Gunshy, new techniques and good striking choice

[Ilk]

Sup guys?

Need few advices. I have been trying to get back to boxing. Noticing few bad things about my boxing game, even against guys who are not as good as I am (I am slightly post newbie).

Anyway. We sparred a lot today and I noticed the following:
- being gunshy, I rarely try to hit, mostly chosing position, defending and looking for openings, but then even if I see them I am late to react. I guess this is the wrong approach, to wait for openings, but I have to create them or have to have drilled expected reactions and be prepared for them
- being predictable - I noticed I almost always trow my jab or left hand first in spars. It is like I am measuring if I can trow my right. It annoyed me a lot as I get really predictable even for the newer guys. One of the new guys was just side stepping my jab and trowing his to counter me
- using the same 1-2, 1-1-2 - basically feeling my opponent with my left then trowing the straight right or right hook, depending on the distance. I ve developped a good right hand and I trust to deliver a good punch (protecting my mates of course) with it, but it gets once more predictable and boring.
- while I am efficient in head movement, footwork I really need to put a concious effort to use more of that. I feel myself static. But when I do put conciously movement, ducks, slips, rolling under, pivots, lateral footwork - it works well.

So how do I get my spar and fighting to the next level. What steps I need to take? It really feels like I know how to box, but I just do not do it, and I am always disappointed. It feels like my body is not listening and retreats to some old bad habits. I guess this is pretty normal and I need lots of drilling. I am ok to put the extra work at home myself and I will do it - just advice on how.

Lastly advice on few very short - but decent combos to start drilling - I am tired of my 1-2, and 1-1-2 or 2-1-2.

 

[theranch]

Obviously this will be mostly guesswork from what you've described as i don't have a video to work with. but it sounds to me like it could be a few things. From the sounds of it you are throwing too few punches whilst being either slow or flat footed and being a little too 'Honest' with your punches. If you are becoming predictable it's more likely due to a lack of feints and activity with your feet than needing to change the combinations, if you are always 'Honest' with your punches- no feints or changes of rhythm and are throwing in low numbers then yes things like the 1-2, 1-1-2, 2-1-2 will be easy to predict but watch some high level amateur Boxing a lot of it (not all by any means) revolves around those short basic straight punch combinations. The key is that they are always active with their feet always moving which straight away makes you harder to predict and they will throw a LOT of punches, It's Boxing be prepared to miss a lot the Pro's may only connect at 30-40% clip so don't try to be perfect. Feints are your friend if you want to land basic straight punches, try to be a bit more 'Bouncy' on your feet and step in and out of range quickly to draw out a response or show an obvious jab into a left hook coming forward these kinds of things. This has ended up being a long wall of text very sorry!

Shorthand:
- Use your feet more, don't stand still you will be easy to predict
- Throw more Volume, be prepared to miss but try not to come over your front foot
- Feints are your friend, try not to be too 'Honest' Draw out a reaction that you can punish
- Watch some high level amateur Boxing and look at how active they are
- Fast footwork drills is what i would work on

Cheers for sharing

 

[Ilk]

Obviously this will be mostly guesswork from what you've described as i don't have a video to work with. but it sounds to me like it could be a few things. From the sounds of it you are throwing too few punches whilst being either slow or flat footed and being a little too 'Honest' with your punches. If you are becoming predictable it's more likely due to a lack of feints and activity with your feet than needing to change the combinations, if you are always 'Honest' with your punches- no feints or changes of rhythm and are throwing in low numbers then yes things like the 1-2, 1-1-2, 2-1-2 will be easy to predict but watch some high level amateur Boxing a lot of it (not all by any means) revolves around those short basic straight punch combinations. The key is that they are always active with their feet always moving which straight away makes you harder to predict and they will throw a LOT of punches, It's Boxing be prepared to miss a lot the Pro's may only connect at 30-40% clip so don't try to be perfect. Feints are your friend if you want to land basic straight punches, try to be a bit more 'Bouncy' on your feet and step in and out of range quickly to draw out a response or show an obvious jab into a left hook coming forward these kinds of things. This has ended up being a long wall of text very sorry!

