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TRAINING TIPS AND BOXING BASICS

Occasionally we will be updating this page with a new sample program's.

Give Boxing a try: Forty to 60 minutes of the boxer's workout will cleanse your psyche and lay you out. It's good medicine. The best. Arrive in sneakers, athletic socks, shorts or sweats and T-shirt. Wrap your hands, you don't really need to right away, but it sets a routine and establishes in your mind that you are, after all, a boxer.

THE BASICS OF BOXING

Your introduction to boxing is a building process that will take a while. This sport incorporates a complex array of skills that develop and dovetail through training and repeated effort. You'll think through them at first, then muscle memory takes over as you put in the hours. As you train you'll condition your body to function at the high levels required to successfully last a succession of three-minute rounds with a teeny-tiny one-minute break in between. It doesn't sound like much but it'll be one of the hardest things you'll ever do. The three-minute round, by the way, is based on the actual time of a round in competition. Likewise the one-minute break. Don't even think about sparring for a few months. Without knowing the skills, you'll box like Doris Day. And without conditioning, you won't last a minute before you become a wheezing wreck. Training is everything. Respect it. And for heaven's sake, have fun with it. Stick with it and you'll never regret the hard work. Figure around six months of training to acquire some basic boxing skills and the proper conditioning to successfully spar three three-minute rounds. Figure a whole lot more to get better.

Watching Fights

After a few lessons you can watch competitive bouts with more under standing and interest. Furthermore, they serve as a great learning tool. After all, you're watching the guys that have, more or less, put it all together.

Boxing Gear

(List A) This is the stuff you gotta have. You'll look at the loaded catalogs and see all kinds of other things, but this is all you really need to develop some basic skills over a six-month period. In fact, you shouldn't have to worry about anything on the B List until your initial training (which could very well last six months) is finished. You're not going to spar with anyone until you've mastered your basic skills and can comfortably last three or four active three-minute rounds on the heavy bag. That's the right way to do it. That's the safe and sane way to develop as a boxer. Period. Assuming you already know what T-shirts, shorts and athletic socks are, we'll start with the footwear. Athletic Footwear: Sneakers that fit well are fine for now. Don't bother with actual boxing shoes. If you're training in a gym you may need to avoid dark soles that could mark up the floor. High tops are nice because of the extra support. Wraps: Before you put on gloves you must wrap your hands for support and protection with long strips of cloth called wraps. Get the kind that have Velcro ties since they're the most convenient to use. I like the Mexican-style wraps because they're longer and provide better protection. $6. Bag Gloves: Bag gloves are different from sparring or competition gloves. Bag gloves have just enough padding to protect a boxer's hands as he whales on the heavy bag. Training or sparring gloves are more carefully designed to protect the hands and offset the force of a blow from a sparring partner. Bag gloves come in various weights, styles and degrees of quality and convenience. For my training, I purchased a quality pair of 12-ounce leather gloves with a wide Velcro strap closure for easy on and off. These are about the best money can buy, and depending on your size, cost $80 or $100 in 2005 dollars. The cheapest pair costs half as much, but heck, for $25 more you can get professional durability, design and safety. They're your hands, it's your choice. Like a good pair of shoes, make sure they fit and stay secure on your paws. Heavy Bag: You're gonna need something to punch. Heavy bags come in a variety of styles, but your basic bag is about 14 inches in diameter, 42 inches high and weighs 70 pounds. I got a canvas bag with a so called regular or hard fill versus a soft fill. The soft fill simply has a thicker foam liner. Mine came with hanging chains, hooks and a swivel so it could be hung from a beam (or as in my case from a rope slung over the roof and tied off to a tree in my backyard - whatever works!). I spent about $80 for it. Jump Rope: Should be one of your cheapest purchases. Under $10. Punch Mitts: These are pads which slip over the hands in order to target and catch punches. If you have a workout buddy, one of you can practice stuff while the other makes like a punching hag. They are very effective tools if utilized properly. A good pair runs around $50.

