The best fighters hit the most and get hit the least

Rocky Marciano

Boxing is 50% offence and 50 defence . These two are hardly separate and distinct actions in a bout. One blends into the other or should. Each punch comes from and returns to a defensive posture. Each defensive manoeuvre can lead to an attack.

The boxer’s stance provides a great deal of protection: chin is tucked; hands re held high to protect the head; arms arranged to protect the lower torso; feet are well apart; and knees are flexed to protect a balanced and easily mobile athletic posture. With footwork and head movement added, not only can you survive an opponent’s initial attack, but you will be a hard target to hit.

Never

• leave your chin exposed by dropping your hands.
• Stand still in an opponent striking  zone. Use long or short rhythm or both
• Get caught off-balance
• Lose your eye contact
• Lunge your punches
• Forget to recover after every action
• Lean back to avoid punches
• Get mad – step back, settle down and get smart
• Be predictable – mix up you fight plan
• Leave your mouth open
• Use both hands to block a punch
• Reach out to intercept  or block a punch .Blocking is performed close to the body or face.
  
• Get angry when you get hit

Jab catching

To catch a jab place your right glove in front of your face with chin down. Pivot your right foot, brace the right leg and catch the jab with your glove. Make sure your chin is down so your glove bounces off your forehead and not your nose. Catch  jabs as aggressively as your opponent throw them. Recover immediately.

Catching a Left Jab with the Right Hand in Boxing

Parries

Catching a straight right is not a good idea. Power punches are best parried with a small slap of the left glove where the momentum can carry you opponent off-balance and expose him to a counterpunch.

Parrying body shots

Punches to the body can be parried by sweeping an arm and deflecting the punch outside, while pivoting and sliding in the opposite direction of the punch.

Parrying head shots

Parries against head shots are small, sharp movements that firmly tap and deflect jabs and straight right – either inside or outside your opponent’s body frame. Use the hole arm not just a sloppy fist .
Parries are usually executed with the arm on the same side as the incoming punch.

Blocks

As the punch arrives, simply flex the knees and lower yourself so the hands are automatically raised to better protect the head. At the same time elbows and arms drop to better protect the lower body. This is not a full-on duck but a slight flexing of knees. Afterwards recover immediately to the boxer’s stance. Boxers like Mike Tyson and Roberto Duran used to be very good at blocking punches.

Shoulder block

A shoulder can block a straight punch. When the lead arm drops, turn the shoulder up and into the blow.

Ducks

Ducks are executed by flexing at the knees and coming up in the opposite direction of any punch in a V
movement – which puts you in a position counter into your opponent’s exposed area.
Do not bend at the hips and lose contact with your opponent. Keep hands up throughout the manoeuvre. Recover immediately.

Here is the man in action:

Slips

Slips are small, sideways movements of the head that dodge punches. It takes a keen eye to spot the incoming missile and talented set of neck muscles to manoeuvre the head out of the way. Mike Tyson was a master of the slip early in his career.

A good way to practice slips is by dodging a slip bag or even the weighted end of a swinging rope, preferably in front of a mirror. Use smallish, efficient slips of the head. Slips are neck and head propelled – not ducks or shoulder dips.
Slips are the best way to deal with incoming punches since the defensive intent is to avoid the attack altogether ( versus block or a catch that absorbs). The action is also relatively slight and less drastic than a duck – which takes more energy and moves you out of your stance.

Scoop

A scoop can be performed with either the lead or rear hand hand . Your elbow remains in position while your hand travels in a downward arc to parry or scoop the incoming, usually, outside body shot.

Shelling up

Shelling up is the defensive side of infighting. To shell up properly you need to tighten your guard and cover the head and body completely: leave no vulnerable area exposed. Place your head on your opponent chest to cut off punching room. Try to get out of infighting situation by shuffling and wheeling out.

Clinching

The purpose of the clinch is to get a double over hook position to muffle your opponent’s attack. Use the clinch as the last resort to defend yourself. The clinch can  keep you from losing, but it can never make you a winner. Lay as much weight upon you opponent as you can to tire him by making him carrying your weight.
To escape the clinch use of the following drills:

• Spin out drill :use the palm of your hand to grip your opponent just above the elbow. As you step away, shove the gripped arm across his chest at a downward 45 degree angle to upset any following attack he may launch.
• Shove out drill: place your lead hand in the centre of you opponent’s chest, shove him and step out of the clinch

Caught On The Rope

Your first priority  is to  control the centre of the ring or cage and to corner your opponent. When  you are  on the ropes, you are trapped . You have to get out fast. Do not fight off the rope . Do not rope-a-dope.

Getting out is quite difficult , especially  if yo are facing  a smart fighter who knows how to shuffle  and corner well.  Whenever you feel  the bottom of the ring or cage , it’s time to move laterally  and get out . As you move laterally throw jabs and combinations but do not shell  up.  You must box your way to the centre.