Home Boxing Tip #1: Jab TapPosted on December 27, 2009 by Aaron
This is the beginning of a new series of boxing tips I will be
trying to post on a semi-regular basis. With any luck, you should
see a new boxing tip everyday. I will never forget the day in the
gym that I learned the boxing tip that I call the jab tap. (I have
no idea if that is the official name for it). My trainer could have
told me how to do it, but instead I learned the hard way during one
of many sparring sessions. This day I ended up with a very bloody
nose. I flicked a jab out at his head and from out of absolutely
nowhere I got clocked with a straight right that rattled every bone
in my face. After I recovered from the shock, I was in complete
disbelief. How did he manage to punch through my jab with a right?
If you think about the mechanics for this boxing tip, two orthodox
stances facing off leave very little room for a straight right to
land on target when one opponent is throwing a jab. If you follow a
straight line from chin to chin, the punches would end up hitting
each other midway -- they basically follow the same line. Thus, the
only way to land that straight right is to come in at a different
angle or move the jab out of the way. Well, turns out the second
method is what happened to me. As my jab neared my trainer, he very
quickly tapped it downward with an ever so slight tap as he began
to throw a straight right. With the jab deflected downward, my face
was wide open and he seized the opportunity turning the forward
motion of the tap into a full out straight right that was
completely unobstructed going in. The rest is history. It was a
hard learned lesson. I am so grateful for learning that lesson
though, because it has come in handy more than once. It is one of
those boxing tips that drives home the requirement for perfect
timing in boxing. The ability to anticipate someone's move and use
their offense in your own offense is what makes this sport so
incredible. This boxing tip is also a counter attack. Utilizing the
Jab Tap1. Facing your boxing opponent, you have to read him or her
and anticipate when they are going to throw their jab or you can
bait them. I talk about baiting in another boxing tip, but
basically you can lure them into throwing what you want them to
throw by adjusting the target they see. In this case, bait them by
opening up your guard and exposing your head slightly. Just be
careful what you ask for. 2. As the jab comes in, you have to start
throwing your right and time it so that it is just out in front of
your face when the jab is coming in. It is at this point that your
open glove should be able to very lightly tap the jab downwards.
You only need a very slight movement. The momentum of the jab
hitting the deflection of your hand will send it harmlessly out of
the way. 3. Continue with the straight right now, with full force
at your target. If the timing is right, your opponent will not know
what hit him and there will be very little danger of counter attack
as he will not have recovered his jab or be in any position to
launch another punch. He undoubtedly will try slipping the right,
so be sure to follow this with a left hook or a jab of your own.
When to use the Jab TapYou can use this at any time, but I find it
works best in the opening rounds of a fight. It sets a tone and
says, "jab at me if you want, but I'm going to nail you". It
definitely makes them think twice about throwing excessive jabs
out. Be careful though, using a lazy jab from your opponent to do
this with just says to your opponent to stop being lazy. If he's
any good, he'll think twice about just throwing lazy jabs and
instead will ensure everyone coming your way is crisp and clean.
This could decrease openings and make slipping much tougher. It
generally does not work so well when your opponent is throwing a
double or triple jab. This is because they may not be totally
committed to the first jab. That is, they may be pulling it back
about the same time you are tapping it. If that happens and you
follow through for the right, they may be in a position to land the
second jab as you are moving forward. Watch out for that. I
especially like using this boxing tip when my opponent thinks he is
going to start a flurry of punches. Stopping him on the first punch
really changes the tone of the fight. Practicing the Jab TapThe
best way to practice is with a sparring partner in order to get the
timing right. However, if you can't convince someone to throw jabs
at you, then visualize it in front of the heavy bag. Picture it
coming in, make the motion with your right hand to tap it down and
then slam the right into the bag. As soon as you do, move and
repeat. Good luck.
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Home Boxing Tip #2: Creating OpeningsPosted on January 2, 2010
by Aaron What is the goal of boxing? The answer: to hit and not get
hit. So, do you think moving head on into an opponent is the best
way to achieve the above? The answer: No. When you are in the ring,
facing an opponent and are static, that is, not moving, you are a
target. Same goes for your opponent. Both of you know it, so what
do you do? You protect yourself. You put up your guard and you
ensure as little of your body or head is visible. This is how you
satisfy the "not get hit" part of the equation above. Now how do
you expect to hit if your opponent is doing the same thing? For
startes you could be like Rocky Marciano and just punch whatever
you can. Arms, shoulders, forearms, nail them and nail them hard.
Some boxers that boxed Rocky said that every punch hurt and it
didn't matter where you got hit. So, if you're a swarmer like
Marciano and have the power, then punch and punch hard. Just be
ready to receive whatever you are giving. For most of us, that is
not an option and as such we have to learn to create openings. This
can be done in two basic ways: 1. Using angles: Sideways movement
is unpredictable. Back and forth moving is predictable. When you
throw out a jab, any untrained person will generally lean back to
try and get out of the way. There is some merit of that in boxing,
but in general, it is a predictable response and one that leaves
you in no position to counterpunch. A far better option is to step
to an angle or slip the punch. It is so much more unpredictable
(you can move in a number of angles with a number of rhythms), plus
it sets you up to counter attack. 2. Using feints: Do not confuse
this with deception, this is more of a trick for lack of a better
term. Pretending to punch someone in the head and then switching
mid way and hitting to the body will likely create an opening as
they bring their arms up to protect their head. Same goes for the
body. Fake a shot to the ribs and the arms will drop as your
opponent flinches giving you a split second to switch it up and
land one to the head. Feints do not just have to be punches. They
can be body movements as well such as pretending to go left and
then suddenly going right. Deception, I'll save for another day. It
involves a lot more thinking in terms of the strategic effect you
want to achieve. When to UseAll the time. The less predictable you
are in the ring, the less chance you will get tagged and the more
chance you have of finding an opening. If you are moving backwards
when you fight, you aren't fighting, you're fleeing. (There are
exceptions to this, and some great boxers can punch off the back
foot or a movement backwards). When you are attacking from
different angles, not only are you creating openings, but you are
messing with your opponent's mind. You are can get within their
decision making cycle and actually make them do what you want them
to. How to Practice Creating OpeningsIdeally, with a partner during
sparring. However, you can go through the motions with your heavy
bag or double end bag. Punch and then move sideways or at various
angles around the bag. Practice the feints by faking a shot to the
head and then delivering it low and vice versa. The idea is to make
the fake shot look believable. Sometimes, that can be done with
something as simple as an exaggerated movement with your shoulder
or the faintest hint of movement from your hands. It can also be
done just by looking in a certain spot. Look at your opponent. If
he or she is incredibly tense, they will be susceptible to
exaggerated flinches and you will have excellent success in
employing this boxing tip. Because they are so tight and tense,
they are either completely incapable of moving or when they do
move, it is with far too much energy and force. Something as simple
as deflecting a jab should only take a slight movement of the hand.
Someone this tense will move their entire arm leaving you a giant
target. You want to learn to utilize the momentum of your opponent
to your advantage, but that is for another day's boxing tip. Home
Boxing Tip #3: Use the Force Luke!Posted on January 17, 2010 by
Aaron I mentioned in a previous boxing tip the idea of momentum and
how you want to harness an opponent's momentum and use it to your
advantage. In a way, you want to suck the force out of them and use
it to double your own output in the ring. In the ring there is
stationary and there is movement. Anytime movement is occurring,
energy is being expended. "Energy cannot be created nor destroyed,
only changed from one form to another." What do you think happens
when an immovable object meets an unstoppable force? After the
initial collision, they are at equilibrium meaning neither side is
getting ahead. In order to win, either the unstoppable force or the
immovable object has to take energy from the other player to
disrupt that balance. I'm sure that sounded way too much like 10th
grade science class to most of you, but what I'm trying to get at
in a not so eloquent way, is that you can use the movements and
energy expenditures of your opponent to your advantage if you know
how. If you understand a few simple concepts, you can tailor your
ring game to use the laws of thermodynamics (specifically the
second law) to your advantage: 1. Two objects moving towards one
another will produce a more violent collision than two objects
moving in the same direction: In boxing terms if your opponent is
moving towards you and meets your fist moving towards him, the
added force of his forward momentum will make your punch that much
more powerful and capable of inflicting more damage. Lesson: Try
and hit an opponent as they are moving towards you or at least add
some movement of your own when trying to inflict maximum damage
with a punch.2. An opponent who is moving is easier to throw off
balance than one who is stationary. In boxing terms, this describes
weight transfer. It requires energy and force to stop and move
one's weight in another direction. If that weight is in transfer
and you interrupt it by punching or moving, it may be quite
difficult for your opponent to maintain his or her balance leaving
them susceptible to counter attack. As an example, picture a
straight right. As your opponent throws they are expecting to make
contact. If you side step and the punch misses, if your opponent
was not prepared to miss, the weight transfer will pull them too
far forward leaving them unbalanced for a split second. That is
when you need to strike.3. It is easier to redirect a moving object
than a stationary one. In boxing terms, picture a jab coming at
your head. To hold your hand in front of it and absorb all the
energy and force that was put into it without allowing your hand to
move would be nearly impossible. At very least, it requires the
same amount of force as was put into that punch. However, if you
simply deflect the jab, causing it to change direction - say 45
degrees to the right or left causing it to harmlessly pass by your
head, you only need a fraction of the energy in your blocking hand
to do this. As an added bonus, the deflection may carry over into
principle 2 here and cause an off balance situation.4. Kinetic
energy can be transferred from one object to another. In boxing
terms, this is what happens when you land a punch. This is how
damage is caused. A clean, quick, SNAP, transfers all of the
forward momentum from your punch into your opponent and this is
when maximum damage is caused. If you push or pull your punches,
the energy is not being transferred in its entirety. Thus, you
really need to practice on punching at the optimal distance from
your target.How to Practice Sucking ForceFirst thing you need to do
is completely visualize what is happening. That is itself will make
you more aware of your opponent's movements and put you in a
position to use those movements to your advantage. Second, watch
professionals box. Don't watch like a fan would watch, watch like a
student. It is helpful to record the match and play it back in slow
motion. Watch how the boxers react to each other and pick out the
places where they are using their opponent's movements to launch
their own counters or their own offensives. Third, move that theory
into practice by shadowboxing the movements with an imaginary
opponent. Picture them doing something and then react to it.
