Public

Saturday Night Fights on How to Box TV

admin — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 20:59:09 -0500

Just a quick reminder to everyone out there that in about 10 minutes (2130hrs EST) on 8 Mar 08, you can watch a couple of great live boxing matches on How to Box TV:

1. David Haye vs. Enzo Maccarinelli - Cruiserweight unification title belt.

and

2. Olev Maskaev vs. Samuel Peter - from HBO -

Quote:

A different breed of matador has arrived in Mexico this week - of the heavyweight and lightweight persuasion. And comparing Maskaev and Peter to two bulls isn't much of a stretch. Yesterday the two weighed in during a production worthy of the Spring Break scene here in Cancun. Don King's style was certainly present as Corona girls and grandstanding abounded while the two heavyweights took to the scale, weighing in at 243 for Maskaev and 250 for Peter.

If you haven't setup How to Box TV - it takes at most a couple of minutes and it opens your computer up to live boxing events all for free. Remember, if you try it and the channel says it's offline - keep trying - it comes online at the time specified only.

The Pyramid

admin — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 20:20:46 -0500

Want to Make Money Helping Others Get in Shape by Boxing?

admin — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 17:09:47 -0500

Do you have a website, facebook group, facebook account, mybloglog, myspace page, etc..? Do you even just have friends?

Don't you think those friends should learn how to box or maybe they could use an extra intense workout that is incredibly effective, challenging, fun, and guarantees results? You'll be doing them a favour telling them about How to Box.

How would you like to get paid for everyone one of those friends that decides to use the How to Box 12 Week Program?

As of today at 1630hrs, you can sign up for the How to Box affiliate program. I'll pay you approx $16-$26 for each and every person that signs up for the program, AND I'll pay you an additional $4-$6.50 for every person that signs up that is referred by someone you previously referred to the program. If that doesn't make sense, just read on, it will in a minute.

What's a Boxing Affiliate Program?

An affiliate program is a way I can reward you for recommending the 12 week boxing program to other people. Even if you aren't using it yourself, you can still recommend it (although your credibility is not as good). When you signup for an affiliate account (free), you become a partner of How to Box. You become an important part of the site's growth. If How to Box makes money, so do you.

You see, when you signup, you get access to a special area on How to Box that gives you a unique url or pictures and banners to post on your websites, your facebook page, your myspace page, or wherever you want.

When someone clicks one of those links I put a cookie on their computer (completely good, happens to you everyday when you visit sites). That cookie tells me who sent that person to me and if they buy the 12 week program, that cookie tells me to pay you 40% of the purchase price. And guess what, it's good for 90 days, so even if the person you sent to How to Box takes 89 days to make up their mind, on the 90th day, you are still getting the commission if they finally decide to start the program.

So, as an example, look at what you'd make based on the following:

Send 5 people to How to Box who buy at the special price = 79.90
Send 10 people = 159.80
Send 15 people = 239.70
and so on

But that's not all...

What is Second Tier?

If one of those people you referred to the program decides to join this boxing affiliate program as well, I'll give you an additional 10% of any sales they make. In essence, they start to work for you. So, now you're profits could look something like:

5 people you referred = 79.90 + 5 people each of 5 friends referred = 99 = $178.90 -- all for just telling 5 people about the program.

Why Should you Promote The How to Box Program?

For starters, because everyone should learn to box whether it is for the health benefits, for competition, or even for self defence and confidence building. With more and more people in the world losing their health, now is the perfect time to introduce a boxing program that can help all of those people. Even if you don't care about the money you could make doing this, you can make some decent cash for helping others get in shape and I can tell you from experience that that is a worthwhile effort and incredibly fulfilling.

Why else? Because How to Box has been steadily growing for the last three to four years. It gets bigger and better and now people everywhere need to know that the site exists. Boxing can stage a comeback and gain more popularity again, but it takes boxing fans and people to get involved in the sport. I've never met anyone that has tried boxing and thought it was dull and unexciting. Sparking that interest can turn the tides and put boxing back in the mainstream. Let's give the UFC a real fight.

If I have dedicated people out there like yourself promoting the site, I know that great things are going to happen, not only to those who are spreading the message, but to the newcomers to the sport. The 6000 people that currently use the site will explode and so will what I can offer to you as loyal supporters of How to Box.

