Cuban Boxing Fundamentals

[AndyMaBobs]

That is what I was saying. I am from Bulgaria. Not exactly an Soviet country but we were like a brother and sister. Both of my boxing coaches have passed trough the Soviet system and have been national amateur fighters. I can recognise the same fundamentals.

Definitely using more steps than hips for punching. Shoulder pulling is another. And lastly that movements are taught as a combination not single move. That actually confused me a lot when I was changing from dutch kickboxing.

When I post a vid here I am usually told to use the hips more. While coaches want me to use the hips at bare minimum. Using the power of the steps(when moving and punching), quads(for body shots and head movement) and calfs (to rise up when static punching especially in the jab and left hook if you want to add power).

Yeah just stick with what your coach says, he's definitely going to understand why you should do it that way in regards to your style and where his teaching can take you.

It's interesting though, I like to step with punches but I'm not sure I do it with the same level of technique, gonna have to really watch those fighters training to pick it up.

 

[AndyMaBobs]

I really do like how much the Russians focus on punching on the move, while still delivering power, that's a supremely under rated skill that separates the men from the boys.

 

[Ilk]

I really do like how much the Russians focus on punching on the move, while still delivering power, that's a supremely under rated skill that separates the men from the boys.

I really got confused when transitioning from kick boxing coach to old school boxers. In kick boxing we had young coach who is a pro MMA fighter. He had us more static, more power and wildness. 1-2-low kick and etc. All good fundamentals for kick boxing. He was teaching it. Keep in mind I am pretty poor in fight sport a pure hobbist. But I consider myself a smart guy with good analytic brain.

But then I went boxing with these old coaches I was like - Oh my God... wtf are we doing. It took me awhile to get all that movement while punching. Right now I am more comfortable to move backwards or to the sides while punching, than forward with all the drilling we do. I was used to go in - get a static solid position and do my combination, then go out. Right now I am able to walk around and punch all the time (it feels like this, it does not mean I am good at it).

I had a 79 years old coach replacing my current coach (the coach of my current coach). That guy was a text book academic and he sounded like you are receiving a boxing lecture. All the technical explanation, all the drills. He was 79 and he was moving so smooth when demonstrating it was amazing. He had these 2 warm up drills - left feet forward hit with the right hand, right foot forward hit with left hand and backwards right feet back hit with the right hand, left foot back hit with the left. He wanted us relaxed like we are walking. We did this about 10 mins in every work out. It transitioned to pretty solid 1-2-1-2 or 2-1-2s going forward, to the sides and backwards.

Then we did a lot of double diagonal steps to the left or to the right side - backwards and forward which transitioning to pretty solid double jabs or double right hands later. All that moving and hitting came from 2 very simple warm up drills. It is amazing

 

[AndyMaBobs]

I really got confused when transitioning from kick boxing coach to old school boxers. In kick boxing we had young coach who is a pro MMA fighter. He had us more static, more power and wildness. 1-2-low kick and etc. All good fundamentals for kick boxing. He was teaching it. Keep in mind I am pretty poor in fight sport a pure hobbist. But I consider myself a smart guy with good analytic brain.

But then I went boxing with these old coaches I was like - Oh my God... wtf are we doing. It took me awhile to get all that movement while punching. Right now I am more comfortable to move backwards or to the sides while punching, than forward with all the drilling we do. I was used to go in - get a static solid position and do my combination, then go out. Right now I am able to walk around and punch all the time (it feels like this, it does not mean I am good at it).

I had a 79 years old coach replacing my current coach (the coach of my current coach). That guy was a text book academic and he sounded like you are receiving a boxing lecture. All the technical explanation, all the drills. He was 79 and he was moving so smooth when demonstrating it was amazing. He had these 2 warm up drills - left feet forward hit with the right hand, right foot forward hit with left hand and backwards right feet back hit with the right hand, left foot back hit with the left. He wanted us relaxed like we are walking. We did this about 10 mins in every work out. It transitioned to pretty solid 1-2-1-2 or 2-1-2s going forward, to the sides and backwards.