Fourth, bring it into the ring and put it to the test. Repeated
sparring is the only sure fire way to drill your reactions. Build
up a repertoire of reactions by perfecting one and then working on
another. In short order you will be able to anticipate your
opponent's moves and know how to use those forces to your own
advantage. As a last note, perfect your striking distance.
Transfering the energy from your punch to your opponent is your
goal and when your striking distance is perfect that transfer
occurs effortlessly. Home Boxing Tip #4: BlockingPosted on January
18, 2010 by Aaron A block is done to prevent a punch from hitting
you. Seems obvious enough, but it is only half of the defense. You
see, you will not be able to block every punch coming at you.
Depending on the strength of your opponent, you will not want to.
Blocking punches from a strong puncher will wear you down. If they
are strong enough, they will punch right through your blocks.
Luckily, a puncher with such strength is usually an anomaly and not
the norm. However, you shouldn't go into a fight believing you are
simply going to block every punch thrown at you. Doing so requires
a lot of energy. Energy that can be better used to put you in an
offensive mode. A block is best when it is used as a bridge to a
counter. Picture an opponent coming at you. Presumably they are not
stupid and want to throw some type of combination knowing, as you
do, that the more punches they throw, the better chance they have
of scoring. So, this opponent throws a 1-2-3 combination. If you
don't do anything, you get hit with all three punches. However, if
you block any of them, you disrupt the combination AND use that
disruption to launch your own offensive. You disrupt your
opponent's planned course of action, you cause him to react which
requires thinking. Depending on how skilled they are, the
disruption will give you an opening. This all seems very confusing,
and doesn't seem to have much to do with blocking. Actually it
does, let me clarify. In the example above, if you decide to block
all three shots and simply cover up, you are not disrupting
anything. The jab comes at you, you put up your guard and absorb
it, followed by the right which you may or may not absorb without
hitting yourself in the face, followed by the left hook, which
hopefully you managed to bring your elbow up to block as well. In
the end, you expended energy blocking and are no better off than
when you started other than decreasing the amount of damage those
punches did to you -- hopefully. But you can't win without
offense... Now, if you had blocked the jab and then moved to the
outside as the straight right comes in, you are in a position to
cause some damage of your own. Not only have you disrupted your
opponent's combination, but you used your energy more wisely
changing your situation to regain the initiative. You want to be an
attacker, not a defender. Sometimes the punches will be coming in
so fast that you have no choice but to block, but you should strive
to block and move and always be cognizant of the opening. In those
instances when blocking is your only option here are some tips for
making the blocks more effective and less taxing: 1. Incorporate
movement into the block. Picture a spring. If you were to punch a
spring it would absorb a lot of your power. Kind of like a shock
absorber. By moving in the same direction as the punch, you act
like a shock absorber and some of the punch's energy will be
absorbed by the movement. Never try and act like a brick wall
(unless you are trying to send your opponent a message). The energy
from the punch still has to go somewhere. You don't have to get hit
in the face to feel the pain of a punch. Your forearms will notice
them too.2. Angle your arms and body to deflect rather than absorb.
Picture yourself belly flopping into the water vs diving into
water. When your hands cut the water, entry is a lot easier. If
your forearms are positioned so the punches glance off them rather
than connect full on, they are going to feel a lot better. It may
also throw your opponent off balance.3. Gauge the power of your
opponent. Understanding how hard your opponent is hitting, will let
you know how much you have to brace for impact. Subsequently, it
gives you a better indication of how to position your arms in front
of your vital spots to absorb the punches. For instance, if you
brace up tight with your gloves actually touching your chin and
face and take a punch from a strong opponent, you are not going to
block much of anything. You will effectively be punching yourself
in the head. In this case, your arms should be a little ways away
from your face so you can absorb the power of the punch. If your
opponent is weak, blocking with your gloves touching your face may
not be a problem at all. You need to figure out how hard your
opponent can hit. This is usually done in the first or second round
of the fight (feeling out round).Block and slip, block and move,
block and counter punch. Block and do something. Boxing Tip #5 -
Learn to Read the SignsPosted on January 18, 2010 by Aaron When you
can read your opponent like an open book, you can flip to the back
to spoil the ending. Everyone has tells. To be a successful poker
player, you have to learn to read your opponent to know when they
are bluffing. The same thing happens in boxing. Beware though, one
man's tell is another man's deception. There are two types of
tells:1. Universal tells. These are based on physiology. For
instance, the hips have to rotate a certain way to throw a certain
punch. 2. Idiosyncratic tells. These are unique to your opponent.
They are habits they have developed over time which have either
gone unnoticed or unchecked. How to Read the Universal Signs1. The
hips don't lie. Shakira knew it, and boxers know it too. Stop
looking your opponent in the eyes and start looking at his center
of mass and how it shifts. If a hip begins to rotate towards you,
something is coming from that side. It is a sign of loading -
bringing power up through the legs, torso, to the punching arm. 2.
Watch the twitch in the shoulders. Inexperienced boxers will lead
with their shoulders. Much in the same way you can read the hips,
if a shoulder begins to move, expect an attack from that side,
especially if your opponent is new to the sport. Experienced boxers
will check this habit delivering crisp punches straight out without
a lot of shoulder movement. 3. Watch for the load. This is a bit
harder to do, but when your opponent is about to throw a punch,
they will generally load up. This could be anything from a more
firm stance on the ground, bend in the knees, hip movement,
shoulder movement or whatever. What is happening is that he is
getting ready to throw a punch. The harder the punch, the bigger
the load as he positions himself to shift weight into the attack.
It's hard to describe but you will almost get a feeling of
impending doom. That is, after enough practice, you will almost be
able to sense an attack coming. That sense is your subconcious
analyzing the fight to that moment and hypothesizing or predicting
probable outcomes of subtle movements. 4. Watch for tension.
Related to point 3, but an opponent who suddenly tenses is likely
to attack or move. You have to be relaxed when you box. Tensing up
in an effort to jab speedily will only forecast what you are about
to do. Practice jabbing from a relaxed state, and look for this
tell in your opponents. 5. Beware of the eyes. This depends on your
opponent, but the eyes can really mess up your boxing match, or aid
you in victory. Generally speaking as experience level goes up, the
amount of trust you can put in where your opponent is looking goes
down. Beginners, for obvious reasons look at their target before
hitting. It's like hockey. If I'm going to pass to someone, should
I look at them basically telling the other team, "hey intercept
this". No, I look at someone to draw attention away from where I am
really looking to hit. How to Read the Idiosyncratic (Personality
Driven) Signs1. Make your opponent tell you what they are. Throw
something at him and watch closely. You may have heard the term
"feeling out" round. Both opponents are seeing how each other
react. So, throw a good jab at his face and watch what he does.
Especially early in the fight, he will very often show you exactly
how he is going to react to your advances. 2. Look at his history.
Easier to do in the pros because fights are taped, but if you are
scheduled to fight someone, do your homework. Get video of past
fights or go watch him or her in training (if you can...) Get a
friend to go watch -- Yes, spy. Time on recce is time seldom
wasted. 3. Let your inner mind do the work. Over time, your mind
will instantly pick out the tells whether you are conciously
looking for them or not. The key is to be aware so that you pick
them out sooner than later. Your mind is an incredible pattern
recognizing machine. Remaining relaxed and observant will serve you
well. It may take a few rounds, but soon enough you will know what
the predictors are. Common predictors include: movements twitches
glances rhythmic footwork (patterns) funny steps deep breaths eye
movements breathing movementsPretty much anything can be a tell and
it is in your best interest to find them early and exploit them
fully. Just remember, if you are looking for your opponent's tells,
he is probably looking for yours. This is one reason shadowboxing
in front of a mirror is so important. You can actually see what
your opponent is seeing. As well, a good trainer will be watching
for your patterns and predictors so he can at least alert you to
them. This will allow you to make a concious decision to hide them.