Here's to a profitable and productive partnership. Sign up for the boxing affiliate program now.

Boxing Tip #15 - Pre-Emption

admin — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 08:07:11 -0500

To preempt someone is to forestall or prevent (something anticipated) by acting first.

It is a mission verb used in combat to describe a situation where you attempt to launch an offensive effort before your opponent in order to seize and then maintain the initiative. You know your opponent is planning something, but you need to beat him to the punch (literally).

Everyone has a decision cycle (also referred to as an OODA loop). When you see something happening, your brain has to process it, make decisions about that event and then cause you to react to it.

In boxing, reaction is bad.

Actually in combat, reaction is bad.

If you are reacting, you are always in the defensive. Proactivity is the remedy for reactivity. I've made it clear you cannot win without an offense, so to be reactive means defeat.

Back to the OODA loop, if you can launch your offensive before your opponent makes his next decision, you get inside his OODA loop and preempt his attack. You always want to be one step ahead of your opponent, planning your next move while he is still reacting to the last one.

A while ago I wrote about universal and idiosynchratic tells. These are the little cues people give off before they do something that basically tell you what they are going to do. For this boxing tip, we are going to look in depth at tells that forecast an opponent has decided to throw a jab so that you can pick up on them and preempt his attack with a jab of your own.

A Quick Story

Preemption: Hit Before Getting Hit
Photo by mx5tx

Once you know what your opponent is going to throw, it causes shock and disbelief when you beat him to the punch. I remember sparring with a young guy and it was incredibly easy to see when he was going to throw a jab. Repeatedly, I would strike first knowing that over and over again, he was going to tell me exactly when he was about to throw his jab. Not only did I preempt his attack with an offense of my own, but I also disrupted his attack. (another combat mission verb).

By the end of the sparring, the lad was completely demoralized. He thought I possessed super speed to be able to beat his jab time and time again with a jab of my own, and his nose was quite sore where he got popped over and over again.

I was completely inside his OODA loop and knew what he was going to do before he did. It's about this time you begin to feel invulnerable.

Preempting the Jab

To preempt anything you need to be quick. Jabs are well suited for preemption because you can throw one from pretty much any situation - off balance, stepping back, down, up, and so on. So first thing you need to do is practice your jab, throwing it out quickly, cleanly, and with decisive force and then recovering to your guard just as quick. Practice from odd angles - in close, and far out. You need your jab to flick out with force and intensity and 100% accuracy.

Read Your Opponent

In order to preempt, you need to know when your opponent is going to launch his attack. So, watch for the signs of an incoming punch. For a jab:

weight shifts slightly to his front foot;
hips begin to rotate;
shoulder drops (in poor jabs);
elbow of the front arm begins to rotate up;
you can see it in your opponent's face; or
you see movement of the glove.

Obviously not a definitive list and it will vary from boxer to boxer, but all of us forecast our intentions in some way. The quicker you can pick up on your opponent's tells, the quicker you can decide how the fight is going to go.

Strike First

As soon as you see any of these signs, strike. Do not think about it, just throw the punch. If you are right and he is throwing a punch, by the time yours makes it to him, he will be wide open. Have faith that you will hit first. You will be elated the first time you do this and you connect. It's like your opponent just drops his hands and lets you hit him.

Look for the Surprise

A bonus feature - look for the look of utter surprise in your opponent's face following your jab. He will have no idea how you managed to throw a punch that quick. Remember, he is caught up in his decision cycle and is oblivious to what is happening around him. His brain is engaged in deciding to throw a jab. He won't be able to react to yours until his cycle has completed - so beat him to it and you win.

Do you have any stories of pre-emption? Is there some tell you've noticed your sparring partners give before they launch? Leave a comment, or ask a question.

