How do you get rid of a bad habit?

[Straightcross]

I have this really bad habit when dodging namely leaning backwards. It works against newbies but the experienced amateur boxers will simply step in and unload. They tell me I shouldn't lean backwards but move backwards while also jabbing to keep distance but I constantly forget to do this

 

[Nuclearlandmine]

Drill it while shadowboxing. Constantly remind yourself.
Also, maybe try to work with the double end bag? It is a nifty tool that helped me getting used to punches coming my way and also to practice slipping to evade instead of leaning back.

 

[pheonix5]

How do you get rid of a bad habit? Consciously train a good habit until it becomes second nature. At first you have to think about it but with time it will become second nature and will replace the old habit.

 

[SummerStriker]

When you are under pressure, there isn't really conscious control of your actions. Your brain really hammers out what you are going to do before you become aware of it. If the gears in your brain think that staying in the pocket is suicidal and do not trust your training, you will not be able to actualize it subconsciously. Different people have different requirements for what it takes to actualize the training.

A lot of people talk about sparring, or even fighting, as if they are talking about juggling or skipping rope - that it is simply coordination and that you can get better just by practicing the motion. That's not enough in my opinion. I know it isn't enough for me.

I have to build up the correct form by drilling techniques full contact (once I have built up the coordination aspect). I need people aiming for my face and hitting me in the face (or leg or whatever) if I fail. Sometimes to prove that they are willing, I stand their and take a hit, showing I really was getting out of the way. The deep gears of your mind need to believe in what you are doing. If the deep gears buy into faith, this isn't that hard. If you have to see it to believe it, getting better at fighting is a lot more work.

Trust is a big issue. While picking things up from drills is hard, anything I end up doing on a fluke in hard sparring I can generally repeat afterwards under pressure without practice. Once it happens, it is in the bag.

 

[Reyesnuthugr]

Get hit when you do.



There should be plenty of good Samaritans willing to volunteer to help you with this

 

[aries]

Can't remember where the quote comes from but it takes 500 repetitions to learn a new skill but 3000 to correct a bad one! Good luck.

How far are you leaning back? Do you still have your weight over your feet so that you can turn it into a roll to one side? Then you can weave back under.

 

[1Strike]

Overide it by drilling the proper reaction over and over and over.

In partner drills and shadow boxing . Then after a few weeks or months (depending on how slow your subconscious learns) it should correct itself in sparring.

The thing is just to keep at it until your brain has it wired in.

 

[TheBruteFist]

Getting hurt by it is a good way. I do the exact opposite, when I get hit hard enough *rarely happens*, I curl and lean on the chest of the opponent. Also try slipping drills, the fact that you lean is because you formed a habit of evading punches before you learned how to evade them correctly, IOWs, bad instinct, so by learning how to correctly evade punches, you will notice that you can evade punches and HIT in the same time, instantly your mind will notice that this way of evading is much better, much safer, and much less awkward when your girlfriend is watching you box and you lean back like a motherfucker and it looks like your running away or afraid to get punched *happened to me*