The Killer Jab Master Class

Home , Boxing, Boxing training, Jab, Southpaw stance, The distance (boxing)

the Killer JaB Master class

www.MyBoxingCoach.com Table of Contents

About the Coach...... 3

Introduction...... 4

The Structure of the Killer Jab Master Class...... 5 Boxing Drills...... 5 Shadow Boxing...... 6 Heavy Bag...... 6 Advanced Tactical Jabbing...... 6 Associated Resources...... 7 Gym Sheets...... 7

Boxing Drills...... 8 Introduction...... 8 The Core Boxing Skills...... 12 Core Skill – The Boxing Stance...... 13 Core Skill – The Jab...... 16 Core Skill – Moving In and Out...... 19 Core Skill – Moving Side to Side...... 23 Foundation Drills...... 26 Foundation Drill #1 – Single Jab with Movement...... 28 Foundation Drill #2 – Multiple Jabs with Movement...... 31 The Mobility Drill - Movement In and Out...... 33

Shadow Boxing Demonstration...... 35

Heavy Bag Demonstration...... 37

Advanced Tactical Jabbing...... 39

Associated Resources...... 44

Gym Sheet - The Stance...... 45

Gym Sheet - The Jab...... 46

Gym Sheet - In and Out...... 47

www.myboxingcoach.com Page 2 About the Coach

My name is Fran Sands. Boxing has been a massive part of my life since I was 6 years old when my Dad took my brother and me to the local amateur boxing club. I had my first contest at the age of 11 and went on to compete for a further 10 years, taking part in 60 contests. As well as being a regional champion on numerous occasions, I reached national finals and semi finals all of which culminated in my representing my country at Under-19 level.

Having 'hung up my gloves' and after a break from the sport for a couple of years, I returned as a coach at the same gym at which I had boxed. Since then I have worked with hundreds of boxers over a 15 year period, from novice boxers up through to international standard amateurs, providing advice and guidance both in the gym and on fight night in the corner.

In 2010, I created the website www.MyBoxingCoach.com. I have published many articles and videos on the skills and fitness of boxers, building an invaluable repository of detailed, clear and consistent guidance for all who are interested in the sport of boxing.

In 2012 I launched the hugely successful Boxing Training Foundation, a complete boxing training session that has become recognized as a massively effective way of building boxing skills and boxing fitness.

www.myboxingcoach.com Page 3 Introduction

Welcome to the Killer Jab Master Class (KJM), part of the hugely successful Boxing Training Foundation. This super-effective course, based upon proven video coaching techniques. You can be assured that the KJM will help you develop a jab that will pierce the most effective of defenses, a jab that will deter the most determined of attackers and a jab that will pave the way for real success.

As with all genuine and successful coaching methods, the KJM is built upon structured and precise training drills. I will show you how to practice the drills, how to reap the benefits of the drills and how to use some secrets of the fight game to send your jab success rate through the roof.

Doing the basics well, that’s what supper-successful fighting is all about, and that’s the secret of building your killer jab. 95% of what great fighters do are the basics, they just do them very well. Regardless of the level of the fighter, global superstar or raw novice, good and effective drills performed with discipline form a vital part of their training regime.

It is vital that you understand the drills within the KJM. It is also vital that you commit to working them into your training regime over time. I do not make false promises. I do not make over-inflated and exaggerated statements of what KJM can do. I can promise you now that if you apply yourself to these drills you will make real and valuable improvements to your fighting capabilities.

The Killer Jab Master Class is designed to add to your boxing training regime. It will provide a key aspect of technical and tactical development for your boxing capability. Working this in to you existing regime will bring serious benefits.

www.myboxingcoach.com Page 4 The Structure of the Killer Jab Master Class The KJM consists of 6 sections:

➢ Boxing Drills ➢ Shadow Boxing ➢ Heavy Bag ➢ Tactical Jabbing (Advanced) ➢ Associated resources ➢ Gym Sheets

Boxing Drills

By far the most important section of the KJM is the boxing drills. It is the boxing drills provide you with the blueprint to build your murderously effective jab.

The boxing drills are separated into 3 areas:

➢ Core Skill Drills – there are 4 of these ➢ Foundation Drills – there are 2 if these ➢ The Mobility Drill

All drills consist of a video and a written article. The Core Skill Drills are the basic building blocks of your jab. The presentation of each core skill is the same. You get to understand the mechanics of the skill and as importantly the common faults that people make when performing the drill. The second bit means that you can avoid those common faults, and that is a key secret of great learning.

www.myboxingcoach.com Page 5 The Foundation Drills give you a simple method for combining the core skills to develop a jab that is perfectly in sync with your footwork. This in my opinion is at the heart of great boxing – movement and punching used together in a precise and effective way.

