ''cured himself of the illness using the fruit's power'']]. One could even say that the devil fruit was practically made for him.

* In Franchise/TheDCU, ComicBook/{{Wildcat}} is a BadassNormal former pro boxer, and considered one of the hero community's go-to guys to get lessons from. The list of people he trained is like a Who's Who of DC Universe {{Badass Normal}}s: Characters/{{Batman|TheCharacter}}, Characters/{{Catwoman}} I & II, Characters/BlackCanary II, Wildcat II & III, and ComicBook/{{Starman}} (Jack Knight), among others.

* In ''Series/Supergirl2015''/''Series/TheFlash2014'' story ''Fanfic/CallMeKara'' both [[Franchise/TheFlash Barry]] and [[ComicBook/{{Supergirl}} Kara]] go through this to utilize their powers to the fullest extent. Kara receives hand-to-hand combat League of Assassins training from Nyssa Al'Ghul, while Nyssa pushes Barry to learn to use his vibrations offensively. Both of these skills come in handy when they take down their respective Big Bads.

** Same thing happens in ''Fanfic/JWITCHSeason1'', another crossover between the same franchises.

** It's eventually revealed that ''not'' adhering to this trope is the reason that normally [[NighInvulnerability Nigh-Invulnerable]] Logia fruit users rarely survive in the New World, where so many people are able to use Haki to nullify their invulnerability. If a Logia fruit user is over-reliant on said NighInvulnerability and doesn't have anything else to fall back on, they're screwed.
* In ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'', the BloodKnight Kenpachi is UnskilledButStrong, using absolute brute force to beat most opponents. But when he finally faces one whom brute force is useless against, he switches to his secret weapon: ''a basic kendo swing'' that Commander Yamamoto had forced him to learn... which is so powerful it causes his opponent to '''explode'''. In chapter 520, [[spoiler:Kyouraku's first order as the new captain-commander of the Gotei 13]] is to give Kenpachi more formal training to prepare him for Vandereich's next move. [[spoiler:Soul Society's ruling council actually doesn't want Kenpachi to get any stronger because they are worried he'll be unstoppable if he decides to rebel against Soul Society. Kyouraku convinces them that they need Kenpachi to become stronger, because if they lose in the current war, they'll be too dead to worry about such things. Kenpachi's teacher is '''Retsu Unohana, the first Kenpachi'''.]]

* More justified than usual in one issue of ''ComicBook/SheHulk'' when Shulkie is in training to [[TheBoxingEpisode box]] the Champion of the Universe. She weight lifts as her human alter ego because she realizes that increasing her strength as a human has a '''geometric''' effect when she [[HulkingOut Hulks Out]].

* In ''[[https://forum.spacebattles.com/threads/dcu-general-bat-brats.653422/ Bat Brats]]'', Blackfire is shown training in a MMA gym to learn more combat techniques to apply to her SuperStrength-and gleefully take advantage of the fact she can ''shut said super strength down at will'' to train like a normal human and have a greater muscle mass to apply said super strength to.

* In ''Literature/WearingTheCape'', Hope Corrigan gains the [[FlyingBrick Atlas-type]] power set, enabling her to outfly jets, bench-press buses, and take direct hits from military ordinance. So the first thing she does is go into intensive, fight-club style training so she has a chance against all the '''other''' Atlas-types out there.

** One of Harry Dresden´s '''many''' [[TookALevelInBadass levels in badass]] involves him learning basic martial arts and quarterstaff fighting from Murphy, as well as running periodically so he has options other than blasting things in the face. This pays off whenever he's fighting someone who his magic is ineffective against, or humans, who he can't use magic against without risking breaking [[ThouShaltNotKill the first law of magic]]. And since he carries around a heavy oak staff anyway to channel his magic...

** The power theme of the Solar Exalted in particular is excellence through abilities. They are the strongest of the Exalted by pushing their mundane skills to superhuman levels, allowing them to do things like fire an arrow as far as they can see, turn invisible, or taste the presence of a flavorless poison in a glass of wine because the poison dilutes the wine.

* In ''Film/IronMan2'', Tony is shown practicing "mixed martial-arts" (actually [[CombatPragmatist Dirty Boxing]]) against Happy Hogan. Later, when he and Rhodey get into a fight, the lessons actually come in handy because Tony is more used to fighting in PoweredArmor and is actually able to hold his own against the military-trained Colonel Rhodes despite being drunk.

