The Magical Jabs

fantastic collection of jabs! Thank you very much for the succinct and knowledgeable archive.

I'm a bigger fan of UFC than I am of boxing, so please forgive my ignorance, but in UFC sometimes a fighter will be right handed, but fight as a southpaw (as did Bruce Lee), does this happen in boxing?

If so, do they ever throw cross step punches
MMA made EASY: Cross-step punch - YouTube
or vertical jabs
MMA made EASY: Vertical Jab How to Tutorial - YouTube
to exploit that power?

(and if so, is it legal for them to do so?)

Also, is the switchfoot jab done in boxing?
MMA made EASY: Switchfoot Jab - Part 1 - YouTube

The video quality of Mohammed Ali isn't the best, but it looks similar?
 
There are several methods of jabbing, as illustrated in the original post of this thread. Some will agree and some will not on how things are done. That's the beauty of boxing...the ability to adapt the punch to your personal goals and anatomies.

That said...the punch you're describing sounds almost like a fencer's lunge. I personally wouldn't lunge in to that extent because you can still transfer power without having your knee that far forward. Even in a more crouched position, I generally won't have my knee further forward than my ankle.
 
fantastic collection of jabs! Thank you very much for the succinct and knowledgeable archive.

I'm a bigger fan of UFC than I am of boxing, so please forgive my ignorance, but in UFC sometimes a fighter will be right handed, but fight as a southpaw (as did Bruce Lee), does this happen in boxing?

If so, do they ever throw cross step punches
MMA made EASY: Cross-step punch - YouTube
or vertical jabs
MMA made EASY: Vertical Jab How to Tutorial - YouTube
to exploit that power?

(and if so, is it legal for them to do so?)

Also, is the switchfoot jab done in boxing?
MMA made EASY: Switchfoot Jab - Part 1 - YouTube

The video quality of Mohammed Ali isn't the best, but it looks similar?

Usually in Boxing if a guy is fighting with the hand he writes with forward, the dominant hand, it's because of how well he throws a hook. Miguel Cotto, Oscar De La Hoya, guys like that. Not because of how well they throw straight punches. Their right hands are thought of as relatively weak. Though they always have respectable ones due to technique.

We also try to avoid crossing our feet, as it's not an optimal position for dissipating force. In other words, if you get countered, you're just kind of left floating. Whereas keeping the feet lined with the shoulders, and proportionate to the hips, allows for defensive liability. The vertical-fist jab is only displayed in the trip-hammer version thrown by Felix Trinidad. Though he did not turn his hip for the reason that if he turns that hip, there's no motion left for a hook, and he was one of those guys with a MONSTER left hook.

As for the switch-foot jab, in your video when you initiate the motion with the slight pull back, I like that a lot. I often have students do a similar motion, but then they just give a slight step, pressing the weight into the front toe, and launching the jab at the same time while simultaneously pushing the chest back/upward. This adds a lot of pressure and power. Now, if they want to move forward, we employ the hop-step, which moves forward similarly but does not sacrifice positioning.

In former mma fighter Jeff Joslin
 
Who do you guys think have the best jab in boxing today (active fighters)?
 
Who do you guys think have the best jab in boxing today (active fighters)?

Ward is up there in terms of being able to outjab an opponent (which takes into account neutralizing the opponent's jab as well). Wladimir is obviously up there. Cotto, also.
 
I can agree with Wlad and Cotto. Mayweather, obviously. He could win a whole fight with his lead hand, and he has before.
 
Have you ever considered putting something up for the corkscrew? I love punching that way at times to vary things up a bit.
 
In an earlier post I think you said the knees slightly point away from each other when jabbing.

How about in the power jab?
 
Usually in Boxing if a guy is fighting with the hand he writes with forward, the dominant hand, it's because of how well he throws a hook. Miguel Cotto, Oscar De La Hoya, guys like that. Not because of how well they throw straight punches. Their right hands are thought of as relatively weak. Though they always have respectable ones due to technique.

We also try to avoid crossing our feet, as it's not an optimal position for dissipating force. In other words, if you get countered, you're just kind of left floating. Whereas keeping the feet lined with the shoulders, and proportionate to the hips, allows for defensive liability. The vertical-fist jab is only displayed in the trip-hammer version thrown by Felix Trinidad. Though he did not turn his hip for the reason that if he turns that hip, there's no motion left for a hook, and he was one of those guys with a MONSTER left hook.