43 Ways To Ensure You Never Become a Championship Boxer

admin — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 10:16:14 -0500

You know you'll never become a successful boxer when:

You train half assed - every training session needs a specific aim and every session needs your complete attention. Don't just go through the motions.
You fight at a weight near the bottom of your weight class - not a definite indicator of mediocrity, but a few pounds (of muscle) between you and your opponent translates into a lot of missed power and force.
You assume the fetal position when the bell rings.
You eat at McDonalds and wash it down with a six pack twenty minutes before your fight.
You have your trainer fill your water bottles with vodka, or other beverage of your choice.
You close your eyes to avoid being hit as if not seeing the punch magically makes it disappear.
You fight with your hands at waist level. Nobody is that fast all of the time.
You turn your back on your opponent - while the match is going on.
You repeatedly throw illegal punches - won't take long for the ref to put an end to your shenanigans.
You think you can tell the ref how to ref - yelling at the ref doesn't do anything for your stature in the ring.
You throw punches after the break.
You use your head to block punches - might work for the first few...
You think cutting off all avenues of escape for yourself, by boxing out of a corner, is a good thing.
You think you can rope a dope your way to a victory.
You tell all your friends, employees, and co-workers to come watch your first fight - the inevitable will happen.
You brag about how great you are to the media - unless you are Floyd Mayweather - you set yourself up for a big fall.
You use any of the Rocky films as your fight strategy.
You challenge someone who is clearly out of your weight and skill level.
You take a fight without having ever trained with a trainer.
You smoke and believe smoking won't affect your performance.
You drink and believe drinking won't affect your performance.
You use drugs or steroids and believe you'll never get caught.
You don't hire a promoter or manager who has the connections to get you good fights.
You believe your promoter actually cares more about you as a boxer than he/she does about making a profit off of you.
You don't create an identity -- something unique to sell.
You don't learn about marketing or branding - cause you need to market and brand yourself.
You don't worry about nutrition and eating right thinking your body will sort out whatever you put into it.
You try to become the champion by doing it all yourself - trainer, manager, promoter, cutman, etc... -- all you.
You think you are above those new to the sport to the point where you will not offer advice -- karma sucks - what goes around comes around.
You bite your opponent's ear off.
You believe your opponent's groin is just another punching bag.
You believe it is a good idea to drop your bodyweight more than 3-5% the day before your fight in order to make weight.
You think a great defense is what will win you a fight.
You think extra fat on your body is good padding.
You can't adapt to what your trainer is telling you you need to adapt to inbetween rounds. Don't be so inflexible with your fight plan that you aren't willing to tweak things.
You don't have a fight plan.
Your chin is as fragile as a china tea cup.
You think brute force will prevail over intelligence.
You think you can force your body to work 7 days a week without rest.
You think training without wraps or gloves is a good way to toughen up your hands.
You think you can participate in multiple sports, have multiple jobs, and an incredibly busy social life -- it's all about focus - prioritize.
You prefer Joe Louis - the snack - over Joe Louis the boxer.
You think getting punch drunk sounds like a good night on the town.

Care to add to the list?

Building Your Boxing Team

admin — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 13:28:49 -0500

Part of the appeal of boxing is that it is an individual sport. Ultimately, you excel or not based solely on your own merit - if you suck you lose, if you don't you win. It all comes down to the individual and there is no blaming one's teammates or circumstances for your loss. It is pretty obvious when you hit the canvas that things haven't gone so well for you. Only you can prevent that in the end.

That said, the champion boxer is by no means alone in his or her quest for glory. Let's take a look at who else is involved:

The Boxing Trainer or Coach

Websites, books, and DVDs like How to Box are great for those who can't afford a trainer or simply don't have access to one because of where they live.

Quote:

To compete at a high level, you need a trainer

However, these means are no substitute for a good trainer and anyone looking to box competitively needs a good trainer to teach them advanced techniques and correct habits you simply can't notice yourself. You can help your own development by videotaping your training sessions and then playing them back, being very critical of yourself, but there is nothing like another pair of eyes watching how you move, twist, punch, bob, etc... You can even upload those training sessions on How to Box and get criticism from visitors of the site. To compete at a high level in the sport, though, you simply need to find a good trainer.

The trainer will develop the boxer's training plan and it will be all inclusive. He will monitor the boxer's progess and make changes as required. He will teach the boxing skills and drills so that the boxer can win fights. Trainers will often have some nutritional knowledge as well, as a comprehensive program involves both conditioning and nutrition. If not, a boxer's team may also include a sports nutritionist to assist with meal planning that will support the boxer's training regime.