(List B) Only if you wish to spar, and only when you're ready. Headgear: Don't skimp here! Purchase a design that covers as much as possible: chin, cheeks and forehead. There are models with a face bar that protects the nose and mouth, but breathing in them is a little difficult. Good headgear has lace straps that really keep the thing tight on your head. This is very important. You don't want your headgear slipping over your eyes after every punch you take. Mouthguard: Very important unless you plan on never getting hit. The "boil and bite" variety are inexpensive (under $10) and work fine. "Boil and bite" refers to the method used to form-fit this type of guard to your teeth. First it's boiled in water to make it pliable, then you place it in your mouth, press it with fingers to your teeth and bite down. The mouthpiece is made of material that doesn't retain heat and won't burn you. Sparring Gloves: As stated previously, sparring gloves are designed differently from bag gloves since they'll be used to strike a person and not a bag. My gloves are 14 ounces, padded with two inches of multi-layered foam and are secured with large Velcro straps for easy on and off. I paid $135 for a very good pair of leather gloves. Don't skimp here either. Groin Protector: The mother of all jock straps. This is a girdle-type thing that protects groin, hips and kidneys. I spent $45 on mine. It's bright red and you can see me coming a mile away. By the way, a simple jock and cup aren't quite enough protection in this sport.

Note for Female Boxers

Women have their own designs to choose from for groin and breast protection. Gloves are specifically manufactured for women, as well.

Boxers Stance

The foundation upon which all boxing skills are based is the stance.

Legs & Feet

In front of an imaginary opponent, position yourself sideways so that you present a shoulder to your target. By and large, your leading side is the opposite of your preferred hand. Lead with your left shoulder if you're right handed and vise versa. Your feet should be about shoulder width apart. If you're leading with the left shoulder, place your right foot out in front of yourself so that the heel of your right foot lines up with the toe of your left. With both heels in place, swivel your feet 45 degrees toward your target. Flex your knees and bend a hit at the hips keeping your back fairly straight. Slightly lift your back heel off the deck. This is more or less a basic athletic posture in which you're balanced and solid on your feet. A push from any direction will not cause you to easily stumble. You are ready to move in any direction the action dictates. This is the lower half of the "on guard" or ready position.

Arms, Hands & Head

To complete the northern half, tuck your elbows in close to your sides and raise your forearms up straight. Arrange the pillars of your arms so they protect that area of your torso that faces the target. Hold your arms with just enough tension to keep them upright. This position shouldn't be tight or rigid. Bend your head forward so that you're viewing your opponent partially through your eyebrows. At this point, your hands should be about chin to cheek level. Palms are turned in. There you go. This is your boxer's stance. You are equally prepared to throw punches as well as defend against them. In this ready position you are relaxed. Never tense.

Boxing Footwork

Boxing is a lot more like dancing than you might imagine. One immediately thinks of using hands and arms when you bout but not so much legs and feet. However, being able to move rapidly and economically, balanced and ready to attack or defend, is vital. Moving Forward: The lead or left foot steps first then the right foot closes the distance. Steps are small. Note that the stance remains intact throughout. When moving back, the back or right foot leads. The idea in all movement is to maintain the integrity of your boxer's stance. Basically, that means you never over step, cross over or bring your feet together. There are four directions you may go: toward your opponent, back from your opponent, to the side you are mostly facing and to the side at your back. In each direction you have a lead foot which initiates the movement and opens your stance. After the lead foot has taken a step, close the distance with your trailing foot and regain a shoulder width stance. Steps are short in length and taken close to the surface of the floor - almost in a slide.

Pivot & Slide

Quick changes in direction are made by sweeping the rear foot in either direction and pivoting off the ball of your lead foot. Again, the sweeping motion of the foot is held close to the floor surface. Pivoting: The front foot acts as a hub for the rear foot as it swings around. Again, in no way does the movement upset the balance and stability of the boxer's stance.