Then we did a lot of double diagonal steps to the left or to the right side - backwards and forward which transitioning to pretty solid double jabs or double right hands later. All that moving and hitting came from 2 very simple warm up drills. It is amazing

Dude that sounds awesome, you're a lucky guy. All those little drills will have a big impact in the long run. It's interesting how a lot of good boxing at first seems like it'd be wrong. So many people think of boxing as being about the hands as opposed to the lower body. If your coach allows it, I'd love if you could record some of the drills in your gym!

 

[shincheckin]

 

[AndyMaBobs]

Awesome! I didn't even think of Israel

 

[RDL81]

I am very new to boxing only started taking my training more serious last month or so but one of the classes at my gym the coach makes us punch and walk forward just like this video and then back, then right then left. I am finding it pretty useful.

 

[Ilk]

Exactly what he does in the beginning. We call this едноимени steps (same side steps) и разноимени (different side steps). Basically when you go backwards and punch you step with the same leg and punch with the same side hand - left feet + left hand and right feet + right hand, thus the same side steps name. When you go forward it is like walking - different side stepping - left feet + right hand and right feet + left hand - different side steps.

That goes for 10 mins to warm up. We do it differently from what is shown here. We do it very relaxed like walking, but the fundamental is the same. Fun story. We had the spar partner of my kick boxing coach coming to one of our workouts. He is actually a very good fighter. But our 79 years old coach was unhappy how stiff he is and he did this warm up for 1 hour , telling him "boy you cant walk even, how are you going to fight stiff like that".

Another story from today. I met one of the students of my coach today. He is about 15 years older than me and we had a very nice talk about boxing and stuff. He showed me the exact same things - about the same side stepping and different side stepping and using side steps in general. He said something along the lines "the feet are the most important, if you can use the feet you will punch well, otherwise you will be swimming and not punching". Then he watched my bag video and said I get the steps, but critiqued my cross and jab. His son in law is a pro boxer from my town apperantly and we had some really nice talk about boxing. He showed a lot of stuff for 30 mins and got hyper exited talking about boxing.

Now the other drill looks like what this lady does (pro female boxer from Bulgaria) with the tenis ball, but without it from 1:23 till 1:29. But we go diagonally. However the tenis ball exercice is very famous in our boxing gyms.

 

[Ilk]

I am very new to boxing only started taking my training more serious last month or so but one of the classes at my gym the coach makes us punch and walk forward just like this video and then back, then right then left. I am finding it pretty useful.

It is very useful. Keep working on it. You will get so used to it, that you will feel like dancing and punching at some point. This is the most useful boxing fundamental I have been tought only in boxing classes.

 

[ShadowoftheSun]

Exactly what he does in the beginning. We call this едноимени steps (same side steps) и разноимени (different side steps). Basically when you go backwards and punch you step with the same leg and punch with the same side hand - left feet + left hand and right feet + right hand, thus the same side steps name. When you go forward it is like walking - different side stepping - left feet + right hand and right feet + left hand - different side steps.

This is interesting to me, because it seems somewhat counter to what I've seen normally taught - given the "rules" or principles of stepping (forward - push off back foot, move front foot and backwards vice versa) that I've been shown, it seems like the reverse of what it would be.

Could you please explain further, and why this method works better in your opinion? I've seen a Cuban coach doing a video of a 1-2 on the move and forward it's left hand + left foot and then right hand + right foot, and the left hand + right foot and right hand + left foot when going backwards. These regional stylistic differences are so interesting, and I'd love to be able to know the why behind each of them.

 

[Ilk]

This is interesting to me, because it seems somewhat counter to what I've seen normally taught - given the "rules" or principles of stepping (forward - push off back foot, move front foot and backwards vice versa) that I've been shown, it seems like the reverse of what it would be.