The Boxing Promoter

Golden Boy Promotions

Sometimes the promoter and manager is both the same person (not always a good idea), othertimes it is split up. You've probably heard the names of the big promoters - Golden Boy Promotions (Oscar De La Hoya), Top Rank (Bob Arum), and Don King Productions. These are people or organizations that exist to take skilled boxers and line up paying fights for them. They are there first and foremost to make money for themselves. Never forget that. In order to do that, they need to ensure their professional boxers make money. To that end, they will setup fights that will garner a lot of attention with the hopes of increasing the number of pay per view buys or attendance. This does not mean they will always look out for what is in the best interests of the boxers they promote. These are the people responsible for announcing the latest superfight - or the fight of the century (which seems to occur many times a century:).

The Boxing Manager

The boxing manager will tend to the career of the boxer and not necessarily cater to the promoters. Money is obviously still an issue, but they have more of an interest in the long term career of their boxer. That is their source of income and if his career ends because of a stupid matchup, so does the flow of money. You'll often hear of family members managing boxers. The boxer tends to think they can trust their family more than anyone. Of course that has been proven wrong time and time again (Floyd Mayweather Jr for instance).

The Cutman

Dave Tenny - Cutman

Cuts in boxing fights cause bleeding and excessive bleeding and damage will end a fight. Cuts are also inevitable, eventually you will get one, especially in a professional fight without headgear which lessens the chances. A good boxing cutman can literally keep you in a fight.

I'm not going to go into all the methods a cutman uses here, Dave Tenney - The Cutman does a pretty good job of describing those methods, but these people are experts at stopping blood and decreasing swelling. They have an intimate knowledge of the facial structure, arteries, veins. They have an arsenal of drugs and techniques for stopping bleeding. Cutmen are not prevalent in amateur boxing. Amateur boxing requires the use of headgear which prevents a lot of scrapes and cuts, but blood in an amateur match will generally stop the fight. Nosebleeds are an exception depending on the severity.

For must of us, a cutman will not be an option, so remember two things - direct pressure and cold. If you are bleeding, put pressure on it, preferably with something cold. The cold acts as a vaso-constrictor which will assist the pressure with stopping the blood flow. By pressure, I'm not talking about pushing a guys nose through his skull - keep it firm, but not excessive. A minute between rounds is not a long time, but can be enough to allow the clotting to start and the bleeding to stop if you act fast.

One thing to look out for with a cutman is if he is using something called Monsels Solution. It is a lead based homeostatic which works by destroying the cells around the cut (kind of like cotterizing or burning them closed). It causes permanent damage and you can recognize it by the ring of dead flesh surrounding the cut. Yes, it works, but the cost is too great and it is illegal (or should be) in most areas.

The Second

Ever hear the ref shout - "Seconds Out" just before a round begins. They are referring to the Second (and anyone else in the boxer's corner). The trainer can also be licensed as a second (and often is) and acts in both capacities, but a licensed second is someone who is allowed in the ring between rounds to give advice, water, etc... to the boxer. They generally assist the trainer in the boxer's corner.

The Boxer is Not Alone...

Those are the main teammates backing up the boxer. All of the positions require (at least in the US) licensing by the state they are operating in.

It's funny, because in the Army it generally takes a HQ that is 3-4 times as big as the fighting force to win a battle. For every infantry soldier on the frontlines there are 10 people in the rear supporting that soldier doing everything from preparing food, pushing bullets and supplies forward, dealing with medical issues, pers issues, and so on. It is the same for boxing. You can think of the boxer like one of those soldiers and it quickly becomes apparent that although the boxer is fighting alone in the ring, he has a massive support system that is ensuring all he has to worry about is fighting. Everything else will be taken care of.

So, if you are planning a professional boxing career, start surrounding yourself with people you trust that will specialize in these areas. Remain too much of an individual and you will go no where -- build a team with the foundation of support and there will be no stopping you.