Make a Fist

You'll probably get it right the first time you try except for one thing. For the record, the thumb rests below the tucked in fingers, not curled inside, but then you knew that. What you might not know is that the fist is not clenched until just before point of impact. Hands are held loose in readiness (like everything else) - even on the way to the target. Ideally the fist tightens as it lands and immediately relaxes as it's pulled back. You don't use energy until you need it. And that's a law that underlines everything you do in boxing.

Note for Southpaws

For convenience, most of the hook will focus on instruction for right-handed or left-foot-forward readers. If you're left-handed or prefer to box with the right foot forward, reverse the instructions where applicable.

Jab

Meet the most important punch in boxing - the one you'll use the most in your boxing career, whether you're fighting for fitness or glory. In the boxer's stance your fists are held in a relaxed, palms-in, ready position. The jab is a punch thrown with the leading hand straight from the chin in a direct line toward your target. As the hand leaves its guard position next to your chin, the fist rotates a quarter to a half notch. As the punch is delivered, the fist gradually clenches and is completely clenched just before impact. It is then immediately relaxed and withdrawn into the guard position. The jab is the busiest weapon in boxing because it can be thrown quickly without compromising a boxer's defensive posture. It's utilized to score, to keep opponents at bay, to set up combinations and power punches and to wear down defenses. Although the jab is not considered a power punch, an effective use of the jab over the course of a bout will cause a considerable deal of damage. A boxer can also learn to stiffen his jab by turning his hips with the punch and stepping into its delivery. I'm told that the jab is the only punch to use in a street fight as it can be thrown with a great deal of effectiveness without risking exposure, loss of balance or mobility. The wallop of a crisply thrown jab is more than enough to break a nose and hopefully end the dispute. Watch any competitive bout and the jab count far exceeds that of any other punch. It's the bread and butter of offensive boxing.

The jab is thrown directly from the chin with no windup or shrugging of the shoulders. The jab snaps toward its target and is pulled back immediately. A quick recovery is just as important as a quick delivery.

Breathing

Exhale as you deliver all your punches in short, spitting wheezes. Believe it or not, the tendency is to hold your breath when punching. Perhaps it's the excitement, but at any rate, not breathing is a bad habit to get into.

Straight Right

Your first favorite punch will he the one you throw with your preferred hand - naturally! For the right-handed boxer, it's the straight right. From the guard position, the right hand is thrown straight from the chin on a direct line to the target. Unlike the jab, which is an arm-powered punch, the right is powered by a torquing torso and a pivoting right foot. Feel your back get into this one. The punch should accelerate and explode as the right heel of your pivoting foot swings outward. After impact the hand is sharply returned to guard. Because of the weight transfer involved, the straight right is considered a power punch. But the weight transfer is also the weakness of power punches because for a nano-second the boxer is without a balanced boxer's stance, and is therefore somewhat exposed. Hence the importance of high tailing it back to guard. The risk of throwing this punch too often far outweighs the natural pleasure of launching your favorite hand. The straight right is best utilized behind the jab or as a counter after a defensive move.

The straight right should be thrown straight from the chin without wind-up or dips of the shoulder. The punch accelerates as it tracks toward the target. Immediately before the explosion the fist clenches. Tension is immediately released as the hand snaps back to guard.

