Home Boxing Tip #1: Jab TapPosted on December 27, 2009 by Aaron This is the beginning of a new series of boxing tips I will be trying to post on a semi-regular basis. With any luck, you should see a new boxing tip everyday. I will never forget the day in the gym that I learned the boxing tip that I call the jab tap. (I have no idea if that is the official name for it). My trainer could have told me how to do it, but instead I learned the hard way during one of many sparring sessions. This day I ended up with a very bloody nose. I flicked a jab out at his head and from out of absolutely nowhere I got clocked with a straight right that rattled every bone in my face. After I recovered from the shock, I was in complete disbelief. How did he manage to punch through my jab with a right? If you think about the mechanics for this boxing tip, two orthodox stances facing off leave very little room for a straight right to land on target when one opponent is throwing a jab. If you follow a straight line from chin to chin, the punches would end up hitting each other midway -- they basically follow the same line. Thus, the only way to land that straight right is to come in at a different angle or move the jab out of the way. Well, turns out the second method is what happened to me. As my jab neared my trainer, he very quickly tapped it downward with an ever so slight tap as he began to throw a straight right. With the jab deflected downward, my face was wide open and he seized the opportunity turning the forward motion of the tap into a full out straight right that was completely unobstructed going in. The rest is history. It was a hard learned lesson. I am so grateful for learning that lesson though, because it has come in handy more than once. It is one of those boxing tips that drives home the requirement for perfect timing in boxing. The ability to anticipate someone's move and use their offense in your own offense is what makes this sport so incredible. This boxing tip is also a counter attack. Utilizing the Jab Tap1. Facing your boxing opponent, you have to read him or her and anticipate when they are going to throw their jab or you can bait them. I talk about baiting in another boxing tip, but basically you can lure them into throwing what you want them to throw by adjusting the target they see. In this case, bait them by opening up your guard and exposing your head slightly. Just be careful what you ask for. 2. As the jab comes in, you have to start throwing your right and time it so that it is just out in front of your face when the jab is coming in. It is at this point that your open glove should be able to very lightly tap the jab downwards. You only need a very slight movement. The momentum of the jab hitting the deflection of your hand will send it harmlessly out of the way. 3. Continue with the straight right now, with full force at your target. If the timing is right, your opponent will not know what hit him and there will be very little danger of counter attack as he will not have recovered his jab or be in any position to launch another punch. He undoubtedly will try slipping the right, so be sure to follow this with a left hook or a jab of your own. When to use the Jab TapYou can use this at any time, but I find it works best in the opening rounds of a fight. It sets a tone and says, "jab at me if you want, but I'm going to nail you". It definitely makes them think twice about throwing excessive jabs out. Be careful though, using a lazy jab from your opponent to do this with just says to your opponent to stop being lazy. If he's any good, he'll think twice about just throwing lazy jabs and instead will ensure everyone coming your way is crisp and clean. This could decrease openings and make slipping much tougher. It generally does not work so well when your opponent is throwing a double or triple jab. This is because they may not be totally committed to the first jab. That is, they may be pulling it back about the same time you are tapping it. If that happens and you follow through for the right, they may be in a position to land the second jab as you are moving forward. Watch out for that. I especially like using this boxing tip when my opponent thinks he is going to start a flurry of punches. Stopping him on the first punch really changes the tone of the fight. Practicing the Jab TapThe best way to practice is with a sparring partner in order to get the timing right. However, if you can't convince someone to throw jabs at you, then visualize it in front of the heavy bag. Picture it coming in, make the motion with your right hand to tap it down and then slam the right into the bag. As soon as you do, move and repeat. Good luck.

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Home Boxing Tip #2: Creating OpeningsPosted on January 2, 2010 by Aaron What is the goal of boxing? The answer: to hit and not get hit. So, do you think moving head on into an opponent is the best way to achieve the above? The answer: No. When you are in the ring, facing an opponent and are static, that is, not moving, you are a target. Same goes for your opponent. Both of you know it, so what do you do? You protect yourself. You put up your guard and you ensure as little of your body or head is visible. This is how you satisfy the "not get hit" part of the equation above. Now how do you expect to hit if your opponent is doing the same thing? For startes you could be like Rocky Marciano and just punch whatever you can. Arms, shoulders, forearms, nail them and nail them hard. Some boxers that boxed Rocky said that every punch hurt and it didn't matter where you got hit. So, if you're a swarmer like Marciano and have the power, then punch and punch hard. Just be ready to receive whatever you are giving. For most of us, that is not an option and as such we have to learn to create openings. This can be done in two basic ways: 1. Using angles: Sideways movement is unpredictable. Back and forth moving is predictable. When you throw out a jab, any untrained person will generally lean back to try and get out of the way. There is some merit of that in boxing, but in general, it is a predictable response and one that leaves you in no position to counterpunch. A far better option is to step to an angle or slip the punch. It is so much more unpredictable (you can move in a number of angles with a number of rhythms), plus it sets you up to counter attack. 2. Using feints: Do not confuse this with deception, this is more of a trick for lack of a better term. Pretending to punch someone in the head and then switching mid way and hitting to the body will likely create an opening as they bring their arms up to protect their head. Same goes for the body. Fake a shot to the ribs and the arms will drop as your opponent flinches giving you a split second to switch it up and land one to the head. Feints do not just have to be punches. They can be body movements as well such as pretending to go left and then suddenly going right. Deception, I'll save for another day. It involves a lot more thinking in terms of the strategic effect you want to achieve. When to UseAll the time. The less predictable you are in the ring, the less chance you will get tagged and the more chance you have of finding an opening. If you are moving backwards when you fight, you aren't fighting, you're fleeing. (There are exceptions to this, and some great boxers can punch off the back foot or a movement backwards). When you are attacking from different angles, not only are you creating openings, but you are messing with your opponent's mind. You are can get within their decision making cycle and actually make them do what you want them to. How to Practice Creating OpeningsIdeally, with a partner during sparring. However, you can go through the motions with your heavy bag or double end bag. Punch and then move sideways or at various angles around the bag. Practice the feints by faking a shot to the head and then delivering it low and vice versa. The idea is to make the fake shot look believable. Sometimes, that can be done with something as simple as an exaggerated movement with your shoulder or the faintest hint of movement from your hands. It can also be done just by looking in a certain spot. Look at your opponent. If he or she is incredibly tense, they will be susceptible to exaggerated flinches and you will have excellent success in employing this boxing tip. Because they are so tight and tense, they are either completely incapable of moving or when they do move, it is with far too much energy and force. Something as simple as deflecting a jab should only take a slight movement of the hand. Someone this tense will move their entire arm leaving you a giant target. You want to learn to utilize the momentum of your opponent to your advantage, but that is for another day's boxing tip. Home Boxing Tip #3: Use the Force Luke!Posted on January 17, 2010 by Aaron I mentioned in a previous boxing tip the idea of momentum and how you want to harness an opponent's momentum and use it to your advantage. In a way, you want to suck the force out of them and use it to double your own output in the ring. In the ring there is stationary and there is movement. Anytime movement is occurring, energy is being expended. "Energy cannot be created nor destroyed, only changed from one form to another." What do you think happens when an immovable object meets an unstoppable force? After the initial collision, they are at equilibrium meaning neither side is getting ahead. In order to win, either the unstoppable force or the immovable object has to take energy from the other player to disrupt that balance. I'm sure that sounded way too much like 10th grade science class to most of you, but what I'm trying to get at in a not so eloquent way, is that you can use the movements and energy expenditures of your opponent to your advantage if you know how. If you understand a few simple concepts, you can tailor your ring game to use the laws of thermodynamics (specifically the second law) to your advantage: 1. Two objects moving towards one another will produce a more violent collision than two objects moving in the same direction: In boxing terms if your opponent is moving towards you and meets your fist moving towards him, the added force of his forward momentum will make your punch that much more powerful and capable of inflicting more damage. Lesson: Try and hit an opponent as they are moving towards you or at least add some movement of your own when trying to inflict maximum damage with a punch.2. An opponent who is moving is easier to throw off balance than one who is stationary. In boxing terms, this describes weight transfer. It requires energy and force to stop and move one's weight in another direction. If that weight is in transfer and you interrupt it by punching or moving, it may be quite difficult for your opponent to maintain his or her balance leaving them susceptible to counter attack. As an example, picture a straight right. As your opponent throws they are expecting to make contact. If you side step and the punch misses, if your opponent was not prepared to miss, the weight transfer will pull them too far forward leaving them unbalanced for a split second. That is when you need to strike.3. It is easier to redirect a moving object than a stationary one. In boxing terms, picture a jab coming at your head. To hold your hand in front of it and absorb all the energy and force that was put into it without allowing your hand to move would be nearly impossible. At very