Fit vs Fat - The Obesity Epidemic in Perspective

admin — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 06:46:02 -0500

I don't know about you, but I for one, am sick and tired of hearing about the obesity epidemic - if people want to get fat, then let them get fat, unhealthy and die. It's natural selection at its best. Those of us that give a damn about ourselves shouldn't have to put up with all the whining and complaining and increased taxes and premiums these selfish SOBs are going to cause us when they start having their McDonald's induced heart attacks and insurance covered stomach stapling procedures.

It seems you can't turn on the TV, listen to the radio, or walk down the street without hearing about the obesity epidemic that is going to kill more people than the plague. Second only to smoking, obesity is the new killer that seems to have come out of nowhere and suddenly everyone is fat and our health care system is not equipped to deal with the complications of the added load (pun intended).

Do You Not Agree With Me?

Is there really an
obesity epidemic?
Picture from Weight.com

Before I get flamed by a million fat advocates, let's consider for a second a few opinions that are floating around out there:

Why Fit People Think Fat People are Fat

1. Get real - the biggest reason is laziness. Fat people are just too damn lazy to drag themselves to a gym or go for a run. The only effort they expend is waddling down the stairs, plopping on the couch and lifting their flabby arms to their mouths to stuff a month's supply of bonbons down range - more than most of us will eat in a lifetime. After all, we've all seen the before and after pictures of thousands of people who have put in the hard work - if they can do it, why can't Bob.

2. If it isn't laziness - then it's lack of will. Fat people have no mind, no possible way of keeping their mouth shut and their plump little fingers out of the cookie jar. Hell, once you're fat, you turn into one of those zombies from the night of the living dead and constantly have to feed. It's like the fat replaces your brain. They know it's bad for them to eat yet another helping of pudding, but they do it anyways, cause the little fat army they have accumulated is taking over their mind.

3. It it isn't lack of will, then it's low self esteem. Fat people are losers and they know it. They'd kill themselves if it wasn't for the fact that they can't drag their sorry butts off the sofa, so next best thing is to eat themselves to death. That way the insurance will still pay. At very least they'll feel good while they are putting away that pound of Rocky Road - feeding those little fat cells struggling to multiply.

4. If it isn't low self esteem, then it's because society accepts it. Everyone's fat, we're all getting fatter, so it must be okay. Skinny people are the devil spawn - how dare they take care of the bodies God gave them. Fat people are the new world order and the fatter you get, the higher up on the pecking order you'll be. Fat is sexy, fat is okay. Just be happy with your bodies no matter how much flab is hanging off your gut. Society says its good to be you - enjoy life and screw the consequences.

Why Fat People Think They are Fat

1. It's all in the genes. They have no control over it. They woke up one day and broke the friggin scale because the mysterious fat gene suddenly kicked in and turned off their metabolism. No matter how much exercise or diet control they muster, it doesn't matter because that little fat gene is manufacturing more fat in a day than they could ever lose in a year.

2. Because society and big business is against them. How can you possibly resist stopping in at each and every McDonald's on the way home or grabbing a coffee and doughnut at each and every doughnut shop you pass. If we weren't supposed to eat that crap, society wouldn't have put it in front of our faces. Who can resist the advertising - brainwashing us all the time to grab a Whopper at 3 am.

3. Because they don't have the time or money. Yet they can spend more than small countries make on fast food and Doritos. They think it takes 2 hours a day to exercise and another 15 to prepare healthy meals. If they could fight their way out from under their diet soda, they'd see it just ain't so.

Why I think Fat People are Fat and the Obesity Epidemic is Picking up Steam...

In reality, it isn't any of those things by itself. Ross Enamait hit the nail on the head recently saying obese isn't always lazy. Sometimes it comes down to misinformation and priorities. People don't know how easy it really is to lose weight and get in shape. All of the hype and weight loss diets and technical crap floating around does nothing but confuse people and result in fitness paralysis. So, it is up to those of us that know better to clue the obese in.

Second, people do not put enough priority on maintaining their health and staying in shape. They take it for granted. They feel healthy enough and the changes that occur over time to render them unhealthy with clogged arteries and 100lbs of extra weight straining their skeletal system - happen so gradually as to go unnoticed. One can never really say they don't notice the extra weight and reduced energy, but comparatively, it isn't until someone they haven't seen in a while says something or they see an old picture that they suddenly realize they are putting on weight.