The Mobility Drill presents 3 ways to use sharp footwork to make your overall movement dynamic and purposeful.

Shadow Boxing

This is a round of shadow boxing that will allow you to see the themes of the drills presented at speed. This will give you context and something to use as a point of reference to develop your jabbing capability.

Heavy Bag

Like the shadow boxing, the heavy bag round gives you an idea of how the skills are executed when ‘an opponent’ is in front of you. It really provides context to enable you to see the importance of using precise footwork and effective jabbing to maintain range.

Advanced Tactical Jabbing

Having built the basics of a great jab, you can make your boxing style highly dynamic with these 7 tactics for using your jab in a fight situation. Some of these methods are quite advanced but are all useful to have in your tool box of long range skills.

www.myboxingcoach.com Page 6 Associated Resources

Here you will find a series of links to resources on the MyBoxingCoach website. These resources will provide you with yet more options to further develop your jab and overall boxing style.

Gym Sheets

To give you constant reminders of the Do’s and Don’ts of each core skill, the gym charts can be printed and pinned up in your training area. They will act as constant prompts to improve your chances of avoiding bad habits becoming ingrained in your boxing style.

www.myboxingcoach.com Page 7 Boxing Drills

Introduction

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In order to continually improve in a technical sport like boxing you need to ensure that a proportion of your training and preparation is devoted to improving skills in a systematic and structured way. This is why we have drills.

So, what are drills then? Well let's keep it nice and simple with the following statement:

Drills are systematic training by multiple repetitions

Nothing complicated. Another way to put it would be:

www.myboxingcoach.com Page 8 Practice Makes Perfect!

Boxing drills allow you to learn a skill or group of skills by repeating that skill or group of skills with a critical eye. The question has to be asked, to what end? Feels a little uninspiring to simply repeat these passages? Well, take the example of what is known as your 'flinch reflex'.

The flinch reflex is our instant reaction to threat. It might be closing your eyes and turning your head away if someone throws a ball at you, or alternatively throws a left hook at you. This instant reaction happens very fast, and a key purpose of boxing drills is to substitute closing the eyes and turning away with something useful, for instance a defensive action, body movement or a punch.

Boxing is, in many ways, absolutely dependent upon reflexes. By harnessing the reflex action into a practical and useful defensive or offensive action you give yourself the maximum chance of 'taking care of business', which is exactly what we need to do.

Drills also reinforce 'muscle memory', enabling what are initially awkward and unnatural movements to be gradually made easier, resulting in much more polished execution. Boxing is dependent upon excellent co-ordination between the legs and upper-body. The path to achieving this co-ordination is made smoother by drills.

Another key reason for completing the drills is that during a 'situation', for example when someone is determined to 'put you to sleep', you don't think “Right, I'll move this way, throw this shot, then do this....” Things happen for too fast for this to be possible. Your drills mean that during fight time, your actions just happen, sub-consciously and with maximum effect; you have pre- determined sequences that work over and over again.

www.myboxingcoach.com Page 9 Let's consider an observation about people who work in professions that may require, from time to time, that they face very stressful situations, for example police officers, soldiers, fire fighters, medics, pilots etc. These people, when recounting an act of particular bravery (usually in a very self-effacing way it has to be said) or a time when they kept their cool in situations that would make most of us shrivel up blow away regularly use the phrase “The training took over”. Why did the training take over?

The training took over because a proportion of their time in training was devoted to drills. The same is true of boxing training. There is no mystery here, and as the great golfer Gary Player once said, “The harder you practice, the luckier you get.”

If your primary aim is to develop your boxing skills, then drills should take up a greater proportion of the time that you spend on your boxing training. As you become more experienced, this may tail off a little, but drills will always play a key role in your training. Skills development is always a non-negotiable part of training.

This is why the world's best golfers and tennis players retain the services of top coaches right throughout the most productive spells in their careers. Even if you rationalize things by saying “But I don't want to box, I just want to train for the fitness benefits.” Well, improving your skills will improve the benefits of the training. Why? Because throwing a technically correct punch requires more effort and works more muscle groups than a technically deficient punch.

Now, and here's the key, you don't have to be in the throes of a full training session to practice boxing drills. The basic gym session that I described in the introduction simply defines the period of boxing drills in the same way as shadow boxing and heavy bag work (i.e. 3 x 3 minute rounds). However, if you have a spare 10 minutes at home, not particularly during a gym session, then work through some drills.

www.myboxingcoach.com Page 10 Waiting for the kettle to boil? Run through drills. Waiting for the sink to fill with water for a wash? Run through drills. The equation is simple. The more time that you spend on drills, the quicker that you will reap the benefits. Remember, “The harder you practice, the luckier you get.”