least, it requires the same amount of force as was put into that punch. However, if you simply deflect the jab, causing it to change direction - say 45 degrees to the right or left causing it to harmlessly pass by your head, you only need a fraction of the energy in your blocking hand to do this. As an added bonus, the deflection may carry over into principle 2 here and cause an off balance situation.4. Kinetic energy can be transferred from one object to another. In boxing terms, this is what happens when you land a punch. This is how damage is caused. A clean, quick, SNAP, transfers all of the forward momentum from your punch into your opponent and this is when maximum damage is caused. If you push or pull your punches, the energy is not being transferred in its entirety. Thus, you really need to practice on punching at the optimal distance from your target.How to Practice Sucking ForceFirst thing you need to do is completely visualize what is happening. That is itself will make you more aware of your opponent's movements and put you in a position to use those movements to your advantage. Second, watch professionals box. Don't watch like a fan would watch, watch like a student. It is helpful to record the match and play it back in slow motion. Watch how the boxers react to each other and pick out the places where they are using their opponent's movements to launch their own counters or their own offensives. Third, move that theory into practice by shadowboxing the movements with an imaginary opponent. Picture them doing something and then react to it. Fourth, bring it into the ring and put it to the test. Repeated sparring is the only sure fire way to drill your reactions. Build up a repertoire of reactions by perfecting one and then working on another. In short order you will be able to anticipate your opponent's moves and know how to use those forces to your own advantage. As a last note, perfect your striking distance. Transfering the energy from your punch to your opponent is your goal and when your striking distance is perfect that transfer occurs effortlessly. Home Boxing Tip #4: BlockingPosted on January 18, 2010 by Aaron A block is done to prevent a punch from hitting you. Seems obvious enough, but it is only half of the defense. You see, you will not be able to block every punch coming at you. Depending on the strength of your opponent, you will not want to. Blocking punches from a strong puncher will wear you down. If they are strong enough, they will punch right through your blocks. Luckily, a puncher with such strength is usually an anomaly and not the norm. However, you shouldn't go into a fight believing you are simply going to block every punch thrown at you. Doing so requires a lot of energy. Energy that can be better used to put you in an offensive mode. A block is best when it is used as a bridge to a counter. Picture an opponent coming at you. Presumably they are not stupid and want to throw some type of combination knowing, as you do, that the more punches they throw, the better chance they have of scoring. So, this opponent throws a 1-2-3 combination. If you don't do anything, you get hit with all three punches. However, if you block any of them, you disrupt the combination AND use that disruption to launch your own offensive. You disrupt your opponent's planned course of action, you cause him to react which requires thinking. Depending on how skilled they are, the disruption will give you an opening. This all seems very confusing, and doesn't seem to have much to do with blocking. Actually it does, let me clarify. In the example above, if you decide to block all three shots and simply cover up, you are not disrupting anything. The jab comes at you, you put up your guard and absorb it, followed by the right which you may or may not absorb without hitting yourself in the face, followed by the left hook, which hopefully you managed to bring your elbow up to block as well. In the end, you expended energy blocking and are no better off than when you started other than decreasing the amount of damage those punches did to you -- hopefully. But you can't win without offense... Now, if you had blocked the jab and then moved to the outside as the straight right comes in, you are in a position to cause some damage of your own. Not only have you disrupted your opponent's combination, but you used your energy more wisely changing your situation to regain the initiative. You want to be an attacker, not a defender. Sometimes the punches will be coming in so fast that you have no choice but to block, but you should strive to block and move and always be cognizant of the opening. In those instances when blocking is your only option here are some tips for making the blocks more effective and less taxing: 1. Incorporate movement into the block. Picture a spring. If you were to punch a spring it would absorb a lot of your power. Kind of like a shock absorber. By moving in the same direction as the punch, you act like a shock absorber and some of the punch's energy will be absorbed by the movement. Never try and act like a brick wall (unless you are trying to send your opponent a message). The energy from the punch still has to go somewhere. You don't have to get hit in the face to feel the pain of a punch. Your forearms will notice them too.2. Angle your arms and body to deflect rather than absorb. Picture yourself belly flopping into the water vs diving into water. When your hands cut the water, entry is a lot easier. If your forearms are positioned so the punches glance off them rather than connect full on, they are going to feel a lot better. It may also throw your opponent off balance.3. Gauge the power of your opponent. Understanding how hard your opponent is hitting, will let you know how much you have to brace for impact. Subsequently, it gives you a better indication of how to position your arms in front of your vital spots to absorb the punches. For instance, if you brace up tight with your gloves actually touching your chin and face and take a punch from a strong opponent, you are not going to block much of anything. You will effectively be punching yourself in the head. In this case, your arms should be a little ways away from your face so you can absorb the power of the punch. If your opponent is weak, blocking with your gloves touching your face may not be a problem at all. You need to figure out how hard your opponent can hit. This is usually done in the first or second round of the fight (feeling out round).Block and slip, block and move, block and counter punch. Block and do something. Boxing Tip #5 - Learn to Read the SignsPosted on January 18, 2010 by Aaron When you can read your opponent like an open book, you can flip to the back to spoil the ending. Everyone has tells. To be a successful poker player, you have to learn to read your opponent to know when they are bluffing. The same thing happens in boxing. Beware though, one man's tell is another man's deception. There are two types of tells:1. Universal tells. These are based on physiology. For instance, the hips have to rotate a certain way to throw a certain punch. 2. Idiosyncratic tells. These are unique to your opponent. They are habits they have developed over time which have either gone unnoticed or unchecked. How to Read the Universal Signs1. The hips don't lie. Shakira knew it, and boxers know it too. Stop looking your opponent in the eyes and start looking at his center of mass and how it shifts. If a hip begins to rotate towards you, something is coming from that side. It is a sign of loading - bringing power up through the legs, torso, to the punching arm. 2. Watch the twitch in the shoulders. Inexperienced boxers will lead with their shoulders. Much in the same way you can read the hips, if a shoulder begins to move, expect an attack from that side, especially if your opponent is new to the sport. Experienced boxers will check this habit delivering crisp punches straight out without a lot of shoulder movement. 3. Watch for the load. This is a bit harder to do, but when your opponent is about to throw a punch, they will generally load up. This could be anything from a more firm stance on the ground, bend in the knees, hip movement, shoulder movement or whatever. What is happening is that he is getting ready to throw a punch. The harder the punch, the bigger the load as he positions himself to shift weight into the attack. It's hard to describe but you will almost get a feeling of impending doom. That is, after enough practice, you will almost be able to sense an attack coming. That sense is your subconcious analyzing the fight to that moment and hypothesizing or predicting probable outcomes of subtle movements. 4. Watch for tension. Related to point 3, but an opponent who suddenly tenses is likely to attack or move. You have to be relaxed when you box. Tensing up in an effort to jab speedily will only forecast what you are about to do. Practice jabbing from a relaxed state, and look for this tell in your opponents. 5. Beware of the eyes. This depends on your opponent, but the eyes can really mess up your boxing match, or aid you in victory. Generally speaking as experience level goes up, the amount of trust you can put in where your opponent is looking goes down. Beginners, for obvious reasons look at their target before hitting. It's like hockey. If I'm going to pass to someone, should I look at them basically telling the other team, "hey intercept this". No, I look at someone to draw attention away from where I am really looking to hit. How to Read the Idiosyncratic (Personality Driven) Signs1. Make your opponent tell you what they are. Throw something at him and watch closely. You may have heard the term "feeling out" round. Both opponents are seeing how each other react. So, throw a good jab at his face and watch what he does. Especially early in the fight, he will very often show you exactly how he is going to react to your advances. 2. Look at his history. Easier to do in the pros because fights are taped, but if you are scheduled to fight someone, do your homework. Get video of past fights or go watch him or her in training (if you can...) Get a friend to go watch -- Yes, spy. Time on recce is time seldom wasted. 