Left Hook

The legendary left hook is the most difficult punch to learn. Unlike the jab and straight right, the left hook has mysterious nuances that simply take time for most boxers to discover and assimilate. The hook is generally misunderstood. Most beginners think the left hook is some sort of sweeping, roundhouse punch thrown and powered by a loopy left arm. I did, anyway. But it isn't anything like that. The hook is an inside power punch. It's most effective when you're close to your opponent. The punch begins with a weight transfer to your left side. From the guard position the left elbow is brought up, almost parallel to the floor, so that the arm forms a sort of hook (hence the name). At the same time the fist is rotated either palm down for a very close target or palm-in for targets farther away. Here's the secret. The arm is held in place as described above, and the punch is delivered by pivoting left foot, left leg and torso sharply to the right in a powerful, one-piece torquing action. The arm doesn't move independently of the whole. Like a gate swinging around its hinged post, this punch is powered by leg, hips, back and everything else in the barn. When it's thrown properly, it's one of the mighty weapons in boxing and is held in very high esteem. When I work the hook, my coach tells me to crush peanuts with the ball of my left foot as I swing it around and to think hey buddy, come on over here! as I bring the punch to completion by tucking it into my chest (like I'm hugging him high around the neck). Like all punches, the hook accelerates as it tracks to the target, the fist clenches before impact and is sharply returned to the guard position along with everything else that went for the ride. Remember, recovery is everything. Punches should never hang. Punches SNAP! Think acceleration, SNAP!, recovery.

Left Uppercut

Uppercuts are stock and staple for inside fighting and are thrown with power coming from the legs and torso. They are not wind-up arm punches. From the guard position, dip the left shoulder so that your elbow nears your hip. At the same time rotate the fist palm-up. Without cocking the arm back or winding-up, propel this punch with the left side of your body. Accelerate, SNAP! and recover. The right uppercut is a mirror image of the left.

Punch Reminders- All punching action is best executed from a balanced boxer's stance. This ensures power, accuracy and recovery. Punching off balance is ineffective and risks maximum exposure. Jabs and straight rights or lefts are delivered directly from the chin with no preamble (wind-up, (lips, shrugs). All punches are SNAPPED! Accelerate, SNAP! and recover. This includes sharp delivery and sharp recovery. A punch that hangs or is not recovered immediately exposes an entire half of a boxer to attack.

Guard Up!

Never forget the hand that isn't punching. While one hand is attacking the other is in guard position. This is especially crucial (yet easy to forget!) when both hands are busy executing combinations of punches.

Boxing Combinations

A solid boxing offense includes an array of punches that can be effectively thrown in combination with one another. In other words, two or more punches properly delivered in a given attack are usually better than one.

Double and Triple Jabs: These are simply jabs thrown one after the other. Care must be taken to recover properly after each one in order to maximize power. This is an effective way to deliver a bunch of punches safely from a distance.

One-Two: That's right. This is the original one-two punch combo of sport literary and celluloid fame. The combination includes a jab followed by a straight right. The classic goal is to land a clean jab at the head that lifts the chin so that you can rock it with a hard right hand. The left jab is thrown as described (SNAP!), recovered to guard, then the straight right is immediately launched (SNAP!) and recovered to guard. Throughout the action and after, you should feel solid over your feet. Otherwise, you're probably reaching or not recovering properly.

One-Two-Three: Add to the left jab and straight right combination the left hook. This is a very natural flow of punches as the weight shifts from one foot to the other. After the jab and straight right, your weight is over the left foot creating the perfect opportunity to unload the left hook. The classic goal here is to expose the chin with the jab, tag the chin with the right and clobber the guy on the temple with the left. One, two, three - outta there!

Right-Left-Right and Left-Right-Left: These are power punch combinations utilizing the straight right and the left hook. The challenge is to coordinate the weight shifts in order to properly execute each of these torso twisting bombshells. As one punch lands, you should he weighted perfectly to throw the next one. It's easy to turn these into arm punches when you throw them in flurries, but without the body behind them they aren't as effective. It's also difficult to maintain proper form, especially with the hook. These combinations are among an in-fighter's favorite weapons because the attack flies from two angles.

Return to Guard

It's important to remember that after every punch the hand must return to guard. It's easy to forget in all the flailing, but without full recovery, half of your head is exposed and punches aren't so powerful. The tendency to drop hands is directly correlated to fatigue. It's the first thing to go.

Combinations Including Uppercuts

Combining jabs, straight rights and left hooks with uppercuts is a dizzying feat, and absolutely devastating to an opponent because stuff is coming in from all directions. It's difficult to master the flow from one punch to the other and to execute them fully and properly. It's difficult enough to master the transitions from jab to straight right to hook ... heck it's hard enough just to learn the hook. But practicing these flurries is a great coordination drill. A good six-punch drill includes a jab, a straight right, a left uppercut, a straight right, a left hook and finally a right uppercut.

