Hardest punch to learn

TheGreatA said:
Having an actual straight right hand isn't easy, as we've witnessed in MMA. A guy with a decent 1-2 and some takedown defense already makes the top 10 ranks.

Guys throwing uppercuts and hooks randomly is what tends to get them KOd most often though.


kamara-usman-jorge-masvidal.gif
Click to expand...
Perfect example for me. I'm not sure if this is what you're saying or if you're considering Usman's straight very good, but to me this is more of a cross than a straight, which in itself is rather a very tight overhand than a clean straight imo.
I'm not entirely sure on the terminology though to be fair.

To me the criterium for a straight being clean is the snap. You need to be able to throw it and retract to the exact position you started in. A cross will always make you follow that punch roughly 45 degrees to your lead side, as perfectly observable in the clip of Usman. Even the cleaner ones will forfeit a fair bit of position.

A straight means throwing the rear hand, snapping at impact and twisting back. To me that is the least natural punch by a huge margin. Because it's not an arms punch. Beginners/ untrained people always throw arm punches.
It's easy-ish to teach them how to sit down on those. It's still somewhat natural. Explaining how to twist back after throwing a straight, as well as just performing it, at least to me is just so unnatural.

I guess the efficiency of that punch could be argued over in an MMA context, even in a kickboxing context, since it's rarely seen utilized, but to me it's a great punch to have in your arsenal, and I personally think it's a great tool against crafty wrestlers.
Recall Jones vs Gane? That's slip to back clinch is not happening when Gane doesn't overextend his right. Even watching the Usman clip you can imagine that it takes barely more than a dip left, an extended right arm and a small step forward, and Jorge would essentially have Usmans back or at least a double leg.
 
StopDucking said:
The jab.

It’s the first punch you learn and the last one you master. You can tell someone’s level by how good his jab is.
Click to expand...

I'd second this.

Everyone learns a jab on day one and even at the pro level in kickboxing and mma a ton of guys do not have a great jab.

A bit offtopic, but I think of all people grapplers with a wrestling or bjj base benefit in spades from developing a good jab.
 
Left hook for me. My right hook was pop my left is so weak
 
Initially came in to say right hook, but someone mentioned it's trash and I remember Freddie Roach saying one time "Right hooks are for suckers". So my right hook isn't bad, it's just that the punch was never that good to begin with.

<BC1>




After reading some of the responses, I'm going to have to go with the jab. Even though it's the first punch you're taught and is (usually) the most thrown in training, there's countless ways to throw it and it sets up every other punch. A lot of thinking, strategizing, and repetition goes into having a good jab and the many variations of it.


On a personal note, I had a ton of issues learning to properly throw a straight right as orthodox. I remember having trouble getting the hip rotation down to where I wouldn't feel off balance or weak as hell. Everything felt so disconnected in the beginning. Probably due to muscular imbalances in my hips, considering the left hook was infinitely easier to learn for me.
 
Rear uppercut from the outside. That punch is very hard to get right.

At least for me.. i can crack that shit from the inside, or in clinch/dirty boxing.

But not from formal punching range.
 
Weak as in hardest to generate power with it. Could be a me thing, I generate much less power with my lead hand and leg then with rear. I'm very left dominant. I can't weight transfer effectively on my lead side.

Still lead hand upercut gotta be the most rare knockout punch out off all basic hook straight upercut jab punches of all. It's pretty rare.
 
HuskySamoan said:
I really like the lead uppercut. Anyone who's compact and has to be good at in-fighting should have a lead uppercut in their arsenal. Not really a weak punch.
Click to expand...

My right side strikes are just for the variation. Everything important is done with left. I feel like my left size carrys 4x more power then my right. I'm impressed when people kick hard with both legs.
 
Last edited:
Frode Falch said:
Rear uppercut from the outside. That punch is very hard to get right.

At least for me.. i can crack that shit from the inside, or in clinch/dirty boxing.

But not from formal punching range.
Click to expand...
Could you give an example of a fighter that uses that strike? I'm not quite sure what that is supposed to be tbh.

To me the whole thing of the uppercut is the vertical speed. If I'm on the outside, even with my hands at my hips, I need to cover much more distance horizontally than vertically to connect. Which means the velocity in the horizontal plane needs to be much higher than in the vertical, which in my head would disqualify it as an uppercut.

The only thing that comes to my mind from your description is a Karate style strike from the hips with the knuckles turned down for some reason (!?)
 
Banana Tree's Nemesis said:
Could you give an example of a fighter that uses that strike? I'm not quite sure what that is supposed to be tbh.

To me the whole thing of the uppercut is the vertical speed. If I'm on the outside, even with my hands at my hips, I need to cover much more distance horizontally than vertically to connect. Which means the velocity in the horizontal plane needs to be much higher than in the vertical, which in my head would disqualify it as an uppercut.

The only thing that comes to my mind from your description is a Karate style strike from the hips with the knuckles turned down for some reason (!?)
Click to expand...

McGregor in MMA
Buakaw in muay thai
Badr Hari in kickboxing
Roy Jones and Bernard Hopkins in boxing
 
Banana Tree's Nemesis said:
Could you give an example of a fighter that uses that strike? I'm not quite sure what that is supposed to be tbh.

To me the whole thing of the uppercut is the vertical speed. If I'm on the outside, even with my hands at my hips, I need to cover much more distance horizontally than vertically to connect. Which means the velocity in the horizontal plane needs to be much higher than in the vertical, which in my head would disqualify it as an uppercut.

The only thing that comes to my mind from your description is a Karate style strike from the hips with the knuckles turned down for some reason (!?)
Click to expand...


I think he means a normal power upercut when you are not close. In range / in fighting - close, normal range - within range, outside fighting - barely in range or outside range, have to step in or throw long shots to connec, more time to dodge.

Example of this upercut from a not in fighting range would be Rumble vs Glover. Cause it feels more natural and innate to upercut upwards and close, while it's more technically demanding to throw a power uppercut and have it cover distance, so a reaching upercut.


Hope I explained something. And didn't confuse.
 
Trabaho said:
Weak as in hardest to generate power with it. Could be a me thing, I generate much less power with my lead hand and leg then with rear. I'm very left dominant. I can't weight transfer effectively on my lead side.

Still lead hand upercut gotta be the most rare knockout punch out off all basic hook straight upercut jab punches of all. It's pretty rare.
Click to expand...
Arguably the most violent KO ever in MMA was with a lead uppercut.
1700956302478.png

And Ngannou's second most violent KO was also a lead uppercut.
1700956464785.png
 
The uppercut,

the reason being once you start using your jab, your three starts landing easy as pie, and then you have even tall people's heads bouncing right into the path of your rear uppercut, your six. The jab sets you up for success: you start finding tons of opportunities uppercut, 1-2, the occasional blunder into a money 5.

So yeah, the uppercut.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Forum statistics

Threads
1,237,115
Messages
55,468,316
Members
174,786
Latest member
plasterby

Share this page

Back
Top