What kinds of signs have your opponent's shown you? Boxing Tip #6 -
How to Deal with Getting HitPosted on January 18, 2010 by Aaron
Like it or not, if you box you get hit. Everyone deals with it
differently and you will discover your own reaction seconds after
your first one. You are kidding yourself if you think you are going
to go head to head with someone and defend every punch. You are
going to get hit hard in the face, gut, and a lot of other places.
Yeah, it sucks! But, if you plan on being a decent boxer, you have
to learn to deal with the initial pain and the secondary effects
the blood, cuts, broken bones, concussions, stolen air, and your
brain attacking you. It can be done though, and Ill show you how.
Now that weve established that you are going to get nailed
repeatedly and you are OK with that, what can you do to prepare
yourself? David Haye v Ismail AbdoulEBU (European) Cruiserweight
Title (Loura)The top three things to remember before the hit: 1.
Keep your eyes open at all times and never turn your back. Bring up
your guard and do your best to avoid the onslaught, but always keep
your eyes on your opponent. Never close them and hope your opponent
is going to get tired and go away. They wont. You cant fight back
if you have no idea what is going on.2. Move. If you do get hit
dont put your head or body back where it got slammed in the first
place. If I throw a jab, Im expecting my opponents head to whip
back and then come straight back towards me. Bob, weave, step, duck
or do something to make your opponent guess where his target is
going to be and hopefully miss any follow up. In the army, when we
come under enemy fire, we hit the ground and roll. Why? Because by
rolling, the enemy doesnt know where you will pop back up. If you
come up where you went down in the first place, you are sticking
your head in your enemys sights. All he has to do is pull the
trigger. 3. Control your instinct to flinch. Its natural, but you
must overcome it. If I walk up to you and pretend to smack you in
the face, you are going to respond. You are going to shut your
eyes, maybe move your head, or bring your hands up to protect you.
That is your bodys natural way of defending itself and it usually
works pretty good. Problem is, it is easily tricked. If you flinch
for no reason, you set yourself up to actually get hit. How do you
control your flinching? Get used to things coming at you hard and
fast. Go all matrixy and actually see the bullets coming at you.
So, to deal with the flinch: Keep your eyes open. No matter what,
at all costs, keep your eyes open so you can see what is going on.
You cant react to what you cant see. Allow close misses. In boxing
you want to make small controlled movements that expend minimal
energy. When you slip a jab you want it to just barely miss you.
When you duck, you want the hook to blow air through your hair. If
it is more than a millimetre away from you, it is too far. Drill
it. When you drill it enough, you will be unphased by punches
whizzing by your head. You will remain steady and focused. That is
when you know you have control of your flinch. You are going to be
surprised that over time you will notice fewer and fewer of the
hits. They really dont hurt as much as you perceive them to in the
first place. Its just such a foreign concept for most people to get
hit in the face that when it happens its like WOW. After a while
though, its nothing more than a nuisance (for the most part). Even
better is that with enough practice, things will slow right down
and you will feel like you are in the matrix. You will have
incredible reaction time as your reflexes develop. Some boxing
drills to prepare you for the eventuality of getting hit: 1. Spar
and put yourself on the receiving end. This is a defensive drill
where you attempt to block and slip while your partner wails on
you. You are not allowed to throw anything back so your partner
knows he is good to go to unleash on you without fear of reprisal.
Keep your eyes open, guard up, stay relaxed and allow the close
misses. Use angles and movement to keep from getting hit. When you
do get hit, move and regroup. 2. Hang a slip bag. (See Tyson
training). This is as simple as tying a small bag to a string. Hit
it and let it come swinging back at your face. At the last possible
second, slip allowing it to brush by. Get in position and repeat.
3. Have a partner throw things at you (preferably soft things).
Practice moving at the last possible second. 4. Build muscle.
Especially true for body shots. If you have a strong shield of
abdominals, the effects of body shots are going to be diminished.
With a partner, whip medicine balls at each others abs and allow
them to hit you. Or, lay on the floor and throw a ball into the air
and allow it to land on your gut. Youll quickly learn when the best
time to tense the muscles is. 5. In a controlled manner, get hit.
Im not talking full power, but let someone with gloves on hit you
in the face and in the stomach. (you may want to wear a full face
headgear) You have to get used to getting hit, recovering, and
getting ready for the next one. If you dont, the first time it
happens will leave you standing in the middle of the tracks waiting
for the locomotive to mow you down. 6. Double end bag training is
great. That little sucker tends to want to hit you in the face all
on its own and is incredibly effective for developing slipping
skills and reflexes. Getting hit is not as bad as it seems.
Sometimes it hurts and is going to break things or cut you, but
generally, hits are relatively harmless. The pain lets you know you
are still in the game. The key is getting accustomed to your own
reaction (generally fear) and dealing with it effectively. Youll
never be 100% ready for a hit, but you can condition yourself to
deal with it better than turtling and crying like a baby. Home
Boxing Tip #7 - The Pendulum StepPosted on January 18, 2010 by
Aaron The pendulum step is a more advanced footwork and timing
concept that should be used sparingly. It uses a lot of energy to
maintain, but can be very effective at delivering a very powerful
jab that will completely catch your opponent off guard. It also
utilizes momentum from both yourself and your opponent which
magnifies the striking power of the jab. Sound intriguing? What is
the Pendulum Step?If you've watched Muhammed Ali box you'll have a
pretty good idea how this works. Basically, you are bouncing back
and forth from toe to toe almost like you are skipping. The hops
are small and controlled basically putting your head in range and
then pulling it out of range just as quick. Not a lot different
than the typical boxing stance except there is constant movement in
a pendulum motion - forward and back, forward and back. As you are
actually lifting your weight off the mat, this is also a dangerous
move. Timed right, your opponent can knock you flat out simply
because you have no contact with the floor. At the same time, the
momentum you build up gives you the ability to change directions in
a split second and transition into various combinations at will.
The pendulum step I'm referring to here includes not only the
pendulum movement, but also an attack. How to Do the Pendulum
StepThe pendulum step is a lure. You will lure your opponent into
throwing a jab which you will promptly return with something a lot
more powerful. As mentioned above, you are hopping in a controlled
manner from front foot to back foot - forward to back which puts
your head in and out of range. Doing this at some point will entice
your opponent to attack and throw a jab. When you see it coming you
have to immediately push back with your front foot to step out of
range of the jab - backwards in a straight line. You're not done
though -- as soon as you've cleared the range of the jab, slam your
back foot down propelling yourself forward with a counter jab of
your own. Timed right, you will follow your opponent's jab back
striking your opponent with the force of your jab, your forward
momentum, and the forward momentum of your opponent. The result
will completely stun your opponent and regain you the initiative.
It's shock action at its best. How to Practice the Pendulum Step1.
With a partner: Start slow and get the timing right. Get into the
pendulum step hopping forward and back in front of your partner.
Have your partner throw continuous jabs and get the feel for
evading them backwards in time with your hops and then moving
forward as your partner draws his jab back. Once you have that, go
for the attack. Practice as before, but this time throw a jab on
the return trying to beat your opponent's jab back to the guard. 2.
Without a partner: If all you've got is a heavy bag, you can still
practice this. Give the bag a push and then get moving in the
pendulum motion in time with the bag. Picture a jab coming at you
as the bag moves toward you and take a slightly bigger hop back
(that simulates evading the jab). When you land, propel forward
with a jab of your own catching the bag as it is moving away from
you (simulates the withdraw of the jab). The quicker you can catch
the bag with your jab as it is moving back the better you are
getting. Some TipsThis step is all about timing and conditioning
yourself to decrease your reaction times. This will help develop
your reflexes in addition to increasing your level of agility in
terms of your footwork. When the basic pendulum step starts to
become second nature, you can increase the level of difficulty by
bringing angles into the equation. When you do the evade, hop back
and to a side. This will give you an even clearer shot at your
opponent on the counter attack. You can also try throwing other
kinds of punches. The jab is most effective because you can shoot
it out extremely quickly and you are well aligned to do so, but a
quick hook or uppercut could also be effective (or a hybrid of
both). What to AvoidThe pendulum step wastes a lot of energy. The
constant forward and back is rythmic and can easily be timed, so
ensure you switch up the rhythm. If you plan on moving like this
for the entire round, then ensure your conditioning can take it.
Along with timing, someone keen on what you are doing can do the
same thing to you by faking the jab out and then catching you hard
as you come screaming in. For that reason, like all boxing, ensure
your strategy is sound and you have an idea of the level of boxer
you are dealing with. Obviously this will work better with someone
who is not expecting it. Boxing Tip #8 - Effective Body
PunchesPosted on January 18, 2010 by Aaron Destroy the body and the
head will die. Far too often boxers will focus primarily on the
head as their main target area and neglect throwing body punches.