Shorthand:
- Use your feet more, don't stand still you will be easy to predict
- Throw more Volume, be prepared to miss but try not to come over your front foot
- Feints are your friend, try not to be too 'Honest' Draw out a reaction that you can punish
- Watch some high level amateur Boxing and look at how active they are
- Fast footwork drills is what i would work on

Cheers for sharing

Solid advice, mate.
Thinking about it I completely agree
- I stand too much, unless forced to run, pivot and etc
- my volume is low indeed, I have noticed that especially when sparring better people - should I try to implement that on the bag, when shadow boxing and in general work on conditioning my muscles with which I trow punches to increase the volume? Or how to work on that one?
- I try to add some feints, but as usual they are very concious and they are not into my game and I do not feint naturally, so there are a lot of complete rounds without feints
- activity, movement and volume got it
- footwork drills - can you link up something or elaborate, please

 

[j123]

Sup guys?

Need few advices. I have been trying to get back to boxing. Noticing few bad things about my boxing game, even against guys who are not as good as I am (I am slightly post newbie).

Anyway. We sparred a lot today and I noticed the following:
- being gunshy, I rarely try to hit, mostly chosing position, defending and looking for openings, but then even if I see them I am late to react. I guess this is the wrong approach, to wait for openings, but I have to create them or have to have drilled expected reactions and be prepared for them
- being predictable - I noticed I almost always trow my jab or left hand first in spars. It is like I am measuring if I can trow my right. It annoyed me a lot as I get really predictable even for the newer guys. One of the new guys was just side stepping my jab and trowing his to counter me
- using the same 1-2, 1-1-2 - basically feeling my opponent with my left then trowing the straight right or right hook, depending on the distance. I ve developped a good right hand and I trust to deliver a good punch (protecting my mates of course) with it, but it gets once more predictable and boring.
- while I am efficient in head movement, footwork I really need to put a concious effort to use more of that. I feel myself static. But when I do put conciously movement, ducks, slips, rolling under, pivots, lateral footwork - it works well.

So how do I get my spar and fighting to the next level. What steps I need to take? It really feels like I know how to box, but I just do not do it, and I am always disappointed. It feels like my body is not listening and retreats to some old bad habits. I guess this is pretty normal and I need lots of drilling. I am ok to put the extra work at home myself and I will do it - just advice on how.

Lastly advice on few very short - but decent combos to start drilling - I am tired of my 1-2, and 1-1-2 or 2-1-2.

Just bang more

Spoiler

I'm guessing youre too much on the kill which probably has you being tense so its more predictable.

Think of it as a game of outscoring, try to land as much in volume to rack points, don't think about the kill shot for now.

How long have you been focusing on your basics? If you're reverting, more time needs to be put in so your original default becomes your new default. Some people it may take longer. Took me about a year when starting my first camp before the core basics became muscle memory.

 

[dudeguyman]

Sup guys?

Need few advices. I have been trying to get back to boxing. Noticing few bad things about my boxing game, even against guys who are not as good as I am (I am slightly post newbie).

Anyway. We sparred a lot today and I noticed the following:
- being gunshy, I rarely try to hit, mostly chosing position, defending and looking for openings, but then even if I see them I am late to react. I guess this is the wrong approach, to wait for openings, but I have to create them or have to have drilled expected reactions and be prepared for them
- being predictable - I noticed I almost always trow my jab or left hand first in spars. It is like I am measuring if I can trow my right. It annoyed me a lot as I get really predictable even for the newer guys. One of the new guys was just side stepping my jab and trowing his to counter me
- using the same 1-2, 1-1-2 - basically feeling my opponent with my left then trowing the straight right or right hook, depending on the distance. I ve developped a good right hand and I trust to deliver a good punch (protecting my mates of course) with it, but it gets once more predictable and boring.
- while I am efficient in head movement, footwork I really need to put a concious effort to use more of that. I feel myself static. But when I do put conciously movement, ducks, slips, rolling under, pivots, lateral footwork - it works well.