3. Let your inner mind do the work. Over time, your mind will instantly pick out the tells whether you are conciously looking for them or not. The key is to be aware so that you pick them out sooner than later. Your mind is an incredible pattern recognizing machine. Remaining relaxed and observant will serve you well. It may take a few rounds, but soon enough you will know what the predictors are. Common predictors include: movements twitches glances rhythmic footwork (patterns) funny steps deep breaths eye movements breathing movementsPretty much anything can be a tell and it is in your best interest to find them early and exploit them fully. Just remember, if you are looking for your opponent's tells, he is probably looking for yours. This is one reason shadowboxing in front of a mirror is so important. You can actually see what your opponent is seeing. As well, a good trainer will be watching for your patterns and predictors so he can at least alert you to them. This will allow you to make a concious decision to hide them. What kinds of signs have your opponent's shown you? Boxing Tip #6 - How to Deal with Getting HitPosted on January 18, 2010 by Aaron Like it or not, if you box you get hit. Everyone deals with it differently and you will discover your own reaction seconds after your first one. You are kidding yourself if you think you are going to go head to head with someone and defend every punch. You are going to get hit hard in the face, gut, and a lot of other places. Yeah, it sucks! But, if you plan on being a decent boxer, you have to learn to deal with the initial pain and the secondary effects the blood, cuts, broken bones, concussions, stolen air, and your brain attacking you. It can be done though, and Ill show you how. Now that weve established that you are going to get nailed repeatedly and you are OK with that, what can you do to prepare yourself? David Haye v Ismail AbdoulEBU (European) Cruiserweight Title (Loura)The top three things to remember before the hit: 1. Keep your eyes open at all times and never turn your back. Bring up your guard and do your best to avoid the onslaught, but always keep your eyes on your opponent. Never close them and hope your opponent is going to get tired and go away. They wont. You cant fight back if you have no idea what is going on.2. Move. If you do get hit dont put your head or body back where it got slammed in the first place. If I throw a jab, Im expecting my opponents head to whip back and then come straight back towards me. Bob, weave, step, duck or do something to make your opponent guess where his target is going to be and hopefully miss any follow up. In the army, when we come under enemy fire, we hit the ground and roll. Why? Because by rolling, the enemy doesnt know where you will pop back up. If you come up where you went down in the first place, you are sticking your head in your enemys sights. All he has to do is pull the trigger. 3. Control your instinct to flinch. Its natural, but you must overcome it. If I walk up to you and pretend to smack you in the face, you are going to respond. You are going to shut your eyes, maybe move your head, or bring your hands up to protect you. That is your bodys natural way of defending itself and it usually works pretty good. Problem is, it is easily tricked. If you flinch for no reason, you set yourself up to actually get hit. How do you control your flinching? Get used to things coming at you hard and fast. Go all matrixy and actually see the bullets coming at you. So, to deal with the flinch: Keep your eyes open. No matter what, at all costs, keep your eyes open so you can see what is going on. You cant react to what you cant see. Allow close misses. In boxing you want to make small controlled movements that expend minimal energy. When you slip a jab you want it to just barely miss you. When you duck, you want the hook to blow air through your hair. If it is more than a millimetre away from you, it is too far. Drill it. When you drill it enough, you will be unphased by punches whizzing by your head. You will remain steady and focused. That is when you know you have control of your flinch. You are going to be surprised that over time you will notice fewer and fewer of the hits. They really dont hurt as much as you perceive them to in the first place. Its just such a foreign concept for most people to get hit in the face that when it happens its like WOW. After a while though, its nothing more than a nuisance (for the most part). Even better is that with enough practice, things will slow right down and you will feel like you are in the matrix. You will have incredible reaction time as your reflexes develop. Some boxing drills to prepare you for the eventuality of getting hit: 1. Spar and put yourself on the receiving end. This is a defensive drill where you attempt to block and slip while your partner wails on you. You are not allowed to throw anything back so your partner knows he is good to go to unleash on you without fear of reprisal. Keep your eyes open, guard up, stay relaxed and allow the close misses. Use angles and movement to keep from getting hit. When you do get hit, move and regroup. 2. Hang a slip bag. (See Tyson training). This is as simple as tying a small bag to a string. Hit it and let it come swinging back at your face. At the last possible second, slip allowing it to brush by. Get in position and repeat. 3. Have a partner throw things at you (preferably soft things). Practice moving at the last possible second. 4. Build muscle. Especially true for body shots. If you have a strong shield of abdominals, the effects of body shots are going to be diminished. With a partner, whip medicine balls at each others abs and allow them to hit you. Or, lay on the floor and throw a ball into the air and allow it to land on your gut. Youll quickly learn when the best time to tense the muscles is. 5. In a controlled manner, get hit. Im not talking full power, but let someone with gloves on hit you in the face and in the stomach. (you may want to wear a full face headgear) You have to get used to getting hit, recovering, and getting ready for the next one. If you dont, the first time it happens will leave you standing in the middle of the tracks waiting for the locomotive to mow you down. 6. Double end bag training is great. That little sucker tends to want to hit you in the face all on its own and is incredibly effective for developing slipping skills and reflexes. Getting hit is not as bad as it seems. Sometimes it hurts and is going to break things or cut you, but generally, hits are relatively harmless. The pain lets you know you are still in the game. The key is getting accustomed to your own reaction (generally fear) and dealing with it effectively. Youll never be 100% ready for a hit, but you can condition yourself to deal with it better than turtling and crying like a baby. Home Boxing Tip #7 - The Pendulum StepPosted on January 18, 2010 by Aaron The pendulum step is a more advanced footwork and timing concept that should be used sparingly. It uses a lot of energy to maintain, but can be very effective at delivering a very powerful jab that will completely catch your opponent off guard. It also utilizes momentum from both yourself and your opponent which magnifies the striking power of the jab. Sound intriguing? What is the Pendulum Step?If you've watched Muhammed Ali box you'll have a pretty good idea how this works. Basically, you are bouncing back and forth from toe to toe almost like you are skipping. The hops are small and controlled basically putting your head in range and then pulling it out of range just as quick. Not a lot different than the typical boxing stance except there is constant movement in a pendulum motion - forward and back, forward and back. As you are actually lifting your weight off the mat, this is also a dangerous move. Timed right, your opponent can knock you flat out simply because you have no contact with the floor. At the same time, the momentum you build up gives you the ability to change directions in a split second and transition into various combinations at will. The pendulum step I'm referring to here includes not only the pendulum movement, but also an attack. How to Do the Pendulum StepThe pendulum step is a lure. You will lure your opponent into throwing a jab which you will promptly return with something a lot more powerful. As mentioned above, you are hopping in a controlled manner from front foot to back foot - forward to back which puts your head in and out of range. Doing this at some point will entice your opponent to attack and throw a jab. When you see it coming you have to immediately push back with your front foot to step out of range of the jab - backwards in a straight line. You're not done though -- as soon as you've cleared the range of the jab, slam your back foot down propelling yourself forward with a counter jab of your own. Timed right, you will follow your opponent's jab back striking your opponent with the force of your jab, your forward momentum, and the forward momentum of your opponent. The result will completely stun your opponent and regain you the initiative. It's shock action at its best. How to Practice the Pendulum Step1. With a partner: Start slow and get the timing right. Get into the pendulum step hopping forward and back in front of your partner. Have your partner throw continuous jabs and get the feel for evading them backwards in time with your hops and then moving forward as your partner draws his jab back. Once you have that, go for the attack. Practice as before, but this time throw a jab on the return trying to beat your opponent's jab back to the guard. 2. Without a partner: If all you've got is a heavy bag, you can still practice this. Give the bag a push and then get moving in the pendulum motion in time with the bag. Picture a jab coming at you as the bag moves toward you and take a slightly bigger hop back (that simulates evading the jab). When you land, propel forward with a jab of your own catching the bag as it is moving away from you (simulates the withdraw of the jab). The quicker you can catch the bag with your jab as it is moving back the better you are getting. Some TipsThis step is all about timing and conditioning yourself to decrease your reaction times. This will help develop your reflexes in addition to increasing your level of agility in terms of your footwork. When the basic pendulum step starts to become second nature, you can increase the level of difficulty by bringing angles into the equation. When you do the evade, hop back and to a side. This will give you an even clearer shot at your opponent on the counter attack. You can also try throwing other kinds of punches. The jab is most effective because you can shoot it out extremely quickly and you are well aligned to do so, but a quick hook or uppercut could also be effective (or a hybrid of both). What to AvoidThe pendulum step wastes a lot of energy. The constant forward and back is rythmic and can easily be timed, so ensure you switch up the rhythm. If you plan on moving like this for the entire round, then ensure your conditioning can take it. Along with timing, someone keen on what you are doing can do the same thing to you by faking the jab out and then catching you hard as you come screaming in. For that reason, like all boxing, ensure your strategy is sound and you have an idea of the level of boxer you are dealing with. Obviously this will work better with someone who is not expecting it. Boxing Tip #8 - Effective Body PunchesPosted on January 18, 2010 by Aaron Destroy the body and the head will die. Far too often boxers will focus primarily on the head as their main target area and neglect throwing body punches. This is a mistake. Hurting the body, while not immediately obvious or as satisfying, is a sure route to victory. To develop a complete offensive game, you have to learn how to effectively throw body shots and body punches. How do you know your body punches are effective?A knockout from a blow to the body happens occasionally, but it is far from the norm. Highlight reels are full of head shots that send boxers sprawling across the canvas while a well placed body shot simply crumples them to the mat. As such, they don't make the ESPN recap. Whenyou are assaulting your opponent's body, you likely will not see or hear much progress being made. You may hear the occasional grunt or groan, but body shots tend to be an accumulative effect. They build up over time to win the fight for you. There are ways to figure out if your body punches are being effective though: 1. Your opponent will start breathing heavy.2. You'll begin to notice slowness both in punches and movement.3. Eventually, obvious signs of distress will appear- buckling over, shaky legs, inability to catch breath and knockdowns.

