Learn How to Box: The Basics

dis is a grt site i got to learn a lot thnx

It's likely you are using poor technique - hitting with your ring/little finger is not a good idea. You want to hit with your index and middle knuckles. The little blood blisters you see are the result of pinching your skin as you hit with those knuckles.

This is actually one of the most common questions asked here. If you do a search for knuckles you'll come up with some more in depth answers. It seems a whole lot of people like to turn their fists in when they hit. Hold your arm out in front of you and and ensure your wrist is straight - not bent any way and noticethe straight line down your arm to your first and second knuckles - that is where you want to hit and that is where the most power is going to come from.

For anyone who has not seen them, there are some interesting video guides on boxing technique on the BBC website. Use either of the two video links over at the BBC boxing site to find them.

There are four videos in total, covering basics, punches, defence and tactics.

I am a little confused about exactly where the left fist should be held. Some instructors teach to have it six inches in front of the face at eye level. Does it belong on the side of the face under the left eye or in front of the face? Could somebody make this clear.

Hey watching this video I can't help but notice those nice mats you have in your home gym. I am trying to start my own home gym and would like to get mats. The floor in my garage like most is concrete, I was wondering if you have an under layer of mats in your home gym or just one layer of puzzle mats. I was also wondering how big your mat area is and how much it costs. Very cool you can work out at home, I can't wait to workout in my spare time at home. I also do grappling, I'm not sure if you have any advice on mats for that, but I will but any piece of knowledge is very much appreciated! This is a great site, thank you!

Hi again,
As with footwork further you have about one inch between the canvas, and your feet to play. Learning footwork should proceed from slow to quick. Be ware to keep your point of weight about 3 inches from your front leg. In addition your leg should be on the level of your shoulders, and no bended much. In the basic position, lift your heels loose from the canvas or floor, and punch during lifting. Simultaneously, lean forward slightly. The back to the basic position. For example, in punching a jab you have to exert with your feet and lean forward. Your knuckles should be in 11A.M. -5P.M. in hitting. A punch is to include in speed, and pace. That is why it is essential to speed up punches with your body. The exertion is an automatic part of skillful boxing. As to training of footwork in gym series of repetitions about 5-10, and 2-3 min interval are recommendable. Start slowly for example with sandbag. A good way is to start from the left straight or right depending on handedness. How does it go? Take the basic position in a right distance from the sand bag, exert from heels, and lean forward and sideward to hit an " opponent" to jaw below or above his straight. Maybe, you'll notice what is the difference between hitting with feet than rotate from hip, plainly. Using your feet consumes less oxygen than tediously rotating your body continuously. Dove tail the punch into one movement along time. Best, Jr Junior

Hey, i'm a girl, 22, looking to tone up. I don't want to put muscle on just tone up what i have im just over 9 stone and i'm 5 foot 2. Im looking to lose about a stone, is boxing ok for this? As it's the only sprot i'm interested in and i find normal gym workouts boring.

Hey sgsb -

Yeah, boxing is good for this. You will definitely tone up, however the weight loss is the only unsure thing. A lot of the time people's weight will just maintain with boxing, as you are burning fat you are generating muscles (which weigh more) so you end up losing some weight initially, but then you kind of level out. However, if you do your roadwork on top of your boxing you should be able to lose weight. Also, as with any other diet/excercise program, try to keep track of your intake. They say that a one hour long boxing workout burns close to or just over 1,000 calories; add on top of that running/jogging and whatever you do during the day, and a boxer can eat a pretty good amount of food and still maintain or lose weight.

Hope that helps...
Take care,
~p

Hi again,
One good drill to understand the meaning of the footwork is following. Stand in the basic position and remember not to push your back foot over the level of the shoulder. Keep your jaw down. Let your hands hang on the sides, freely. Be relaxed. Exert with both feet, and rotate your body slightly right. Then back to the basic position. Don't punch until you feel your body weight to follow your movement. The drill can be done , and is recommendable to perform with a trainer. For example, a trainer punches a left straight from slow to quick. You exert your feet when you see the straight comes. The trainer's left straight should go by your left ear(handedness). The same drill can be done against the right straight but then you turn your body to the left , a little bit. Straights win hooks. The previous is a start to parry and punch,simultaneously. When you can move your body weight for speed and pace then join the left and right straight with the weight moving. When you join the straights with the body movement, there are some things to remember. Twist your arm in a way your knuckles are even with the hit surface, or hitting hard they are 11-to 5, clockwise. The punch starts from the feet, the body speeds the punch, and the arm gives merciful sand of dream. In future, I'll deal with how to footwork in motion, and stepping. All the best, Jr Junior.