Let’s get straight into our Core Skills

www.myboxingcoach.com Page 11 The Core Boxing Skills

In order to establish your killer jab you’ll need to be solid on 4 skills:

➢ The Boxing Stance ➢ The Jab ➢ Movement In and Out ➢ Movement Side-to-Side

The core skills should be understood in isolation ahead of practicing the Foundation Drills and Mobility Drill. Indeed, each of the core skills should be practiced as a drill itself. One key point to remember; ensure that you understand the mechanics and common faults of the core skills. This is vital. Without the core skills mastered then nothing else will work.

In terms of practicing these drills, set aside 3 x 3 minute rounds in your training session. Practice each of the core skills methodically and with discipline:

Round Drills 1 Core Skill – The Jab 2 Core Skill – Movement in and out 3 Core Skill – Movement Side to Side

OK, let's start at the beginning, and in the beginning there was the boxing stance.

www.myboxingcoach.com Page 12 Core Skill – The Boxing Stance

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The Basics of the Boxing Stance

If you don’t get the basics of the boxing stance right, then any boxing skill that you try to learn will not be as good as it can be. I cannot emphasize enough the need for balance, mobility and a sound body shape; this is what the perfected boxing stance gives you. If you understand the boxing stance, and understand why it is so important, then you will be able to more easily develop the footwork, punches and defensive actions necessary to constitute an effective boxing style.

There are two types of boxing stance; orthodox and southpaw. An orthodox boxer is someone who is naturally right-handed and holds the left hand and left leg in front, closer to the opponent. Conversely, a southpaw boxer is someone

www.myboxingcoach.com Page 13 who is naturally left-handed and leads with the right hand and right leg. If you are a beginner, don’t get caught up in the notion that it feels more comfortable as a right-hander using the southpaw-boxing stance. As a rule of thumb, if you’re right-handed you are orthodox, if you’re left-handed you’re southpaw. If you are left-handed, then the southpaw stance brings some natural advantages but that’s not important right now.

The Mechanics of the Boxing Stance

Let's look at how we establish and maintain the boxing stance:

1. Your feet should be a little more than shoulder width apart, with the front foot being at an angle of 45 degrees to an imaginary line drawn from the toe on the front foot to the heel on the back foot (the line is not so imaginary on the video, but you get the point). By ensuring that the feet are slightly offset and a comfortable distance apart, you provide the best possible base upon which to develop the full boxing stance. 2. Remain slightly on the balls of both feet. Never allow your back foot to go flat; otherwise you’ll have the mobility of an anvil. Ensure that your knees are bent slightly and relaxed, again maximizing the ability to be mobile 3. As an orthodox boxer, the left shoulder is closest to the opponent. Both shoulders should be aligned in the general direction of the opponent. This alignment of the shoulders minimizes the target area to the opponent and also offers more leverage when throwing back hand power punches (right hand). Reverse this if you are a southpaw. 4. Bring your hands up to cheek level, turning the palms of your hands very slightly toward you. This will have the effect of drawing your elbows in to provide protection for your body. Make a fist with your hands, but don’t ‘clench’ that fist, stay relaxed. 5. Rest your chin on your chest, without tensing up. Effectively, you look ‘through’ the eyebrows. By doing this, your chin will remain as well

www.myboxingcoach.com Page 14 protected as it can be (punches on the chin often have a very undesirable effect.) 6. Ensure that your body weight remains central or on the back leg. Don’t fall into the habit of allowing your bodyweight to ‘lean’ onto your front leg.

TIP!

A simple way to ensure that your weight does not lean forward is to drop an imaginary line from your nose. Never allow this line to advance past your front knee. Problem solved.

Common Faults with the Boxing Stance

The common faults with the boxing stance that you must be aware of are:

1. Turning your shoulders ’square on’, thereby offering the opponent a much greater target to hit. 2. Losing the imaginary line from the toe on your front foot to the heel on your back foot, thereby messing up your balance. This is the equivalent of walking a tightrope whilst someone throws punches at you. 3. Going flat-footed, thereby messing up your ability to be mobile. 4. Allowing your chin to lift above the height of the raised hands, thereby increasing the chances of being smacked in the mouth. 5. Allowing your body weight to transfer onto your front leg, thereby making you “front-heavy” and vulnerable to attack and adding your own weight to the power of any incoming shots from the opponent.

And there you have it. All of the skills and drills will be demonstrated from the static boxing stance. It will become second nature to you as you progress through the Killer Jab Master Class. Check out this link for gym sheet the Boxing Stance.

www.myboxingcoach.com Page 15 Core Skill – The Jab

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The Basics of the Jab

The jab is your most important punch. The jab allows you to control an opponent, be it on the attack or on the defensive. The jab provides a main method of commencing an attack and is consistently proven as a fight winner. Few things are more demoralizing to an opponent as being continually popped in the face with a fast, accurate and well-timed jab.

