Boxing Lessons, Pt 1 - Basic Skills

Hello everyone, I'm happy to bring you the first of my four part series of articles about boxing. This article will cover the basic skills needed in boxing and how to practice them. I hope you enjoy this article and I look forward to bringing you the rest of the series. Throughout history, humans have enjoyed watching others fight one on one, from ancient Greek pugilism to modern day boxing matches. Even if you're not interested in boxing as a competitive sport, there are still many benefits which one could take from boxing. It is a wonderful way to get in shape, former champion Joe Frazier got involved in boxing as a way to lose weight, before becoming one of the heavyweight greats of all time. Another obvious benefit is the fact that you'll know how to fight, in a world where violence is increasingly common it is always good to have at least a basic knowledge of how to defend yourself. So, please allow me to introduce you to the basics of boxing, including basic stance, punches, footwork, defense and gear. Before we begin though, I'm going to take a quick moment to remind everyone that boxing is a contact sport and anyone interested in participating should get a complete physical and do so under competent supervision.

Gear- The first thing you're going to need to get started is gear. I'll include a list of what you need here as well as some substitutes you could use to get yourself started up more quickly and cheaply.

• Hand wraps The first thing you'll need if you want to actually be hitting a sparring partner or heavy bag are hand wraps. You can get these from just about any sporting goods store. To properly use them you need to know how to wrap your hands fairly tightly. To do this you start by looping your thumb into the thumb loop, then you go three times around your wrist, follow up with two times around your thumb, go three or four times around your knuckles next. Make sure you spread your fingers out while wrapping, so that when you strike the bones in your hands have room to move. Finish off with one more around the thumb and use the rest around your wrist before fastening the Velcro.

• Gloves There are many kinds of gloves used in boxing. If you're planning to be hitting a heavy bag, you should start out with a good pair of 12-14 ounce gloves. If you're going to be sparring too I'd recommend getting two separate pairs of gloves for heavy bag and sparring. Just because they will last longer, but it is not really necessary. If you don't have a partner for help buy a pair of gloves with Velcro at the bottom so that you do not need help tying them. A lot of sporting goods stores also sell gloves, though for best quality get a hold of a supplier catalog or visit everlast.com

• Heavy bag A good sturdy heavy bag, either hanging or standing, are a good way to build up skill and power in a punch. These are the most well known punching bags and if you wish to compete you will need access to one either your own or at a gym. If, however, you simply wish to box for a workout, you can substitute a hanging towel for a heavy bag. While you will not develop the power in your punch that you would working a true heavy bag, it is still a good way to get your heart rate up and practice the punches.

• Speed Bag This is the small bag you see boxers wailing on rapidly in boxing films. To properly use it you'll need to develop a bit of rhythm and this will take some time. Just start slow, punch it once with your left hand in an arcing overhand blow, then follow up with the right. As you build up skill you will be able to go back and forth much faster, keep at it and don't give up. As you throw your punches, also practice ducking under the speed bag, use it to practice slipping, ducking and weaving, not only does this give your heart rate a kick start, it helps build needed skills. If you want a cheaper substitute try throwing a plastic grocery bag into the air then punch at it. Your goal is to keep it in the air, don't let it fall. This is harder than it sounds and can build up good hand and leg speed. Even if you do own a speed bag, working with the plastic bag can be a cheap way to supplement your workout.

• Slip Bag Simply a bag you hand and practice ducking under as you bat it back and forth. A great way to build up defense. A very easy way to make one is to take a normal boxing glove, place a light weight into it and hang it from the ceiling. Since your going to be avoiding being hit by a human hand in a boxing glove, this will give you a feel for the proper size of what your going to be dodging.

• Clothing Of course if you're going to compete you'll need shoes, shorts, etc. For now, any pair of gym shoes and shorts will work. Once you make the decision to train for competition you can get the equipment you need.

Stance- The first basic you'll need is stance. I will present this as if you were a right handed fighter, if you are left handed simply flip it, use the right side forward. There are many different variations on fighting stance, almost as many stances as there are fighters. To start with, learn the basic boxing stance.

• Start by standing shoulder width apart, and then take a step forward with your left foot. Your feet should be about a half step to a step forward. Pretend that you are on a clock; your lead foot should be at about 11, with your rear at about 4.

• Next, bring your hands up in front of your face at about cheek level, bend your knees slightly and point your lead foot slightly in, so your lead toes will be at a slight angle to your opponent.

