Category Archives: Technique

January 9, 2019
January 9, 2019

How to land a sickening body shot

Tony Jeffries demonstrates how to land the body shot

How to land a sickening body shot

Tony Jeffries demonstrates how to land the body shot

body shot

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MOST fighters will agree that being hit in the body hard is often worse than being hit in the head.

When you get hit clean it really sucks all the oxygen out of your full body, you feel sick and suffocated at the same time. It’s not a nice feeling.

I used to practice throwing and landing the body shot all of the time when I was fighting, in shadow boxing, on the backs, and in sparring.

A great way to land that body shot is by changing the angle and with your feet and getting the punch to land between the gloves.

Ricky Hatton and Jamie Moore where both experts at this.

I show you on this video below a great way to do it, If you’re not training to fight this is also a great way to burn extra calories in your boxing session:

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January 7, 2019
January 7, 2019

Top 10 ways to hit the speed bag

Tony Jeffries on the top 10 ways to hit the speed bag

Top 10 ways to hit the speed bag

Tony Jeffries on the top 10 ways to hit the speed bag

Vasyl Lomachenko speed bag

Mikey Williams/Top Rank

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THE speed bag/speedball has been around since my granddad was a little boy. Visually the most impressive piece of equipment in a boxing gym, we’ve seen fighters over the years blasting the ball doing tricks, going really fast, even looking away from the ball while they’re hitting it.

For me, some of the best are Floyd Mayweather and Vasyl Lomachenko, you will see videos of them hit the bag and they’re very impressive.

The main benefits of hitting this thing are hand and eye coordination, which overall helps your reactions and you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to know the importance of reactions in boxing. It’s also great for shoulder endurance as you have to keep your hands up high for the full round.

When hitting the bag, the faster you got the harder you have to hit it, and vice versa the harder you hit it the faster you go.

As a professional, I used to end every session with two rounds nonstop (6-30 total).

There is so many different ways and version to hit the bag – on this video, you will see my top 10 ways to hit the speed bag:

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January 6, 2019
January 6, 2019

Fight School: The Hook

How to throw the perfect hook

Fight School: The Hook

How to throw the perfect hook

hook

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The lead hook is perhaps the most effective punch in any champion’s repertoire – if it is delivered correctly. A coach will insist that you work long hours on the bag, and then on the pads, to learn the basic lead hook. It is, in the main, a counter-punch and, as its name suggests, is a bent-arm shot that is used at medium and short range.

The rear hook is slightly different in that, due to it coming from the rear hand, it has to be thrown at short range – both to the head and body. It is best used as part of a combination of punches or as a counter-punch against an opponent rushing in to launch an attack.

The key points to remember when throwing a hook are:

  1. Stay in position
    Hold your head still while looking at your opponent from under your eyebrows. Make sure your rear hand is guarding the jaw, slightly below eye level. Keep your chin down, tucked against the top of your chest.
  2. Hips don’t lie
    The power comes not from the arm but mainly the hips, with a little from the shoulders. The pivot of the shoulders and hips is like a trigger mechanism and crucial to generating power.
  3. Finishing position
    The hook should land with the palm facing downwards in the amateurs but landing with the thumb up is acceptable in the pros.

Lead hook to the head

  1. From the boxing stance, the first action is to slide the front foot forwards towards your opponent – this moves you within punching range. Simultaneously push in off your back foot in order to maintain a balanced, solid base (but don’t let it come off the ground).
  1. The weight shifts slightly to the front foot as the hip and shoulders pivot violently, using the front-facing side of the body as a hinge.
  1. The front arm remains relaxed in the shape of a hook (90-degree angle at the elbow joint) and is whipped in an arc towards its target at the side of the chin.
  1. To enable the hips to pivot, the front foot swivels inwards on the ball of the foot.
  1. At impact, the palm is pointing downwards, though this is not crucial in the professional code.
  1. Keep the rear hand in a high guarding position.
  1. The punch recoil follows the same path back to the on-guard position.

