Post your ways to get in and cut distance

[Ilk]

I am a shorter guy 175 cm so I often have to get in to do damage. So I have been doing my research and experimenting of how to get in into a comfortable distance get a short combo and get out. Here are the 2 ways that have worked for me.

1. Set up a jab. At the beginning of a round I will try to do a lazy jab, then a double jab, then one strong breaching jab with which to do damage. My goal is to get my opponent get a high guard. I follow up with 1 or 2 strong breaching jabs to the body. Then I faint a body jab and launch myself up for a 1-2 combo. This works well for me as I have worked tons on my jabs.

2. Set up a side step. I usually follow with this step after I have completed step one. I start jabbing with a side step to the right. Side step to the right and breach jab to head, then side step to the right and breach jab to the body. If my opponent has a problem with the angle I will side step and try 1-2. However up until now I have not comboed much. So my next step is to faint going to the right with a small slip than launch myself to the left where I would trow a double jab and a wild right hook, and try to further get in or a jab, left hook followed by a right hook and try to get in. Usually here it gets wild due to my poor technique and I often get countered but I am able to get 1 good shot. It really depends on what level my partner is.

So here are the problems. I end up with no creativity after that and often in next rounds I have no game plan. I also train in a MMA gym where we do mostly Muay Thai and stand up fighting and as you notice I have been doing mostly boxing in my fighting.

So share your ways of cutting some distance and getting into a punching range. I would like to expand my range of attacks.

 

[Cory Ellis]

I'm a small guy, 5'5 and 135 pounds. I often end up sparring guys who are much larger in height and weight. What I've learned is to just go in and start touching them. Touch them with jabs to make them less confident about their reach. Often when I spam jabs it makes the taller man feel like he needs to get in a jab off with me and he'll start throwing his own. Jab-evade. Jab-jab-evade. Stay just out of reach of his jab. Now you have options and are dictating the range. Slip-hook body-hook head. Make him miss and as soon as you think he's gonna stop throwing start throwing even if he blocks it. Let him feel your power and become hesitant. I like the jab-straight-left uppercut-straight then bully him with a tight guard when close. Unload on the body, when you tender him up he'll drop the guard. Head-head-body-head. Mix it up, exit with a jab always. Beat him to the jab. When you see him think about throwing anything hit him with a combo. block a left hook and throw right straight. Catch his jab and throw your own. Jab him in the face and hit him with a straight to the body. When you land this a few times he will want to block that straight. Turn your combo into a 1-1-2 all to the face or a jab to the head, jab the body and straight to the face. Touch him a lot. Make him doubt his advantages. Outsmart him at range and pound him up close.

 

[Cory Ellis]

Also, worth mentioning that you need to develope a fearless mind set to be a short fighter. You need to be unafraid to be touched and you need to let the punches you get hit with go. Don't get flustered when you get hit. Make him feel like the only thing he can land is his own jab and then beat him at his own game. Use his jab as the first punch of your combo. Throw the jab when he's not expecting it. For instance, after every combo on your way out or when neither of you feel like an exchange should be happening. Don't let him ever feel safe. If you can take away his confidence he will get sloppy and crumble. Get a partner to pound on you while you only defend (block,slip,parry) to make you brave. Develope rhythm and break your rhythm when he gets used to it. Be unpredictable. Also, you will occasionally get beat. There's always someone bigger and better.

 

[poepstorm]

I really like your starting strategies, jab and footwork. As you practice and come up with variations on these you should be fine, the creativity and technique will come.

Since we're talking mostly boxing here: There was a video about Pacquiao learning to close the distance with throwaway jabs. He'd throw strikes from out of range, not hitting but looking aggressive, until his taller opponent tries to strike back. Because he's out of range, the taller opponent commits and overextends, allowing Pacman to step in and counter.


My main strat for getting inside is staying outside. Defense is easy out there, until they get a little greedy, perfect time for lateral/forward movement.

 

[Alanf7]

The guy in the blue shows how to do it perfectly.