• Your rear foot will be up, on the ball of your foot, but your lead foot should remain fully on the ground. You will be turned with your lead side towards your opponent, to make yourself a smaller target.

• Finally, and very important, keep chin tucked down, into your chest or towards your lead hand. Make sure you keep your eyes glued on your target; it may feel weird at first looking up while tucking your head down, but keep practicing. The last thing you ever want to do in a boxing match or fight is to expose your chin or look away from your foe. An experienced fighter will tear you apart the minute you do either.

Footwork- Footwork is any kind of non punching movement you take. Footwork can also be an important part of punching as you step into a blow. The basics of moving and footwork are as follows.

• Stepping forward is done by stepping forward first with the lead foot, pushing off with the rear than by step-dragging the rear foot, coming back to your basic stance. Never cross your feet or step with the rear foot first, this puts you off balance, which makes you easy to knockdown with a slight bit of force.

• Stepping back is similar, with the difference being that you take a step back with the rear foot, pushing off the lead, than step-dragging the lead back into your stance. Though moving back in a straight line is never a good idea, you should know the basics of movement.

• Circling is a way of moving that allows you to come around the opponent without having to move in a straight line. To circle to either side start by first stepping in the direction you wish to move at a slight angle than bringing your rear foot in a step-drag motion behind. This is particularly useful for moving back without going straight back, which can trap you in a corner or against the ropes. Circling forward also lets you cut off the ring from a linear moving foe, letting you trap them. Practice circling in or out against a stationary target so you get used to the movement.

• Side Stepping is a useful trick for getting yourself into a better position to counter punch. Simply take a short step to either side, followed by a quick step-drag from the trailing foot, this is useful against an opponent who likes to charge in as it puts you at a slight angle, perfect for counter hooking.

Punches- The next things you need to know about are the basic punches used in boxing. Even at elite levels the punches you usually see most are the basics, sometimes improvised a little, but still just basics.

Working the body and the head... A strong punch to the head has a satisfying feel when you get your opponent clean. I'll admit that head punching is where most knockouts come from, but never neglect the use of punching to the body. An old maxim is boxing is 'kill the body and the head will die' meaning that if you hurt an opponent's body, they will have little chance of moving effectively and will begin to leave their head open for shots. Body work is effective and smart boxing; while you should always look for the opening to whack your foe in the face or head, don't forget to give their body a good beating too.

• Jab The most basic and most commonly used punch in the sport, the jab is the first weapon of a boxer's arsenal. There are several ways to throw it, but the first way you should learn is the classic jab. A quick step forward, or a twisting of the body towards your target while throwing your lead hand (left if your right handed, right if you're a lefty) to slam your first into an opponent. The jab is not a power punch; it does not knock people out normally unless thrown in combos. It is an excellent way to set up your opponent however, and it is quick so you can smash a few in at a time to wear down your foe over a long period. As with all punches, you want to make sure the punch out is crisp and quick and the return is just as quick, never leave your punch out for more time than you have to, a good counter puncher will spot his openings and give you a hard cross over your jab.

• Cross The next most common punch is the cross, it is a rear hand punch, and usually a power punch. To properly execute, plant your lead foot and pivot on your rear foot in toward your target. At the same time as your pivoting throw your punch and connect with the full weight of your body. This punch is best when thrown behind a jab or flurry of jabs as the lead punch will help to cover your intentions.

• Hook Most commonly thrown with the lead hand, the hook is a powerful punch responsible for many knockouts. To properly execute picot hard on your lead foot, imagine that you're stomping out a cigarette or squishing a bug under your toes. Keep your rear foot planted for power and throw all of your weight into the hook. To properly throw the punch, throw your arm forward as usually then sharply hook in before impact. Follow through with the punch driving all your weight in with the hook and pull back fast to ensure your opponent does not counter punch. This punch is hard to master, so practice hard and often as it is a devastating attack.

• Uppercut Either hand uppercut really begins the same way. First off, never drop your arm to perform the punch. The uppercut, as with all punches, begins from the check/chin. Drop your body low to one side, whichever side you're throwing from, and fire the punch from your chin as you rise, punching upward into your foe. Your arm will be bent the same as if you were hooking, just at a different angle. This punch is easy to spot, even for an amateur, so throw it as the end of a flurry of jabs and crosses or as a surprise when you come up out of a duck. While an uppercut to the chin is defiantly a satisfying feeling when you hit it, a hard uppercut to the body can set your opponent up for a good follow up hook to the temple of chin.