** Mostly averted with Rey, who may or may not manifest minor phenomena in fields like piloting and mechanics she's already good at, but goes straight for telepathy, telekinesis, and both combat and regular meditation with no relation to her other skills in the first two films. In fact her piloting and combat prowess mostly gets handwaved as Force Adeptcy.

* Speaking of Characters/{{Batman|TheCharacter}}, he also counts. Batman has the native talent and ability to have Olympic levels of strength, speed, and power basically making him the human equivalent of winning the human SuoerpowerLottery (of course he still has to train). However, he has a blackbelt in basically every martial arts possible.[[note]]A lot of stories claim that he mastered all martial art styles which is impossible. Even accounting for how many styles there are, some martial arts require having multiple degrees of black belt. Just one school can take decades to master. In fact, new degrees are made when the highest level is reached by someone. Meaning it is possible for a degree of blackbelt to exist that literally no one has ever reached yet. "Mastery" is a concept that doesn't exist, only new heights of technique and power.]]

** Garou is specifically noted to be more dangerous than your average monster specifically due to being a martial arts master to go along with his superhuman power.

Take an already abnormal character and teach them some sort of mundane skill to take their badassery UpToEleven. Got an ImaginationBasedPower? Some engineering classes might make your constructs more formidable, along with art classes to stretch the imagination. Got SuperStrength? How about some karate to avoid being UnskilledButStrong? The power and the skills involved can exist in numerous combinations, but it works to the same effect.

** After their defeat by Aokiji, Luffy ordered Cross to inform the crew of anything that'll make them stronger, which includes the Six Powers. By the end of Enies Lobby, [[spoiler:Sanji had learned three of Six Powers related to kicking (including Sky Walk and his own version of Tempest Kick), Carue had pushed Shave UpToEleven, and Boss Dugong had pilfered Jabra's Six Power cheatsheet to not only create a replica called Full-Shell Style but also developed his own version of the seventh power Rokuogan]].

** [[Characters/XMen70sMembers Nightcrawler]] has teleportation and super-agility that make him a dangerous enough combatant, but he has also increased his acrobatic skills by working for many years as a circus performer, and his love of Creator/ErrolFlynn movies has led him to study fencing. So now he's a super agile teleporting swashbuckler who can attack with up to three swords at once (his tail is fully prehensile and can hold one).

[[caption-width-right:350:[[UsefulNotes/MuhammadAli Float like a]] [[SuperSpeed speeding bullet]], [[SuperStrength sting like a locomotive]].]]

[[caption-width-right:350:[[UsefulNotes/MuhammadAli Float like a butterfly]], [[SuperStrength sting like a locomotive]].]]

* ''Website/Fenspace'' has the Panzer Kunst Gruppe, a martial arts academy created specifically for teaching android or cyborg fen (and presumably anyone with an organic biomod that comes with sufficient advanced strength) how to get the most out of their augmentations rather than [[UnskilledButStrong relying on brute strength to carry them through]]. It also includes training in how to non-lethally subdue a squishier opponent without accidentally killing them.

** The {{Trope Namer|s}} is the comic book ''Superman vs UsefulNotes/MuhammadAli'', where Ali teaches Characters/{{Superman|TheCharacter}} to box. {{Justified|Trope}} since for plot reasons, they'll have to fight [[PowerNullifier under a red sun]] where Supes will be BroughtDownToNormal; Ali trains Superman in a special gym in the Fortress of Solitude that can similarly neutralize Superman's powers.

* In ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'', the BloodKnight Kenpachi is UnskilledButStrong, using absolute brute force to beat most opponents. But when he finally faces one whom brute force is useless against, he switches to his secret weapon: ''a basic kendo swing'' that Commander Yamamoto had forced him to learn... which is so powerful it causes his opponent to '''explode'''. In chapter 520, [[spoiler:Kyouraku's first order as the new captain-commander of the Gotei 13]] is to give Kenpachi more formal training to prepare him for Vandereich's next move. [[spoiler:Soul Society's ruling council actually doesn't want Kenpachi to get any stronger because they are worried he'll be unstoppable if he decides to rebel against Soul Society. Kyouraku convinces them that they need Kenpachi to become stronger, because if they lose in the current war, they'll be too dead to worry about such things. Kenpachi's teacher is '''Retsu Unohana, the first Kenpachi''']].

* ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}'':

* ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'':

** The {{Trope Namer|s}} is the comic book ''Superman vs UsefulNotes/MuhammadAli'', where Ali teaches Franchise/{{Superman}} to box. {{Justified|Trope}} since for plot reasons, they'll have to fight [[PowerNullifier under a red sun]] where Supes will be BroughtDownToNormal; Ali trains Superman in a special gym in the Fortress of Solitude that can similarly neutralize Superman's powers.
** Also, it has been stated multiple times that Superman has taken fighting lessons from [[Franchise/{{Batman}} one of Earth's greatest martial artists]] as well as [[Franchise/WonderWoman Earth's greatest warrior]].

