Boxing Fundamentals

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Boxing Tip #1: Jab Tap

Posted 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 Tap

1. 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 Tap

You 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 Tap

The 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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Boxing Tip #2: Creating Openings

Posted 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 Use
All 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 Openings

Ideally, 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.
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Boxing Tip #3: Use the Force Luke!

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 Force

First 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: Blocking

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 Signs

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 Signs

1. 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) Signs

1. 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 movements
Pretty 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 Hit
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.
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Boxing Tip #7 - The Pendulum Step
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 Step
The 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 Step
1. 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 Tips
This 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 Avoid
The 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 Punches

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 Opponent

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 Fatigue

In 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 Fighter

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

Opponent
1. 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: Clinching

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 winner
How to Clinch
Like 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 - Hook

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-Hook

Right 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-Hook

Best 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 Corner

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 Fake
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 hook

Photo by mborowick
Instead, 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 Fake
This 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 Fake
You 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 Fake
You 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 Fake
Of 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-Emption

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 Hit

Photo by mx5tx
Once 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 Jab

To 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 Opponent

In 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 First
As 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 Surprise

A 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 Pivot

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 is one 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 power and speed, it has to come up from the floor through your legs,
accelerate through your hips, out your shoulder to the end of your fist. Mastering the flow from
your legs to the end of your punch will more drastically improve your punching prowess than
anything else you can do.
Pivot Principle
Photo by hmmlargeart
Imagine 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 anchoring the center of your body
from moving side to side or front to back. That rod 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 Principle

The pivot is all in the hips, so you have to train your hips to twist. For beginner boxers, stand on
a line, both feet facing forward, knees bent and hands up in guard position. Throw alternating
punches straight out to the front, twisting your hips in the same direction as your punch.
Allow your leg to turn slightly, but focus on getting a full 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 the other 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 the equation.
Pivot Principle Tips
The 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 have hip 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 more difficult 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 doing this consistently, and you'll be amazed at how hard you start
hitting.
Boxing Tip #17 - Clamping Your Way to a

Correct Guard Position
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, that once 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 to remind you to put your arms
and head back 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 Position
Pick 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 Keep Your Elbows in Position
Elbow Position
Similar 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 Practice
For 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 Position
Alternatively, 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 Feedback
Having 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 have a 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 clamp your balls and learn proper
positioning.
Boxing Tip #18 - Inside Boxing Drill

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 Aim
The 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 Drill

Start 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 protectively watching 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 head
If 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 Berbick
This 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 Enter

As I talked about previously, you need to have available various strategies for closing the
distance between you and your opponent. This boxing technique is a boxing drill you 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 Aim
To 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's offense (a Jab) to create an opening to
cross the line. You slip and throw a counter, as you step towards your opponent.
To Perform the Drill

To 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 not a 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 wanted 45
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 server to 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 Drill

Best 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 Do

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 message waiting for him -- his coach
had setup a fight -- 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,
and use the gas when you need it.
Jim won that match because he knew how to cover up and choose the moments when his energy
exertion was going to matter. Covering up is relatively easy and comes pretty naturally -- ever
see someone turtle? The hard part is remaining focused at the same time.
How to Cover Up
Covering up doesn't take away your need to expend any energy as ideally you want to keep your
head, arms, and feet moving, but it will give you a second or two to breath if required. At the
same time, your opponent will be slamming you with punches, but if you're doing this right, they
aren't going to be doing a lot of damage. So, he'll tire himself out, and as long as you keep an
eye on what is going on, you'll find an opportunity to strike back.
To cover up, from a high peek a boo guard, simply turn both fists 90 degrees inwards to present
your forearms to your opponent. Tighten your abs causing you to lean slightly forward and drive
your elbows into your body. Push your hands tightly against your forehead.
This last part is important. If you have any space between your gloves and your head, you're
going to be punching yourself in the face when your opponent hits your hands.
Now here is where you need to remain focused and keep your hands and head moving. If you
just assume the position, your opponent is going to beat you like a heavy bag and it's going to
hurt -- eventually. This position as it is does nothing to protect you from hooks and you're still
going to be feeling the impact of hard straights.
Effective Movement
While Covering Up
But, if you keep your hands moving, sliding around your head from front to side and back, you'll
end up deflecting a lot of punches and deflecting is a lot better than absorbing blocks. Plus
chances of opponent connecting go way down when both head and hands are constantly moving
messing up his target.
Like I said though, covering up is no good if you don't remain focused on what is going on. You
have to be aware and looking for the opportunity to strike and regain the initiative. That's what
Jim did. He played a smart game, knew his limitations at the moment and what he was capable
of, and then adjusted his gameplan accordingly. Knowing how to cover up effectively gave him
options.
The 10 best knockouts via a body blow

