As they say, Boxing is an art. Obviously, the overt impression of it being all about power is a farce. To learn several of the sport’s aspects, you have to go by your own experiences.

However, there are instances when you require an external push. You will not be able to learn everything on your own. Putting trust in your coach, senior members of your team, and your training partners, is a good bet. 

Boxing was never intended to be a solitary sport. If you genuinely begin to listen, you’ll be amazed at how much information you may glean from others.

Why Is Technique More Important Than Power in Boxing?

To fall into the trap of valuing power over technique is easy. Everybody wants to put on fantastic performances and score thrilling knockouts to succeed in the match. 

The appeal of strength is hard to resist, especially since it is a sport where knockouts are the norm.

However, fighters should be aware that technique is not only more essential than strength in boxing, but it really is the trigger for power in the sport. 

Also Read: Solutions to Mental Hurdles That Stop Us From Working Out

A fighter’s form is improved due to a good, solid technique, and his motions become sharper and much more compact. It results in the most efficient flow, which provides combatants with more power.

woman punching the hand of man wearing training gloves
Photo by Sabel Blanco on Pexels.com

Natural power cannot be taught or learned; it is intrinsic to you. You either have it in a voluminous quantity or not at all. However, concentrating on technique is one method of unlocking dormant power. Whatever sort of power you possess is enhanced via a sound approach.

Preventing an opponent from being injured should be the primary goal at all times before dealing with them physically. A popular boxing adage says, “You can’t damage what you can’t hit”. It bears a certain amount of truth with it. 

In boxing, one of the most crucial score categories is connecting cleanly. Punching that is clean and effective is always preferred over punching that is sloppy and ineffective.

When you can’t strike a clean blow on your opponent, it doesn’t matter how hard you punch; your efficacy suffers as a result. 

The best way to increase punch accuracy is to concentrate on strategy and technique and then combine the two to build an intelligent attacking approach.

Whether you are a beginner or an experienced boxer, you always need to practice. And in search of practical techniques, I have compiled this list of the best boxing techniques that are primarily unknown. 

With hours of training and perfecting these techniques, you can catch your opponent by surprise and get the bout in your favor. 

Feints

Feints are among the most underappreciated techniques in the sport of boxing. They are employed to compel opponents into committing errors and making blunders on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. 

If you get familiar with the understanding and talent of feints, you will improve your boxing dramatically. 

Feinting, often known as “fakes” or “jukes,” is the process of only partially committing to something like an offensive attack to elicit a reaction from an opponent throughout the attack.

The offensive fighter could then take advantage of any holes that arise as a result of this reaction. Many of the greatest boxers of all time utilized feints to their favor regularly. 

Legends including Floyd Mayweather, Juan Manuel Marquez, and Roy Jones Jr. have all competed in the sport. Their feints would suffocate their opponents, allowing them to succeed throughout their professional lives.

Make use of feints to open up opportunities in an opponent’s defensive line and then capitalize on those openings with force. The addition of feints to your skillset is a game-changing improvement.

Also Read: Deep Breathing: Physical and Mental Health Benefits

Tips for Feinting in Boxing

  • There’s a good explanation behind this. Don’t make a fool of yourself simply because you can’t really think of anything else to do. 
  • Careless, repetitive feints generate openings that are exploited by more experienced opponents. 
  • It’s important to have a definite purpose in mind when feinting. It can be forcing your opponent to reach for just a parry or stopping him from going forward.

Piston Jab 

The jab is amongst the most significant punches in boxing but not the most crucial. Fighting at a fast pace, controlling the distance, and setting up those all-important power shots are some of the things it can do.

The jab of a professional boxer, on the other hand, is much more than simply the apparent. Just like when piston firing is done on a cylinder, it is flung with speed and power, this jab, which is commonly referred to as “The Piston Jab,” has the capacity to stop an opponent in his tracks at any point in the fight.

It is capable of countering both the straight and the hook and any punch in between. It can deter an opponent from advancing forward and closing the gap and startle an opponent who is traveling in the other direction.