This is a mistake. Hurting the body, while not immediately obvious
or as satisfying, is a sure route to victory. To develop a complete
offensive game, you have to learn how to effectively throw body
shots and body punches. How do you know your body punches are
effective?A knockout from a blow to the body happens occasionally,
but it is far from the norm. Highlight reels are full of head shots
that send boxers sprawling across the canvas while a well placed
body shot simply crumples them to the mat. As such, they don't make
the ESPN recap. Whenyou are assaulting your opponent's body, you
likely will not see or hear much progress being made. You may hear
the occasional grunt or groan, but body shots tend to be an
accumulative effect. They build up over time to win the fight for
you. There are ways to figure out if your body punches are being
effective though: 1. Your opponent will start breathing heavy.2.
You'll begin to notice slowness both in punches and movement.3.
Eventually, obvious signs of distress will appear- buckling over,
shaky legs, inability to catch breath and knockdowns.
Where to punch the body.While you can deliver powerful body
punches, you will see more effect by placing well targeted punches.
Precision is the name of the game for the body. In some places -
pelvic bone, hipbone, abs - the body has bones and muscles that
offer it a lot of protection, while in other places there is little
- sternum (marked as X in picture), under pectorals, ribs (marked
by arrow in picture). Hitting one of these prime targets can
disable your opponent instantly or at least knock the wind
completely out of him which will set you up for a finishing blow.
Problem is, that the body is generally well protected by the elbows
and arms - at least in experienced boxers. Plus, getting in close
enough to throw your punch without getting clocked in the head is
always a challenge. Body punching is something you will require a
lot of practice with to get good at. Throwing a Jab to the Body.The
jab to the body is the only punch that you will actually bend over
at the waist to deliver. If you were to crouch straight down and
throw a jab to your opponent's body, you completely expose your
head and against and orthodox fighter, you can be sure he will come
over your jab and nail you with a straight right. So, to lessen the
danger, you bend at the waist perpendicular to your opponent while
simultaneously bringing your right hand up to protect the left side
of your chin and throw the jab out at your opponent and then
recover just as quickly. It is all one fluid motion with a step
toward your opponent. This will take some getting used to, but with
practice your balance will develop and you will be able to get a
little power behind it. This is a jab remember, it is not meant to
knock out your opponent. It is meant to set something else up and
you really should only use it against a hesitant boxer -- one who
isn't initiating any attacks. It is a means of getting him to
commit to something. You want to aim at your opponent's sternum,
but the target can fluctuate depending on how his body is
protected. Throwing a Straight Right to the body.This and the left
hook are identical to the shots to the head except that you crouch
straight down and then deliver a well placed punch to your target
area. People, and not only boxers, hate to crouch as it places a
lot of stress on the legs. It takes energy to crouch and then come
back up (which is why strength training such as squats is very
important). You need excellent stamina in your legs and quadriceps
that can handle this. To deliver, crouch down so that your head is
about the height of your opponent's sternum. This will move your
head out of his target range of vision - at least temporarily. You
will want to practice dropping out of sight very quickly, throwing,
and then recovering. Be careful on the recover. Try moving as you
come back up as it is pretty easy otherwise for your opponent to
time a punch to where your head should come back up in a moment.
The punch itself is thrown just like a regular straight right. You
transfer the weight from the back to the front while snapping your
arm out and back in a straight line from your chin. You are aiming
for the sternum - about two inches below the center of the chest
where the rib cage comes together. If you've ever had the wind
knocked out of you, you'll know why. Throwing a Left Hook to the
Body.The left hook, like the straight right, to the body is simply
a crouching followed by a throw. However, you have to get in close
enough to land your punch. To do so, take a small step to the right
side of your opponent and then drop down. It will place you in a
good position to land a precisely placed punch either directly to
the ribs or upwards underneath your opponent's right pectoral. Hit
too low and you'll nail his hipbone/pelvic bone which is hard and
will not do too much damage. Place your punch in the fleshy,
unprotected rib/pec region and he is going to feel it. Tips and
Tricks In both of the crouching punches (straight right and left
hook) watch the positioning of your rear foot. If it is 90 degrees
to the way you are facing (turned too far outwards) you run the
risk of tearing ligaments in your knee, especially if you slip and
your knees buckle. Maintain your stance with your feet turned out
at 45 degrees. This will let your knees bend in a more natural way
and prevent injury. It is highly likely there will be an elbow in
front of your intended target. If your straight right is going to
end up hitting an arm, then try looping around instead of throwing
it straight out. As I mentioned before, worry less about power in
your body punches and more about precision. Deliver enough powerful
little blows to the right spots and the fight will turn in your
favour. At all times be aware of how you expose your head and try
to compensate either by blocking with the hand not throwing or by
movement. A combination of the two works well as well. Body shots,
as most punches, should always be thrown as the start of
combinations. Try practicing throwing two left hooks to the body
followed by a straight right to the body or mix it up and throw a
body shot followed by a head shot followed by a body shot. Never
think of it as a one punch deal. Last, condition your legs. They
are the biggest factor in effective body punching. You have to be
able to crouch down repeatedly and not lose leg strength. Squats,
lunges, calf raises, running, and plyometrics should all be
effectively used to condition your legs. Don't neglect them...and
don't neglect your opponent's body. Work it hard. Boxing Tip #9:
Boxing Your Worst OpponentPosted on January 18, 2010 by Aaron
Someday you'll find yourself boxing the worst opponent of all.
Picture the biggest, scariest, fastest, most ripped, super
aggressive fighter you can think of, multiply him by a thousand and
then put him in the opposite corner from you. Picture him sitting
on that stool coldly staring at you, penetrating your very soul.
Picture him standing, every breath causing every muscle to bulge
and twitch with eager anticipation of what he is about to do to
you. Scare you? Raise your level of anxiety just a little bit?
Well, guess what? No matter who you fight, the worst opponent will
never be the one sitting across the ring from you. The worst one
will by yourself by a longshot. Ross Enamait wrote an article over
at rossboxing.com about Boxing with a Poker Face: Quote:A boxer
must also conceal emotions throughout the competition. If he is
hurt or fatigued, he must mask these feelings from his opponent.
The idea behind the poker face is to present a specific image to
your opponent. For example, entering the final round of a bout,
there is a good chance that both you and your opponent are battling
with fatigue. Your arms may feel heavy, the legs unsteady. It is
during these times that you will look to identify a weakness within
your opponent. Is he also tired? Is he breathing heavy? What can
you read from his body language?A fight can be won or lost based
completely in your mind. You can literally psych yourself out of a
victory, and by letting on to how tired you are, you can actually
strengthen your opponent. Some of you will understand this feeling.
You notice your opponent weakening and it actually makes you
stronger. One can always find solace in the discomfort of others.
No matter how bad off you are, if someone is worse off, you can
feed on that. How to Maintain Focus through FatigueIn simple terms,
it is all about conditioning. You have to practice hiding how you
are really feeling. You can be so completely wiped out and dreading
the sound of the next bell, but if you let on that you are tired,
you are only going to fuel your opponent. You should be looking at
your opponent and watching for his level of energy and carefully
monitoring the signals you are sending out. In order to do this,
you have to be aware of your image at all times in the fight, and
that happens by being aware of yourself during practices. So right
now, when you are in the gym, stop huffing and puffing and
complaining. Stop sitting down, taking breaks, whimpering, and
grunting. Stop throwing pathetic, weak little punches and letting
your guard down. Give your trainer 100% Now is the time to get it
right, so when you are in the ring your opponent will be staring at
you coming to the realization that he is up against an invincible
force. You show weakness and it will be exploited. You portray
invincibility and you will weaken your opponent without even
hitting him. You will never find anyone who can outbox you more
than yourself. Even when you know everything, are conditioned up
the wahoo and are literally in your prime, if your head isn't on
straight you can lose before stepping into the ring. So, train how
you will fight. And that means not showing weakness in the gym or
even when you are by yourself. You will respond in a fight the way
you have drilled your body. So make sure you drill it right. Home
Boxing Tip #10: Boxing a Taller FighterPosted on January 18, 2010
by Aaron Unless you are the tall opponent, then eventually you are
going to find yourself matched up with someone you literally have
to look up to. Boxing a taller opponent has some unique challenges.
An opponent who is taller than you will usually have a significant
reach advantage, longer legs, and a target area that is not where
you are used to hitting. What does that mean for you and how do you
deal with it? 1. Longer arms means you are in his striking area
before he is in yours. Chances are he knows this too. I don't want
to generalize too much, but tall fighters can get used to standing
back and picking off their opponents from the outside simply
because they can. If at all possible, make him come to you. Make
him play your game. 2. Bring the fight to him. When it is painfully
obvious that he is not going to play your game and you actually
want to fight, then you have no choice but to go to him. That means
you are going to have to thwart his initial attack to get inside.
Once you do get inside - STAY THERE. Inevitably you are going to
take a few shots every time you attempt to get inside and possibly
when you get back out again. 3. Inside fighting is an artform of
its own. Once you are there, condense everything and stay as close
to the body of your opponent as you possibly can. It doesn't hurt
to put your forehead on his chest to gauge the distance and then
punish his body with short, controlled combinations. Your guard has
to be super tight - do not expose any vital areas. Keep working and
when you can't work anymore, either clinch or explode out of
danger. It is absolutely necessary that when you do decide to go to
the taller opponent that you do it with authority and decisiveness.