So how do I get my spar and fighting to the next level. What steps I need to take? It really feels like I know how to box, but I just do not do it, and I am always disappointed. It feels like my body is not listening and retreats to some old bad habits. I guess this is pretty normal and I need lots of drilling. I am ok to put the extra work at home myself and I will do it - just advice on how.

Lastly advice on few very short - but decent combos to start drilling - I am tired of my 1-2, and 1-1-2 or 2-1-2.

Kick 'em In the balls.

If he is countering your jab, figure out a counter to the counter. Plus others here are right, feints are great for making them think they are moving out of the way whilst they are actually moving right into your shot. I'm no boxer though.
<{chips}>

 

[NAKMUAY18]

Commit to a combination. Decide you’re going to throw a combination and finish it. If you get clipped so be it, but you can’t if you try to avoid everything that comes you’ll fuck up what your doing.
The hit and not get hit dream, where you’re drilling your oppo and dancing out of the way of everything is bullshit. Everybody gets hit, if your balanced, chin down and neck sucked n, fuck it, that’s the game.
When your skill grows, then you can start slipping mid combinations, changing levels, cutting angles. Right now, move in, throw a combination, angle out

 

[NAKMUAY18]

Just bang more

Spoiler

I'm guessing youre too much on the kill which probably has you being tense so its more predictable.

Think of it as a game of outscoring, try to land as much in volume to rack points, don't think about the kill shot for now.

How long have you been focusing on your basics? If you're reverting, more time needs to be put in so your original default becomes your new default. Some people it may take longer. Took me about a year when starting my first camp before the core basics became muscle memory.

If he’s gun shy, and he starts adding volume and movement, I could see him turning into a random flailing.

 

[Eddy1267]

There’s a few things that I’d recommend will help, some being obvious and some you’ll have to work on. From my own experience, which isn’t vast:

Don’t be scared of getting hit - when you’re sparring, unless you’re going really hard, which you shouldn’t be, it’s not going to hurt. If you have to take one on the way in or the way out to land a quick combo, so be it.

Parry strikes - I find the best way to get into range without jabbing your way is to wait until your opponent throws a straight or a jab, and parry the strike. There’s an art to it, but the movement you have to do is significantly less than your opponents, allowing you to close the distance and fire back before he’s covered up.

Switch stance - if you haven’t learned the ‘quick switch’ to southpaw, give it a go without throwing strikes. As your stance switches, throw a strike. It’s a great way to close distance and throw your opponent off. Switch back after the flurry.

Relax - no need for being so stiff, it’ll only provide more resistance to your opponents strike. Roll with the strike and pop up. Your feet will move much easier when you’re less tense. Breathe out with a ‘tss’ noise on the strikes you throw and once you’ve thrown your combo, come out of range and take a deep breathe.

Hope that helps bud.

 

[shincheckin]

Sup guys?

Need few advices. I have been trying to get back to boxing. Noticing few bad things about my boxing game, even against guys who are not as good as I am (I am slightly post newbie).

Anyway. We sparred a lot today and I noticed the following:
- being gunshy, I rarely try to hit, mostly chosing position, defending and looking for openings, but then even if I see them I am late to react. I guess this is the wrong approach, to wait for openings, but I have to create them or have to have drilled expected reactions and be prepared for them
- being predictable - I noticed I almost always trow my jab or left hand first in spars. It is like I am measuring if I can trow my right. It annoyed me a lot as I get really predictable even for the newer guys. One of the new guys was just side stepping my jab and trowing his to counter me
- using the same 1-2, 1-1-2 - basically feeling my opponent with my left then trowing the straight right or right hook, depending on the distance. I ve developped a good right hand and I trust to deliver a good punch (protecting my mates of course) with it, but it gets once more predictable and boring.
- while I am efficient in head movement, footwork I really need to put a concious effort to use more of that. I feel myself static. But when I do put conciously movement, ducks, slips, rolling under, pivots, lateral footwork - it works well.