This boils down to priority. In a busy life with kids and a job and a million other activities, the thing that gets put on the back burner is our health. We all think that it would be selfish to set aside an hour a day for exercise if it means cutting back on an hour we could have spent taking our kids to some activity or putting in that little extra effort at work.

Well, let me clue you in. There will always be extra work or activity that will trump your exercise time, if you don't make it a priority. Lump exercise right up there with things you have to do so you don't get fired or have your kids taken away and suddenly there is time to do it.

Quite frankly, it is selfish to not exercise and eat right. You are taking away enhanced productivity from your boss, taking away energy and vitality and life from your kids, and you are disrespecting your spouse by letting it all go. As if this wasn't enough incentive to set better priorities, look to God. He gave you the temple you live in and by abusing it, you are violating his trust.

You are hopefully learning about the benefits and techniques to use boxing as a means to keeping in shape and not becoming one of the statistics. If you are, you have a duty to clue in as many fat people as you can find. Befriend them and pull them into your boxing club. Get them started on a better lifestyle and change their lives.

Do I really believe what I put at the beginning of this article? In part, yes, it makes me mad to think people will abuse themselves all their lives and then expect the rest of us to pay for it. On the other hand, I realize that people are unique and everyone has a situation and circumstances. I don't ignore those facts, but I also believe anyone and everyone can do something about their circumstances -- it is just about a wilingness to act.

So, take it upon yourself to introduce everyone you know to the benefits of boxing. Become an ambassador for the sport and show people the good it can do in their lives. Without ambassadors, boxing is doomed to decline. With people like yourself promoting it, it will thrive forever.

From Weakling to Warrior

admin — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 17:03:57 -0500

So, I walked into a boxing gym. It was exactly as I had imagined - dim lighting, ring in the middle, assorted bags hanging from exposed rafters, smelling of sweat and leather. Bewildered, nervous, and fighting feelings to flee, I looked for the manager while trying to avoid eye contact with the monsters in there smashing their fists against whatever they could.

I was thinking the whole time "Don't look them directly in the eye", as if the other boxers were rabid dogs waiting to tear me apart. I could almost feel them looking at me and saying to one another "more fresh meat."

Because that's what fighters do. Every person is a potential opponent. You enter their territory and their first thoughts rank you as a potential threat. I guarantee I did not even make a blip on their threat radars, with the level of confidence I had walking into that place.

The Lion's Den
Photo by Miserable Moo

Eventually I found the manager who was with the head trainer. Unbelievably, they both looked like they were right out of a Rocky movie. Every stereotype and idea I had about boxing gyms was coming true right in front of my eyes. Next thing you know, I'd be in the ring, and then carried out on a stretcher.

Up to this point, I had been in one fight in my life and it didn't go good for me. So, to walk into this gym felt like walking unarmed into a den of lions. To say I was unprepared for what was about to happen is an understatement.

I feebly explained to the manager that I wanted to learn how to box. He had seen it all before, took my $30, and threw me a couple of handwraps which he eventually showed me how to put on after I spent the next few minutes trying to figure out what the hell to do with them.

Like it or not, a lot of boxing gyms have pecking orders. It was particularly obvious in this gym. Trainers will train people they think they can develop into champions and until you prove yourself, you are nothing. Like neglected children, you will fight for time and attention or fade into the background.

And then I joined the class...

People were civil, but there was tension. It was undeniable and obvious that all eyes were on me as I went through the motions. All those rabid dogs were looking for mistakes, weakness, strengths. They knew at some point, they would be standing across from me in the ring -- and anticipated the inevitable moment when they would devour me.

Incredibly, they got their chance a lot sooner than expected. That same day in fact, the trainer strapped boxing gloves on me for the first time in my life and put me in the ring against a seasoned boxer. To say I didn't know what I was doing is generous. I had no clue how to defend myself.

I didn't last a round and any confidence I had that I wanted to learn boxing was knocked completely out of me. Bleeding and sore, I climbed out of the ring after the trainer put an end to the sparring session.

I was pissed off, angry and resentful. What the hell was he thinking putting me in the ring that first day. I came there to learn, not to fight... and that's about the time I realized what had happened.