Whilst we can talk about a fast and accurate jab, it’s surprising how many boxers allow bad habits to creep in when using the jab. As mentioned, if the jab is thrown correctly it’s a winner. On the other hand, if the jab isn’t used properly, then it’s a key chink in the armour that will provide very few

www.myboxingcoach.com Page 16 opportunities for attack and more realistically a regular opportunity for an opponent to hit you with a counter-punch.

The Mechanics of the Jab

The mechanics of the punch are as follows:

1. From the boxing stance, the first action is a push from your front foot, which in turn rotates the upper-body slightly so that the hips and shoulders will align with the opponent. The upper-body rotation is clockwise for an orthodox boxer and counter-clockwise for a southpaw. 2. As the rotation is taking place, fire out your lead arm, ensuring that the elbow follows the same line as the fist i.e. there is no lateral movement of the elbow at all, whatsoever. 3. The punch must accelerate towards the target, it must NOT travel at the same speed all the way. As your fist approaches the target (having covered about 75% of the distance) rotate it inwards (clockwise for an orthodox, counter-clockwise for a southpaw), so that the palm is facing down towards the floor. At the last moment, clench your fist and ’snap’ it onto the target. 4. Your fist should return along the same line as before, returning to the ‘home’ position as quickly as it went out.

Common Faults with the Jab

There are a number of common problems that may occur when you are throwing the jab:

1. Don't succumb to the urge to try and hit too hard. The desire to throw the punch hard will often result in your weight transferring to the front leg. This has the effect of badly impairing your balance and making you

www.myboxingcoach.com Page 17 very vulnerable to counter-attack. An additional problem is that your own bodyweight adds power to your opponent's shots. 2. Don't drop your hands as the shot is being thrown. A big problem is the back hand dropping as the jab goes, or the back hand elbow 'flaring' up and exposing the body to attack. A tip to help avoid this is to rest your back hand on your cheek and your right elbow against your ribs. Don't become tense, you must stay relaxed. 3. Similar to the previous fault, don't allow your head to lift as you throw the shot. Allowing your head to lift will leave your jaw and chin horribly exposed to attack. 4. Don't 'telegraph' the punch, meaning that telltale movement takes place before the shot goes. These movements are often a) the lead arm elbow lifting to the side (flaring) or b) the fist dropping slightly, both of which are dead giveaways. Focus on being economical with your movement and you should minimize the likelihood telegraphing your punch. 5. Don't allow the punch to become an upper-body movement. Ensure that the rotation of the upper-body is generated by the push from the front foot.

And that’s about it really. A good, reliable jab is worth its weight in gold. I suspect that if you asked any competing boxer which hand he or she would rather do without, it would be the non-jabbing hand even though this is the physically stronger arm. I think that the trick is not to take the jab for granted.

Use a mirror to ensure that none of the common faults are creeping into the shot. Once an opponent ‘makes’ your jab, then the chances of coming out on top at the end of the fight are minimal. Click here for the jabbing gym sheet to put on the wall of the gym.

www.myboxingcoach.com Page 18 Core Skill – Moving In and Out

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The Basics of Moving In and Out

Boxing footwork, rather unsurprisingly, involves using the feet to move in a number of directions, two of which are moving forward and backward, more commonly described as ‘moving in and out’. Boxing footwork in the main involves some relatively simple physical movements in order to enable the desired movement to take place. Moving in and out is the most commonly used of the footwork movements as it is a key method of getting into range to 'do the damage' and then getting out again to a safe distance.

So much of boxing relates to understanding your position in relation to your opponent, and we define this as “range”. You can consider from the outset that you will be ‘in range’ or ‘out of range’. When you are in range, this can be

www.myboxingcoach.com Page 19 broken down further into short, medium and long range. For the purposes of the Killer Jab Master Class, I want you to focus on 'the edge of range' and long range.

Having considered range, you should also understand that successful boxing relies on the ability to be ‘on the edge of range’, meaning that you are only very slightly beyond the range of your opponent’s punches. This means that you are able, with a short explosive movement of the feet, to get within range, land effective shots and move out again before the inevitable response from the opponent. Being on the edge of range and providing that threat of mobility is a method of applying pressure to an opponent and enabling control of the situation.

Moving in and out is your introduction to mobility, and as such is a crucial piece of the boxing jigsaw. Effective combat is reliant on effective mobility; this is something that you must acknowledge in order to progress. The Foundation Drills and Mobility Drill will be key in you developing and improving your mobility as a fighter.

