Beginning Boxing Questions

[GodofGamblers]

I still consider myself a beginner in boxing; I started at it a long time ago, but the lessons were not systematic and I was always more concerned with clobbering the other guy than technical questions like the position of my head or how high I raised my elbow on a punch, etc. I just figured as long as I hit him hard, that was enough.

Now that I'm older I'm starting to pay more attention to fine detail. I have some queries that are probably beginners' questions:

(1) Dadi, you once stated that for a left hook, you should push off the right foot. I find i don't do this at all. I lead with a left jab then slide forward on my left foot as i throw the left hook. If I'm standing still, my hips do turn into the punch but the back leg doesn't do much, except drag forward if the left slides forward when I punch.

Am I doing something wrong?

(2) When I throw a straight right I find I shuffle the right foot forward slightly to add body weight to the punch. But that leaves me flat footed and easy to unbalance (both feet are thus close together and parallel). How do I remedy this?

(3) I always found the punches trainers showed me were unrealistic. They also corrected my big punches and made me practice short chopping 'tight' punches. But once you get in the ring, no one can keep their punches that tight except in a clinch. Who is wrong? The trainer or me? Maybe they just teach 'ideal' punches that don't really work in practice.

(4) I tend to keep my legs too wide apart. I'm told they should be directly under my shoulders. I don't know if it's because of my MA training, but I keep opening them up to give me better balance. I'm sorry, I just fight better this way... should I try and hold them closer together?

Thx

[ezzthetic]

(1) Dadi, you once stated that for a left hook, you should push off the right foot. I find i don't do this at all. I lead with a left jab then slide forward on my left foot as i throw the left hook. If I'm standing still, my hips do turn into the punch but the back leg doesn't do much, except drag forward if the left slides forward when I punch.

Am I doing something wrong?

You're not so much pushing off your right foot as you are hinging off it. The weight is on the back foot only so you can turn your left side freely to your right. Hooking off the jab is no picnic, but the jab should've already put you in range to throw the hook. An extra shuffle forward shouldn't be necessary. Step with the jab and find range, than throw the hook from a stationary position, not the other way around.


(2) When I throw a straight right I find I shuffle the right foot forward slightly to add body weight to the punch. But that leaves me flat footed and easy to unbalance (both feet are thus close together and parallel). How do I remedy this?

Well, that's hard to tell without seeing you move, but you must learn to keep the weight on the balls of your feet at all times... even when your heels are on the floor. Otherwise it lies in the turning of the hips and the bending of the knees to get a proper position and more importantly setting up a continuing movement for different angles.


(3) I always found the punches trainers showed me were unrealistic. They also corrected my big punches and made me practice short chopping 'tight' punches. But once you get in the ring, no one can keep their punches that tight except in a clinch. Who is wrong? The trainer or me? Maybe they just teach 'ideal' punches that don't really work in practice.

If your stance is wrong, you'll never get a hang of tight punching. You have to be very compact in your body movement to be able to facilitate those dangerous shots. Search youtube.com for "joe louis" and you'll see several clips of the ultimate short puncher. Short punches are those of the master. Again, without a visual of what your trainer is telling you to do, I can only make a guess at what you mean.


(4) I tend to keep my legs too wide apart. I'm told they should be directly under my shoulders. I don't know if it's because of my MA training, but I keep opening them up to give me better balance. I'm sorry, I just fight better this way... should I try and hold them closer together?

Regarding your stance, I'd never keep my feet directly under my shoulders... that's much too narrow. Sounds like someone doing an Ali imitation dancing around. I have a fairly wide stance, but there are several factors that contribute to a proper stance. Find a stance that allows you to keep the weight on the balls of your feet at all times and still retain a relaxed tension in your legs. No two people are exactly the same when it comes to proper stance. The elements that are most important are a) weight on balls of the feet b) bent knees and c) rotate pelvis forward.