So how do I get my spar and fighting to the next level. What steps I need to take? It really feels like I know how to box, but I just do not do it, and I am always disappointed. It feels like my body is not listening and retreats to some old bad habits. I guess this is pretty normal and I need lots of drilling. I am ok to put the extra work at home myself and I will do it - just advice on how.

Lastly advice on few very short - but decent combos to start drilling - I am tired of my 1-2, and 1-1-2 or 2-1-2.

3 punch combos, then chain them together.

123, 323, R uppercut hook cross, just examples, mix and match them up as you want. also it dont matter if you start the next combo on the same side again, so for example........12, 23.

 

[Ilk]

Commit to a combination. Decide you’re going to throw a combination and finish it. If you get clipped so be it, but you can’t if you try to avoid everything that comes you’ll fuck up what your doing.
The hit and not get hit dream, where you’re drilling your oppo and dancing out of the way of everything is bullshit. Everybody gets hit, if your balanced, chin down and neck sucked n, fuck it, that’s the game.
When your skill grows, then you can start slipping mid combinations, changing levels, cutting angles. Right now, move in, throw a combination, angle out

See here is the problem. I do commit. I am confident jabbing my way to a power right. I have slightly developed my left into a range finder and my right cross, hook and uppercut are good.

The problem is ... How do I explain that. I am not doing it often enought. I seem to fail somewhere,:
- not good enough jab
- not good enough stance mechanics and in general I seem to still lean forward big time, especially when sparring
- I can't find a position to attack... Here is where I am hesitant. For example I see my SP friend going in to find his position with a jab coming towards my left. I know a few ways to counter him - pivot left and hook after his jab add a cross if possible
- do a 1-1-2 going backwards or something similar - basically wait for his cross and throw mine
- do a 2-1-2 interrupting his advancement
... But I never do this or very rarely

Same is when others are attacking. Same is when I do not feel comfortable starting a combo or hitting.

 

[NAKMUAY18]

See here is the problem. I do commit. I am confident jabbing my way to a power right. I have slightly developed my left into a range finder and my right cross, hook and uppercut are good.

The problem is ... How do I explain that. I am not doing it often enought. I seem to fail somewhere,:
- not good enough jab
- not good enough stance mechanics and in general I seem to still lean forward big time, especially when sparring
- I can't find a position to attack... Here is where I am hesitant. For example I see my SP friend going in to find his position with a jab coming towards my left. I know a few ways to counter him - pivot left and hook after his jab add a cross if possible
- do a 1-1-2 going backwards or something similar - basically wait for his cross and throw mine
- do a 2-1-2 interrupting his advancement
... But I never do this or very rarely

Same is when others are attacking. Same is when I do not feel comfortable starting a combo or hitting.

it's pretty hard to understand what you mean without seeing it. maybe up load a video?

 

[j123]

If he’s gun shy, and he starts adding volume and movement, I could see him turning into a random flailing.

Its not sexy I know, but he (and most other greener peeps as well) needs to learn fighting and getting used to being hit otherwise the techniques won't take off. I actually feel its better to be aggressive and brawler-esque at first, then eventually developing more technique after.

When I started out it was the same, I was pretty gun shy and worried too much about what my opponent was doing instead of my own offense. It took me awhile to rid myself of that bad habit. It does still show ocassionally when I'm overwhelmed by a much more exp'd striker, but I'm able to shake it immediately now.

 

[Dr. Will]

Use footwork to establish superior position on your opponent.
Be ok with getting hit with one ok shot, so that you can get combinations off.
A jab, and even offense is not just about landing on your opponent, it sets up other shots, it gets them to sacrifice guard to commit to a strike which you can counter, it gives you opponent less space to think etc.
You're overthinking. Make fundamentals second nature and then follow the wise words of Sugar Ray Robinson - "You don't think. It's all instinct. If you stop to think, you're gone."

 

[biscuitsbrah]

You’re loading up the right hand. You need to go hard in sparring without trying to hurt your opponent with singular shots. More activity and just straight up more exchanges while the sparring is still ‘hard’

I think j123 hit the nail on the head honestly, because I still struggle with this at times

 

[Ilk]

Its not sexy I know, but he (and most other greener peeps as well) needs to learn fighting and getting used to being hit otherwise the techniques won't take off. I actually feel its better to be aggressive and brawler-esque at first, then eventually developing more technique after.