The Mechanics of Moving In and Out

Moving In

Moving In The mechanics of moving in:

1. From the boxing stance, the first action is a push from the ball of your back foot. 2. Your front foot should lift very slightly from the floor, and by 'slightly' I mean a tiny amount, allowing the power generated from the push from your back foot to propel your body and therefore your front foot forward.

www.myboxingcoach.com Page 20 3. Allow your back foot to follow its course, catching up with the front foot. 4. The entire movement should be no more than 6 to 8 centimeters, and you should retain your stance throughout, ensuring that the distance between the two legs remains approximately the same.

Moving Out

The mechanics of moving out are unsurprisingly the exact opposite of moving in:

1. From the boxing stance, the first action is a push from the ball of your front foot. 2. Lift your back foot very slightly from the floor, allowing the power generated from the push from the front foot to propel the body and therefore the back foot backward. 3. Allow your front foot to follow its course, catching up with the back foot. 4. The entire movement should be no more than 6 to 8 centimeters, and as before you should retain your stance throughout ensuring that the distance between your legs remains broadly the same.

Common Faults When Moving In and Out

There are a number of common problems that can occur when developing the boxing footwork skills to move in and out and these are well worth being aware of:

1. You might ’step and drag’. For example, when moving forward, the front foot will step and the back foot will be dragged forward (vice versa when moving backward). This method of movement does not allow the speed required for the purposes of not getting beaten up. 2. The distance between your two feet should remain roughly the same during the movement. This is a further reason why aiming to move only

www.myboxingcoach.com Page 21 6 to 8 centimeters is desirable. If the stance narrows significantly during movement, then you will be off-balance and less able to attack effectively or of more concern to defend effectively. 3. Don't flatten either of your feet. Going flat-footed will seriously restrict your mobility. Remember the old saying “Float like a butterfly”, flat feet will not allow butterfly-like floating. 4. Your front foot might point toward the opponent rather than retaining the 45 degree angle to the imaginary line. Losing your 45 degree angle will cause big problems with your balance, particularly when throwing the straight back hand. It is really important to avoid this particular fault. 5. As covered when examining the boxing stance, it is during movement that you are likely to lose the line from the toe on the front foot to the heel on the back foot. This again has the effect of taking you off-balance (remember the tight-rope walking point).

What we are looking at here, as with other core skills, is something that is in essence simple and straightforward. But remember, practice makes perfect. Here's a gym sheet of Do's and Don'ts when moving in and out. Put the time into getting this movement right, it’s so very, very important.

www.myboxingcoach.com Page 22 Core Skill – Moving Side to Side

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The Basics of Moving Side to Side

It’s a very simple fact that all top boxers possess great footwork and balance. The ability to remain highly mobile whilst under full control and in total balance offers you the ability to maximize your opportunities to land effective shots. Moving from side to side, also referred to as ‘sidestepping’, is a key skill to master as it plays such a massive role during offensive and defensive actions. Sidestepping allows you to cut off the ring, maintaining pressure on your opponent. The side step also allows new angles for attack to be opened and for dynamic defensive counter-punching opportunities to be exploited.

Footwork, sidestepping and moving in and out, are both primary elements of controlling the opponent inside the boxing ring. The side step is a key

www.myboxingcoach.com Page 23 tactical skill that must become second nature to you. The move should combine speed and control and be carried out with efficiency.

The Mechanics of Sidestepping

As with all moves, stay relaxed, don’t tense-up.

The Side Step to the Right (Orthodox)

1. From the boxing stance the first action is a push from the ball of your front foot. The push should be ’sharp’, and aimed at providing the drive to thrust the body to the right. 2. Your back foot should lift very slightly from the floor, allowing the power generated from the push from the front foot to shift the body in a straight line to the right. Your back foot should ‘glide’ as opposed to stepping. 3. Allow your front foot to follow its course, catching up with the back foot in order to restore the stance.

The Side Step to the Left (Orthodox)

Pretty much the reverse of the side step right:

1. From the boxing stance, the first action is a push from your back foot. The push should be ’sharp’, and aimed at providing the drive to thrust the body to the left. 2. Your front foot should lift very slightly from the floor, allowing the power generated from the push from the back foot to shift the body in a straight line to the left. Your front foot should ‘glide’ as opposed to stepping. 3. Allow your back foot to follow its course, catching up with the front foot in order to restore the stance.

www.myboxingcoach.com Page 24 Common Faults with Sidestepping

The following problems can occur when performing the side step:

1. As with moving in and out, you might ’step and drag’ rather than using a sharp ‘push and glide’. For example, when sidestepping to the right as an orthodox, your back foot might step across and the front foot might be dragged across to the right. This approach does not offer the same speed capability as the push and glide. 2. Avoid becoming flat-footed. This again will result in a very ‘clunky’, almost robotic action. Remain on the balls of your feet and stay relaxed. 3. Don't allow your legs to ‘cross’. For example, when moving right as an orthodox, the front leg might step across to the right, ‘crossing’ the line from the back foot (think boxing stance). Following this, your back leg might also step across. The same problem can occur when sidestepping either left or right, and it’s a bad mistake to make.