Wait a Minute...

I walked into that gym, that den of fighters, with the intentions of learning and training, but I had no intention of fighting. I did not walk into that gym as a warrior. I walked in submissive and defeated long before I ever got in the ring. He could have put me up against Pee Wee Herman and the outcome would have been the same. For the first time in my life, I felt that warrior spirit. The instinct to flee was gone. It was replaced by self directed anger and an intense desire to get back in the ring and actually fight - to prove myself to this man who arbitrarily decides who is going to make it and who isn't.

I stayed in that gym for three hours after the end of that first session and watched the trainer with the "chosen" boxers, showing them techniques and drills. They were the accepted boxers. The ones who had a shot. I stood next to the ring in plain view staring him down, daring him to say something, daring him to invite me back into the ring.

It never happened. The adrenaline eventually subsided and I went home, but the next time I walked into that gym, the story starts differently. I walked in sizing up the other boxers. I longed for eye contact. I longed for the chance to get across from someone - anyone. Win or Lose. I walked into that gym with intentions of fighting, not just to train and learn.

That trainer took a scared kid with no focus and in one session gave him the desire to become a warrior. I will be forever thankful for that.

Is Wii Boxing the Same as Real Boxing?

admin — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 20:27:05 -0500

Will learning to box improve your performance at Wii boxing?

In a nutshell - maybe YES.

As if the thrill of boxing wasn't enough to convince you to take up the sport, now you have the Nintendo Wii to give you that little extra push. (if you can find one) Ever since the Wii showed up and I started seeing Chinese people attempting to box on Youtube, I've been curious as to whether someone with boxing skill would do better than someone with no boxing skill at Wii boxing. You can even buy Wii boxing gloves to make it that much more realistic.

Unfortunately I don't have the definitive answer for you as I don't have a Wii. But some research into Wii boxing did provide some interesting thoughts that allows me to make a good guess. The game depends on four things: timing, acceleration, positioning, and movement which, remarkably, are similar to skills you need to know in real boxing.

Punching power is guaged on three levels and from what I can tell, the makers of Wii boxing actually programmed some real boxing techniques into the game. By using boxing basics, it is conceivable that you will do better in the game.

Enter to win a Wii
(cause you can't find one anywhere)

For instance, you are not allowed to throw another punch until you have completely finished the movement required for the first punch. If you jab and do not fully bring your hand back to the guard position, Wii boxing thinks the punch is still in progress and will not respond to another punch - there is a delay during which your opponent can smack you around.

Improper technique has prompted a few arguments complaining that Wii boxing is not responsive enough, however, from what I've read it seems that people just haven't been using the correct movements with the controllers. Once they learn a few boxing basics - how to punch, dodge, and move, then suddenly Wii boxing is a lot more fun.

A couple of other comparisons:

Hooks - not realistic. To initiate a hook in Wii boxing, you simply move the controller across you in a straight line - not the boxing hook motion.

Movement - realistic. Especially if you are holding the controllers in a proper stance. Angling both to the left will make you slip left, angle both forward and you duck, angle both back and you lean back. You could cheat and do this with your wrists, but if you want the full boxing effect hold your guard up and move your torso to get the movements.

Straight punches - very touchy. While you can control the punch angle on the fly, start out by practicing perfectly straight punches. Should do wonders for your jab.

My wife and kids have been bugging me to buy a Wii for a while now. This research into Wii boxing is probably exactly what I needed to convince me to give it a try. However, I'd be very interested in hearing what others have experienced with it. Do you have a Wii? What do you think of Wii boxing?

Boxing Tip #14 - Jab Fake

admin — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 20:05:11 -0500

Similar to the Jab Tap, I learned this technique the hard way - glove to face in the ring. I have to give you a little background - so bear with me. You see, when I first started boxing, I tended to hold my hands just below eye level. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but my trainer had a hay day with it.

In the beginning...

Being new to the sport, I didn't have the skill or reflexes to be able to bring my hands up to block what seemed like lightning bolt jabs coming from my trainer. He easily came through my mixed stance type of defence - over and over again, I might add.