Read this little piece on body movement from my website:

http://watercourse.blogspot.com/2005/11/basics-of-body-movement.html

Let me know if you have more questions!

[STORMCROW34]

Very nice article Dadi.

[ezzthetic]

Thanks! Forgot I even wrote it until I started answering those questions. :)

[GodofGamblers]

Thanks for the detailed reply, Dadi. But then let me ask you: where does the power come from in the hook?

Since the punch is not moving straight forward, it is safe to say that it is not from the back leg. The back leg can 'push' a punch forward but not in a 'hooking' direction, right? The 'explosive grab' principle is hard to apply too for the hook.

Is it just from the hips? But if it's from the hips, it would seem to me that the weight would be on the front foot... What do you think?

[STORMCROW34]

"Hooking off the jab is no picnic,"

I've always had a problem with this sequence Dadi. But not only because I'm worried about a counter right.

"but the jab should've already put you in range to throw the hook. An extra shuffle forward shouldn't be necessary. Step with the jab and find range, than throw the hook from a stationary position, not the other way around."

I step with the jab, but I think for me it's a range issue. I've always had a hard time understanding how this combination can work, because to me, it seems like they are in two different ranges. The jab is long range because the arm is completely extended, and the hook is middle to inside range because the arm is bent. So I'm wondering, is it a combination that is typically thrown as the opponent is closing the distance? Thanks.

[ezzthetic]

Thanks for the detailed reply, Dadi. But then let me ask you: where does the power come from in the hook?

Since the punch is not moving straight forward, it is safe to say that it is not from the back leg. The back leg can 'push' a punch forward but not in a 'hooking' direction, right? The 'explosive grab' principle is hard to apply too for the hook.

Is it just from the hips? But if it's from the hips, it would seem to me that the weight would be on the front foot... What do you think?

Sorry for the late reply. I'm not sure I understand you. The power of the punch comes from shifting of the weight from the front leg to the back leg and turning your entire forward side into the punch. An important element is the tightness of the arm angle. The tighter the better. The fist and forearm must be pointed towards the target and the hips act merely as a commander of the turning motion of the body. You should also turn your heel out. If you can't turn your heel out, you aren't shifting your weight entirely off your forward leg. It's all about acceleration. The same with a straight punch with your rear hand: you shift the weight and push into the weight transferral. I always teach the basics of punching like this:

a) shift your weight
b) turn your hips
c) release your punch

Do it in any other order and the other components become useless.

[ezzthetic]

"Hooking off the jab is no picnic,"

I've always had a problem with this sequence Dadi. But not only because I'm worried about a counter right.

"but the jab should've already put you in range to throw the hook. An extra shuffle forward shouldn't be necessary. Step with the jab and find range, than throw the hook from a stationary position, not the other way around."

I step with the jab, but I think for me it's a range issue. I've always had a hard time understanding how this combination can work, because to me, it seems like they are in two different ranges. The jab is long range because the arm is completely extended, and the hook is middle to inside range because the arm is bent. So I'm wondering, is it a combination that is typically thrown as the opponent is closing the distance? Thanks.

There are many ways of looking at the range issue. The opponent might by closing the distance aggressively, yes, but he might also just be turning left while you are moving to your right, making him stationary and vulnerable. Also the momentum of step-in jab might carry you beyond punch extension once the punch is released - that is, if you jab with the momentum of the forward step, you might keep moving forward once the jab has landed, thus allowing you closer more comfortable range for the followup hook. This is not a move you'll use against someone who fights from long range... unless you can pin him on the ropes or in a corner. The jab can also be thrown as a false lead without full elbow extension. It all depends on your body and the dynamic with each individual opponent.

There is a version of this move where you first land the jab, but finish that part of the movement with a similar motion as when slipping a right hand (assuming orthodox vs orthodox), hips turned to the left. from this position you can launch a left hook the way lead left hooks are done. Your weight swings from your front leg to your back leg horizontally as usual, but your lower body swings kind of forward and your upper body back. This will allow you to cover more ground, but it's not for everybody as this move is easily telegraphed.