Here's your gym sheet of Do's and Don'ts for sidestepping. So now we have the detail on the straight shots and movement in four directions.

www.myboxingcoach.com Page 25 Foundation Drills

So we have looked in detail at the 4 Core Skills that underpin the drills within the Killer Jab Master Class. The next step is to develop ways in which we put these skills together in the right way. This is where our Foundation Drills step in.

Successfully combining punching with movement is, in my view, the most vital aspect of the boxing style. The Foundation Drills of the Killer Jab Master Class are designed specifically to give a structured and systematic approach for you to understand the how and why of jabbing and movement. Some tips before we start:

➢ Be meticulous in your approach to these drills. Avoid the urge to rush them, work slowly and mechanically and build up the speed gradually. ➢ If at all possible, use a mirror when practicing these drills. This will allow real time analysis of what you are doing and will enable you to make adjustments accordingly, effectively becoming your own coach. ➢ Be sure to print the gym sheets of Core Skills Do's and Don'ts at the back of this manual and hang them in a prominent place in your practice area. Avoid these mistakes at all costs as the negative impact of a fault in one skill is magnified when combining other skills. The key to improving is to identify that you have a problem to fix. Along with the use of a mirror, these gym sheets will prompt you to continually 'coach' your own style and apply improvements accordingly.

OK, here is the list of the Foundation Drills within the Killer Jab Master Class:

➢ Foundation Drill#1 - Single jab with movement. ➢ Foundation Drill#2 – Multiple jabs with movement.

www.myboxingcoach.com Page 26 In terms of practicing these drills, set aside 3 x 3 minute rounds in your training session. Practice each of the Foundation Drills plus the Mobility Drill (which is covered later in the eBook). So, the initial approach is:

Round Drills

1 Mobility Drill #1

2 Foundation Drill #1

3 Foundation Drill #2

As I have said before, the benefit of the Foundation Drills is that you need not be in the throes of a gym session to practice them. Any time you have a spare few minutes, try them out. I won't say, “Do these 3 times a week for 4 weeks and you'll be ready.” The fact is, you will know when these drills are having the desired effect.

www.myboxingcoach.com Page 27 Foundation Drill #1 – Single Jab with Movement

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The jab when thrown from a static position is a potent weapon. The jab when delivered whilst moving is 'Total Boxing'. It is the ultimate 'building block' for success. As well as being the chief points scorer, the jab is the primary method of 'range finding' and breaking open the defenses of the opponent.

If the jab lands, then you know that any other of your battery of shots can be thrown and landed. The jab is by far the easiest punch to throw 'on the move’, and that’s fortunate because boxers throw lots of them!

Moving forward and jabbing 'breaks open' the defenses of the opponent, allowing you to take the offensive initiative and taking the fight out of the hands of the opposition. Jabbing whilst retreating provides a major deterrent against a 'pressure fighter', allowing you to maintain the range and set up any

www.myboxingcoach.com Page 28 number of counter-punching opportunities (we'll learn more about counter- punching during subsequent drills).

In order to master jabbing with movement, it is important to understand the mechanics of each individual skill and how these mechanics may complement each other when combining the skills i.e. how the mechanics of each skill may work well together. So, as a starting point, let’s examine the elements of the 'Jab with Movement' Foundation Drill:

➢ The drill combines the jab with a movement in any of 4 directions; forward, backwards, left and right. ➢ The jab always starts with a push from the front leg, resulting in a clockwise rotation of the upper body for an orthodox boxer, or a counter- clockwise rotation for a southpaw. ➢ As an orthodox, moving forwards or to your left always starts with a push off the back leg (right), and moving backwards or to your right always starts with a push off the front leg (left).

We can see here that when throwing a jab and moving backwards or to your right there are definite complementary mechanics i.e. the push of the front leg to trigger the jab and the push off the front leg to move backwards or to the right. When moving forward or to the left though, we can see that there could be a clash of mechanics i.e. to move forward or right, you push off the back leg whilst to jab the opposite is true in that the push is from the front leg.

So, how do we deal with this? What you have to do is treat the initial action of the jab as a 'trigger'. To start the jab, there is much less power needed from a push of the front leg to rotate the body than from a push from the back leg to propel the mass of the body forward.