Do not hesitantly walk towards him -- explode into him, push him
back, corner him and punish him. Do not go in on a straight line,
but rather duck, weave and whatever else you can do to give him the
fastest moving target he has ever seen. Specific Drills to Practice
to Prepare you for the Taller Opponent1. All forms of defense
against the jab - but become a master at catching, blocking, or
parrying the jab as you move forward. You will have to figure out a
way to use his jab in your attack. Consider it punch number one of
your combination. 2. Body work - hooks and uppercuts that are
short, controlled and fierce. Each one must be delivered from
within. Best way to practice is to put your head on the heavy bag
with a slight pressure as if you were pushing your opponent
backwards with your forehead and then unload. If you aren't
unloading, cover up but do not let the distance grow. Clinch if you
have to. Inside you are relatively safe against a taller opponent
because you use the length of his arms against him. 3. Leg work.
You need explosive power in your legs in order to get in and out.
Work the plyometrics and practice any type of explosive leg
movement such as jumping squats, burpees, bounding, half crouch
heavy bag sessions and so on. 4. Ducking and bobbing - especially
moving forward. Picture the tall guy throwing a jab and how you
would counter it and move in. Picture him throwing a right cross
and how you would duck, sidestep and arrive at your destination.
Picture a hook and the bob and weave you do to make it miss its
intended target and position you where you need to be. Practice a
strategy for dealing with each type of punch so you have a plan
ready to go for each situation. Drill it into your nervous system
so when your eyes see the punch, your body reacts. To get a good
visual of what you need to do, take a look at this fight between
Mike Tyson and Larry Holmes. Holmes has a decent height advantage
over Tyson and you will quickly notice how Holmes attempts to pick
Tyson off with jabs from the outside. He lets Tyson come to him
(which works with Tyson's style anyways). Tyson explodes inside
Holmes' range at every opportunity and attempts to stay there to
unleash a few combinations. You will see how Holmes defends against
this by tying up Tyson and basically trying to nullify Tyson's
ability to punch once he defeats Holmes' outer guard. At any rate,
you will get a good idea of the kind of explosion required to get
inside and the work it is going to take to stay there - especially
against anyone who knows what to do with you when you do get there.
Boxing Tip #11: ClinchingPosted on January 18, 2010 by Aaron You've
seen boxers clinch in every fight. To someone who doesn't know any
better, it becomes downright annoying because it breaks up the
action of two people swinging at each other. However, if you want
to become a competitive boxer, you have to understand clinching,
when to clinch, how to clinch, what to do in a clinch, and how to
get out of a clinch. Why do boxers clinch?The biggest reason boxers
clinch is because they are tired. Clinching is a defensive
technique, but one that really shouldn't be used if possible. Most
boxers use it at a time when they can't afford to, and that is when
they are already tired. Tying yourself up in a clinch will expend a
lot more effort and energy than it would to simply punch and move.
However, it does give you the chance to break your opponent's
momentum and stop him from hitting you for a few seconds.What is
the goal of the clinch in boxing?The goal of clinching in boxing is
to tie up your opponent. Basically you want to capture both of his
arms under yours - much like giving him a big bear hug that
effectively prevents him from lifting his arms and punching. Don't
think you are going to be able to do this for long. In boxing, you
can't tie up your opponent and the referee will break you apart,
but it can be enough of a break if you are getting pummelled and
need to stop the onslaught.Quote:the clinch can keep you from
losing, but it can't make you a winnerHow to ClinchLike I mentioned
above, to clinch you need to capture both of your opponent's arms
under yours. In addition, you will want to put your head on his
shoulder, hold him in tight and put as much weight as you can on
him. This serves two purposes - first, it gives you a bit of rest
and second, it makes him work harder. To get into a clinch, move
towards your opponent with your guard high and elbows close
together. Shoot your arms forward hooking both arms of your
opponent just above the elbows and immediately pull him in close --
rub sweat. (this reason alone is a good one to do this sparingly :)
Then lean on him and do not let him open the distance. Keep his
lead leg between your legs and then use his movement to balance
yourself. Conciously rest and control your energy output and
breathing. How to keep the referee from breaking your
clinch.Clinching in a boxing match is never allowed for long, but
you can prolong it by looking busy in the clinch. If one of the
boxers has an arm free and is fighting, the referee may not break
it up. This takes a tremendous amount of energy and nullifies the
short rest break you are attempting to achieve in the clinch, but
if you are facing an opponent that likes to tie you up, then feed
it to him. Get one arm free and slam it into his liver and side as
he clinches you. Occasionally push back a bit and get a hook into
the head. If you want to get illegal about it, the clinch gives you
a clear shot of your opponent's kidneys and a rabbit punch or two
is always available as well. I don't suggest you resort to illegal
tactics, but a warning shot can signal a clinchy opponent to back
off. How to safely exit a clinch.Getting out of a clinch can be
dangerous because your arms are tied up and your guard is lowered.
The first one to free his arms in the clinch can easily land a
punch on exit which can lead to a full fledged combination and
suddenly one fighter has the initiative. There are two methods of
getting out of a boxing clinch: spin out or shove out. Spinning
Out: Decide which side you are going to spin out on. Usually it is
done on the lead hand. So, if you are orthodox, you want to use
your left hand/palm and grip your opponent's arm just above the
elbow. Control it and push it across your chest and down at about
45 degrees as you step left and around your opponent. This
effectively spins him away and you around. If the referree didn't
break you up, then this is an excellent time to throw a left hook
or straight right. I like to practice the push and followed
immediately by a left hook. Shove Out: In the clinch, quickly bring
your hands in and give your opponent a strong decisive shove in the
middle of his chest while simultaneously stepping back. You may
find it better to even use the shove as a starting point for a
quick hop backwards, but at any rate, ensure you shove is
sufficient enough to throw your opponent off balance for a moment.
You are trying to ensure he is not in position to throw a jab or
other punch as you break the clinch. A safer method of doing this
is to leave your lead hand tying up your opponent's lead arm and
using your rear hand to initiate the shove. You can then guide your
opponent's lead as you shove off ensuring a successful and safe
exit from the clinch.If a referree breaks you up, then step back
cleanly and don't attempt to cheat and get in a cheap shot. At the
same time, realize that this is boxing and cheap shots are plenty,
so protect yourself at all times. The recent Mayweather-Hatton
fight gives you plenty of examples of the clinch in action,
especially through the initial rounds up to round 8. If you can get
through the first two minutes of this video (cheesy tribute
introduction), you can see a number of clinching highlights. Notice
around the 3rd minute how Hatton ties up Mayweather. It is a very
obvious bear hug and you will also notice how the clinch can
deteriorate into some vicious infighting. So, beware if you are
using the clinch because you are tired. There is a good chance that
you will end up even more tired after it. Used at the right time
though, it is a good boxing technique to have available in your
arsenal.Boxing Tip #12 - Double Slip - Bob - Body - Body -
HookPosted on January 19, 2010 by Aaron Sorry for the title of this
boxing tip - I couldn't think of a clever way to describe what I'm
about to tell you in something that would make sense any other way.
I have to take a moment and tell you that this technique opened my
eyes and finally made me understand the whole concept of weight
transfer. Once I worked through this combination a light bulb went
on and I completely understood how one punch puts you in position
for another. Maybe it was the explanation at the time, or maybe I
was just open to understanding that day, but I hope I can do this
justice and give you the same light bulb moment. When to Use the
Double Slip - Bob - Body - Body - Hook.You can use this technique
when your opponent throws a 1-2-3 combination (Jab, Straight Right,
Left Hook). Think and visualize this. If you fight orthodox, your
left foot is forward. Picture an orthodox opponent also with his
left foot forward. Now in slow motion, picture him throwing a jab
at your head. His lead hand is coming towards you and you slip to
the right (outside). You immediately notice a straight right coming
at you as your opponent's torso begins to twist, squaring off in
front of you. Again you slip, this time to the left and now stop
this picture in your mind at the extreme left of your slip. That's
the double slip portion of the technique. Like any good opponent,
you can expect at least a three combination attack. The 1-2 will be
followed by a 3, so as he brings the left hook around to catch you
as you recover from your slip, alter your slip path and duck/bob
over to the right as the hook flies harmlessly over your head. How
to Throw the Body-Body-HookRight at this point, your opponent has
missed you (hopefully) and is fully extended and twisted slightly
away from you trying to recover from his hook. You are now in a
position to inflict some damage and regain the initiative in the
fight. Think of how you are positioned at this point. Likely
crouched, bent slightly to the right (weight more over to the front
right). There is a giant body target in front of you, so nail it
with everything you've got - Right Hook to the Body and follow
through with the weight transfer. Ensure you keep low as you twist
back to the left. If you hit your opponent right, he is going to
twist back to his left which will open up the body on the right.