Hi again,
Nowadays boxers are in shape, and there is no sense to stay too long in situations. Complex combinations of punches are over. Footwork aims to control those situations of short duration, and it prepares defenses to convert into offenses. Before, you continue to punch in motion; you have good to take interest in Walk Boxing which has remained unnoticed, almost. Just go for a walk in fresh air. Walk as you do normally, about 2 miles to warm up. Thereafter, shorten your steps, take the basic position during walking (JAW DOWN). Depending on the handedness, when your front foot hits the ground, hit the left straight leaning forward, and turning your body to the right, somewhat. Continue walking. After some time, hit the right straight turning left, somewhat (JAW DOWN). As with the hooks parry the left hook outside the opponent's left arm, and the right hook correspondingly. However, you have to move away from your basic position. You have take advantage from your bending knees in parrying. In another way, one might think you have not a chance to punch during the parry of the hooks. When you are parrying, you have an opportunity to use the left or the right uppercuts depending on which side you are parrying. The footwork with the hooks is as follows: during parrying bend your knees a little bit, step outwards shortly holding your hand in an uppercut position, and punch upwards towards the jaw. During parrying there remains space between the hands of the" opponent". In the walk boxing, stop, put your feet even, and as if parry the hooks. If you have a trainer or a buddy. Take speed gloves. The "opponent" puts the right hand against his left cheek, and you walk forwards and back wards punching as in the walk boxing. In the hook case, the "opponent puts the speed glove in the uppercut position under his cheek when you try to parry and punch the hooks (JAW DOWN). Go from slow to quick. A good way to learn during the walk boxing is to count when you shorten your steps. For example, one, two, punch or two, one, punch depending on which foot you were on. Be patient, it'll take some time until you coordinate your coordination. Next time, I''ll deal with the question why 90 degrees is important in footwork. Have a great Spring, Jr Junior.

Hi anew,
Well, somebody asked where the left hand should be in the basic position. There are various schools of thought. it is somewhat dependent on how much you are ready to open your punch-surface. On the other hand, the position is dependent on either you are willing to show to your opponent working with the left or not. One thing is sure, it is not wise to hand your left in front of your body because the opponent sees it coming , easily. One thing is rather clear; it is profitable to work with the left in such a way the opponent is not able to see it coming. It means punching straightforward to the eyes of the opponent because it is easier to perceive movements in your border-areas of vision field. So working in the central areas of vision is important to make it difficult for your opponent to parry. Therefore, the name of the line boxing. A rule of thumb is your knuckles should be on the level of your eyes, your surface of the fingers show from 11 AM. to 5 PM., clockwise. Your elbow is from 1PM. to 7 PM. The position offers some advantages. You are able to punch jabs, and straights from the same position. The opponent has difficulties to see what comes. The cheek is covered. You can block the left and right straights by you body. However, it doesn't happen without a good footwork, and holding JAW DOWN.
If you already have tried the Walk Boxing then you can join the backward walking, and punching. You can use various combinations such as the left foot back, and the left straight. The right foot back, and the left straight... Stick with the straights until you learn to hold your elbow high in the hooks. earlier I mentioned that 90 degrees is important in the footwork. How is that? The foot work begins from the basic position where the front leg, and the back leg bend somewhat. Imagine a triangle on the floor if you have chalk draw it. The sides of the triangle are not allowed to exceed the width of your shoulders. Put your legs on tops of the triangle, and move them between the tops by turns. Stay in the basic position (JAW DOWN), AND TOPMOST DON'T PUT YOU LEGS TOGETHER EVER. You can use the right triangle were is the 90 degree angle. Put you legs on the sides of the 90 degree sides, draw your front leg along the side towards the 90 degree top, and AT ONCE THE BACK LEG along the other side of the 90 degree side. Why is that? That is why when you are receiving, and not giving you have to slide from under away. It takes place with the 90 degree foot work such as in the corner situations. I hope, it became clear. Next time, I'll join the foot work with some elementary punches for parry and punch according to the principle. First defense in order then changing the defense into the offense with feet. Have a Great spring, Jr Junior.