Well, eventually, I wisened up a bit and decided fine, if I can't block his jabs, I'll hold my hands higher, adopting a much more peek a boo style of stance at the risk of exposing my body. I have a strong core and figured I could take the punishment the few times that I couldn't get my elbows down to block a body shot.

This actually worked -- for a little while. I held my hands more at the level of my forehead and peeked through the opening between my forearms. My head was completely protected - or so I thought.

My Demise...

Once my trainer wisened up, and it didn't take long, he taught me a valuable tip - again - the hard way. If you think about my stance, hands held high, body more or less exposed, forearms nearly directly in front of my face, getting a jab in there is pretty difficult. If you were fighting me, you could easily go to my body, but because of my stance, I'd be watching for that - I know my body was exposed and had a plan to adapt to a body assault.

Connecting with the left hook
Photo by mborowick

Instead, my trainer said, okay, I won't jab him, I'll pretend to jab and then nail him with a left hook. And that is what he did, over and over. He faked the jab meaning I braced for impact from the front and somehow he managed to change his fake jab into a solid left hook that connected everytime. I couldn't react fast enough to block it when I finally realized the jab wasn't actually going to impact. Back to the drawing board for me as I was pummeled repeatedly by left hooks the rest of the night.

He only had to connect once to make subsequent hooks easier for himself. Just the fact that he made it through my solid fortress of forearms made me question where his jab was going to actually go. Now, if I made a move to block the hook, he just carried through with the jab which nailed me anyways.

If you perfect this technique you will have a punch - hook or jab - that will land 90% of the time (at least until your opponent figures out how to use his right as a block the same time he is using his left to block - something for another tip in the future.)

When to use the Jab Fake

This works best when your opponent is in a peek a boo stance. With his arms held high, it is much more difficult for him to react quickly - partly because of the position of his arms, but also because his vision is likely partly obstructed by his own arms and hands. This lends perfectly to faking a punch, especially if you manage to do it behind one his blind spots.

If you don't know what I mean by a blind spot, sitting where you are, lift your arms up in front of your face as if you were in a peek a boo stance. Notice your arms. Anything that happens behind them is partially obstructed from view. If you can initiate a fake punch in your opponent's blind spots - causing him to flinch, you are going to buy yourself a little time to throw the actual punch.

Granted, throwing something in a blind spot is more a matter of luck than skill, but it is still something you should strive to achieve.

To summarize, use the jab fake against someone who is squared off in front of you in a fairly upright position, with arms held high partially blocking their view.

Utilizing the Jab Fake

You initiate a jab fake like you would any jab and you have to make it believable. Your opponent has to believe a jab is coming at him and is going to impact. That way, in a high peek a book guard, he will brace his forearms for impact (if he doesn't try slipping). If it is not believable, he won't, and you'll have less chance of landing the actual punch.

So, throw your jab, but pull it back about a quarter of the way into it and loop it into a left hook that goes around your opponent's forearm and strikes the intended target. This is hard to do. Stopping the forward momentum is difficult and the more you can loop on the way back, the more powerful the hook will be as you change the direction of the force. Speed is key here.

Another way to aid in making your opponent commit to an incoming jab and brace is to give other cues - such as throwing your shoulder forward. Read the boxing tip on feints for other ideas on making a believable fake.

Practicing the Jab Fake

You can practice this pretty much anywhere. The biggest thing to master is halting the forward momentum of your jab and re-routing that force into a left hook. It is going to feel awkward, but with practice you can do it and even get your torso to throw a little extra force behind it. Do this on a heavy bag and strive to achieve a solid left hook after you fake the jab.

Then, if you can find a partner willing. Have him spar with you with hands held high. See if you can get him to believe in your fake jab and trick him into receiving your left hook. It will give you a good idea of how much you need to pretend to commit the jab in order to give you the time required to land the hook.

An Alternative - Cross Fake

Of note, you can easily adapt this and do the exact same thing with a straight right. Fake throwing the fake right and instead turn it into a looping right hand (right hook). You are doing the exact same thing, just to the other side. I've actually had some good success with this and find it easier to alter the path of my right as opposed to my jab. Maybe it's because I'm right handed and have better control with my right. At any rate, it isn't a stretch to do this from either side.

Strike Fast, Strike Hard...Good Luck.