[STORMCROW34]

Thanks for the reply Dadi. I guess it seems that the intention of the jab really determines the viability of the following hook. If your jab is being used defensively or offensively. Perhaps, if it's a jab for finding range or to keep your opponent back, then landing a hook isn't a great idea. But on the other hand, if the step you take with the jab is forceful and the punch is meant to do damage, then the following hook is more likely to be in range. What do you think?

[ezzthetic]

Thanks for the reply Dadi. I guess it seems that the intention of the jab really determines the viability of the following hook. If your jab is being used defensively or offensively. Perhaps, if it's a jab for finding range or to keep your opponent back, then landing a hook isn't a great idea. But on the other hand, if the step you take with the jab is forceful and the punch is meant to do damage, then the following hook is more likely to be in range. What do you think?

You're welcome 'Crow! :) Like I said, it is very dependant on the individual. Our friend Kostya Tszyu for example is excellent at hooking off the range finding jab.

I'd say that the textbook hook off the jab is one where you throw a full or near full power jab with a short step towards the stationary or slightly aggressive opponent. The jab however is a false lead and more of a distraction. Its intention is not necessarily to score a big hit, but merely to bother the opponent enough for you to set up and turn over a left hook. Often the jab will draw a right hand counter that your left hook counters nicely. That's a sort of a "I know you know I know" thing, a counter-counter. As I said in the previous post, you might have to keep the momentum going after the jab is at full intended extension, get a little closer, load your weight to the front leg and let it go.

Many people try to throw the punches too explosively and the hook becomes a slap. You have to read the opponent's intentions as far as commitment to a counter-punch or covering up goes through his stance and body tension. That's when the hook of the jab and generally the 1-2 really starts working. I don't know if it makes sense, but the 1-2 is a 1-2 (whatever punches are thrown), not merely 2 punches and not really a combination. A combinations strings together 3 or more punches.

As a southpaw, I hook off the jab by throwing it double and pivoting off my right foot to my right with a simultaneous right hook even as my left leg is spinning around. A version of this can be done by an orthodox fighter - a step-over left hook off the jab.

EDIT: Often it is the third punch after the hook off the jab that does the job, usually a right over the desperate "keep-my-head-clear" left jab from the opponent.

[STORMCROW34]

It makes perfecr sense, Dadi. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.

BTW...What exactly is going on with our friend Kostya? He's not making Russian rock videos is he?

[ezzthetic]

It makes perfecr sense, Dadi. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.

BTW...What exactly is going on with our friend Kostya? He's not making Russian rock videos is he?

Hehe... I don't know about that, but he's just had a surgery on his shoulder, which has been bothering him for a while. He wanted to take care of that before making any decisions about his career. Doesn't sound like he plans to retire. I'd like to see him take on Mayweather, but I think he needs a win against another top opponent first for Mayweather to bite.

[STORMCROW34]

Hahah...thought maybe he was going the way of Oscar. But I hope not!

I'd like to see him fight Zab again, or maybe Baldomir after Mayweather picks him apart. From there it would be tough, but a Margarito or Mayweather win would be a defining career moment and perfect place to retire.

[ezzthetic]

Yes, absolutely. However, I don't think he should fight a pressure fighter/volume puncher. Maybe a win over Cotto would be wiser than recycling Judah or fighting Margarito, Williams or Baldomir.

[STORMCROW34]

Good point. Alot of people are afraid of Cotto because he hits so hard. But in my limited opinion, his style resembles that of Sharmba Mitchell a little. And we know how easily Kostya handled Sharmba. And I still think that Baldomir would be a fairly easy win too. Baldomir has a great heart, chin and work ethic, but I think Kostya is a higher caliber boxer all around. When Gatti fought Baldomir, it looked like the old Gatti. The headhunting brawling Gatti, not the smarter boxing Gatti.