Head punches can be concussive but body punches, when timed
correctly, can end fights in paralyzing -- and just as dramatic -fashion. Graham Houston recounts his 10 favorite one punch bodyblow knockouts.
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By Graham Houston
Special to ESPN.com
Archive
When we think of great one-punch knockouts, what invariably comes to mind are blows
delivered to the chin. There was Rocky Marciano's big right hand crumpling Jersey Joe Walcott;
Sugar Ray Robinson's left hook blowing away the supposedly blast-proof Gene Fullmer; Bob
Foster's left hook laying out Dick Tiger.
[+] Enlarge
Ethan Miller/Getty ImagesRicky Hatton, right, has a knack for landing the picture-perfect left
hook to the liver.
A one-punch finish with a body punch is much more unusual, but every so often it happens, and
it's happened three times this year.
Jose Luis Castillo's collapse against Ricky Hatton was followed by Jhonny Gonzalez and Tomas
Rojas dropping dramatically against Gerry Penalosa and Jorge Arce respectively.
These endings were startling in their suddenness, surprising because as a rule body punches are
seen as a means of one fighter wearing down the other, slowly eroding his resistance.
When a fighter loses as a result of one punch to the body there can be a suspicion of surrender.
After Hatton's win over Castillo there were those who thought that the veteran Mexican boxer
took an opportunity to bail out.
At the postfight news conference, Castillo's longtime promoter, Bob Arum, wearily explained to
the uninitiated: "Once you get hit that way, and it's a perfect shot like the one Ricky hit him with
tonight, the guy can't breathe for 30 seconds. There's nothing he can do, no matter how he wants
to get up -- he cannot breathe."
The one-punch finish resulting from a body punch is a rarity. To get three in one year is highly
unusual.
Here is a personal top 10 of such finishes -- endings that were literally breathtaking.
1. Oscar De La Hoya vs. Bernard Hopkins -- The highest-profile fight to end with one punch
to the body came in September 2004, when De La Hoya dropped like a stone in the ninth round
of his middleweight title challenge against Hopkins at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
De La Hoya had boxed well and one judge had him in front after eight rounds.
It's hard for someone to knock me out -- never in my wildest dreams