Rear hook to the head

  1. From the boxing stance, the first action is to slide the left foot forwards towards your opponent – this moves you within punching range. Simultaneously push in off your back foot in order to maintain a balanced, solid base (but don’t let it come off the ground).
  1. The weight shifts to the rear foot as the hip and shoulders pivot violently around the front-facing side of the body.
  1. The rear arm remains relaxed in the shape of a hook (90-degree angle at the elbow joint) and is whipped in an arc towards its target at the side of the chin.
  1. To enable the hips to pivot, the rear foot swivels inwards on the ball of the foot.
  1. At impact, the palm is pointing downwards, though this is not crucial in the professional code.
  1. Keep the lead hand in a high guarding position.
  1. The punch recoil follows the same path back to the on-guard position.

This article is an extract from a larger piece in Total Fight Training, the ultimate guide for combat sports participants, currently available on the Boxing News app on iTunes, Google Play and from www.pocketmags.com

Click here for more articles on fight training

January 5, 2019
January 5, 2019

Fight School: The Cross

How to throw the perfect cross

Fight School: The Cross

How to throw the perfect cross

cross

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THE cross is a powerful punch that should be used sparingly, and is in most cases a counter-punch or a follow-up punch when the target has already been opened up by using a jab. Key things to remember when throwing the cross are:

  1. Retain a solid base
    When throwing a back-hand shot to the head or body it is important that the boxer doesn’t fall in towards the opponent i.e. over-reaching. Over-reaching causes the boxer to lose balance and therefore a stable base; secondly, once the power and balance base is lost it opens up a potential counter-punch for your opponent.
  2. Keep it subtle
    A common error in throwing a good cross is showing the punch before it is actually thrown. In this case boxers often draw the back hand back before throwing it – this becomes very obvious to the opponent.
  3. Punch straight through the target
    The effectiveness of a cross is increased if the power is directed straight through the punch target. In many cases, due to the angle of attack, boxers punch across the target rather than straight through it – this reduces the effect of what could have been a powerful punch. To combat this it is important to line up and punch through this line.
  4. Get your hand back fast!
    Remember that after throwing a back-hand your target area is wide open to counter-punches, therefore you must recoil the punch back along the same line to its guarding position.

Cross to the head

  1. From the boxing stance, the first action is to slide the front foot forwards towards your opponent – this moves you within punching range.
  1. Drive off the rear foot, pivoting the hips and shoulders violently around the centre axis. Let the front-hand side of the body act as a hinge.
  1. Drive the rear hand, fully extended, at the target.
  1. Rotate the forearm and shoulder.
  1. Keep the arm relaxed until approximately three inches prior to impact.
  1. At the moment of impact, ensure the palm is facing down. On impact, the bodyweight should stay balanced over the centre of your base.
  1. Keep the front hand in a guarding position and see that the shoulders remain horizontal throughout.
  1. If using a single cross, wait until the shot lands then push away off the front foot and slide the rear foot backwards, making sure that you maintain your boxing stance and therefore solid base.

Cross to the body

  1. From the boxing stance, the first action is to slide the front foot forwards towards your opponent – this moves you within punching range.
  1. Simultaneously squat down to a 90-degree angle at the front knee – still maintaining a solid base.
  1. Get the shoulders in line with the target.
  1. Ensure bodyweight is balanced over the centre of your base.
  1. Keep the trunk upright and pivot at the hip and shoulders to drive right through the target.
  1. At the moment of impact, the palm is down and the thumb is turned inwards.
  1. Recoil the punch back along the same line.
  2.  Carry the front hand in a high guarding position.

This article is an extract from a larger piece in Total Fight Training, the ultimate guide for combat sports participants, currently available on the Boxing News app on iTunes, Google Play and from www.pocketmags.com

Click here for more articles on fight training

January 5, 2019
January 5, 2019

Fight School: The Jab

How to throw the perfect jab

Fight School: The Jab

How to throw the perfect jab

jab

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LOOKING back over the years of boxing champions there is one thing that is obvious – they all frequently used the jab in a variety of forms. The jab is the first punch a boxer will learn and although it is the most basic of strikes, it is one of the most important punches in any fighters’ repertoire. A technically solid and speedy jab can be used in a number of different situations.

  1. Setting up and maintaining the distance
    It is a range-finder as most combinations start with a jab as a way of closing the distance and finding the proper range.
  2. Point-scorer
    It can be used to score points from either long or medium distance, and over time this continual point scoring will gradually wear down your opponent.
  3. Breaking up your opponent’s attack
    An integral part of a fighter’s defence. By using the jab it stops your opponent getting too confident and can keep them at a comfortable distance.
  4. Opening up an attack
    By altering the type of jab it can open up your opponent to other more attacking punches.