Take advantage of it and hit with a left hook to the body. That
will likely drop his guard so follow up immediately with a left
hook to the head. There's the body-body-hook portion of this boxing
combination. How to Practice the Double Slip-Bob-Body-Body-HookBest
way to perfect this technique is to break it into two parts and
then combine them once you've perfected both. 1. Defensive Portion
- learn to thwart the attack and end up in the perfect position to
launch your offensive actions. So, start slow and have someone
throw a 1-2-3 combination at you. Keep low and tight and slip at
the last second. You need to draw out the entire 1-2-3 combination
in order to get yourself in position to fight back. If your
opponent doesn't commit entirely to the 1-2-3 combination, it's
going to mess up your plans, so provide him the targets - but be
fast enough to ensure he misses. Slip, slip, bob - Slip, slip, bob.
A lot of this comes from your legs, so keep crouched.2. Offensive
Portion - Here's where the weight transfer is extremely important.
Throw the right hook to the body and notice how your weight
naturally transfers over to the left. Let it. Follow through and
let it load your left hook. Once loaded, throw it - Snap and then
throw another left hook to the head immediately afterwards. The
timing for the whole action is Snap--------Snap, Snap.Ideally, you
want to practice this with someone who can throw a 1-2-3
combination, but you can just as easily visualize what is happening
with a heavybag. As I'm sure I've mentioned (if I haven't I should
have), heavybag work becomes 200% more effective if you are
visualizing it as an opponent. It is not just a big padded leather
bag, it is an opponent complete with arms that throw punches at
you. The sooner you picture that, the sooner you can develop those
reactions required to evade those punches in the ring. Let me know
if you try this and tell me how it works out for you. Enjoy. Home
Boxing Tip #13: Stuck in a CornerPosted on January 19, 2010 by
Aaron Sooner or later you are going to find yourself trying to
battle out of a corner. The boxing ring has four of them and if
your opponent controls the ring, you are going to find yourself
back against the turnbuckle with no avenue of escape. This is where
you want your opponent, so logical to reason that he is going to
try and put you there as well. Prevention is the Best Medicine
First and foremost, stay out of the corners. If you don't let
yourself get in the situation, then you don't have to deal with it.
So, control the fight. Be aware of where you are in relation to the
corners and maneouvre to stay in the centre of the ring where you
have 360 degrees of freedom (assuming you can punch through your
opponent :)) Doing this will require agility and excellent
footwork. It also requires a degree of generalship (something I
will describe in a later article.)
In the Corner by Michael (Mx5tx)Stuck in the Corner First and
foremost, when your back hits the turnbuckle, do not panic. Your
opponent is going to know that he has you in the corner and will
take that opportunity to attack (or they should). If the situation
is ever reversed, make sure you take advantage of the situation. In
effect the corner nullifies half of your opponent's ability - he
can't move and has to rely on a strong defense and his wits to get
out of it. Second, if there was ever a time to keep your eyes open,
this is it. What are you looking for? Two things - punches coming
in, so you can deal with them either blocking, slipping, or
catching and also an opening which is going to require excellent
timing and decisive action to utilize to turn the tides on your
opponent. If you do this right, you can actually change spots with
your opponent -- putting him in the corner and you on the
offensive. The punches coming in - you are just going to have to
deal with the best you can. Hopefully your opponent will start
throwing haymakers and getting sloppy. If he stays tight, accurate,
and on target you are going to have a tough time spinning him.
Luckily, people tend to get excited when they corner someone and
that excitement leads to a total disregard for technique. Not
saying it will always happen that way, but there is a good chance
of it. You also want to lean forward - not backward. You need to be
coiled and ready to step forward in a split second. Watching for
your chance Your chance to turn the tide occurs when your opponent
throws a punch that either overextends him or throws him off
balance. With haymakers or looping rights and lefts, that opening
will be quite obvious and you will have a substantial amount of
time to react. What you want to achieve is to make the haymaker
miss completely which will cause some weight transfer in your
opponent. Immediately following the miss you have to step kind of
towards and around your opponent - underneath the arm that just
missed its target. At the same time, you need to spin around your
opponent, giving him a slight tap/shove. As you spin around him, he
is naturally going to try and realign (spin). He will be off
balance and the tap/shove you give him will send him backfirst into
the turnbuckle. You effectively switch positions and then use that
to your advantage -- but again, Don't Panic. You are now in control
- stay tight and throw controlled, accurate punches. An example
Picture the following scenario. It is one of many, but the
principles are the same: You are in the corner, back against the
turnbuckle and your opponent is throwing punches. Your stance in
the corner should see you leaning slightly forward, absorbing hits,
slipping, and ducking as required, but always maintain the forward
leaning stance. Your weight should be distributed more on your lead
foot. Don't let him punch you back against the turnbuckle. Your
opponent begins to throw a looping right hand and you realize this
is your chance. You duck as the punch comes in, stepping towards
your opponent's left side at the same time. As the punch misses its
target you find yourself under his armpit and basically grab him
around the abdomen, helping him to spin as you step around him,
finishing off with a quick tap/shove which pushes him into the
corner. You then unleash the fury. There are three likely outcomes
that will happen when you spin your opponent. 1. You will succeed -
and you will find him and you exactly where you want to be. Enjoy.
2. You will fail - and you will find yourself still in the corner.
Repeat until you succeed. 3. You will partially succeed - Even
partial success is better than the alternative - you will find
yourself out of the corner, but you may also find your opponent
isn't in the corner either. Now you're back to square one - don't
let yourself get put in the corner again - control the fight.
Boxing Tip #14 - Jab FakePosted on January 19, 2010 by Aaron
Similar to the Jab Tap, I learned this technique the hard way -
glove to face in the ring. I have to give you a little background -
so bear with me. You see, when I first started boxing, I tended to
hold my hands just below eye level. That's not necessarily a bad
thing, but my trainer had a hay day with it. In the
beginning...Being new to the sport, I didn't have the skill or
reflexes to be able to bring my hands up to block what seemed like
lightning bolt jabs coming from my trainer. He easily came through
my mixed stance type of defence - over and over again, I might add.
Well, eventually, I wisened up a bit and decided fine, if I can't
block his jabs, I'll hold my hands higher, adopting a much more
peek a boo style of stance at the risk of exposing my body. I have
a strong core and figured I could take the punishment the few times
that I couldn't get my elbows down to block a body shot. This
actually worked -- for a little while. I held my hands more at the
level of my forehead and peeked through the opening between my
forearms. My head was completely protected - or so I thought. My
Demise...Once my trainer wisened up, and it didn't take long, he
taught me a valuable tip - again - the hard way. If you think about
my stance, hands held high, body more or less exposed, forearms
nearly directly in front of my face, getting a jab in there is
pretty difficult. If you were fighting me, you could easily go to
my body, but because of my stance, I'd be watching for that - I
know my body was exposed and had a plan to adapt to a body
assault.
Connecting with the left hookPhoto by mborowickInstead, my
trainer said, okay, I won't jab him, I'll pretend to jab and then
nail him with a left hook. And that is what he did, over and over.
He faked the jab meaning I braced for impact from the front and
somehow he managed to change his fake jab into a solid left hook
that connected everytime. I couldn't react fast enough to block it
when I finally realized the jab wasn't actually going to impact.
Back to the drawing board for me as I was pummeled repeatedly by
left hooks the rest of the night. He only had to connect once to
make subsequent hooks easier for himself. Just the fact that he
made it through my solid fortress of forearms made me question
where his jab was going to actually go. Now, if I made a move to
block the hook, he just carried through with the jab which nailed
me anyways. If you perfect this technique you will have a punch -
hook or jab - that will land 90% of the time (at least until your
opponent figures out how to use his right as a block the same time
he is using his left to block - something for another tip in the
future.) When to use the Jab FakeThis works best when your opponent
is in a peek a boo stance. With his arms held high, it is much more
difficult for him to react quickly - partly because of the position
of his arms, but also because his vision is likely partly
obstructed by his own arms and hands. This lends perfectly to
faking a punch, especially if you manage to do it behind one his
blind spots. If you don't know what I mean by a blind spot, sitting
where you are, lift your arms up in front of your face as if you
were in a peek a boo stance. Notice your arms. Anything that
happens behind them is partially obstructed from view. If you can
initiate a fake punch in your opponent's blind spots - causing him
to flinch, you are going to buy yourself a little time to throw the
actual punch. Granted, throwing something in a blind spot is more a
matter of luck than skill, but it is still something you should
strive to achieve. To summarize, use the jab fake against someone
who is squared off in front of you in a fairly upright position,
with arms held high partially blocking their view. Utilizing the
Jab FakeYou initiate a jab fake like you would any jab and you have
to make it believable. Your opponent has to believe a jab is coming
at him and is going to impact. That way, in a high peek a book
guard, he will brace his forearms for impact (if he doesn't try
slipping). If it is not believable, he won't, and you'll have less
chance of landing the actual punch. So, throw your jab, but pull it
back about a quarter of the way into it and loop it into a left
hook that goes around your opponent's forearm and strikes the
intended target. This is hard to do. Stopping the forward momentum
is difficult and the more you can loop on the way back, the more
powerful the hook will be as you change the direction of the force.