Shadowboxing

After learning the basic footwork and punches, you can begin to practice one of the oldest and cheapest training methods there is: shadowboxing. All you really need is you, but it's a tremendous boost to box in front of a reflecting surface. Shadowboxing is a great way to study and perfect your form and should never be underestimated. It's the one time your eyes are focused on your reflection instead of on a punching target. This is when you practice the entire boogie-woogie: footwork, rhythm, punches and defenses. You can drill these elements individually as well as a whole symphony of moving parts. Outside of viewing yourself on video (not a bad idea!) it's the only way you can see how you really look. In your boxer's stance, practice moving in all four directions: up, back, frontside and backside. Next, incorporate some jabs with your steps. Stepping up or stepping backside, throw as you step with your left foot. Stepping back or frontside, throw after you've stepped and set your left foot.

Boxer's Rhythm

Let's really mix it up. Boxers never really stand completely still. There should always be some sort of motion going on between steps and punches to keep you primed, pumped and ready for action. There's the long rhythm, which is a kind of a mellow hack-and-forth bouncing between the feet, and there's the short rhythm, which is a more aggressive side-to-side thing that involves moving the head and shoulders. One of the all-time rivalries in boxing history showcased the two rhythm styles: Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazer. Muhammad Ali was the classic long-rhythm guy. His game was outside fighting - using the jab and moving around the outskirts of an opponent's range. His arch rival, Joe Frazer, was an inside fighter and the classic short-rhythm boxer. Since inside fighters are always within the striking zone of an opponent, Frazer had to keep the noggin bobbin' at a brisk pace in order to make himself a harder target to hit. Practice the two rhythms until they become natural and fluid - like dancing - and incorporate them into your shadowboxing routine. Remember, you don't boogie when you step or throw punches. Getting it together in front of the mirror may take some time. Developing an inner beat is a personal thing, and combined with the stepping and punching, gets a little tricky. But keep at it. Good form goes hand in hand with technical proficiency. Getting it right will enhance your skills and looking sharp builds self-confidence. Long rhythm is a mellow back and forth rocking from front to back. Feet remain planted. The head moves a head-width with each rock. Short rhythm is a brisk side-to-side movement. Again, the feet remain planted and the head moves a head-width with each rock. Rhythm is suspended when a boxer steps or pivots.

Defense and Counters

Boxing is 50% offense and 50% defense. That's not so easy to see when you're pounding the heavy bag all by yourself and checking out your oh-so-pretty punching technique in the mirror.

What You Already Know

The boxer's stance provides a great deal of protection unto itself: chin is tucked, hands are held high to protect the head, arms are arranged to protect the lower torso, feet are well apart and knees are flexed to provide a balanced and easily mobile athletic posture. Add footwork and head movement and not only can you survive an opponent's initial attack, but you'll be a hard target to hit. Basic stuff yet easily forgotten. How many boxers have suffered from ignoring the fundamentals: leaving a chin exposed ... dropping the hands late in a bout ... standing stock still in an opponent's striking zone ... getting caught off balance ... or simply losing eye contact? Like they say, keep the chin down and the guard up, and you'll prevent disaster a large percentage of the time. However, boxing like a dancing turtle will not help you score or even survive for very long against a capable opponent.

Jab Catching

As a left jab arrives, place your right glove in front of your face with chin down. Pivot your right foot, brace the right leg and catch the jab in your glove. Make sure your chin is down so your glove bounces off your forehead and not your nose. Catch jabs as aggressively as your opponent throws them. Recover immediately.

Parries

It's not a good idea to catch a straight right. Power punches are best parried with a small slap of the left glove where the momentum can carry your opponent off balance and expose him to a counterpunch.