did I think I'd get stopped by a body shot.
-- Oscar De La Hoya, on being knocked out courtesy of a punch to the body
Hopkins was coming on strongly, though. He had swept the seventh and eighth rounds in the
scoring and seemed to be quickening his pace, forcing De La Hoya to retreat. Hopkins had the
look of a man certain he was going to win. At ringside that night, I noticed that his step was
jaunty as he went back to his corner at the end of the eighth round.
Everything was flowing Hopkins' way. De La Hoya landed a crisp left hook in the ninth but
Hopkins came back with a better right hand. Oscar hooked to the body but Hopkins walked
through it.
Then Hopkins stepped in with a left hook around the side of De La Hoya's right elbow, and in the
next instant the Golden Boy was on all fours. TV replays on the big screens at the MGM seemed
to indicate a cuffing type of hook rather than a full-impact shot, but its effect was immediate. De
La Hoya rolled over with an agonized expression as referee Kenny Bayless counted him out. De
La Hoya pounded the canvas in frustration, bringing unsympathetic comments from future big-
fight rival Floyd Mayweather Jr., the gist of which were: "If he had the energy to punch the floor
he had the energy to get up."
After the fight De La Hoya told the media: "It's hard for someone to knock me out -- never in my
wildest dreams did I think I'd get stopped by a body shot."
2. Mickey Ward vs. Alfonso Sanchez -- Ward has always been an exponent of the left hook to
the liver. The Lowell, Mass., junior welterweight was artful in his method of delivery, throwing a
quick hook upstairs to get an opponent's right arm to lift up, then sinking in a hook to the body.
He did this to perfection when knocking out Mexico's Sanchez in the seventh round at the
Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas in April 1997.
Sanchez at the time was a red-hot prospect. He was dominating Ward, who was cut over the eye
and had been dropped in the fifth and battered in the sixth. At ringside that night, I was thinking
it was just a matter of time before Ward got stopped. But in the seventh he came out and started
to throw the left hook in a last-stand type of way, and a perfectly placed drive downstairs had
Sanchez down on his hands and knees gasping for air as referee Mitch Halpern counted him out.
3. Jorge Arce vs. Tomas Rojas -- If Ward pulled off an against-the-tide win against Sanchez, the
sixth-round win scored by Arce in his bantamweight fight against Rojas in September at the Hard
Rock casino hotel in Las Vegas was not far behind.
The tall, rangy southpaw Rojas was outfighting and outpunching Arce in every round. It was as if
the two-weight world champion from Los Mochis couldn't figure out his fellow Mexican's style.
Things almost seemed to be too easy for Rojas as he unloaded his rapid-fire bursts. Then Arce
started to target Rojas's lanky body. I thought a left hook that landed in the kidney area affected
Rojas a little in the fifth -- a similar shot in the next round closed the show in a startling manner.
Rojas turned away and dropped to one knee. Although he got up just in time to beat the count, he
was done. He collapsed into the ropes without really being hit, to bring referee Joe Cortez's
intervention.
4. Gerry Penalosa vs. Jhonny Gonzalez -- Penalosa's seventh-round knockout win over
defending bantamweight champ Gonzalez in Sacramento in April was another case of a losing
fight being salvaged by one crunching blow underneath.
Gonzalez was under pressure in every round but he seemed to be cruising along nicely enough
against the shorter, stronger Filipino southpaw.
The tough and very seasoned Penalosa is not easy to discourage, though. He kept coming
forward, always looking to land a big punch. His opening, in the seventh round, was to
Gonzalez's long and lanky body. He took Gonzalez -- and everyone else -- totally by surprise as
he slid forward and slammed a left hand from his southpaw stance into the Mexican's willowy
frame. Gonzalez dropped to one knee, in which position he was counted out.
[+] Enlarge
Robert Laberge/Getty ImagesJanos Nagy's face it all: Body shots are the hardest to shake off.
5. Arturo Gatti vs. Leo Dorin -- In a blood-and-guts career, Gatti had one of his easiest wins
when he went to the body against chunky Romanian Dorin in their 140-pound title bout in
Atlantic City in July 2004.
A bruising, drawn-out battle had seemed likely. Dorin was unbeaten and had always shown an
excellent chin. A few months earlier he had fought a bloody 12-round draw with Paul Spadafora.
Gatti moved and boxed while Dorin bored in, but in the second round the fight was over in an
instant as Gatti shifted his weight to the left and ripped a tremendous left hook to the Romanian's
ribs under his right elbow. The effect was like the proverbial air going out of a balloon. Dorin
took the count on his knees.
6. Ricky Hatton vs. Jose Luis Castillo -- Another long fight was generally anticipated when
Hatton defended his junior welterweight title against Castillo at the Thomas & Mack Center in
June. Although somewhat faded, Castillo was known for being able to absorb punishment.
It seemed that Castillo might be starting to get into the fight in the third round, but Hatton, who
had been trying to get home his noted left hook to the body through the first two rounds, finally
found just the right opening, touching Castillo on top with the left glove in the Ward manner and
then banging in the finisher around the Mexican veteran's right elbow. Castillo turned away -- the
familiar reaction from a boxer who has been hurt to the body -- and, mouthpiece protruding, took
the count on one knee.
7. Roy Jones Jr. vs. Virgill Hill -- A body-blow finish coming from a right hand is extremely
unusual, but that's exactly how Jones took Virgil Hill out of their fight in the fourth round in
Biloxi, Miss., in April 1998. Hill had never been stopped, and he was quick enough to get away
from Jones's big shots. Then Jones looped a right hand to the body in the fourth and Hill was
instantly undone. He folded to the floor, instinctively reaching around to the kidney region where
the blow had landed, almost as if to reassure himself that Jones hadn't punched a hole in him.
Somehow Hill dragged himself off the canvas but he was still bent over as referee Fred
Steinwinder III counted him out.
8. Diobelys Hurtado vs. Randall Bailey -- The surprise effect of a body blast was again in
evidence when Cuban Hurtado knocked out heavy-handed Bailey in Puerto Rico in February
2002.
The two had traded knockdowns resulting from right hands upstairs, with Bailey down in the
second, Hurtado in the sixth. Coming out for the seventh round Bailey was in front on two of the
judges' cards and coming on strongly when Hurtado surprised him with a right to the body.
Before Bailey could gather himself the Miami-based Cuban fired in several more quick body
blows, and then a particularly debilitating left hook to the liver ended the fight. Bailey went
down as if all the air had been sucked out of him.
Because there had been preceding body punches this was strictly speaking not a one-punch
finish, but the final left hook from Hurtado was such a spectacular shot it is the one that people
remember. Bailey will never forget it.
9. Glenn McCrory vs. Jeff Lampkin -- Just five months after becoming cruiserweight
champion, Britain's McCrory was defending the title against seasoned and dangerous Lampkin,
of Youngstown, Ohio, on McCrory's home ground at Gateshead in northeast England in March
1990.
Although somewhat erratic, Lampkin was known to be a good puncher. McCrory was watching
out for his opponent's big right hand when he got caught by a left hook to the body. He sank to
one knee to be counted out by New Jersey referee Randy Neumann at 2:27 of the third round.
McCrory said afterwards: "It was a fabulous punch -- it took everything I had. I was watching for
the big right hand all the time -- maybe I became transfixed watching for it."
10. Jorge Barrios vs. Janos Nagy -- A one-punch ending from a body blow in the first round is
almost unheard of -- but it happened at the Staples Center in Los Angeles in May 2006, when
junior lightweight champion Barrios crunched previously unbeaten Hungarian Nagy in just 49
seconds.
The aggressive Argentinean was on top of his man before the Hungarian knew what was
happening. Barrios' left hook sank home, just under Nagy's right elbow, and the challenger went
down in delayed reaction. The crowd wasn't happy but Barrios' cuts man Miguel Diaz told me
afterwards: "I went over to the guy's corner and you could see the mark where the punch hit him.
It caught him right in the false ribs (the lower five ribs), and when you get caught there, it's very
painful."
Every other luckless body-blow recipient mentioned in this article would know the feeling.
Thursday Sep 23,