** Pre-ComicBook/{{Crisis|on Infinite Earths}}, a ComicBook/{{Superboy}} story had Pa Kent give a few boxing lessons to his super-son, after Superboy initially fails to stop a powerful new villain (and Pa realizes Clark had never really learned about such self-defense/fighting methods).

** Not only does ComicBook/{{Supergirl}} have all the powers of [[Franchise/{{Superman}} her cousin]], she has had training in both unarmed and armed combat. In [[ComicBook/Supergirl2005 Post-Crisis]] story ''ComicBook/TheSupergirlFromKrypton2004'', Wonder Woman takes Kara to Themyscira to give her hand-to-hand and armed combat. Unfortunately, most writers tend to forget this.

* When Franchise/WonderWoman lost her powers for a while in TheSeventies (the period when she wore the white [[SpyCatsuit catsuit]] instead of her normal costume), she trained under a martial arts master to help compensate. This case was atypical and a product of the era [[note]]Creator/BruceLee had just become popular[[/note]]--in most depictions, Diana already has warrior training as an Amazon.
* In Franchise/TheDCU, ComicBook/{{Wildcat}} is a BadassNormal former pro boxer, and considered one of the hero community's go-to guys to get lessons from. The list of people he trained is like a Who's Who of DC Universe {{Badass Normal}}s: Franchise/{{Batman}}, ComicBook/{{Catwoman}} I & II, ComicBook/BlackCanary II, Wildcat II & III, and ComicBook/{{Starman}} (Jack Knight), among others.

* One issue of the ''Franchise/GreenLantern Corps'' had Kyle Rayner encounter a situation in which he could not challenge Sinestro without breaking a truce that kept a fragile peace. Kyle proposed that the two fight as normals--without ''any'' [[ImaginationBasedSuperpower Green Lantern Rings]]. Sinestro accepts, brags that he had been trained by some of the greatest martial artists in the known universe, and asks Kyle who trained ''him''. Kyle's reply? Franchise/{{Batman}}. [[http://thebatmanuniverse.net/image/Misc/Blog/Indivdual%20Posts/Dave/Green%20Lantern%20Schooled/Bat%20punch%20B.jpg In a two-page splash, no less.]]

** ComicBook/KittyPryde learned martial arts (both {{Ninj|a}}utsu and UsefulNotes/KravMaga) from ComicBook/{{Wolverine}} himself, in addition to being an [[{{Intangibility}} Intangible Woman]].

** ComicBook/{{Storm|MarvelComics}} was taught by ComicBook/{{Wolverine}}, not only to fight but also how to use a gun. [[BroughtDownToNormal Good thing too.]]
** ComicBook/{{Psylocke}} is a borderline example; while she has martial arts skills in addition to her PsychicPowers, and has the ability to use her powers and martial skills in unique ways, this was granted to her in an impossible FreakyFridayFlip fashion, and not something she learned herself. Kwannon, the woman whose body she inhabits, is this trope played straight, as a low-level empath who trained to become an expert assassin.
** ComicBook/{{Nightcrawler}} has teleportation and super-agility that make him a dangerous enough combatant, but he has also increased his acrobatic skills by working for many years as a circus performer, and his love of Creator/ErrolFlynn movies has led him to study fencing. So now he's a super agile teleporting swashbuckler who can attack with up to three swords at once (his tail is fully prehensile and can hold one).
** ComicBook/{{Magneto}}:

*** A good example of how important this is, comes in the form of Magneto's youngest daughter ComicBook/{{Polaris}}... who has identical powers but none of his scientific expertise. This results in her being ''far'' less effective at using her control over magnetism.
** ComicBook/{{Domino|Marvel Comics}} underwent training from ComicBook/ShangChi after experiencing some PowerIncontinence.
* [[ComicBook/InvisibleWoman Susan Storm]] was mentioned at one point to have studied martial arts under ComicBook/IronFist, which she combined with her ability to project force fields to devastating effect. It was noted she was "a very good student."
* During ''ComicBook/PlanetHulk'', ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk becomes a gladiator on a planet with beings who approach him in sheer physical might, so he slowly but surely becomes a craftier fighter, using his strength in more ingenious ways instead of merely relying on it exclusively. The other Marvel "[[NiceJobBreakingItHero heroes]]" were in for a ''rude'' awakening during ''ComicBook/WorldWarHulk''.
* Subtly mentioned in various X-Men titles, like the ''X-Men: Evolution'' note below, [[ComicBook/{{Cyclops}} Scott]] has learned various skills to compensate and enhance his power. He specifically trains to fight so that he doesn't lose his visor, has learned to fight blind and remember where his visor fell, and is a master of applied geometry. The latter has resulted in Wolverine owing Scott a truckload of beer over billiards.