Where to punch the body.While you can deliver powerful body punches, you will see more effect by placing well targeted punches. Precision is the name of the game for the body. In some places - pelvic bone, hipbone, abs - the body has bones and muscles that offer it a lot of protection, while in other places there is little - sternum (marked as X in picture), under pectorals, ribs (marked by arrow in picture). Hitting one of these prime targets can disable your opponent instantly or at least knock the wind completely out of him which will set you up for a finishing blow. Problem is, that the body is generally well protected by the elbows and arms - at least in experienced boxers. Plus, getting in close enough to throw your punch without getting clocked in the head is always a challenge. Body punching is something you will require a lot of practice with to get good at. Throwing a Jab to the Body.The jab to the body is the only punch that you will actually bend over at the waist to deliver. If you were to crouch straight down and throw a jab to your opponent's body, you completely expose your head and against and orthodox fighter, you can be sure he will come over your jab and nail you with a straight right. So, to lessen the danger, you bend at the waist perpendicular to your opponent while simultaneously bringing your right hand up to protect the left side of your chin and throw the jab out at your opponent and then recover just as quickly. It is all one fluid motion with a step toward your opponent. This will take some getting used to, but with practice your balance will develop and you will be able to get a little power behind it. This is a jab remember, it is not meant to knock out your opponent. It is meant to set something else up and you really should only use it against a hesitant boxer -- one who isn't initiating any attacks. It is a means of getting him to commit to something. You want to aim at your opponent's sternum, but the target can fluctuate depending on how his body is protected. Throwing a Straight Right to the body.This and the left hook are identical to the shots to the head except that you crouch straight down and then deliver a well placed punch to your target area. People, and not only boxers, hate to crouch as it places a lot of stress on the legs. It takes energy to crouch and then come back up (which is why strength training such as squats is very important). You need excellent stamina in your legs and quadriceps that can handle this. To deliver, crouch down so that your head is about the height of your opponent's sternum. This will move your head out of his target range of vision - at least temporarily. You will want to practice dropping out of sight very quickly, throwing, and then recovering. Be careful on the recover. Try moving as you come back up as it is pretty easy otherwise for your opponent to time a punch to where your head should come back up in a moment. The punch itself is thrown just like a regular straight right. You transfer the weight from the back to the front while snapping your arm out and back in a straight line from your chin. You are aiming for the sternum - about two inches below the center of the chest where the rib cage comes together. If you've ever had the wind knocked out of you, you'll know why. Throwing a Left Hook to the Body.The left hook, like the straight right, to the body is simply a crouching followed by a throw. However, you have to get in close enough to land your punch. To do so, take a small step to the right side of your opponent and then drop down. It will place you in a good position to land a precisely placed punch either directly to the ribs or upwards underneath your opponent's right pectoral. Hit too low and you'll nail his hipbone/pelvic bone which is hard and will not do too much damage. Place your punch in the fleshy, unprotected rib/pec region and he is going to feel it. Tips and Tricks In both of the crouching punches (straight right and left hook) watch the positioning of your rear foot. If it is 90 degrees to the way you are facing (turned too far outwards) you run the risk of tearing ligaments in your knee, especially if you slip and your knees buckle. Maintain your stance with your feet turned out at 45 degrees. This will let your knees bend in a more natural way and prevent injury. It is highly likely there will be an elbow in front of your intended target. If your straight right is going to end up hitting an arm, then try looping around instead of throwing it straight out. As I mentioned before, worry less about power in your body punches and more about precision. Deliver enough powerful little blows to the right spots and the fight will turn in your favour. At all times be aware of how you expose your head and try to compensate either by blocking with the hand not throwing or by movement. A combination of the two works well as well. Body shots, as most punches, should always be thrown as the start of combinations. Try practicing throwing two left hooks to the body followed by a straight right to the body or mix it up and throw a body shot followed by a head shot followed by a body shot. Never think of it as a one punch deal. Last, condition your legs. They are the biggest factor in effective body punching. You have to be able to crouch down repeatedly and not lose leg strength. Squats, lunges, calf raises, running, and plyometrics should all be effectively used to condition your legs. Don't neglect them...and don't neglect your opponent's body. Work it hard. Boxing Tip #9: Boxing Your Worst OpponentPosted on January 18, 2010 by Aaron Someday you'll find yourself boxing the worst opponent of all. Picture the biggest, scariest, fastest, most ripped, super aggressive fighter you can think of, multiply him by a thousand and then put him in the opposite corner from you. Picture him sitting on that stool coldly staring at you, penetrating your very soul. Picture him standing, every breath causing every muscle to bulge and twitch with eager anticipation of what he is about to do to you. Scare you? Raise your level of anxiety just a little bit? Well, guess what? No matter who you fight, the worst opponent will never be the one sitting across the ring from you. The worst one will by yourself by a longshot. Ross Enamait wrote an article over at rossboxing.com about Boxing with a Poker Face: Quote:A boxer must also conceal emotions throughout the competition. If he is hurt or fatigued, he must mask these feelings from his opponent. The idea behind the poker face is to present a specific image to your opponent. For example, entering the final round of a bout, there is a good chance that both you and your opponent are battling with fatigue. Your arms may feel heavy, the legs unsteady. It is during these times that you will look to identify a weakness within your opponent. Is he also tired? Is he breathing heavy? What can you read from his body language?A fight can be won or lost based completely in your mind. You can literally psych yourself out of a victory, and by letting on to how tired you are, you can actually strengthen your opponent. Some of you will understand this feeling. You notice your opponent weakening and it actually makes you stronger. One can always find solace in the discomfort of others. No matter how bad off you are, if someone is worse off, you can feed on that. How to Maintain Focus through FatigueIn simple terms, it is all about conditioning. You have to practice hiding how you are really feeling. You can be so completely wiped out and dreading the sound of the next bell, but if you let on that you are tired, you are only going to fuel your opponent. You should be looking at your opponent and watching for his level of energy and carefully monitoring the signals you are sending out. In order to do this, you have to be aware of your image at all times in the fight, and that happens by being aware of yourself during practices. So right now, when you are in the gym, stop huffing and puffing and complaining. Stop sitting down, taking breaks, whimpering, and grunting. Stop throwing pathetic, weak little punches and letting your guard down. Give your trainer 100% Now is the time to get it right, so when you are in the ring your opponent will be staring at you coming to the realization that he is up against an invincible force. You show weakness and it will be exploited. You portray invincibility and you will weaken your opponent without even hitting him. You will never find anyone who can outbox you more than yourself. Even when you know everything, are conditioned up the wahoo and are literally in your prime, if your head isn't on straight you can lose before stepping into the ring. So, train how you will fight. And that means not showing weakness in the gym or even when you are by yourself. You will respond in a fight the way you have drilled your body. So make sure you drill it right. Home Boxing Tip #10: Boxing a Taller FighterPosted on January 18, 2010 by Aaron Unless you are the tall opponent, then eventually you are going to find yourself matched up with someone you literally have to look up to. Boxing a taller opponent has some unique challenges. An opponent who is taller than you will usually have a significant reach advantage, longer legs, and a target area that is not where you are used to hitting. What does that mean for you and how do you deal with it? 1. Longer arms means you are in his striking area before he is in yours. Chances are he knows this too. I don't want to generalize too much, but tall fighters can get used to standing back and picking off their opponents from the outside simply because they can. If at all possible, make him come to you. Make him play your game. 2. Bring the fight to him. When it is painfully obvious that he is not going to play your game and you actually want to fight, then you have no choice but to go to him. That means you are going to have to thwart his initial attack to get inside. Once you do get inside - STAY THERE. Inevitably you are going to take a few shots every time you attempt to get inside and possibly when you get back out again. 3. Inside fighting is an artform of its own. Once you are there, condense everything and stay as close to the body of your opponent as you possibly can. It doesn't hurt to put your forehead on his chest to gauge the distance and then punish his body with short, controlled combinations. Your guard has to be super tight - do not expose any vital areas. Keep working and when you can't work anymore, either clinch or explode out of danger. It is absolutely necessary that when you do decide to go to the taller opponent that you do it with authority and decisiveness. Do not hesitantly walk towards him -- explode into him, push him back, corner him and punish him. Do not go in on a straight line, but rather duck, weave and whatever else you can do to give him the fastest moving target he has ever seen. Specific Drills to Practice to Prepare you for the Taller Opponent1. All forms of defense against the jab - but become a master at catching, blocking, or parrying the jab as you move forward. You will have to figure out a way to use his jab in your attack. Consider it punch number one of your combination. 