This means that the initial push off the front leg when throwing a jab moving forward is almost unnoticeable, particularly when measured against the effort

www.myboxingcoach.com Page 29 put into pushing the body forward. The jab and the move forward are truly combined; this can be seen clearly on the video.

However, don't get too fanatical about 'feeling' the initial push to rotate the body as part of the jab. It is far more important to ensure that the common faults of each skill are not produced during the drill. Remember, don't lean forward, don't go flat-footed and don't allow your back leg to drift directly behind your front leg.

Check out the ‘tag boxing’ link overleaf which, if you are working with a partner, provides details of a great game that really helps in developing your 'feel' for range. This will help you to master the art of movement and punching in a shorter time frame.

www.myboxingcoach.com Page 30 Foundation Drill #2 – Multiple Jabs with Movement

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In the first Foundation Drill we examined quite closely the way in which we jab whilst on the move. The next step is to build up your repertoire by learning to use multiple jabs, and to achieve this we are going to have to build in rhythm. Don't panic, I'm not going to demand that you begin Salsa dancing lessons. You do however need to ensure that there is a flow to how your shots, footwork and body movement combine, and this drill is an effective way to develop the rhythm and flow that all top boxers demonstrate every time they step into the ring.

So why do we use multiple jabs? Well, controlling range is a vital element of your boxing. Multiple jabs used on the attack are incredibly effective, with an increase in power with each shot leaving the opponent in disarray and ripe for follow up attacks. Sugar Ray Leonard once said, “I'm not known as a hard puncher, I'm known as a consistent puncher. If the first one don't get you, the next one will.” That is the essence of using multiple jabs. Let's look at retreating. You really don't want to get into the position of giving up ground to an opponent without exacting a price. Multiple jabs were tailor- made for backing off. There is no rule that says you must attack all of the time. The best boxers are those who can be versatile, providing a true threat both when moving forwards and backwards.

Some tips on Foundation Drill #2:

➢ Don't forget the lessons that you have learned in Foundation Drill #1. So, don't lose the offset back foot, don't go flat-footed and don't lean forward. Don't leave your upper arm extended in between jabs. You may feel that this is easier but you will lose power and leave the leading side of your body horribly exposed. ➢ The mechanics of using multiple jabs are the same as using a single jab, just ensure again that you start slowly and build up the speed. Co- ordination and rhythm are vital.

On a final note, you will often see a single jab thrown from the static position. You will very rarely see multiple jabs thrown from a static position. Doubling and trebling up on your jabs requires that you are able to effortlessly combine foot movement with the shots. The Mobility Drill - Movement In and Out

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The Mobility Drill is a very important drill to understand and master. It draws entirely from Core Skill Movement in and out and you will notice from the video that I have presented the drill in 3 variations:

➢ Move in and out – basic speed ➢ Move in and out – competition speed ➢ Move in and out – counter-punch speed.

A key point to note is the mechanics of each drill remain largely the same, the key difference is the speed at which the drill is performed. The 2nd variation of the drill is interesting in that this is the way in which we would pursue (close- down) or retreat from an opponent. It is executed at the speed at which we would 'track' a retreating opponent and cutting off the ring or alternatively evading a determined attack. The key thing to note is on this variation is that you should aim to build a rhythm. You should aim for consistency; if you can string together 3 executions in a consistent way, then you have cracked it and could do the same for 30 executions.

The 3rd variation is executed at top speed. The important factor to remember here is that this type of move is intended to create opportunities to land your own stinging shots. If in front of an opponent, the move would be executed when you are at long range, moving to the edge of range and then back again to fire your shots. Make sure that you have that instant trigger from the back foot to 'explode' back into range. This is the basis of supreme counter-punching. Shadow Boxing Demonstration

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Single jabs with movement. Trying to maintain a roughly equal distance between the feet. At 00:22, I duck twice. This ducking was not an action that I was aware I was doing, it's simply that an inherent element of my boxing style is the desire to ensure that my head does not stay in the same place for too long. Notice also that my right hand stays high as the jab is thrown, avoiding leaving a gap in the defences.

At 00:50 I use a footwork skill called the pivot. Again, this was not a conscious action, and we are in the first minute of round 1 during which I am attempting to isolate the single jab with movement. There are two other bits of information that you should glean from this observation:

➢ The pivot is a very important and versatile skill ➢ Repetition over time will result in reinforcement and the sub-conscious execution of skills.