As for the switch-foot jab, in your video when you initiate the motion with the slight pull back, I like that a lot. I often have students do a similar motion, but then they just give a slight step, pressing the weight into the front toe, and launching the jab at the same time while simultaneously pushing the chest back/upward. This adds a lot of pressure and power. Now, if they want to move forward, we employ the hop-step, which moves forward similarly but does not sacrifice positioning.



I'm not sure how this looks, but if it's a forward lunge type motion then no. I'm not an advocate of bringing the head forward on a jab unless it's to bait a specific reaction and even then, not putting a lot of weight on it.

What about this thing my coach taught me today: it was an excercise where my partner threw a 1-2 and I had to either block or parry the jab, shoulder-parry the straight then step forward with my right leg while throwing a left and then a right.

He told me that yes, it's more intuitive to throw the right after but the left is so unexpected from that position.

I had a lot of trouble getting the movement down but when I did it right I almost always caught him (not like I was hitting him on the button hard, just coach pointed it out).

Told me he learned it from an old-school russian boxing coach.
 
Have you ever considered putting something up for the corkscrew? I love punching that way at times to vary things up a bit.

I've considered it, if we can get footage of it being used in action, I just might. This was mainly constructed of jabs I knew of that different Pros threw.

In an earlier post I think you said the knees slightly point away from each other when jabbing.

How about in the power jab?

Theoretically speaking, if you lower your weight and have your feet positioned right (the knees pointing away is to facilitate weight moving straight down, not forward or back, there's a way to step in from that posture), then EVERY jab becomes a power jab. Save, of course, for jabs that facilitate the elbow coming up. By default they become more of a flick.

What about this thing my coach taught me today: it was an excercise where my partner threw a 1-2 and I had to either block or parry the jab, shoulder-parry the straight then step forward with my right leg while throwing a left and then a right.

He told me that yes, it's more intuitive to throw the right after but the left is so unexpected from that position.

I had a lot of trouble getting the movement down but when I did it right I almost always caught him (not like I was hitting him on the button hard, just coach pointed it out).

Told me he learned it from an old-school russian boxing coach.

Yes, there's some people who teach little switch-moves like that. I'd have to see them in context to know how I feel about them.
 
Jabs should always be non-telegraphic like the sueprman punch. Jack Dempsey wrote the book on these things and called them jolts or offensive punches. Klitschko brothers use this to destroy opponents.
 
Any articles or instruction videos to jab like Ike Quartey?
 
Yo Sinister,

Thanks for education in jabs. Didn't know there's more than one.

Are there any youtube vids you reccomend for beginners regarding jabs? I watched several on youtube but don't know which ones are good because the comments always have haters.
 
Been on this forum a while and just recently checked out this thread, a lot of good info here.
Ive been trying to find out more information on that "pawing" or blinding jab you wrote about.
Any specific details to make this most effective? Anyone know any other fighters that do this w/ video? Thanks in advance
 
Excuse me for being rude, but lurk and watch what is in the OP. Don't just ask questions like this is some sort of know-it-all place that will answer all of your queries about striking, especially when you have done a shit ton of those threads with very similar questions and never participate in any discussions in a productive manner.
 
This may be off topic, but what the heck was that mask Barnes used in the Trinidad vs. Barnes fight?
 
Yo Sinister,

Thanks for education in jabs. Didn't know there's more than one.

Are there any youtube vids you reccomend for beginners regarding jabs? I watched several on youtube but don't know which ones are good because the comments always have haters.

Reading youtube comments is an act of extreme futility more times than not. It's the least censored place in the internet and is usually full of twats with too much time on their hands.

And it's tough to say because very few videos will throw jabs the way I like them done. Best bet is to watch fights with the fighters mentioned in the opening post and do your best to replicate the subtleties there.
 
.

First there's the "King All" of jabs. "Bazooka" Ike Quartey. Most of youse have seen this before, but it doesn't get much better than this when it comes to the standard jab:

YouTube - Ike Quartey Prepares For Vernon Forrest

It's just perfect. Shuck of the shoulder, flex of the knees, a tiny step when he wants to add power, and the cross follows beautifully. Ike's basic jab was hardly ever matched in the Sport. So when you practice your basic jab, that's what you're aiming for.

nice read overall, but I have a question. Ike clearly telegraphing by this jerking the fist motion right before he throws the jab, no?
 
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