2. Body work - hooks and uppercuts that are short, controlled and fierce. Each one must be delivered from within. Best way to practice is to put your head on the heavy bag with a slight pressure as if you were pushing your opponent backwards with your forehead and then unload. If you aren't unloading, cover up but do not let the distance grow. Clinch if you have to. Inside you are relatively safe against a taller opponent because you use the length of his arms against him. 3. Leg work. You need explosive power in your legs in order to get in and out. Work the plyometrics and practice any type of explosive leg movement such as jumping squats, burpees, bounding, half crouch heavy bag sessions and so on. 4. Ducking and bobbing - especially moving forward. Picture the tall guy throwing a jab and how you would counter it and move in. Picture him throwing a right cross and how you would duck, sidestep and arrive at your destination. Picture a hook and the bob and weave you do to make it miss its intended target and position you where you need to be. Practice a strategy for dealing with each type of punch so you have a plan ready to go for each situation. Drill it into your nervous system so when your eyes see the punch, your body reacts. To get a good visual of what you need to do, take a look at this fight between Mike Tyson and Larry Holmes. Holmes has a decent height advantage over Tyson and you will quickly notice how Holmes attempts to pick Tyson off with jabs from the outside. He lets Tyson come to him (which works with Tyson's style anyways). Tyson explodes inside Holmes' range at every opportunity and attempts to stay there to unleash a few combinations. You will see how Holmes defends against this by tying up Tyson and basically trying to nullify Tyson's ability to punch once he defeats Holmes' outer guard. At any rate, you will get a good idea of the kind of explosion required to get inside and the work it is going to take to stay there - especially against anyone who knows what to do with you when you do get there. Boxing Tip #11: ClinchingPosted on January 18, 2010 by Aaron You've seen boxers clinch in every fight. To someone who doesn't know any better, it becomes downright annoying because it breaks up the action of two people swinging at each other. However, if you want to become a competitive boxer, you have to understand clinching, when to clinch, how to clinch, what to do in a clinch, and how to get out of a clinch. Why do boxers clinch?The biggest reason boxers clinch is because they are tired. Clinching is a defensive technique, but one that really shouldn't be used if possible. Most boxers use it at a time when they can't afford to, and that is when they are already tired. Tying yourself up in a clinch will expend a lot more effort and energy than it would to simply punch and move. However, it does give you the chance to break your opponent's momentum and stop him from hitting you for a few seconds.What is the goal of the clinch in boxing?The goal of clinching in boxing is to tie up your opponent. Basically you want to capture both of his arms under yours - much like giving him a big bear hug that effectively prevents him from lifting his arms and punching. Don't think you are going to be able to do this for long. In boxing, you can't tie up your opponent and the referee will break you apart, but it can be enough of a break if you are getting pummelled and need to stop the onslaught.Quote:the clinch can keep you from losing, but it can't make you a winnerHow to ClinchLike I mentioned above, to clinch you need to capture both of your opponent's arms under yours. In addition, you will want to put your head on his shoulder, hold him in tight and put as much weight as you can on him. This serves two purposes - first, it gives you a bit of rest and second, it makes him work harder. To get into a clinch, move towards your opponent with your guard high and elbows close together. Shoot your arms forward hooking both arms of your opponent just above the elbows and immediately pull him in close -- rub sweat. (this reason alone is a good one to do this sparingly :) Then lean on him and do not let him open the distance. Keep his lead leg between your legs and then use his movement to balance yourself. Conciously rest and control your energy output and breathing. How to keep the referee from breaking your clinch.Clinching in a boxing match is never allowed for long, but you can prolong it by looking busy in the clinch. If one of the boxers has an arm free and is fighting, the referee may not break it up. This takes a tremendous amount of energy and nullifies the short rest break you are attempting to achieve in the clinch, but if you are facing an opponent that likes to tie you up, then feed it to him. Get one arm free and slam it into his liver and side as he clinches you. Occasionally push back a bit and get a hook into the head. If you want to get illegal about it, the clinch gives you a clear shot of your opponent's kidneys and a rabbit punch or two is always available as well. I don't suggest you resort to illegal tactics, but a warning shot can signal a clinchy opponent to back off. How to safely exit a clinch.Getting out of a clinch can be dangerous because your arms are tied up and your guard is lowered. The first one to free his arms in the clinch can easily land a punch on exit which can lead to a full fledged combination and suddenly one fighter has the initiative. There are two methods of getting out of a boxing clinch: spin out or shove out. Spinning Out: Decide which side you are going to spin out on. Usually it is done on the lead hand. So, if you are orthodox, you want to use your left hand/palm and grip your opponent's arm just above the elbow. Control it and push it across your chest and down at about 45 degrees as you step left and around your opponent. This effectively spins him away and you around. If the referree didn't break you up, then this is an excellent time to throw a left hook or straight right. I like to practice the push and followed immediately by a left hook. Shove Out: In the clinch, quickly bring your hands in and give your opponent a strong decisive shove in the middle of his chest while simultaneously stepping back. You may find it better to even use the shove as a starting point for a quick hop backwards, but at any rate, ensure you shove is sufficient enough to throw your opponent off balance for a moment. You are trying to ensure he is not in position to throw a jab or other punch as you break the clinch. A safer method of doing this is to leave your lead hand tying up your opponent's lead arm and using your rear hand to initiate the shove. You can then guide your opponent's lead as you shove off ensuring a successful and safe exit from the clinch.If a referree breaks you up, then step back cleanly and don't attempt to cheat and get in a cheap shot. At the same time, realize that this is boxing and cheap shots are plenty, so protect yourself at all times. The recent Mayweather-Hatton fight gives you plenty of examples of the clinch in action, especially through the initial rounds up to round 8. If you can get through the first two minutes of this video (cheesy tribute introduction), you can see a number of clinching highlights. Notice around the 3rd minute how Hatton ties up Mayweather. It is a very obvious bear hug and you will also notice how the clinch can deteriorate into some vicious infighting. So, beware if you are using the clinch because you are tired. There is a good chance that you will end up even more tired after it. Used at the right time though, it is a good boxing technique to have available in your arsenal.Boxing Tip #12 - Double Slip - Bob - Body - Body - HookPosted on January 19, 2010 by Aaron Sorry for the title of this boxing tip - I couldn't think of a clever way to describe what I'm about to tell you in something that would make sense any other way. I have to take a moment and tell you that this technique opened my eyes and finally made me understand the whole concept of weight transfer. Once I worked through this combination a light bulb went on and I completely understood how one punch puts you in position for another. Maybe it was the explanation at the time, or maybe I was just open to understanding that day, but I hope I can do this justice and give you the same light bulb moment. When to Use the Double Slip - Bob - Body - Body - Hook.You can use this technique when your opponent throws a 1-2-3 combination (Jab, Straight Right, Left Hook). Think and visualize this. If you fight orthodox, your left foot is forward. Picture an orthodox opponent also with his left foot forward. Now in slow motion, picture him throwing a jab at your head. His lead hand is coming towards you and you slip to the right (outside). You immediately notice a straight right coming at you as your opponent's torso begins to twist, squaring off in front of you. Again you slip, this time to the left and now stop this picture in your mind at the extreme left of your slip. That's the double slip portion of the technique. Like any good opponent, you can expect at least a three combination attack. The 1-2 will be followed by a 3, so as he brings the left hook around to catch you as you recover from your slip, alter your slip path and duck/bob over to the right as the hook flies harmlessly over your head. How to Throw the Body-Body-HookRight at this point, your opponent has missed you (hopefully) and is fully extended and twisted slightly away from you trying to recover from his hook. You are now in a position to inflict some damage and regain the initiative in the fight. Think of how you are positioned at this point. Likely crouched, bent slightly to the right (weight more over to the front right). There is a giant body target in front of you, so nail it with everything you've got - Right Hook to the Body and follow through with the weight transfer. Ensure you keep low as you twist back to the left. If you hit your opponent right, he is going to twist back to his left which will open up the body on the right. Take advantage of it and hit with a left hook to the body. That will likely drop his guard so follow up immediately with a left hook to the head. There's the body-body-hook portion of this boxing combination. How to Practice the Double Slip-Bob-Body-Body-HookBest way to perfect this technique is to break it into two parts and then combine them once you've perfected both. 1. Defensive Portion - learn to thwart the attack and end up in the perfect position to launch your offensive actions. So, start slow and have someone throw a 1-2-3 combination at you. Keep low and tight and slip at the last second. You need to draw out the entire 1-2-3 combination in order to get yourself in position to fight back. If your opponent doesn't commit entirely to the 1-2-3 combination, it's going to mess up your plans, so provide him the targets - but be fast enough to ensure he misses. Slip, slip, bob - Slip, slip, bob. A lot of this comes from your legs, so keep crouched.2. Offensive Portion - Here's where the weight transfer is extremely important. Throw the right hook to the body and notice how your weight naturally transfers over to the left. Let it. Follow through and let it load your left hook. Once loaded, throw it - Snap and then throw another left hook to the head immediately afterwards. The timing for the whole action is Snap--------Snap, Snap.Ideally, you want to practice this with someone who can throw a 1-2-3 combination, but you can just as easily visualize what is happening with a heavybag. As I'm sure I've mentioned (if I haven't I should have), heavybag work becomes 200% more effective if you are visualizing it as an opponent. It is not just a big padded leather bag, it is an opponent complete with arms that throw punches at you. The sooner you picture that, the sooner you can develop those reactions required to evade those punches in the ring. Let me know if you try this and tell me how it works out for you. Enjoy. Home Boxing Tip #13: Stuck in a CornerPosted on January 19, 2010 by Aaron Sooner or later you are going to find yourself trying to battle out of a corner. The boxing ring has four of them and if your opponent controls the ring, you are going to find yourself back against the turnbuckle with no avenue of escape. This is where you want your opponent, so logical to reason that he is going to try and put you there as well. Prevention is the Best Medicine First and foremost, stay out of the corners. If you don't let yourself get in the situation, then you don't have to deal with it. So, control the fight. Be aware of where you are in relation to the corners and maneouvre to stay in the centre of the ring where you have 360 degrees of freedom (assuming you can punch through your opponent :)) Doing this will require agility and excellent footwork. It also requires a degree of generalship (something I will describe in a later article.)