When I started out it was the same, I was pretty gun shy and worried too much about what my opponent was doing instead of my own offense. It took me awhile to rid myself of that bad habit. It does still show ocassionally when I'm overwhelmed by a much more exp'd striker, but I'm able to shake it immediately now.

It is interesting. I am not really afraid to eat shots, I am good at it by now. But it really psychologically when I box I do not want to eat shots and a lot of bad reflexes kick in. This is why I do not want to make a video of spars - my SP friend will try to destroy me to show off - see still afraid of being hit haha.

 

[Dr. Will]

It is interesting. I am not really afraid to eat shots, I am good at it by now. But it really psychologically when I box I do not want to eat shots and a lot of bad reflexes kick in. This is why I do not want to make a video of spars - my SP friend will try to destroy me to show off - see still afraid of being hit haha.

To ease yourself into it the right way, why don't you just do lighter sparring and incrementally add intensity? Your sparring partners will be understanding and they could work on techniques in the meantime.

 

[j123]

But it really psychologically when I box I do not want to eat shots and a lot of bad reflexes kick in.

You're just out of your comfort zone right now, you'll ease into it. I feel the problem is (at least from my and other technical types) being a perfectionist, and it is a big problem with technical oriented peeps. If the opportunity for the perfect shot isn't there, you don't want to throw it and keep waiting and waiting. But in the long run that creates problems, and the chance will never come.

A HUGE regret on my 2nd fight was doing this, and could've had a leg kick TKO, but I kept waiting for it, and it never came, meanwhile he kept throwing lame arm punches, but at the end due to that he was more aggressive and the judges saw that. The sad part is he was so limped that even a toddler tap would've made him crumble and fail the 10 count. If they made a rule that whoever bolted out of the ring post-fight, I would've gotten that W.

This is why I do not want to make a video of spars - my SP friend will try to destroy me to show off - see still afraid of being hit haha.

Bruh... body cams. He signed the waiver

"it ain't cheating if you don't get caught"
-Ghandi

 

[Ilk]

So last spar session I went a bit more in trying to commit to my combos. Surpricingly I did slightly better. Especially when using 2-1-2. I committed to that one and it gave me some solid offence and countering options.

I need to work a lot more on technique and active guarding. I noticed I am a bit lazy on the guard and not only. Footwork body movement and head movement is lazy too.

Noticing I am swinging too wild and telegraphing my punches. Gotta be more tight but relaxed. Damn back to the basics again.

 

[ctrlaltdelete]

Good advice in this thread and good on TS taking it and giving back results from training.

Not many forums have a healthy relationship with their users, its good to see positive results on a space where anonymous trolling and shit talk is so easy.

as you were

 

[Ilk]

Good advice in this thread and good on TS taking it and giving back results from training.

Not many forums have a healthy relationship with their users, its good to see positive results on a space where anonymous trolling and shit talk is so easy.

as you were

There are quite many cool guys in this subforum.

On to the spar session. I had a couple of pad rounds with the coach and he was instructing me how to deal with the SP friend of ours, since he is now the strongest guy in the gym and spars mainly with me as I am closest to his level, but still too far behind. Our friend, who was the best from our group ... unfortunately got arrested for stupid shit and has been out for a month or more.

Anyway the pad rounds we did we did focus on the 2-1-2 combined with slips, and going to different directions with it - right, backwards, forwards. So then I really tried to follow some advice from here and the coachs advice on the 2-1-2. I pretty much tried to do it at least few times per round. The problem with my SP friend is that it is very easy for him to counter my jab and I have a bad habit of always jabbing first. And once he figures out my jab I am pretty helpless. But now when leading with the 2, it cought him a bit of guard. I also did commit to my 1-2 but got countered badly few times, but then did 1-2 to the body and it was nice. Anyway - there was a difference when I commited to my offence, and I am going to try to be way more active next session additionally to the commitment.