• Overhand Like the uppercut, this punch is really just a hook at a new angle, coming from above rather than from the side. Thrown most commonly from the rear hand this powerhouse punch was the staple of former champ George Foreman and put many men down for the night. The basic throw is similar to a cross, with the punch coming down from above rather than straight forward. Another easy punch to spot, you'll need to cover it up with jabs and crosses. If you throw constant jab/cross combos, you can trick your opponent by making him think another cross is coming than come down with the overhand over your opponents guard.

Defense- After learning the basic punches, your ready to mix in a bit of defense. Mixed with footwork, these defensive moves can be very effective if learned correctly.

• Block The most basic defense is the simple block, all you do for this is to allow your opponent to hit your glove/forearm to avoid an attack. When you block, make sure you give way a bit to the punch, don't meet it with force.

• Parry A little more involved than the block, the parry is the act of taking your glove and swiping the incoming punch away. Use the same side hand (if your parrying a left hand punch use your right hand), if your blocking a cross you'll need a little more oomph in your parry than if your blocking a jab, but the action is the same. Swat down and slightly in, moving your glove only enough to stop the punch. Do not over exaggerate the movement or you could open yourself up to another punch.

• Slip Moving your head to the side is all a slip really is, but you have to do it fast. The best way to slip is 'in' which means towards the opponent. So if your foe is trying to tag you with a cross, slip left, this puts you in a better position to counter punch from the inside. It is easier to slip a cross than a jab, as the cross is usually slower. So I would recommend swatting jabs more than slipping them unless you are much faster than your opponent.

• Duck The next logical step from slipping is the duck, in which you bend at both knees and waist, keeping your eyes glued on your opponent. Coming up is when we start to add in some extra, on the way up you should be moving in an angle, either inside or outside the punch. Moving up and in puts you in a good position for body punching, though outside puts you in a great position for hooking to the face. Either way, hit the opponent, make them feel the price of missing. This tactic is also known as bobbing and weaving, which can be used offensively as well to get yourself inside an opponents reach for brutal body shots.

Counter Punching- Defense is good, but a good boxer knows that defense and offense are truly one. When you make your opponent miss, the next logical step is to make them pay, and all the time your hitting you need to be moving your head, so you don't offer it up to your foe as a target. You can counter off all the defensive movements and you can even parry and punch off the same hand, smacking the jab away then coming in with a hard cross, and so on. Simply making them miss is good, making them pay is great.

Basic Combos- The most common combos in boxing are also some of the most basic; they are used a lot because they work. In almost any combo you should finish off with a quick jab or hook from the lead hand, simply because it brings you back into balance. This kind of punch is known as a clean up punch, because you puts you right back where you started.

• Jab-Cross Commonly referred to as the ol' one-two. A great combo to use because as you step down on the jab, you can plant that foot and pivot the rear to slam your cross in. This is a classic example of using the jab to set up another punch. Remember, the jab does not need to be a single jab either; you can work it with two, three, etc jabs.

• Jab-Cross-Hook Another classic combo, the 1-2-3 stings them with the jab, hurt them with the cross and then slam them with the hook. Even if one or even two of these punches are blocked, the hook can still work well to hurt your foe or at least bring you back into a balanced stance.

• Uppercut-Hook A great combo because if you hit the uppercut well, you'll put your opponent's head right into the path of your hook.

• Jab-hook Instead of following up your jabs with a cross, try throwing in a hook. This works well because if you throw jabs in combos, the opponent might set up defense for a jab, which you can hook right around and hit them before they know your intent.

These are really just a very small sample of the combos you can throw, the only limit you have to combination punching is your own creativity and ability to improvise. Watch your opponent, if he drops his left hand low every time you throw a jab, throw a jab-cross, if he moves his head to the left a lot when you cross, throw a cross-hook. Your mind is really the greatest weapon you have in a fight of any kind.

This concludes my first article on boxing. I will be bringing you more soon, with articles on conditioning, how to prepare for and compete in a match, and how to adapt your boxing skills to a street fight. I hope this has helped you on your way to understanding the basics of boxing and got you interested in using those skills in your life. Goodbye for now, box safe.