In the Corner by Michael (Mx5tx)Stuck in the Corner First and foremost, when your back hits the turnbuckle, do not panic. Your opponent is going to know that he has you in the corner and will take that opportunity to attack (or they should). If the situation is ever reversed, make sure you take advantage of the situation. In effect the corner nullifies half of your opponent's ability - he can't move and has to rely on a strong defense and his wits to get out of it. Second, if there was ever a time to keep your eyes open, this is it. What are you looking for? Two things - punches coming in, so you can deal with them either blocking, slipping, or catching and also an opening which is going to require excellent timing and decisive action to utilize to turn the tides on your opponent. If you do this right, you can actually change spots with your opponent -- putting him in the corner and you on the offensive. The punches coming in - you are just going to have to deal with the best you can. Hopefully your opponent will start throwing haymakers and getting sloppy. If he stays tight, accurate, and on target you are going to have a tough time spinning him. Luckily, people tend to get excited when they corner someone and that excitement leads to a total disregard for technique. Not saying it will always happen that way, but there is a good chance of it. You also want to lean forward - not backward. You need to be coiled and ready to step forward in a split second. Watching for your chance Your chance to turn the tide occurs when your opponent throws a punch that either overextends him or throws him off balance. With haymakers or looping rights and lefts, that opening will be quite obvious and you will have a substantial amount of time to react. What you want to achieve is to make the haymaker miss completely which will cause some weight transfer in your opponent. Immediately following the miss you have to step kind of towards and around your opponent - underneath the arm that just missed its target. At the same time, you need to spin around your opponent, giving him a slight tap/shove. As you spin around him, he is naturally going to try and realign (spin). He will be off balance and the tap/shove you give him will send him backfirst into the turnbuckle. You effectively switch positions and then use that to your advantage -- but again, Don't Panic. You are now in control - stay tight and throw controlled, accurate punches. An example Picture the following scenario. It is one of many, but the principles are the same: You are in the corner, back against the turnbuckle and your opponent is throwing punches. Your stance in the corner should see you leaning slightly forward, absorbing hits, slipping, and ducking as required, but always maintain the forward leaning stance. Your weight should be distributed more on your lead foot. Don't let him punch you back against the turnbuckle. Your opponent begins to throw a looping right hand and you realize this is your chance. You duck as the punch comes in, stepping towards your opponent's left side at the same time. As the punch misses its target you find yourself under his armpit and basically grab him around the abdomen, helping him to spin as you step around him, finishing off with a quick tap/shove which pushes him into the corner. You then unleash the fury. There are three likely outcomes that will happen when you spin your opponent. 1. You will succeed - and you will find him and you exactly where you want to be. Enjoy. 2. You will fail - and you will find yourself still in the corner. Repeat until you succeed. 3. You will partially succeed - Even partial success is better than the alternative - you will find yourself out of the corner, but you may also find your opponent isn't in the corner either. Now you're back to square one - don't let yourself get put in the corner again - control the fight. Boxing Tip #14 - Jab FakePosted on January 19, 2010 by Aaron Similar to the Jab Tap, I learned this technique the hard way - glove to face in the ring. I have to give you a little background - so bear with me. You see, when I first started boxing, I tended to hold my hands just below eye level. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but my trainer had a hay day with it. In the beginning...Being new to the sport, I didn't have the skill or reflexes to be able to bring my hands up to block what seemed like lightning bolt jabs coming from my trainer. He easily came through my mixed stance type of defence - over and over again, I might add. Well, eventually, I wisened up a bit and decided fine, if I can't block his jabs, I'll hold my hands higher, adopting a much more peek a boo style of stance at the risk of exposing my body. I have a strong core and figured I could take the punishment the few times that I couldn't get my elbows down to block a body shot. This actually worked -- for a little while. I held my hands more at the level of my forehead and peeked through the opening between my forearms. My head was completely protected - or so I thought. My Demise...Once my trainer wisened up, and it didn't take long, he taught me a valuable tip - again - the hard way. If you think about my stance, hands held high, body more or less exposed, forearms nearly directly in front of my face, getting a jab in there is pretty difficult. If you were fighting me, you could easily go to my body, but because of my stance, I'd be watching for that - I know my body was exposed and had a plan to adapt to a body assault.