Speed is key here. Another way to aid in making your opponent
commit to an incoming jab and brace is to give other cues - such as
throwing your shoulder forward. Read the boxing tip on feints for
other ideas on making a believable fake. Practicing the Jab FakeYou
can practice this pretty much anywhere. The biggest thing to master
is halting the forward momentum of your jab and re-routing that
force into a left hook. It is going to feel awkward, but with
practice you can do it and even get your torso to throw a little
extra force behind it. Do this on a heavy bag and strive to achieve
a solid left hook after you fake the jab. Then, if you can find a
partner willing. Have him spar with you with hands held high. See
if you can get him to believe in your fake jab and trick him into
receiving your left hook. It will give you a good idea of how much
you need to pretend to commit the jab in order to give you the time
required to land the hook. An Alternative - Cross FakeOf note, you
can easily adapt this and do the exact same thing with a straight
right. Fake throwing the fake right and instead turn it into a
looping right hand (right hook). You are doing the exact same
thing, just to the other side. I've actually had some good success
with this and find it easier to alter the path of my right as
opposed to my jab. Maybe it's because I'm right handed and have
better control with my right. At any rate, it isn't a stretch to do
this from either side. Strike Fast, Strike Hard...Good Luck. Boxing
Tip #15 - Pre-EmptionPosted on January 20, 2010 by Aaron To preempt
someone is to forestall or prevent (something anticipated) by
acting first. It is a mission verb used in combat to describe a
situation where you attempt to launch an offensive effort before
your opponent in order to seize and then maintain the initiative.
You know your opponent is planning something, but you need to beat
him to the punch (literally). Everyone has a decision cycle (also
referred to as an OODA loop). When you see something happening,
your brain has to process it, make decisions about that event and
then cause you to react to it. In boxing, reaction is bad. Actually
in combat, reaction is bad. If you are reacting, you are always in
the defensive. Proactivity is the remedy for reactivity. I've made
it clear you cannot win without an offense, so to be reactive means
defeat. Back to the OODA loop, if you can launch your offensive
before your opponent makes his next decision, you get inside his
OODA loop and preempt his attack. You always want to be one step
ahead of your opponent, planning your next move while he is still
reacting to the last one. A while ago I wrote about universal and
idiosynchratic tells. These are the little cues people give off
before they do something that basically tell you what they are
going to do. For this boxing tip, we are going to look in depth at
tells that forecast an opponent has decided to throw a jab so that
you can pick up on them and preempt his attack with a jab of your
own. A Quick Story
Preemption: Hit Before Getting HitPhoto by mx5txOnce you know
what your opponent is going to throw, it causes shock and disbelief
when you beat him to the punch. I remember sparring with a young
guy and it was incredibly easy to see when he was going to throw a
jab. Repeatedly, I would strike first knowing that over and over
again, he was going to tell me exactly when he was about to throw
his jab. Not only did I preempt his attack with an offense of my
own, but I also disrupted his attack. (another combat mission
verb). By the end of the sparring, the lad was completely
demoralized. He thought I possessed super speed to be able to beat
his jab time and time again with a jab of my own, and his nose was
quite sore where he got popped over and over again. I was
completely inside his OODA loop and knew what he was going to do
before he did. It's about this time you begin to feel invulnerable.
Preempting the JabTo preempt anything you need to be quick. Jabs
are well suited for preemption because you can throw one from
pretty much any situation - off balance, stepping back, down, up,
and so on. So first thing you need to do is practice your jab,
throwing it out quickly, cleanly, and with decisive force and then
recovering to your guard just as quick. Practice from odd angles -
in close, and far out. You need your jab to flick out with force
and intensity and 100% accuracy. Read Your OpponentIn order to
preempt, you need to know when your opponent is going to launch his
attack. So, watch for the signs of an incoming punch. For a jab:
weight shifts slightly to his front foot; hips begin to rotate;
shoulder drops (in poor jabs); elbow of the front arm begins to
rotate up; you can see it in your opponent's face; or you see
movement of the glove.Obviously not a definitive list and it will
vary from boxer to boxer, but all of us forecast our intentions in
some way. The quicker you can pick up on your opponent's tells, the
quicker you can decide how the fight is going to go. Strike FirstAs
soon as you see any of these signs, strike. Do not think about it,
just throw the punch. If you are right and he is throwing a punch,
by the time yours makes it to him, he will be wide open. Have faith
that you will hit first. You will be elated the first time you do
this and you connect. It's like your opponent just drops his hands
and lets you hit him. Look for the SurpriseA bonus feature - look
for the look of utter surprise in your opponent's face following
your jab. He will have no idea how you managed to throw a punch
that quick. Remember, he is caught up in his decision cycle and is
oblivious to what is happening around him. His brain is engaged in
deciding to throw a jab. He won't be able to react to yours until
his cycle has completed - so beat him to it and you win. Do you
have any stories of pre-emption? Is there some tell you've noticed
your sparring partners give before they launch? Leave a comment, or
ask a question. Boxing Tip #16 - Power in the PivotPosted on
January 20, 2010 by Aaron So you've started boxing and you're
wondering how to add some power to your punches. Do you go to the
gym and bulk up the triceps and biceps? Do you do speed drills on
the heavy bag to get your arms moving faster? Do you pick up 3lb
dumbells and shadowbox?You could do some of all of the above, but a
more effective way to increase your punching power and speed is to
master the pivot principle.What is the Pivot Principle?The pivot
principle isone of the foundations of boxing. No matter how big you
are or powerful you think you are, you can only generate so much
power and speed from moving your arms by themselves.To really
generate powerand speed, it has to come up from the floor through
your legs, accelerate through your hips, out your shoulder to the
endof your fist. Mastering the flow from your legs tothe end of
your punch will more drasticallyimprove your punching prowess than
anything else you can do.
Pivot PrinciplePhoto by hmmlargeartImagine A Rod...In your
boxer's stance, imagine a steel rod that goes down through the top
of your head, down your spine, out your arse and into the floor
effectively anchoringthe center of your body frommoving side to
side or front toback. Thatrod is your axis and you pivot around
that rod. The torque you manage to generate around that pivot point
is what is going to give you all your power.How to Practice the
Pivot PrincipleThe pivot is all in the hips, soyou have to train
your hips to twist. For beginner boxers,standon a line, both feet
facing forward, knees bent andhands up in guard position. Throw
alternating punches straight out to the front, twisting your hips
inthe same direction as your punch. Allowyour legto turn slightly,
but focus on getting afull flex across your hips. Remember the
punch isn't done until your chin is tucked into your shoulder.It is
very helpful to do this in front of a mirror where you can see just
how much your hips are pivoting. Coordination and timing are
theother factors in play here. It will take practice, but you need
to be able to launch your punch at the right point in the pivot to
maximize the force. Start slow, get the technique right, and then
work some speed into theequation.Pivot Principle TipsThe more
flexibility you have in your hip flexors, the easier it is going to
be for you to twist around your pivot axis. So, make sure you
havehip flexibility exercises in your routine. At one time, a lot
of people believed that certain types of crunches (mostly those
that have the feet anchored) were cause of stronger hip flexors and
without proper maintenance, would tighten your hips making the
pivot moredifficult and less effective. Turns out there is no
evidence supporting that, so don't worry about what kind of abwork
you do.Once you have the basic pivot down, really visualize in your
mind's eye the power beginning in your legs, shooting through your
hips as you torque, flying up through your shoulder and exiting the
end of your punch. Start doingthis consistently, and you'll be
amazed at how hard you start hitting.Boxing Tip #17 - Clamping Your
Way to a Correct Guard PositionPosted on January 20, 2010 by Aaron
Hopefully you've learned how to correctly position your head and
arms by now from the boxing basics lesson on the site. If you
haven't, read that before continuing here, but to rehash -
basically your chin is tucked into your lead arm shoulder, with
elbows in close to your sides and gloves up protecting your
face.Seems simple enough right?It is simple if you're standing
still conciously thinking about keeping your head down looking up
through your eyebrows, tucking your chin into your shoulder and
keeping your elbows in nice and close. I'll bet though, thatonce
you start moving around, throwing punches,you may quickly forget
everything you've learned about guard positioning You probably
won't even notice it, but your chin will eventually rise up and
stick right out there, your elbows will leave your sides, and both
of these will beg your opponent to plant a nice juicy fist right
where you're going to feel it.That immediate feedback from your
opponent is usually enough toremind you to put your arms and
headback in position, but by then it may be too late.A lot of you
are training without a partner or trainer, and without a trainer
there to remind you and ensure you develop the habit, you may be in
danger of developing a bad habit instead, letting your elbows drift
away from their protective state and tilting your head up and even
out.So, what can you do to ensure your head and arms stay in the
correct position without having someone watch you?You need a system
of feedback - something that tells you immediately when you aren't
in the correct guard position. That could be a friend who smacks
you in the ribs or face when not protected, but often you can't
even find a good friend to smack you around. Here's a quick and
simple method for ensuring you maintain the correct positioning
while moving around and punching.Clamping the Chin in Proper
Position - Meet the Tennis Ball
Chin PositionPick up one tennis ball and insert it into the
hollow of your neck and then hold it in place by tilting your chin
down, clamping it between your chin and neck. For much smaller
people, you may need to use a golf ball in order to get your head
down far enough. Now, from here, perform your drills ensuring the
ball stays in place. Doing this will help you develop the habit of
keeping your chin down and into your body, thus offering some
protection.Clamping to KeepYour Elbows in Position
Elbow PositionSimilar to clamping a tennis ball between your
neck and body, you can train yourself to keep your elbows in by
using your elbow to hold something - glove, rag, board, etc...
between your elbow and bottom ribs. Pretty much anything works as
long as it is long and flat.You can build on this as well to ensure
your fist stays up beside your chin, by clamping a golf ball (or
something smaller if you are much smaller) between your bicep and
forearm (where your elbow naturally bends.)To PracticeFor the chin
positioning:You can either shadowbox or hit the heavy bag while
holding that ball under your chin. I wouldn't recommend sparring,
as you'll probably do some damage if you are forced to clamp down
harder by an incoming shot than required. Practice moving around
and throwing your punches while keeping that ball in place. After a
while when things start feeling comfortable, remove the ball and
continue practicing until you notice your head lift. Then it's time
to put it back in place. Eventually, drilling in this way, you'll
naturally adopt the correct head positioning.For your
elbows:Obviously you aren't going to be able to throw any punches
or everything you're clamping down on is going to hit the floor.