2004
The body shot. It's

rare when one ends
a fight all by itself.
5 of the Best One Punch Body Shot

Knockouts
By Matthew Aguilar
The body shot. It's rare when one ends a fight all by itself. Usually, it's the cumulative effect of a
fight's worth of body work that wears a fighter down and sets him up for the head punches that
more often produce the knockout.
But, every once in a while, a perfect laser to the midsection will suddenly, and dramatically, end
the evening for some unfortunate soul.
Oscar De La Hoya was that unfortunate soul Saturday, as he fielded a perfect left hook to the
liver from middleweight champ Bernard Hopkins. The punch sent De La Hoya to the mat on his
back, his face contorted in pain.
It was obvious the "Golden Boy's" night was over the second he dropped.
It brought to mind classic one-body punch knockouts of the past. Here are the top five of the past
quarter century.
5. Gerry Cooney KO 1 Ron Lyle (1980): By this point, Lyle was a shell of the fighter who
nearly knocked out George Foreman and who challenged Muhammad Ali for the heavyweight
title. He was brought in strictly as a name opponent for up-and-coming Cooney, who was
undefeated, fast-rising and bursting with punching power. But, as much of a mismatch as this
was coming in, it was still mesmerizing to watch the 6-foot-6, 235-pound Cooney bury his fists
into Lyle's sides. Many thought Lyle would at least offer his toughness, but after Cooney's
overwhelming body attack, the aged contender couldn't even remain in the ring. Cooney's
punches knocked Lyle to the ropes, and finally onto press row. You want to know how Cooney
scored an undeserved crack at the heavyweight title two years later? The Lyle fight is Exhibit A.
4. Micky Ward W 10 Arturo Gatti (2002): Okay, so this wasn't a knockout. But, if not for
Gatti's uncommon courage, he would have surely been retired in the 9th round after absorbing
one hellacious left to the liver. It was the home stretch of a fight that had already been a classic,
and Ward was making his move. He threw a light left hook over the top, then dug a left
underneath and into Gatti's right side with gusto. It landed perfectly, and Gatti froze for an instant
before turning away and falling to his knees - the look on his face much like that of De La Hoya
Saturday. It appeared as if Gatti was done, but he rose - and even managed to stagger Ward in
perhaps the greatest round in boxing history. The frenzied pace continued through the 10th, and
Ward got the nod. The two would, of course, fight twice more - producing two more classics.
3. Micky Ward KO 7 Alfonso Sanchez (1997): "Irish Micky" strikes again. Back then,
however, Ward was considered a crude slugger and was brought in to more or less pad the record
of the undefeated Sanchez. For six-and-a-half rounds, the fight pretty much went as expected.
Sanchez dominated Ward with boxing ability, never allowing the tough brawler to get inside and
do damage. It was such a pedestrian outing for Ward that a decision victory for Sanchez seemed
almost assured. Then, boom! Ward finally hit the jackpot with a perfectly executed left to the
liver, and Sanchez went from north to south like he'd been shot. Sanchez didn't even attempt to
beat the count, and never regained his pre-Ward form. Ward went on to become one of HBO's
more unlikely stars.
2. Arturo Gatti KO 2 Leonard Dorin (2004): After fighters engage in the kind of brawls that
made Gatti and Ward boxing icons, their skills often begin to deteriorate. But Gatti somehow
managed to get better after the three Ward slugfests. And one of the reasons, apparently, is
because he adopted Ward's left to the liver - adding it to his own arsenal. It certainly worked this
July 24, when Gatti ended his showdown with the once-beaten Dorin with one mammoth left to
the side. Gatti set it up by throwing flurries to Dorin's head, preoccupying the Romanian with
quick head punches. But, after one particular flurry, Gatti suddenly went underneath with a hook.
He dipped, pivoted, and crashed his glove into Dorin's right side. Like Gatti against Ward, Dorin
froze for a moment before falling. The ref could've counted to 1,000.
1. Roy Jones Jr. KO 1 Virgil Hill (1998): The body shot to end all body shots. Fittingly, the
unorthodox Jones didn't deliver the punch in orthodox fashion. Most body punches are delivered
underneath - thrown in an upward motion with proper leverage and timing. But Jones rarely does
anything by the book, and he unleashed this monster punch in a straight, downward fashion - not
surprising considering his speed and disdain for fighting inside. The shot was delivered with
unreal strength and power, and it connected on a vulnerable patch of Hill's left side as Hill was
uncoiling from his own delivered punch. Instant replays showed it landed on a rib, and not
shockingly, there was significant rib damage discovered afterward. After absorbing the punch,
Hill grimaced, then fell to the canvas. The ref, seeing the pain in Hill's face, stopped the fight
without completing the count. And Jones was called the winner via one of the greatest body
punches ever thrown.