Connecting with the left hookPhoto by mborowickInstead, my trainer said, okay, I won't jab him, I'll pretend to jab and then nail him with a left hook. And that is what he did, over and over. He faked the jab meaning I braced for impact from the front and somehow he managed to change his fake jab into a solid left hook that connected everytime. I couldn't react fast enough to block it when I finally realized the jab wasn't actually going to impact. Back to the drawing board for me as I was pummeled repeatedly by left hooks the rest of the night. He only had to connect once to make subsequent hooks easier for himself. Just the fact that he made it through my solid fortress of forearms made me question where his jab was going to actually go. Now, if I made a move to block the hook, he just carried through with the jab which nailed me anyways. If you perfect this technique you will have a punch - hook or jab - that will land 90% of the time (at least until your opponent figures out how to use his right as a block the same time he is using his left to block - something for another tip in the future.) When to use the Jab FakeThis works best when your opponent is in a peek a boo stance. With his arms held high, it is much more difficult for him to react quickly - partly because of the position of his arms, but also because his vision is likely partly obstructed by his own arms and hands. This lends perfectly to faking a punch, especially if you manage to do it behind one his blind spots. If you don't know what I mean by a blind spot, sitting where you are, lift your arms up in front of your face as if you were in a peek a boo stance. Notice your arms. Anything that happens behind them is partially obstructed from view. If you can initiate a fake punch in your opponent's blind spots - causing him to flinch, you are going to buy yourself a little time to throw the actual punch. Granted, throwing something in a blind spot is more a matter of luck than skill, but it is still something you should strive to achieve. To summarize, use the jab fake against someone who is squared off in front of you in a fairly upright position, with arms held high partially blocking their view. Utilizing the Jab FakeYou initiate a jab fake like you would any jab and you have to make it believable. Your opponent has to believe a jab is coming at him and is going to impact. That way, in a high peek a book guard, he will brace his forearms for impact (if he doesn't try slipping). If it is not believable, he won't, and you'll have less chance of landing the actual punch. So, throw your jab, but pull it back about a quarter of the way into it and loop it into a left hook that goes around your opponent's forearm and strikes the intended target. This is hard to do. Stopping the forward momentum is difficult and the more you can loop on the way back, the more powerful the hook will be as you change the direction of the force. Speed is key here. Another way to aid in making your opponent commit to an incoming jab and brace is to give other cues - such as throwing your shoulder forward. Read the boxing tip on feints for other ideas on making a believable fake. Practicing the Jab FakeYou can practice this pretty much anywhere. The biggest thing to master is halting the forward momentum of your jab and re-routing that force into a left hook. It is going to feel awkward, but with practice you can do it and even get your torso to throw a little extra force behind it. Do this on a heavy bag and strive to achieve a solid left hook after you fake the jab. Then, if you can find a partner willing. Have him spar with you with hands held high. See if you can get him to believe in your fake jab and trick him into receiving your left hook. It will give you a good idea of how much you need to pretend to commit the jab in order to give you the time required to land the hook. An Alternative - Cross FakeOf note, you can easily adapt this and do the exact same thing with a straight right. Fake throwing the fake right and instead turn it into a looping right hand (right hook). You are doing the exact same thing, just to the other side. I've actually had some good success with this and find it easier to alter the path of my right as opposed to my jab. Maybe it's because I'm right handed and have better control with my right. At any rate, it isn't a stretch to do this from either side. Strike Fast, Strike Hard...Good Luck. Boxing Tip #15 - Pre-EmptionPosted on January 20, 2010 by Aaron To preempt someone is to forestall or prevent (something anticipated) by acting first. It is a mission verb used in combat to describe a situation where you attempt to launch an offensive effort before your opponent in order to seize and then maintain the initiative. You know your opponent is planning something, but you need to beat him to the punch (literally). Everyone has a decision cycle (also referred to as an OODA loop). When you see something happening, your brain has to process it, make decisions about that event and then cause you to react to it. In boxing, reaction is bad. Actually in combat, reaction is bad. If you are reacting, you are always in the defensive. Proactivity is the remedy for reactivity. I've made it clear you cannot win without an offense, so to be reactive means defeat. Back to the OODA loop, if you can launch your offensive before your opponent makes his next decision, you get inside his OODA loop and preempt his attack. You always want to be one step ahead of your opponent, planning your next move while he is still reacting to the last one. A while ago I wrote about universal and idiosynchratic tells. These are the little cues people give off before they do something that basically tell you what they are going to do. For this boxing tip, we are going to look in depth at tells that forecast an opponent has decided to throw a jab so that you can pick up on them and preempt his attack with a jab of your own. A Quick Story

Preemption: Hit Before Getting HitPhoto by mx5txOnce you know what your opponent is going to throw, it causes shock and disbelief when you beat him to the punch. I remember sparring with a young guy and it was incredibly easy to see when he was going to throw a jab. Repeatedly, I would strike first knowing that over and over again, he was going to tell me exactly when he was about to throw his jab. Not only did I preempt his attack with an offense of my own, but I also disrupted his attack. (another combat mission verb). By the end of the sparring, the lad was completely demoralized. He thought I possessed super speed to be able to beat his jab time and time again with a jab of my own, and his nose was quite sore where he got popped over and over again. I was completely inside his OODA loop and knew what he was going to do before he did. It's about this time you begin to feel invulnerable. Preempting the JabTo preempt anything you need to be quick. Jabs are well suited for preemption because you can throw one from pretty much any situation - off balance, stepping back, down, up, and so on. So first thing you need to do is practice your jab, throwing it out quickly, cleanly, and with decisive force and then recovering to your guard just as quick. Practice from odd angles - in close, and far out. You need your jab to flick out with force and intensity and 100% accuracy. Read Your OpponentIn order to preempt, you need to know when your opponent is going to launch his attack. So, watch for the signs of an incoming punch. For a jab: weight shifts slightly to his front foot; hips begin to rotate; shoulder drops (in poor jabs); elbow of the front arm begins to rotate up; you can see it in your opponent's face; or you see movement of the glove.Obviously not a definitive list and it will vary from boxer to boxer, but all of us forecast our intentions in some way. The quicker you can pick up on your opponent's tells, the quicker you can decide how the fight is going to go. Strike FirstAs soon as you see any of these signs, strike. Do not think about it, just throw the punch. If you are right and he is throwing a punch, by the time yours makes it to him, he will be wide open. Have faith that you will hit first. You will be elated the first time you do this and you connect. It's like your opponent just drops his hands and lets you hit him. Look for the SurpriseA bonus feature - look for the look of utter surprise in your opponent's face following your jab. He will have no idea how you managed to throw a punch that quick. Remember, he is caught up in his decision cycle and is oblivious to what is happening around him. His brain is engaged in deciding to throw a jab. He won't be able to react to yours until his cycle has completed - so beat him to it and you win. Do you have any stories of pre-emption? Is there some tell you've noticed your sparring partners give before they launch? Leave a comment, or ask a question. Boxing Tip #16 - Power in the PivotPosted on January 20, 2010 by Aaron So you've started boxing and you're wondering how to add some power to your punches. Do you go to the gym and bulk up the triceps and biceps? Do you do speed drills on the heavy bag to get your arms moving faster? Do you pick up 3lb dumbells and shadowbox?You could do some of all of the above, but a more effective way to increase your punching power and speed is to master the pivot principle.What is the Pivot Principle?The pivot principle isone of the foundations of boxing. No matter how big you are or powerful you think you are, you can only generate so much power and speed from moving your arms by themselves.To really generate powerand speed, it has to come up from the floor through your legs, accelerate through your hips, out your shoulder to the endof your fist. Mastering the flow from your legs tothe end of your punch will more drasticallyimprove your punching prowess than anything else you can do.

Pivot PrinciplePhoto by hmmlargeartImagine A Rod...In your boxer's stance, imagine a steel rod that goes down through the top of your head, down your spine, out your arse and into the floor effectively anchoringthe center of your body frommoving side to side or front toback. Thatrod is your axis and you pivot around that rod. The torque you manage to generate around that pivot point is what is going to give you all your power.How to Practice the Pivot PrincipleThe pivot is all in the hips, soyou have to train your hips to twist. For beginner boxers,standon a line, both feet facing forward, knees bent andhands up in guard position. Throw alternating punches straight out to the front, twisting your hips inthe same direction as your punch. Allowyour legto turn slightly, but focus on getting afull flex across your hips. Remember the punch isn't done until your chin is tucked into your shoulder.It is very helpful to do this in front of a mirror where you can see just how much your hips are pivoting. Coordination and timing are theother factors in play here. It will take practice, but you need to be able to launch your punch at the right point in the pivot to maximize the force. Start slow, get the technique right, and then work some speed into theequation.Pivot Principle TipsThe more flexibility you have in your hip flexors, the easier it is going to be for you to twist around your pivot axis. So, make sure you havehip flexibility exercises in your routine. At one time, a lot of people believed that certain types of crunches (mostly those that have the feet anchored) were cause of stronger hip flexors and without proper maintenance, would tighten your hips making the pivot moredifficult and less effective. Turns out there is no evidence supporting that, so don't worry about what kind of abwork you do.Once you have the basic pivot down, really visualize in your mind's eye the power beginning in your legs, shooting through your hips as you torque, flying up through your shoulder and exiting the end of your punch. Start doingthis consistently, and you'll be amazed at how hard you start hitting.Boxing Tip #17 - Clamping Your Way to a Correct Guard PositionPosted on January 20, 2010 by Aaron Hopefully you've learned how to correctly position your head and arms by now from the boxing basics lesson on the site. If you haven't, read that before continuing here, but to rehash - basically your chin is tucked into your lead arm shoulder, with elbows in close to your sides and gloves up protecting your face.Seems simple enough right?It is simple if you're standing still conciously thinking about keeping your head down looking up through your eyebrows, tucking your chin into your shoulder and keeping your elbows in nice and close. I'll bet though, thatonce you start moving around, throwing punches,you may quickly forget everything you've learned about guard positioning You probably won't even notice it, but your chin will eventually rise up and stick right out there, your elbows will leave your sides, and both of these will beg your opponent to plant a nice juicy fist right where you're going to feel it.That immediate feedback from your opponent is usually enough toremind you to put your arms and headback in position, but by then it may be too late.A lot of you are training without a partner or trainer, and without a trainer there to remind you and ensure you develop the habit, you may be in danger of developing a bad habit instead, letting your elbows drift away from their protective state and tilting your head up and even out.So, what can you do to ensure your head and arms stay in the correct position without having someone watch you?You need a system of feedback - something that tells you immediately when you aren't in the correct guard position. That could be a friend who smacks you in the ribs or face when not protected, but often you can't even find a good friend to smack you around. Here's a quick and simple method for ensuring you maintain the correct positioning while moving around and punching.Clamping the Chin in Proper Position - Meet the Tennis Ball

Chin PositionPick up one tennis ball and insert it into the hollow of your neck and then hold it in place by tilting your chin down, clamping it between your chin and neck. For much smaller people, you may need to use a golf ball in order to get your head down far enough. Now, from here, perform your drills ensuring the ball stays in place. Doing this will help you develop the habit of keeping your chin down and into your body, thus offering some protection.Clamping to KeepYour Elbows in Position

Elbow PositionSimilar to clamping a tennis ball between your neck and body, you can train yourself to keep your elbows in by using your elbow to hold something - glove, rag, board, etc... between your elbow and bottom ribs. Pretty much anything works as long as it is long and flat.You can build on this as well to ensure your fist stays up beside your chin, by clamping a golf ball (or something smaller if you are much smaller) between your bicep and forearm (where your elbow naturally bends.)To PracticeFor the chin positioning:You can either shadowbox or hit the heavy bag while holding that ball under your chin. I wouldn't recommend sparring, as you'll probably do some damage if you are forced to clamp down harder by an incoming shot than required. Practice moving around and throwing your punches while keeping that ball in place. After a while when things start feeling comfortable, remove the ball and continue practicing until you notice your head lift. Then it's time to put it back in place. Eventually, drilling in this way, you'll naturally adopt the correct head positioning.For your elbows:Obviously you aren't going to be able to throw any punches or everything you're clamping down on is going to hit the floor. Instead, practice moving around, slipping, ducking, etc... This is where a sparring partner can come in handy. Have him throw some light shots to the body and practice twisting your torso with everything in position.

