BOXING BASICS – MY TOP 6 TIPS

In this post, I'm going to go over a few things that I think you must have if you want to improve your boxing. Of course, each of us has different goals because not all of us are going to want to get in the ring and fight competitively outside of sparring. Some of you may want to box just to get fitter and that's great too, but even then a lot of the points below will still apply to you.

If you just want to be fit, even if the focus is more on fitness, you still need to learn proper technique. If you're boxing to increase your fitness and improve your health, you still need to increase your endurance, you still need to know how to punch properly because that helps prevent injury and makes for a better workout.One thing that always amazes me when I see personal trainers working out with their clients/students on the pads, holding the pads 12 inches from the head. Well, if you don't want to go to the zoo to beat elephants, that's a pretty pointless exercise. And if those wannabe trainers keep teaching you these wrong techniques, i.e. hitting so far off target, you're probably still going to miss every shot you throw.

Now let's move on to some essential tips. This list is not exhaustive, but rather a rough guide to follow if you want to improve your boxing skills.

1) RUN, RUN, RUN

Yes, I've said that three times and I can't repeat it enough. If you want to be good at boxing, you need to improve your fitness. Boxing is an extremely exhausting sport. Without a good level of fitness you won't be able to do justice to your talent, you won't be sharp mentally in the ring which means you'll miss opportunities in boxing and be likely to be hit by blows you wouldn't normally have to take. It was the great NFL coach Vince Lombardi who said, "Fatigue makes cowards of us all," and that's true of the ring too. When you're tired, there's very little you can do other than hide and hope that the bell will ring the end of the ring very soon. Your technique falls apart when you're tired, we've all been there, it's not a very pleasant experience. I don't care how hard you hit, if you're exhausted you won't hit very hard. Complete your running sessions, jogs, sprints and intervals. You will need leg strength and endurance to keep the fight going, everything comes from the legs, even the shorter three round amateur level bouts are very fast paced and tiring. Be perfectly prepared.

2) THE JAB (LEFT STRAIGHT)

If there's one shot you need to master, it's the jab. The can opener of punches results in any number of punches and prepares you for your next punch. No punch is used more often than the jab, so be sure to work on that one. The jab can be used in many ways, to find your range, to set up the next shot, to distract the opponent, to pat them down, so don't underestimate its effectiveness. It can also be performed in a variety of ways: the standard jab, the screw jab, the "up" jab, bottom-up, the flick jab, the jab to the body, first up and then down, and vice versa. An extremely versatile shot. Great boxers will always have outstanding jabs. Check out the jabs of great boxers like Muhammad Ali and Larry Holmes.This gives you a good idea of ​​how to properly hit a jab

3) HEAD MOVEMENT

It doesn't have to be as extravagant as with Pernell Whitaker, or the bob and weave perfected by the great Mike Tyson. As long as you can dodge a punch, even by 1cm, you've done your job.
Boxers like Julio Cesar Chavez Snr. or Roberto Duran were experts at moving just enough to avoid the punch.
Move your head! And it does so efficiently and with little effort. Of course, if you find
that you find it easier to do larger and rolling movements, that's okay too. The point here is to make sure your head is moving and staying that way. Boxing is about punching without getting hit yourself. If your head isn't moving, you'll get hit a lot more often. Learn to incorporate head movement into your basic boxing moves so it becomes a natural pattern. Add slides/slips and avoidance moves when shadow boxing after a punch or combo, and add head moves when moving around the ring. Don't be a fixed target and don't let your opponent hit you.

4) FOOTWORK

It goes without saying that when you build a house you need to build a solid foundation without the house wobbling and collapsing. Footwork is the foundation of your boxing. If you don't have footwork, you won't hit as hard because you're not balanced properly, and conversely, if you're not balanced properly, you're easier to knock over.
Learn to twist pivot"). It always surprises me when I meet people who have been boxing in a club for a year or more and still haven't learned how to spin, but spinning allows you to punch from angles and fight on the ropes . Practice footwork every workout, even the basics like left, right, backwards and forwards, it will help you endlessly. As Sugar Ray Leonard once said, your legs will either get you in trouble or get you out of trouble. Make sure it's not the former.

5) HER CHIN

As the old saying goes, “If you step into the shower, you're going to get wet. If you step in the ring, you will be hit”. Yes, of course, good footwork and head movement will reduce the number of hits, but sooner or later you will get hit. Be it because you are tired or because your opponent is very skilled. If it happens, don't hide in a corner or change the way you fight 180°. Mike Tyson once proclaimed: "Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face". So don't be one of those ones who fall on the back foot every time they get slapped in the face. If all you want to do is spar, then invest in a Facesaver headgear, which offers increased protection and protects your nose. It's safe to say that if you can't take a punch you won't get very far in boxing.
Plus, it's never as bad as you think it is.
Don't take your eyes off your opponent, look ahead. Focus on him like a laser beam. It's the punches you don't see coming that hurt the most, so make sure you keep an eye on his eyes at all times. Not on his shoulders. Not his gloves, but his eyes. Very often, when your opponent is about to land a big punch, their eyes will widen.This gives away his game and if you keep your eyes on your opponent's eyes you can often read his mind - the eyes are the window to the soul! In the same way, when your opponent is about to land a body hit, their eyes will lower to your body. Keep an eye on them and you'll be able to anticipate the next blow. Exercises that train the neck will help you absorb punches much better. So if you're that concerned, buy a neck strap that you can attach weights to and use it to work your neck or trapezius muscles. With strong trapezius and neck muscles, you have natural knock-out protection. Have you ever wondered why the great boxers always had powerful neck muscles? Now you know.

6) SPARRING

I could probably write a whole book about this topic alone - especially about my own mistakes that I made in countless sparring sessions. I can say with a clear conscience that I have certainly completed more than 3,000 sparring rounds in my life. And every single lap has enabled me to continuously develop my skills. Last but not least, I owe this to my countless sparring partners.
That's why "sparring" makes it onto my list of the top 6 basics of boxing.
The reason is obvious: you can't go to war if you been playing Call of Duty on your PS4 all year and you can't go into a fight if you've never sparred before. Well you can, but neither case will end well for you. Everything comes together in sparring, i.e. you must be able to access all the techniques and skills you have previously learned here. Try your hand at sparring against a live opponent and see how it goes. Bruce Lee said in "Enter the Dragon", "Boards don't fight back". And while practicing on the mats or the punching bag is great for training, it doesn't always work when you're up against an opponent who hits you back. Sometimes the best way to ensure you're moving your head is to actually experience getting hit in the head. That makes you think of what you should have done! Sparring is essential because it teaches you how to use your reach, distance and timing correctly. Stop wasting punches and precious energy hitting combos when you're 2 meters from your opponent. Anything you want to practice, try sparring first. It also helps you learn Ring Awareness (Ring IQ) and spot punches early. It really is the finishing touch to all your hard work. Don't miss this chance!