Slipping punches from much shorter opponents

[weich]

Last night I was working with an opponent who was probably 5'8" or so. I'm 6'4". We were doing a drill where I would throw a double jab, he would counter with a left hook, which I was supposed to slip. I told him to throw at my head because if not I won't get any better. I only got hit one time during the drill, so I thought I did pretty well. When it was over he told me that he could have hit me every time because I was just too tall.

That got me thinking, do I need to work on getting down much further than I am? Or is jut not a good idea to try and duck under hooks from a guy that much shorter anyway? Ideally I would want to use my jab, cross, and kicks to keep him from ever getting close enough to throw hooks, but I'm sure you can't do that 100% of the time.

I do know that ducking further than I was ducking last night seems extremely difficult.

 

[SkribbLe]

if I were you, I would just try and sit on the punch, that's just the tricks with smaller guys, it's really hard to duck on their punches without being hit or countered. just keep on practicing and you'll get better, cause it sounds like this is only the first time you've been in their with a smaller guy

 

[weich]

if I were you, I would just try and sit on the punch, that's just the tricks with smaller guys, it's really hard to duck on their punches without being hit or countered. just keep on practicing and you'll get better, cause it sounds like this is only the first time you've been in their with a smaller guy

It was the first time I've worked with some that much shorter than me. Coach usually tries to pair me up with people over 6'.

 

[DaGenius]

If you are 6-4 I dont really think you should be trying to slip a punch from someone so short. Thats just me and just what ive been taught over the years

 

[Jumpy]

I guess for drilling purposes you should try to slip as well as you can. In a fight/spar you could just use your length against a much shorter opponent.

 

[weich]

If you are 6-4 I dont really think you should be trying to slip a punch from someone so short. Thats just me and just what ive been taught over the years

It seems stupid hard to do.

Assume the guy is 5'8". We have an 8" difference from the top of my head to the top of his head. Add in the distance from the top of his head to the bottom of his fist(assuming his arm is parallel to the floor), which I'll conservatively say is an additional 12".

That means I have to duck 20" to try and slip that punch. That seems dangerous to do, especially in Muay Thai.

 

[SummerStriker]

For MMA, I don't really agree with people getting lower while evading punches. I have kicked people in the face on accident because they ducked more often than getting low has helped them counter me.

Against a short person, you can slip straight punches without getting very low by shifting back and forth, and being taller you can counter with heavier punches, or just straight punches, without even stepping in. I don't see a point in using big movement to slip in MMA if that's your game. The only reason to slip instead of jump way out is so you can hit them back, but in MMA you can strike the low line with knees and kicks, so their is no point in getting low to punch.

 

[weich]

For MMA, I don't really agree with people getting lower while evading punches. I have kicked people in the face on accident because they ducked more often than getting low has helped them counter me.

Against a short person, you can slip straight punches without getting very low by shifting back and forth, and being taller you can counter with heavier punches, or just straight punches, without even stepping in. I don't see a point in using big movement to slip in MMA if that's your game. The only reason to slip instead of jump way out is so you can hit them back, but in MMA you can strike the low line with knees and kicks, so their is no point in getting low to punch.

I doubt I'll ever take an MMA fight. I am hoping to do an amateur MT fight. I'm too old to start learning multiple disciplines well enough to fight guys in their early 20s in MMA.

 

[SummerStriker]

I doubt I'll ever take an MMA fight. I am hoping to do an amateur MT fight. I'm too old to start learning multiple disciplines well enough to fight guys in their early 20s in MMA.

That's cool. I think it still applies though. Even if you were shorter than your opponent I don't think you want to get low to slip or dodge because your face is in that much more danger from the knees. That's why I don't think you see them do it much.

There was a Bas Rutten video where he said something about not trying to slip punches in kickboxing, but I can't find it. I'd like to see it again if anyone know it.

 

[DaGenius]

It seems stupid hard to do.

Assume the guy is 5'8". We have an 8" difference from the top of my head to the top of his head. Add in the distance from the top of his head to the bottom of his fist(assuming his arm is parallel to the floor), which I'll conservatively say is an additional 12".

That means I have to duck 20" to try and slip that punch. That seems dangerous to do, especially in Muay Thai.

You absolutely SHOULD NOT do it in muay thai. I can still hear my instructor thainglish "stand tall gentleman".

As for pure boxing, one of the first times I went in to work with a boxing coach I told him about wanting to slip and be cool like Floyd mayweather..he looked at me like I was purple. He said "You are 6-2 with long arms..dont worry about that fancy stuff..be long". He wasnt wrong in terms of what worked for me. Everyone is different

 

[SkribbLe]

If you saw Miguel Cotto vs Austin Trout, you could see the much taller Trout slipping punches, especially in the late rounds. Just study the sports, keep on practicing and eventually you'll learn.

 

[weich]

If you saw Miguel Cotto vs Austin Trout, you could see the much taller Trout slipping punches, especially in the late rounds. Just study the sports, keep on practicing and eventually you'll learn.

There is only a 3 inch difference between those guys. I have an estimated 8" difference between the guy I was working with.

 

[KounterPunch]

It's good to have options.