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Beginner Boxing 1

Basics are the foundation to everything. Get your boxing basics down solid before you move on. Boxing cartoon

 

Stance: Feet wide, roughly wider than shoulder width. Backfoot heel is lifted always. Hands are in high, with left hand making a loose relaxed fist about 1 foot or even a foot and a half hovering from the left jaw. The right hand is making a loose fist and held high against the right side of your head. Head is turned to the right side a little and chin is tucked duck down a little. (Reverse all this is you are left-handed). Knees are bent. All elbows are pointing down instead of out sideways. The whole body is relaxed and breathing is through the nose. 

 

Movement: If you are moving forward or to the left, take a step with the LEFT foot and drag the right foot to follow. If you are moving to the right or backwards, take a step with your RIGHT foot and drag the left to follow. Too many beginners are jumping around when they first start boxing. They think it makes them quick and throw harder punches. In reality, it burns up energy fast and makes your punches weaker because your body isn't anchored to the ground. 

 

Punching: Throw relaxed punches and quickly breathe out when you punch. Snap your punches and return the fists back to starting position so that you don't get countered. Always remember that 1 accurate punch with medium power will always beat a flurry of inaccurate punches. Stay calm, and pace yourself.

 

Breathing: Through the nose and calm. DO NOT STOP BREATHING! Too many beginners always stop breathing when they're in the ring. They lose focus of themselves and start holding their breath. What happens next is that they're out of breath and tiring out too quickly. 

 

Looking: Always look at your opponent and where you're punching. There are too many people that look down or to the side when they punch. This takes the focus off their punches which makes them weaker and less accurate. It also leaves them blind against counters. Don't look at your opponent's feet or your own. Look at your opponent, and always keep their hands in your view. Do not look down or away when you're getting punched. 

 

Mind: STAY CALM! Never get caught up in the moment when sparring. If you do throw back a 30-punch combo, you're going to find yourself strangely fatigued. Stay calm, always remember that your body is more tired than you think. 

 

 

 

On to the punches!

 

 JAB: Take a small quick step forward with your front foot as you snap your left fist out at the opponent's head. Fully extend your arm! The fist should recover quickly and your back foot quickly moves recovers forward to bring your feet back to starting stance. In a sense, this jab will move your body one step forward. 

STRAIGHT RIGHT: Take a small step forward with your front foot and lean your body forward a little and dip your head A LITTLE BIT forwad and to the left to get it out of harms way. Your shoulders will rotate and spin your right fist out straight towards your opponent's head. Your back foot will move push forward as the right hand is thrown straight from the starting position. Recover your right hand quickly to avoid being countered. NEVER throw a wide or looping shot because those take more time to reach your opponent and you can get countered easily. Never cock your right hand back before throwing it because that tells your opponent that your right hand is being thrown. Throw your right hand STRAIGHT and rotate your body. The body rotation and push off the back leg is the main source of power, NOT a swinging arm. Your left arm comes closer to face to guard against a counter right. If you're throwing a straight right after a jab, remember to return your jab quickly to protect your head. You don't have to hold your left glove too closely up against your face. Straight lefts are the same thing except that you don't lift your feet, and they are straight lefts are usually thrown after straight rights.

LEFT HOOK: With your body in an upright position, hold your left fist out with your left elbow bent. If your left hook is high to the opponent's face, point the palm down. If it's low to his body, point your palm out to the side. Do not swing your arm for this punch. Instead, SWING your body and spin your feet. As you spin your body and feet to the side, drop the right heel, and push your left heel up to power the left hook. A properly thrown left hook is quite possibly the most lethal punch thrown in boxing. The reason for this is because the left hook is thrown from the side and it makes it harder to see. Because the left hook comes in from the side, it allows it to swing the opponent's head, and send the brain fluids spinning, and increase chances of a knockout punch. To throw a right hook, simply move your body as if you would for a right hand but move the right hand in a hooking motion instead. ALWAYS, remember that you spin your body for the hook, you NEVER SWING YOUR ARMS. 

UPPERCUT: Contrary to what you see in movies and video games *cough* Street Fighter 2 *cough*, uppercuts are short and quick punches to use in CLOSE RANGE. To throw an upper cut. Lower either hand about 1 foot and then bend your knees SLIGHTLY, and the rotate your shoulders and spin your body to propel the punch at the opponent's head as you quickly pop the uppercut up towards your opponent. 

 

Here are the basics, now go out and try them. Get the basics down before you move on! Remember that even the pros spend hours everyday throwing these punches thousands of times to perfect them.  

{ 1 comment… add one }
  • colm July 19, 2008, 5:08 pm

    damn
    man dat is hard ive been doin all dem punches all day tough out

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