Parrying Body Shots

Punches to the body can be parried by sweeping an arm and deflecting the punch outside, while pivoting and sliding in the opposite direction of the punch.

Blocks

As a punch arrives, simply flex the knees and lower yourself so that hands automatically are raised to better protect the head. At the same time elbows and arms drop to better protect the lower body. This is not a full-on duck but a somewhat slight flexing of knees. Immediately recover to the boxer's stance.

Ducks

Ducks are executed by flexing at the knees and coming up in the opposite direction of any punch in a V movement (this should put you in position to counter into your opponent's exposed area). Don't bend at the hips and lose eye contact with your opponent. Keep your hands up throughout the maneuver. Recover immediately.

Slips

Small, sideways movements of the head that dodge the bullet are called slips. It takes a keen eye to spot the incoming missile and a talented set of neck muscles to maneuver the head out of the way. A master of the slip was an early Mike Tyson. A good way to practice slips is by dodging the weighted end of a swinging rope, preferably in front of a mirror. With the knot or weight hung at eye level, give it a push so that it swings to and fro at your head. Practice dodging the rope using smallish, efficient "slips" of the head. Slips are neck and head propelled. They aren't ducks or shoulder dips. Get good at this. It's one of the best ways to deal with incoming punches since the defensive intent is to avoid the attack all together (versus a block or a catch that absorbs). The action is also relatively slight and less drastic than a duck, which of course, takes more energy and moves you out of your stance.

Counterpunching

Immediately after a block, slip or duck, fire your punch into your opponent's exposed area. The following pages show examples of some basic counters to the jab, straight right and left hook.

Reaction Punching

Definitely blurs the line between offense and defense. This is a faster, more advanced type of counterpunching based on reacting to your opponent's punch and throwing into the exposed target that his punch creates. It takes courage and finely tuned reflexes to throw into a punch. You can't flinch and pull your punches during a counterattack. As with all your punches you gotta see 'em through. Even if they don't land clean, chances are you'll at least disrupt the attack.

Range & Refuge

Know your opponent's boxing distance. If you're outside his striking zone, you can't get hit. Another safe place to be is inside your opponent's chest, believe it or not. How can he hit you? It's a great place to duck a straight right, and even too close for him to land a hook. But don't shell up in there. Keep your eyes on your opponent and recover immediately.

Offense as Defense

If you lay back, your opponent will build confidence in his punches and gain the initiative. You gotta throw to keep him honest and to create confidence in your own punches.

Shadowboxing: Now Include Defense

Include the defensive with the offensive in your shadowboxing routine. Practice your blocks, slips and ducks with your various punches and punch combinations. Defense and offense are hardly separate and distinct actions in a bout. One blends into the other or should. Each punch comes from and returns to a defensive posture. Each defensive maneuver can lead to an attack. It's a swirling, flowing thing and it takes training to react properly and quickly at the right time. Some Major Defensive Points Keep your eyes on your opponent. Keep your guard up. Keep your chin down. Keep moving when you're in the strike zone. Don't lunge your punches. After every action recover immediately to guard. Don't lean back to avoid punches. Give as much as you take. Don't get mad - step back, settle down, get smart. Don't be predictable - mix up your fight plan.

Shadowboxing: Run through your shadowboxing routine. Include stance, footwork and rhythm, punches, combinations and defensive maneuvers. This is a warm up and a chance to examine form. While looking at yourself in the mirror, start each drill slowly and gradually build speed. Stepping in four directions Long and short rhythm Jabs Straight right and left hooks Uppercuts One-two combinations One-two-three combinations jabs with stepping Rights and hooks with blocks, slips and ducks Rights and hooks stepping up and back

Heavy Bag: With one minute rests in between, go three minute rounds each of: Jabs One-twos One-two-threes Right-lefts, Left-rights Free form outside fighting (moving in, out and around) Free form inside fighting (staying inside, lots of side-to-side motion)

Skipping Rope: Skipping rope is great exercise by itself It's fun, aerobic and builds coordination: 100 skips with both feet Alternating with two feet, right foot and left foot: 10 reps of each, then 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 Try running in place and skipping Try combining running with a side to side swinging Try backwards skipping Try double jumps

Sparring

The bag doesn't punch back. Focus mitts go pitty-pat. A sparring partner is required for you to learn true action/reaction. Your boxing education at this stage comes hard and fast. Make sure you're ready for it and that you do it right.