What exactly is the secret? Timing and speed are the two most important factors in landing a good Piston Jab attack. You must be extremely aware of what your opponent is doing at all times while still executing the jab at a fast enough pace to ensure that it connects unimpeded. 

Some experts prefer to throw this jab in a quick, snapping motion, so their opponents aren’t aware of what is coming. With this attack in your arsenal, you can put a stop to any rival’s assault strategy, no matter how complex it is.

Tip for Piston Jab in Boxing

To make your jab more efficient, especially to turn it into the piston jab, you need to perform a little drill. Well, for starters, try practicing your jab on mitts with a trainer; it is not just regular practicing; you need to hit faster, and that can further be improved by regular shadow boxing. 

Catch and Counter

In boxing, defense is equally as vital as an offense, if not more so, than the other way around. When using the catch and counter-strategy, defense is always the first line of defense.

It is possible to throw counter punches in a variety of methods in boxing. The use of parries as well as catch counters, on the other hand, appears to have become a lost art.

Training sessions are frequently devoted to strengthening attacking abilities. While refining each item in the pugilism toolbox is critical, it is equally vital to combine offensive strategies with good defensive skills. 

None except the renowned Floyd Mayweather is a beautiful illustration of the need for a long-term strategy.

He is recognized for his ability to deploy a range of defensive strategies in combination with his offensive. When it comes to collecting shots, he is primarily reliant on intuition and muscle memory, yet he is pretty efficient at it.

Mayweather enjoys unleashing quick counterattacks that catch his opponents off guard after a successful deflection of their offensive.

Tip for Catch and Counter in Boxing

Catch and counter drills may be done during sparring or mitt practice, according to your preference. The more you practice, the faster you will also get, and it will eventually become second nature to your body.

Peekaboo Style

Create a cup with your hand and lay the thumb portion of your palm on the base of your cheekbone on either side of your face. 

Your forefinger on either side should lay slightly above your brow. Your wrists must be curled in towards one another to narrow the distance between you and your partner. 

This also pushes the elbows inwards, putting them in a better position to defend your ribs. Crunch your body downwards slightly so that your elbows rest on your abs, and hold your elbows in a tight position.

This fundamental posture provides you with the most defensive coverage with the least movement while also providing you with forwarding vision via the space between your hands. 

Low body shots are the only significant danger in this posture, but it simply takes a minor adjustment of leaning and tucking your elbow under your hip to guard against any low body punches from this position if you are in the correct position.

Tips for Peekaboo Style in Boxing

For practice in this posture, put up a punching bag and stand with your backside to a wall while your partner throws a variety of blows at you. As a result, you are supposed to depend on the guard rather than your own movements. 

Once you’ve gotten used to being in this posture, you may try setting your guard and practicing going towards your partner while they fire multiple bullets at you.

Rush and Push

The push is probably the most straightforward and often employed dirty boxing strategies. It is a move that would be both illegal and effective, although it is sometimes performed by accident when boxers are weary.

To use this move, rush in close to the opponent and push them back. This move is best kept for when you are up against the ropes suffering a severe beating. 

Instead of pushing with your arms, bend in and press down on the floor with your feet. This will save you valuable energy.

Intelligent fighters will take advantage of the leverage provided by the ropes to boost the momentum of the push, but the less smart ones would panic and maybe be knocked out as a result.

Sidestep

Footwork in boxing is a technique that is frequently overlooked. Many first-time offensive players choose to take a linear approach to their game. 

When it comes to this, it may be really predictable and readily telegraphed. You must enhance your movement in the ring to raise your level of competition.

To utilize your feet to get to various areas quickly and efficiently is a significant offensive and defensive talent to have in your arsenal of tools. This method is frequently employed by fighters to reach an opponent’s blind area or circle around to their weak side.

Vasyl Lomachenko of Ukraine is regarded as one of the greatest practitioners of the sidestep in history. Lomachenko, often known as “The Matrix,” is a fighter who can manipulate his feet in ways that most other boxers cannot. 

His footwork is the most crucial component of his game, and it is the spark for virtually all of his attacking weapons to function properly.