Common flaws

The most common faults that boxers make when throwing a jab are:

  • The boxer falls in towards their opponent and over-commits due to not having their feet in the correct place.
  • Bringing the jab hand back low from the punch; this opens up a potential counter-punch for your opponent.
  • The punch is ‘telegraphed’ – this gives the opponent an obvious clue as to when you will throw the punch.
  • The boxer allows the punch to become an upper-body movement and neglects to use the lower body to initiate the shot.
  • There is an urge to try and hit too hard. The desire to throw the punch hard often results in too much of the boxer’s weight transferring to the front leg (see the first common fault).

Jab to the head

  1. From the orthodox stance, the first action is to slide the left foot forwards towards your opponent – this moves you within punching range. Simultaneously push in off your back foot in order to maintain a balanced, solid base (but don’t let the foot come off the ground).
  1. Push through the floor with your lead foot, rotate through your left hip and complete a quarter turn at your lead shoulder. This will help to add power and stability to your shot.
  1. Throw the jab straight out from the shoulder as if you’re punching down a pipe.
  1. The jab should be aimed for the chin and at the end of the punch rotate your fist so that your palm is facing down as your hand strikes the target.
  1. As soon as your arm reaches full extension, quickly pull the hand back along the same path as the delivery, back to its starting position in order to guard your chin. Even if you are throwing multiple jabs, retract your hand between each one.
  1. The guarding hand is held high to pick off any counter-punches. Regardless of where you keep your jabbing hand, never bring your other hand down, even when you’re punching.
  1. Keep your chin tucked in behind your shoulder.
  1. Use your judgment when jabbing and make sure that your front foot is in range first before you punch.
  1. If using a single jab wait until the shot lands then push away off the front foot and slide the rear foot backwards, making sure that you maintain your boxing stance and therefore solid base.

Jab to the body

Another way to use the jab is to the body. For this punch the key differences are seen in the lower-body movement; the upper-body movements are the same as the above. The lower-body differences are:

  1. From the boxing stance, the first action is to slide the left foot forwards towards your opponent – this moves you within punching range. Simultaneously squat down to 90-degree angle at the knee – still maintaining a solid base.
  1. In this punch the boxer should actually raise the height of their defensive guard in order to increase protection in the half-squat position.
  1. Stay low when pushing out – because aiming for the body increases a fighter’s vulnerability to a counter-punch.

This article is an extract from a larger piece in the Total Fight Training, the ultimate guide for combat sports participants, currently available on the Boxing News app on iTunes, Google Play and from www.pocketmags.com

Click here for more articles on fight training

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January 4, 2019
January 4, 2019

LEARN The most important punch in boxing

Tony Jeffries demonstrates why the jab is the most important punch in boxing

LEARN The most important punch in boxing

Tony Jeffries demonstrates why the jab is the most important punch in boxing

Floyd Mayweather jab

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THE jab is the most important punch in boxing; it was one of my best assets as a fighter. In 106 fights, I only fought one person who had a better jab than me and that was World silver medallist Croatian Marijo Šivolija.

I remember one jab he threw and landed *booom* right on my forehead. I never expected it and throughout the fight, he landed quite a few more. They were fast, hard and very annoying!

This fight was in the semi-finals of the European Union Championships in Sardinia and I ended up losing by one point.

When you’re being hit by a solid jab it knocks you out of your usual rhythm and that takes you out of your game plan and means you have to readjust everything.

The jab is a great range finder to set up other punches and combos; you can throw it moving forward, moving back or just in place.

It’s also the best punch to use as a faint to draw a reaction from your opponent.

On this video, we show you how to increase the power in the jab by stepping into it. When you do this, you are putting your body weight into it. I’m going to be doing more videos on how to increase the speed and accuracy of the jab too, so for more educational pieces like this subscribe:

Also follow me on instagram for more educational stuff: https://www.instagram.com/tony_jeffries

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November 19, 2018
November 19, 2018

VIDEO Canelo Alvarez working on movement and footwork

Trainer Eddy Reynoso puts Canelo Alvarez through his paces

VIDEO Canelo Alvarez working on movement and footwork

Trainer Eddy Reynoso puts Canelo Alvarez through his paces

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Video: Golden Boy Promotions

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