Coach: The wild-ass nature of combat requires supervision. Somebody needs to control the efforts of you and your partner and it should be your coach. Or spar with your coach. Find a good one and listen to him. Your coach is your boxing education.

Safety First: Spar with protective gear. Spar with proper supervision. Spar with intent to learn.

Initial Training: Sparring is intense. It's an adrenaline-drenched, crashing, almost dream-like experience. Hey, it's combat. Just you and the other guy looking for a shot. Maybe you think some, but for the most part it's action, reaction. Your performance is a direct product of your training. It's not enough to know what to do in your head. You gotta know in your hands and legs. Hence the need for a long, sustained training period before your first bout.

Go Easy: It's wise to adopt an easy-does-it approach to sparring. Learning how to hit and take hits in live action takes some getting used to. Just swinging away without purpose is no good. It won't be boxing, it won't be safe and it won't be much fun. There's simply no point to it.

Plans: Your initial sparring should be highly controlled learning sessions. You're working stuff out, not trying to beat somebody up. Go into these practice bouts with simple game plans. Work on specific things. Perhaps during one round you'd like to sharpen your jab and use a lot of slips. During another round try a lead right and certain counterpunches. Pick one or two offensive things and one or two defensive things. Keep it manageable in your mind. Otherwise it'll become a brawl. Why all the training if you're just gonna throw it all away in a free-for-all? You want to build yourself into something.

Flow: Sparring is an opportunity to try out those things you've been applying to the bag and punching mitts. Of course, the other guy won't be standing still because he'll have his own game plan. All those skills that looked so pretty in practice won't come off exactly as planned. Maybe they won't come off at all. You and your sparring partner will create your own little world of boxing in threeminute, action-packed chunks of time. Go with the flow.

Composure: It takes time to get used to getting hit. At first you may get mad and want revenge at any cost but that's not the point. Better to figure out why you got hit (there's always a reason) and improve upon the weakness in your defense. Your anger will impede your growth as a boxer. Composure is absolutely crucial at all times and key to success. Even more so when your nose throbs and your pride is pounded.

Review: Watching videos of your performances will enhance your education immeasurably. Seeing is believing. See how your guard drops. See how awful your footwork is. See how slow your reactions are. When you're mixing it up it's hard to tell what's going on. You can get the wrong idea. But the clips will tell you true. Review your bouts and your learning will sprout wheels.

Start-Up Sparring: Common Problems: Squaring off to an opponent (planting your feet directly in front of an opponent so that you face him with your chest). Never compromise your basic defensive posture. Signaling intentions with shoulders, head or flying elbow before your punch is thrown. Deliver your punches crisply and cleanly. Straight punches fire directly from chin to target. Predictability with movements or offensive and defensive style. A boxer must mix up his approach so that his opponent won't see patterns. Reaching and pawing. These are largely useless actions that will expose you to dangerous Counters. Hesitation. Finish your punches. They may land or disrupt the counter. Half a punch is worthless. Flinching. Learn to keep your eyes on your opponent - even under fire! Fatigue. It takes time and training to build stamina. Slow and sloppy technique. It also takes time and training to groove your offensive and defensive actions. Nervous prancing and bouncing. Happy feet happen naturally and must be curbed to conserve energy. Inability to relax between actions. The intensity of sparring makes it hard to relax out there, but relax you must, in order to conserve energy and to execute technique properly. Anger. Has no place in sparring. Charging. Usually the result of frustration. With an experienced opponent you'll be cut down in no time.

**** Be fair and good luck****


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