 

[Mr Mojo Lane]

I like how you guys mentioned breaking rhythm and using counter punching to go inside.

I have been working on a double jab with two hard step and slides with my first jab being a throw away from far out. I have also just started doing replacement steps here and there against someone who is doing a lot of running. It is a way to buy an extra half beat

 

[biscuitsbrah]

feints, low kicks, body punches

 

[Ilk]

Little update on all that. I noticed I get countered a lot with a left hook when getting in or getting cought with a right kick when I go out in my set up. Last spar which was yesterday I got knocked down by a very strong rear right kick to the stomach that I did not see coming. Any recommendations?

 

[Cory Ellis]

Little update on all that. I noticed I get countered a lot with a left hook when getting in or getting cought with a right kick when I go out in my set up. Last spar which was yesterday I got knocked down by a very strong rear right kick to the stomach that I did not see coming. Any recommendations?

Bait him to throw the left hook, tighly block it and throw the straight right. See where you can take it afterwords. Be careful of his straight though as well. As for getting hit on the way out with the big kick, I would say end your combos with a kick of your own. I prefer left quick side kick but it's really your call. The left side quick is the best kick IMO. Develope it. Good for a lot of ranges. Hit the legs hard and make your checks a lethal weapon. Think defence as offence when it comes to kicks. If you can take away someone's will to kick you've got 100% more options.

 

[Ilk]

Thanks a lot man. I was thinking about blocking and countering with the right, however I was exactly afraid of a straight right or doubling the left with a hook. I will work on my right counter with an inside slip to doge both. My goal is to develop a style where I am always defensively responsible and get hit as less as possible. I really dont like getting hit, especially with my front desk job.

The left kick finishing combo is an excellent advice. I always though to finish with the left hand to get to my natural defending position as fast as possible. Now I ll add the left kick. Outside side step to the right and a left low kick. Damn that is gold. Really appreciated.

In another note. I studied a bit Zambidis. He loves to initiate with a left kick to cut in distance. Left kick and step forward. Or just fake a check with his left and take a big step forward. I really lack the education to get in with kicks and use the kicks. I am going to experiment a bit with the style of Zambidis.

 

[Cory Ellis]

Thanks a lot man. I was thinking about blocking and countering with the right, however I was exactly afraid of a straight right or doubling the left with a hook. I will work on my right counter with an inside slip to doge both. My goal is to develop a style where I am always defensively responsible and get hit as less as possible. I really dont like getting hit, especially with my front desk job.

The left kick finishing combo is an excellent advice. I always though to finish with the left hand to get to my natural defending position as fast as possible. Now I ll add the left kick. Outside side step to the right and a left low kick. Damn that is gold. Really appreciated.

In another note. I studied a bit Zambidis. He loves to initiate with a left kick to cut in distance. Left kick and step forward. Or just fake a check with his left and take a big step forward. I really lack the education to get in with kicks and use the kicks. I am going to experiment a bit with the style of Zambidis.

I love treating the left leg as a jab of sorts. I throw so many inside leg kicks it's not funny haha.

 

[Gandhi]

Superman kick punch always closes the distance well, if we are including kicks. Cutting off thr ring with movement as well.

 

[poepstorm]

...get countered a lot [...] Any recommendations?

To be specific, are your strikes getting countered? Or your attempts to get inside? In the case of strikes getting countered it's probably mainly tightening up technique and defense.

If you're getting countered trying to get inside: Apparently they know you're trying to get inside. Two (polar opposite) options,
1. Mix it up by having a few outside attacks too. Teeps, leg kicks etc. Confuse them.
2. Feint stepping in until they counter. This way you don't have to give them space, you can keep the pressure on, except instead of running in each time you pretend to run in all the time. The added pressure makes them blow their counter sooner or later, after which you can close in.

I think you're doing fine, though! I get the shit slapped out of me when I'm working on getting inside. If you're practicing something, repeating it a lot, people will see the patterns and try to take advantage.. thing is, you're learning your skill and they're just trying to get hits in.