Could you please explain further, and why this method works better in your opinion? I've seen a Cuban coach doing a video of a 1-2 on the move and forward it's left hand + left foot and then right hand + right foot, and the left hand + right foot and right hand + left foot when going backwards. These regional stylistic differences are so interesting, and I'd love to be able to know the why behind each of them.

You understand this wrongly. It is not used.for 1-2 combo. It is used for walking forward, backwards to the.sided and punching and includes more.than two punches. The usual combinations are 2-1-2 or 1-2-1-2 with. It basically stepping while hitting. It has nothing to do with the classic 1-2. But if you go for 1-2-1 to the left for example it is used as it is not the.classic 1-2 stepping.

 

[ShadowoftheSun]

If you can give me any further information, or possibly a video detailing the basics of the drill so I can try to grok it better, I'd be very appreciative. I love learning more fundamental drills like this.

 

[Ilk]

If you can give me any further information, or possibly a video detailing the basics of the drill so I can try to grok it better, I'd be very appreciative. I love learning more fundamental drills like this.

Shinchekin posted a very detailed video above. It is.very similar to what we do.

I am not the person to demonstrate.anything as I am pretty bad and on a newbie level.

 

[AndyMaBobs]

This is interesting to me, because it seems somewhat counter to what I've seen normally taught - given the "rules" or principles of stepping (forward - push off back foot, move front foot and backwards vice versa) that I've been shown, it seems like the reverse of what it would be.

Could you please explain further, and why this method works better in your opinion? I've seen a Cuban coach doing a video of a 1-2 on the move and forward it's left hand + left foot and then right hand + right foot, and the left hand + right foot and right hand + left foot when going backwards. These regional stylistic differences are so interesting, and I'd love to be able to know the why behind each of them.

I think the idea is that you keep your stance controlled and at a similar length by doing the opposite hand and foot while going backwards, because otherwise you run the risk of hitting while in a fairly long stance.

 

[ShadowoftheSun]

Shinchekin posted a very detailed video above. It is.very similar to what we do.

I am not the person to demonstrate.anything as I am pretty bad and on a newbie level.

Fair enough. Because I'm kind of a dunce, I sort of need an explanation when watching a drill most of the time - a "this is what you do and why".

I think the idea is that you keep your stance controlled and at a similar length by doing the opposite hand and foot while going backwards, because otherwise you run the risk of hitting while in a fairly long stance.

That makes a lot of sense, thanks.

 

[ArtemV]

I like Dmitry Bivol a lot, he has something close to a classic USSR/Cuban style. Always has the high guard and high paced jab and 1-2 approach. With occasional hooks and body straights.

 

[Ogata]

When you say European style I think of Naseem Hamed/Ingle boxing as well as Steve Fox from Tekken who had that quality and razzle dazzle.

I am not sure if Ingles boxing is the correct representation of European boxing.

 

[AndyMaBobs]

I like Dmitry Bivol a lot, he has something close to a classic USSR/Cuban style. Always has the high guard and high paced jab and 1-2 approach. With occasional hooks and body straights.

Very nice! He backs off just enough, feet are always under him, I'm pretty impressed.

 

[ArtemV]

Very nice! He backs off just enough, feet are always under him, I'm pretty impressed.

It is nice to see them have this style that works very well in amateur, and take it to pro when they don't get hit much too. Bivol also shows nice defense and rarely gets hit by unnecessary counters and big power shots that would normally land when you get out of position. Usyk has this nice amateur style too, but he is a little more open to get hit.

 

[AndyMaBobs]

It is nice to see them have this style that works very well in amateur, and take it to pro when they don't get hit much too. Bivol also shows nice defense and rarely gets hit by unnecessary counters and big power shots that would normally land when you get out of position. Usyk has this nice amateur style too, but he is a little more open to get hit.

Something that really impresses me with Vasyl Lomachenko is how he has that amateur boxing style of great outboxing, but he can really handle himself at close range too - that's something that I really like and it seems that the eastern bloc have it more than any group of amateur boxers I can think of right now