* ComicBook/AmericaChavez is a FlyingBrick but has several years of boxing training under her belt on top of that.
* ComicBook/{{Taskmaster}}. His power? Being able to copy any move that he can physically perform as well as the guy he watched. The skill he later picked up? Teaching what he knew.

** His classic universe counterpart finally did get some martial arts training from ComicBook/CaptainAmerica and [[ComicBook/IronMan Tony Stark]] tried to mentor him. The Ultimate version ''did'' try to take lessons from them as well but... Between Tony being more interested in just hanging out with Spidey in his lab and Cap being an enormous asshole, it didn't go quite as well.
*** And he got some lessons from ComicBook/IronFist... which allowed him to do a BulletCatch.

* One issue of ''ComicBook/NewAvengers'' had ComicBook/CaptainAmerica acting as a DrillSergeantNasty and teaching several teammates – both supers and {{Badass Normal}}s – how to use martial arts. He tells them they'll thank him later. Years later, Comicbook/{{Hawkeye}} did – posthumously. This actually had some basis in earlier Silver Age comics, as an old issue of ''Comicbook/TheAvengers'' had [[Comicbook/AntMan Goliath]] hold his own in a fist fight with the Super-Adaptoid, which he chalked up to hand-to-hand combat training Cap had given him.
* ''ComicBook/IronMan'': Tony Stark, unable to access his armor for the time being, goes to [[ComicBook/CaptainAmerica Steve Rogers]] to learn how to fight during the Demon In A Bottle story arc, under the pretense of being more vulnerable to his enemies now that his "bodyguard" Iron Man won't be able to protect him. It comes in handy when Stark is captured by Justin Hammer and his goons.

** Deconstructed with Superboy. While it's good for him to learn hand-to-hand combat, Orange Lantern fears that he's being held back by [[FightsLikeANormal Black Canary]]. Black Canary is a good fighter, but she's still a normal human going against a Kryptonian. One wrong move from Superboy and she's paste. If Superboy gets too used to holding himself back, he will not fight at full strength in combat. Furthermore, SuperStrength fights have different priorities, with grappling becoming more important than striking, and knees becoming more effective weapons than concrete. So OL asks Wonder Woman, who has over eighty years of martial experience, regularly wins against Superman, and is {{Nigh Invulnerab|ility}}le, to train Superboy.

** ''TabletopGame/PrincessTheHopeful'': The magical weaponry of a Princess's Regalia is explictly compatible with mundane Fighting Style merits, even when this doesn't look like it should work (for example, even if a Princess is shooting rainbow lasers with a cheerleading baton, she can still benefit from normal marksman's training).

* A villainous example occurs in ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague''. Shade, who has a nightstick that [[CastingAShadow creates shadows and manipulates them]], is essentially rendered powerless without it. Batman beats him this way the first time. When it comes time for a rematch and Batman uses the same tactic, Shade sucker punches him, having taken lessons in preparation for this sort of thing. He still got his ass kicked, of course, but at least he learned.
* In ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice'', after being humiliated by Black Canary with a judo toss, ComicBook/{{Superboy}} begrudgingly takes private fighting lessons. The results start showing less than two episodes after.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans'' everyone from the planet Tamaran has superhuman strength; however, Blackfire complements that by also knowing martial arts from many worlds. Also, Cyborg's mechanical body wouldn't be nearly as awesome if he weren't also a mechanical genius able to repair and upgrade it (so for him it's also RequiredSecondaryPowers).

* In ''Anime/TigerAndBunny'', Kotetsu spent much of his free time in high school learning how to fight without relying on his powers ([[ComesGreatResponsibility which he limited to using only to help people in trouble]]), and managed to build a reputation as an undefeated street fighter without anyone knowing he was a [[DifferentlyPoweredIndividual NEXT]]. This comes in handy twenty years down the line when [[spoiler:he starts losing his powers]].

* ''Fanfic/TheLogiaBrothers'': After Luffy and his brothers eat their devil fruits, Kuzan trains them in how to effectively use them, especially how to instantly change into their element on instinct.