Footwork is something that comes very natural to most people I think, but when I was trying to teach someone some basics I couldn't really remember all of the "rules". I just know naturally what feels right, but watching this video again makes everything black and white. And now my memory is refreshed and I know what I need to work on. Thank you very much, great video!

>=(

Hi again,
If somebody has tried to move his/her feet between the tops of the triangle, Congratulations. It is difficult because you have to slide the feet along the sides of the triangle in SMALL STEPS. Now it is time to dovetail the left straight with footwork. You know how it takes place in the basic position but it may not clear how it goes in motion. Learning is best with a trainer who punches the left straight, too. First, take a small step back with your front foot. Move your back leg to one side with a small step into position where your foot position changes to the opposite handedness. Your feet should be about in the same position as the left handed boxer(if you are right handed). Simultaneously, your body weight moves on the foot on the side. Thereafter, take a small step with your lead foot forward, and punch at the same time. Your lead foot is to be about 5-10 inches to the east from its original position. It is important that you exert after the weight transfer with both feet because of getting speed and pace for the left straight. Remember to lean forward, and downward when punching the straight (JAW DOWN). Another way to do the same is a small step with both feet at the same time in the rotating direction. The rotation takes place clockwise if the opponent is left handed, and counter clockwise if right handed. In the latter case also you have to move your body weight on the back foot, and exert forwards with both feet. This time you are about 1 feet counter clockwise from your original position. The trainer punches the basic left straight because it is good for to learn the changes in your position. Along time you will be able to punch in any intermediary phases in foot work but take care your both feet are to be on canvas firmly because of balance. Try to construct the foot work for the right straight in motion. Next time the turn is to dovetail the basic hooks with foot work, and the right straight. Have a great summer, Jr Junior

Thanks for the site I'm an older competitor(33) I've played football all my life I just recently got through playing semi-pro about a couple of years ago, I live in a small town where there is no boxing gym only mma and martial arts so I will be training on my own any advice? I'm almost tempted to join the mma gym but I always wanted to learn how to box, and fight competetively.

Doesn't Tito Trindad have a akward stance. Is it effective

I have a quik question. My boxing coach of many years experience, insists i dont slide my back foot when i move forward. what do you think. Ive been boxing now for only 1 year or so.

It might make you unbalance, i'm not really sure i'm just guessing

Hi,
I have been as a "snowman" because my computer crashed. Last time I taught two ways of punching the left straight hard. Against expectations the right straight is easier in motion. I hope you have a trainer or a buddy who has boxed longer. The punch begins from the basic position. Depending on the handedness the front leg has an important task. Now, take a small step to the direction at 11 am. Think you are standing on a clock. In the left handed case, the direction is 1 pm. When your front leg touches the canvass or the floor exert with both feet, and lean forward and a little bit down. Let the right straight to speak to the head. The trainer or your buddy punches the right(left) straight. His fist should bypass your the right (left) cheek. Don't parry much because it makes counter punching difficult. Every punch has a counter punch. As with the foot work with hooks much depends on which of the hooks are used. In the place of the basic hooks, the most important thing is the hold the elbow high. From the basic position you have to move your feet in parallel, move below the hands of the opponent. Thereafter, you take a small step to the left or to the right, and move your upper body outside the opponent's hands exerting with both feet. Pairwise, the trainer punches the left straight. You move your back leg on the same level as the fore one. After that you bow a little and punch the speed glove on the left cheek of the trainer. The same can be done as a mirror image with the left hook, and the counter right straight. First and foremost, try to dovetail your feet, your body movement, and the hand in one unified motion. Remember, it is a fact those who parry, and punch simultaneously, and know the active and passive rest are the winners. Next time, I'll teach: How defense is modified into offense with feet. Have a further great summer,and fair play. Jr Junior