Instead, practice moving around, slipping, ducking, etc... This is
where a sparring partner can come in handy. Have him throw some
light shots to the body and practice twisting your torso with
everything in position.
Punching in PositionAlternatively, you can clamp down on items
one side at a time and throw punches with the other arm. For
instance, to practice jabbing (orthodox) while maintaining correct
positioning on your right arm, clamp your right arm in place and
then practice away - shadowboxing, heavy bag, or technical
sparring. Same goes for the right, just clamp the left arm in
place.Positive FeedbackHaving the immediate feedback of the item
you are clamping down on hitting the floor will initially cause you
to conciously maintain the correct positioning. Eventually, it will
become second nature and you'll develop the correct habit. In all
of your training without a trainer it is important to try and work
some type of feedback system into your routine so you havea
failsafe that will tell you when you are in danger of developing
bad habits. While not perfect, clamping down can set you up for
success in the long run. Now go clampyour balls and learn proper
positioning.Boxing Tip #18 - Inside Boxing DrillPosted on January
20, 2010 by Aaron Sometimes when you're boxing, you want to get
inside your opponent's reach and stay there. It's usually because
you're boxing someone a lot taller than you or maybe you just like
the close in game. Whatever your reason, if you're going to fight
inside, then you need to practice fighting inside.Often you don't
have someone to spar with that likes you snuggling up close and
pounding them in the ribs or launching vicious hooks to their head.
What's a poor guy to do when he can't find someone willing to take
a beating?Luckily, you have ole faithful - your heavybag - hanging
there just waiting for some attention. Here's a quick and easy
drill you can do that will help you improve your inside boxing
abilities.The AimThe aim of this drill is to perform some type of
entrance drill to close the distance to the bag and then stay there
for the duration of the round. The key is that you can only stay
inside if you're throwing punches. If you quit punching, you can't
stay inside,you have to perform an exit move, get outside, and then
wait for an opportunity to come back inside.To Perform the
DrillStart your round timer, and begin moving around the heavybag.
When you visualize it, cross no man's land, and plant your lead
shoulder against the heavybag. For as long as you are inside, this
shoulder has to maintain contact with the bag, unless you are
throwing a hook or uppercut with the lead hand. You should be
leaning slightly into the bag as if you are keeping your opponent
from pushing you back. Your hands are up and you are very tight
protectivelywatching for hooks and uppercuts.Punches you should be
concentrating on throwing are: short hooks - both left and right
uppercuts - both left and right alternating hooks - left, right,
left combinations of all of the above both to the body and to the
headIf you stop punching and/or visualizing blocking, then move
back across no man's land, take a breather, and then find a way to
enter again. Continue this for the duration of the round.Mike Tyson
vs Trevor BerbickThis little piece of boxing history - Mike Tyson
vs Trevor Berbick for the heavyweight title - notice how Tyson gets
inside and throws tight hooks and uppercuts - especially at the end
of round 2 before the knockout. This is basically what you're
trying to achieve.Do you have any inside boxing drills you do to
develop these skills?Boxing Tip #19 - Jab Slip and EnterPosted on
January 31, 2010 by Aaron As I talked about previously, you need to
have available various strategies for closing the distance between
you and your opponent. This boxing technique isa boxing drillyou
can use to both close the distance and throw your opponent off
guard so that you can close without getting hit and start
inflicting some damage once you get there.The AimTo quickly get
inside, crossing no man's land, without getting hit and setting
yourself up for success once you get there. You will use your
opponent'soffense (a Jab) to create an opening to cross the line.
You slip andthrow a counter, as you step towards your opponent.To
Perform the DrillTo do this drill, you should know how to slip to
the outside. Approach your opponent and be within striking range.
Be on guard as he could unleash anything at this point, but you're
trying to invoke a jab. Or, alternatively, you can remain out of
range and wait for him to throw a jab to try and close the distance
himself.When the jab is thrown you want to slip to the outside. For
an orthodox opponent vs orthodox fighter that means you are
slipping right when facing your opponent. For southpaws it means
your slipping left when facing your opponent. However, it is nota
normal linear slip. You need to slip towards your opponent at a 45
degree angle.Immediately as you slip, step forward which will
basically make you slip more to the wanted45 degree angle. You are
actually stepping towards the jab, but at an angle, while throwing
a right uppercut (left uppercut for southpaws). Push off your back
leg and drive yourself into your opponent. Don't go for a powerful
uppercut at this point with a huge windup. You need speed to beat
your opponent's jab both as it comes towards you and back.The
uppercut is simply to throw him/her off guard so that any follow up
combination they had planned for their jab is disrupted. It will
also serverto set you up for a more powerful punching combination
of your own.If you time this right, you should be delivering the
uppercut just as your opponent has recovered his jab. You will now
be in a position where you are close enough to strike as well as
having landed an uppercut to setup a combination of your own. I
recommend following with a left hook for orthodox fighters (right
hook for southpaws.Once inside, do your damage and then decide if
you are staying there, in which case you should practice some
inside fighting drills, or leaving, in which case you need an exit
strategy.To Practice This DrillBest way to practice this drill is
with an opponent. Start slow and have the opponent extend his arm
into a jab position. Step through the drill noting your opponent's
position and your own position as you get closer to him. Be aware
of your footwork and where you are stepping to correctly align
yourself for an uppercut.Once you understand the footwork and
technique, work on the timing by having your opponent throw a very
slow jab to which you react. Eventually speed it up, until you are
comfortable with the movement and applicable counter at faster and
faster speeds.If you don't have a partner, you can still practice
this with a heavy bag and some good visualization. Imagine the jab
coming out of the heavy bag, slip, move and counter, then get out.
Move around the bag, slip, move, counter, get out. Again, start
slow, perfect the technique and then speed up the movements.Home
Boxing Tip #20 - Covering Up Is Hard To DoPosted on January 31,
2010 by Aaron Once upon a time, there was a boxer named Jim. Jim
loved boxing and would train up to 3 hours a day, working hard on
his conditioning and generally turning himself into a hell of a
fighter. Jim knew he was good, in shape, and decided to reward
himself with a vacation -- a couple weeks cruising the
Caribbean.Jim will be the first one to tell you that a cruise
quickly turns into a battle of who can be the bigger slug. With
food everywhere, the most exercise you get is walking ten steps
from bar to eatery to pool and back again. Sure there is a fitness
room, but Jim wasn't there to workout. He was there to relax, drink
himself silly,and eat whatever he wanted -- and he did just that.By
the end of the vacation, Jim had thoroughly indulged himself,
enjoyed himself, and was ready to get back in the gym. On returning
home, there was a messagewaiting for him-- his coach hadsetup
afight -- the catch -- it was in three days.Ordinarily Jim wouldn't
have blinked as he keeps himself in prime fighting condition all
year long, doing his best to peak when he plans on stepping in the
ring, but this time, he knew he would be in trouble. He just felt
heavier, slower, and not anywhere near his peak. Not one to pass up
a match though, he called his coach back and said he'd take it.So
what happened to Jim when he got in the ring? It wasn't pretty. Out
of breath right from the start, he knew it was going to be a long
fight -- if he could withstand the beating. Damn, he was wishing he
hadn't let himself "go" for the week.There is light at the end of
the tunnel for Jim though. Because Jim knew what to do when he was
out of breath, tired, and incapable of putting on his regular fleet
footed show. The result, he eeked out a win, but it sure wasn't a
pretty display of boxing.So What's My Point?No matter who you are
and how much you train, you're going to have off days and there is
a good chance those off days might coincide with a scheduled fight
or sparring session.On those days, your gas tank is nowhere near
full and you've got to conserve your energy, using it when it
counts. When you only have a 1/4 tank of gas in your car and need
to drive 400 miles, you don't floor it and hope to coast on fumes.
You slow it down, get the best efficiency you can