Boxing Fundamentals

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Home

Boxing Tip #1: Jab Tap

Utilizing the Jab Tap

When to use the Jab Tap

Practicing the Jab Tap

-For Fitness or CompetitionBoxing Training And Fitness Resources

Boxing Tip #2: Creating Openings

How to Practice Creating Openings

Boxing Tip #3: Use the Force Luke!

How to Practice Sucking Force

Boxing Tip #4: Blocking

Boxing Tip #5 - Learn to Read the Signs

There are two types of tells:

How to Read the Universal Signs

How to Read the Idiosyncratic (Personality Driven) Signs

rhythmic footwork (patterns)

David Haye v Ismail AbdoulEBU (European) Cruiserweight Title

The top three things to remember before the hit:

You will have incredible reaction time as your reflexes develop.

Boxing Tip #8 - Effective Body Punches

How do you know your body punches are effective?

Where to punch the body.

Throwing a Jab to the Body.

Throwing a Straight Right to the body.

Throwing a Left Hook to the Body.

Tips and Tricks

...and don't neglect your opponent's body. Work it hard.

Boxing Tip #9: Boxing Your Worst Opponent

How to Maintain Focus through Fatigue

Boxing Tip #10: Boxing a Taller Fighter

Specific Drills to Practice to Prepare you for the Taller

Boxing Tip #11: Clinching

Why do boxers clinch?

What is the goal of the clinch in boxing?

How to keep the referee from breaking your clinch.

How to safely exit a clinch.

Boxing Tip #12 - Double Slip - Bob - Body Body - Hook

When to Use the Double Slip - Bob - Body - Body - Hook.

How to Throw the Body-Body-Hook

How to Practice the Double Slip-Bob-Body-Body-Hook

Boxing Tip #13: Stuck in a Corner

Prevention is the Best Medicine

In the Corner by Michael (Mx5tx)

Stuck in the Corner

Connecting with the left hook

Boxing Tip #15 - Pre-Emption

Preemption: Hit Before Getting Hit

Preempting the Jab

Read Your Opponent

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.

Look for the Surprise

Boxing Tip #16 - Power in the Pivot

What is the Pivot Principle?

How to Practice the Pivot Principle

Pivot Principle Tips

Boxing Tip #17 - Clamping Your Way to a

Clamping the Chin in Proper Position - Meet the Tennis Ball

Clamping to Keep Your Elbows in Position

Boxing Tip #18 - Inside Boxing Drill