Punching in PositionAlternatively, you can clamp down on items one side at a time and throw punches with the other arm. For instance, to practice jabbing (orthodox) while maintaining correct positioning on your right arm, clamp your right arm in place and then practice away - shadowboxing, heavy bag, or technical sparring. Same goes for the right, just clamp the left arm in place.Positive FeedbackHaving the immediate feedback of the item you are clamping down on hitting the floor will initially cause you to conciously maintain the correct positioning. Eventually, it will become second nature and you'll develop the correct habit. In all of your training without a trainer it is important to try and work some type of feedback system into your routine so you havea failsafe that will tell you when you are in danger of developing bad habits. While not perfect, clamping down can set you up for success in the long run. Now go clampyour balls and learn proper positioning.Boxing Tip #18 - Inside Boxing DrillPosted on January 20, 2010 by Aaron Sometimes when you're boxing, you want to get inside your opponent's reach and stay there. It's usually because you're boxing someone a lot taller than you or maybe you just like the close in game. Whatever your reason, if you're going to fight inside, then you need to practice fighting inside.Often you don't have someone to spar with that likes you snuggling up close and pounding them in the ribs or launching vicious hooks to their head. What's a poor guy to do when he can't find someone willing to take a beating?Luckily, you have ole faithful - your heavybag - hanging there just waiting for some attention. Here's a quick and easy drill you can do that will help you improve your inside boxing abilities.The AimThe aim of this drill is to perform some type of entrance drill to close the distance to the bag and then stay there for the duration of the round. The key is that you can only stay inside if you're throwing punches. If you quit punching, you can't stay inside,you have to perform an exit move, get outside, and then wait for an opportunity to come back inside.To Perform the DrillStart your round timer, and begin moving around the heavybag. When you visualize it, cross no man's land, and plant your lead shoulder against the heavybag. For as long as you are inside, this shoulder has to maintain contact with the bag, unless you are throwing a hook or uppercut with the lead hand. You should be leaning slightly into the bag as if you are keeping your opponent from pushing you back. Your hands are up and you are very tight protectivelywatching for hooks and uppercuts.Punches you should be concentrating on throwing are: short hooks - both left and right uppercuts - both left and right alternating hooks - left, right, left combinations of all of the above both to the body and to the headIf you stop punching and/or visualizing blocking, then move back across no man's land, take a breather, and then find a way to enter again. Continue this for the duration of the round.Mike Tyson vs Trevor BerbickThis little piece of boxing history - Mike Tyson vs Trevor Berbick for the heavyweight title - notice how Tyson gets inside and throws tight hooks and uppercuts - especially at the end of round 2 before the knockout. This is basically what you're trying to achieve.Do you have any inside boxing drills you do to develop these skills?Boxing Tip #19 - Jab Slip and EnterPosted on January 31, 2010 by Aaron As I talked about previously, you need to have available various strategies for closing the distance between you and your opponent. This boxing technique isa boxing drillyou can use to both close the distance and throw your opponent off guard so that you can close without getting hit and start inflicting some damage once you get there.The AimTo quickly get inside, crossing no man's land, without getting hit and setting yourself up for success once you get there. You will use your opponent'soffense (a Jab) to create an opening to cross the line. You slip andthrow a counter, as you step towards your opponent.To Perform the DrillTo do this drill, you should know how to slip to the outside. Approach your opponent and be within striking range. Be on guard as he could unleash anything at this point, but you're trying to invoke a jab. Or, alternatively, you can remain out of range and wait for him to throw a jab to try and close the distance himself.When the jab is thrown you want to slip to the outside. For an orthodox opponent vs orthodox fighter that means you are slipping right when facing your opponent. For southpaws it means your slipping left when facing your opponent. However, it is nota normal linear slip. You need to slip towards your opponent at a 45 degree angle.Immediately as you slip, step forward which will basically make you slip more to the wanted45 degree angle. You are actually stepping towards the jab, but at an angle, while throwing a right uppercut (left uppercut for southpaws). Push off your back leg and drive yourself into your opponent. Don't go for a powerful uppercut at this point with a huge windup. You need speed to beat your opponent's jab both as it comes towards you and back.The uppercut is simply to throw him/her off guard so that any follow up combination they had planned for their jab is disrupted. It will also serverto set you up for a more powerful punching combination of your own.If you time this right, you should be delivering the uppercut just as your opponent has recovered his jab. You will now be in a position where you are close enough to strike as well as having landed an uppercut to setup a combination of your own. I recommend following with a left hook for orthodox fighters (right hook for southpaws.Once inside, do your damage and then decide if you are staying there, in which case you should practice some inside fighting drills, or leaving, in which case you need an exit strategy.To Practice This DrillBest way to practice this drill is with an opponent. Start slow and have the opponent extend his arm into a jab position. Step through the drill noting your opponent's position and your own position as you get closer to him. Be aware of your footwork and where you are stepping to correctly align yourself for an uppercut.Once you understand the footwork and technique, work on the timing by having your opponent throw a very slow jab to which you react. Eventually speed it up, until you are comfortable with the movement and applicable counter at faster and faster speeds.If you don't have a partner, you can still practice this with a heavy bag and some good visualization. Imagine the jab coming out of the heavy bag, slip, move and counter, then get out. Move around the bag, slip, move, counter, get out. Again, start slow, perfect the technique and then speed up the movements.Home Boxing Tip #20 - Covering Up Is Hard To DoPosted on January 31, 2010 by Aaron Once upon a time, there was a boxer named Jim. Jim loved boxing and would train up to 3 hours a day, working hard on his conditioning and generally turning himself into a hell of a fighter. Jim knew he was good, in shape, and decided to reward himself with a vacation -- a couple weeks cruising the Caribbean.Jim will be the first one to tell you that a cruise quickly turns into a battle of who can be the bigger slug. With food everywhere, the most exercise you get is walking ten steps from bar to eatery to pool and back again. Sure there is a fitness room, but Jim wasn't there to workout. He was there to relax, drink himself silly,and eat whatever he wanted -- and he did just that.By the end of the vacation, Jim had thoroughly indulged himself, enjoyed himself, and was ready to get back in the gym. On returning home, there was a messagewaiting for him-- his coach hadsetup afight -- the catch -- it was in three days.Ordinarily Jim wouldn't have blinked as he keeps himself in prime fighting condition all year long, doing his best to peak when he plans on stepping in the ring, but this time, he knew he would be in trouble. He just felt heavier, slower, and not anywhere near his peak. Not one to pass up a match though, he called his coach back and said he'd take it.So what happened to Jim when he got in the ring? It wasn't pretty. Out of breath right from the start, he knew it was going to be a long fight -- if he could withstand the beating. Damn, he was wishing he hadn't let himself "go" for the week.There is light at the end of the tunnel for Jim though. Because Jim knew what to do when he was out of breath, tired, and incapable of putting on his regular fleet footed show. The result, he eeked out a win, but it sure wasn't a pretty display of boxing.So What's My Point?No matter who you are and how much you train, you're going to have off days and there is a good chance those off days might coincide with a scheduled fight or sparring session.On those days, your gas tank is nowhere near full and you've got to conserve your energy, using it when it counts. When you only have a 1/4 tank of gas in your car and need to drive 400 miles, you don't floor it and hope to coast on fumes. You slow it down, get the best efficiency you can