Tip for Sidestep in Boxing

Experiment with stepping towards your opponents’ side and going in different directions. Try not to fight in the middle of the field, and always move forward. Adding this to your repertoire of abilities will elevate your performance to an all-new level.

Fire in The Phonebooth

Tradition has it that amateur fighters are taught to fight at a distance, completing their combinations from a long-distance or even up close and personal.

However, they are never taught how to fight at close quarters since they are too young. This type of internal conflict is called “phone booth fighting” in popular culture.

The phone booth is a favorite battle venue for professional boxers for a variety of reasons. One, they’re comfortable in there because they’ve spent many hours practicing in the clinch and are familiar with how to defend against assaults from that particular range. 

Two, professional boxers use clinch circumstances to control their energy levels and stamina during a 12-round bout, which can be quite taxing on the body.

Years of combat experience enable fighters to become more comfortable in any fighting posture, particularly at close range. A thorough comprehension of hitting rhythms and how to move in conjunction with what their opponents are showing them is essential for professional boxers.

This type of fluid movement is what distinguishes amateurs from professional athletes. Pro boxers are usually able to stick and move and slide blows without even glancing at their opponents.

Deceptive Distance Control

A fighter’s ability to control their footwork is unmatched. To compete at the highest levels of combat, you must move briskly in and out of range, as well as regulate distance. 

Take the example of pro boxers. They execute their movements so efficiently that their opponents aren’t even aware that they’re doing it.

Professional boxers have a misleading amount of spacing between them. 

They make their opponents believe they are out of range and would not land anything on the inside, but then they sneak in a punch, and it’s all over.

The opponent is left flabbergasted. This is because professional boxers are well aware of the dangers of telegraphing their moves.

Just when you believe you’ve got a reasonable distance between you and your opponent, he suddenly comes within striking range and unleashes a punch you didn’t see coming. 

Alternatively, he may be in close quarters with you and vanish just as you deliver your blow. You were completely unaware that he had moved in or out on all occasions. He just seemed to do it naturally.

Tips for Deceptive Distance Control in Boxing

The key is to have a fluid footwork that makes it impossible for an opponent to anticipate your moves. You’re usually tremendously comfortable and swift in your movements, almost as if you’re floating over the ring at high speed. Opponents will attempt to read your movements, but they will be unsuccessful.

Elbow Scoop

Utilizing your lead hand to drive your opponent’s lead arm out of the way from your power hand and afterward hitting his exposed rib cage from your other hand, this fight is all about positioning yourself correctly.

Get close to your opponent, and either use the cup in your gloves to draw his elbow away from his body or, alternately, press his elbow upwards using the cup in your gloves.

Tip for Elbow Scoop in Boxing

If you’re in the same posture as your opponent, you must use your lead hand and aim for his lead arm – this will keep you more protected from his rear hand if you use your lead hand.

Clinch

Despite popular belief, the clinch is technically an unlawful technique according to the original Marquess of Queensberry regulations. Although excessive clinching is penalized by the officials in modern boxing, it is nevertheless tolerated to a certain level. 

The most educated and intelligent fighters understand how to take advantage of their position in the clinch.

An opponent’s arms are tied together in the clinch, which is mainly a defensive method used by boxers against each other. This makes any strike ineffectual, and it frequently irritates the opponent, causing him to withdraw emotionally from the battle.

Consider that most referees will allow boxers to battle their way out of a clinch, but they may intervene if the quantity of time spent in the clinch exceeds a reasonable duration.

Tips for Clinching in Boxing

It is critical to understand how and when to employ the clinch to obtain the maximum benefit. The most effective approach to practice clinching is to participate in sparring sessions. 

When your sparring partners try to narrow the space between them, try to catch them in a clinch. Move close and bind their arms together.

Conclusion

While boxing is a basic sport by nature, it has certain extremely exploitable flaws that you may take advantage of to get the edge. 

As a result, it is enormously essential that you practice these techniques in sparring so that you are comfortable with them and can recall them quickly when the fight night arrives.

If you receive a warning from the referee for a particular technique, simply refrain from employing it in the future.

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