From 1:01 onwards, we begin the process of 'doubling up' the jab, both on the attack and the retreat (Foundation Drill #2). What should stand out more about this first round is the difference between shadow boxing and the Foundation Drills and the Mobility Drill. Within the drills, we are methodical, precise and almost robotic. In shadow boxing we can see that there is much more freedom, a willingness and desire to move freely and attempt to develop the rhythm that successful boxing demands. Heavy Bag Demonstration

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The jabs that I use during the early part of the round are pretty average, certainly in terms of speed. In fact, they could almost be defined as feints. The jab, as well as delivering the benefits described in Core Skill – The Jab, is an excellent way of bringing the opponent "out of cover", drawing a lead and providing openings for your own, punishing attacks.

Slowing the jab down to become half punch/half feint is a very effective way to do this. Interestingly, this is method that was used by the great Roberto Duran throughout his career, and the Associated Resource box at the end of this eBook includes a link to an analysis article that demonstrates this.

In the second minute of the round, from about 0:58, I am able to 'open the throttle' a little by popping in double jabs (Foundation Drill #2). Even with the first double jab, you can see the significant difference in impact, with the concussive ‘thwack’ of the 2nd jab in particular standing out. The double jab is no less effective when thrown on the retreat.

On a final word on thus round of boxing, it was interesting to note that I felt quite constrained using only jabs. Now, I knew that I would feel this way, and I am sure that you will experience the same sensation. But, and this is important, it will do you good to be disciplined. In the short term, do try to restrict yourself in this way for periods of a round or indeed a full round. Discipline and 'sticking to a game plan' is important. Also, it feels really good then to move up through the gears by throwing additional shots. Advanced Tactical Jabbing

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Having established the basics of your jab, and the basics of using that jab ‘on the move’, you can now start to think about the things that we can do to maximise your success. So, this section is about developing the tactics needed to really get under the skin of super-effective jabbing.

There are 7 tactics that I have selected to get you started in the path to truly dynamic jabbing. You should not assume that this is a complete list and you should absolutely search out other tactics that you can adopt.

So, below is the list of tactics along with appropriate timing points in the video.

1. Vary the Speed of the Jab Timed Point - 1:00 Changing the speed of your jab is a fantastic way to confuse the defences of an opponent. Throwing the shot in the correct way but at a slower speed can trigger a reaction in your opponent – maybe an attempt to block, or a lean back. When you follow that jab up immediately with a full speed jab, you can increase your chances of landing and of providing a great platform for a follow-up combination.

2. Vary the Angle of the Jab Timed Point – 1:30

By changing the path and therefore the angle that your jab takes to the target is another great way of foiling the defences of your opponent. Very often when facing an opponent, you can get into a situation where a long range jabbing ‘chess match’ takes place. You and the opponent can be feinting, testing capabilities, looking for vulnerabilities. This is a really effective tactic to use in this type of situation.

If you are able to think a little differently, and use changing angles of attack with your jab then you are increasing the likelihood of your jab landing more frequently. When you start landing the jab freely then your opponent is more likely to make a mistake, or a rash judgement, and that’s when you can follow up the jab with your bigger shots.

3. Widen Your Stance Timed Point – 2:20

We have covered movement in and out with the jab. Here we can use a ‘stealth’ tactic to sneak your way into range to land a single jab. As you launch your jab, push off your back foot whilst keeping it in the same position and allow your front foot to glide forward. This very simply widens your stance and allows you to very slightly increase the range of your jab. This is a smart technique to apply. Top performers, including the likes of Floyd Mayweather, use this tactic. There is a slight drawback in that because you widen the stance you are restricted to using a single jab. You could try to use your straight back hand (cross) but you would end up with a reduced range and reduced power. But look, you’re still landing a really effective jab so that’s got to be a good thing.

4. The Hip Jab Timed Point – 4:04

Caution: When you are in range of an opponent’s punches you really need to keep your hands up and your guard tight. Experienced fighters have a really precise understanding of their position in relation to their opponent, down to centimetres. They know at exactly what point their hands need to be up and in the guard position, and at what point they can get away with dropping their hands. Unless you have a great feel for range then you need to be really careful when using this during a contest.

Leaving your lead hand dangling down by your hip teases the opponent into leading off with their punches. You can draw that lead and perform a lay back followed by a jab. The lay back will take you slightly out of range and you can fire back with your own jab in response. Be relaxed and be fast when your own shot is going out. After all, you are taking a risk with this tactic so you need to be getting your pay back!

5. The Jab Block Timed Point – 5:03

Whereas the previous tactic is quite high risk, this tactic is at the other end of the risk spectrum. Combining a ramrod jab with a block will help in those situations where you and the opponent both throw jabs at the same time – a surprisingly common event. There are 3 things happening at exactly the same time:

➢ You throw your jab ➢ You use a back hand block ➢ You shift your head off the ‘centre line’

This is a nice safe use of the jab. In fact it’s ultra-safe for 2 reasons:

➢ The block defends you from a straight shot coming your way (a jab for example). ➢ The act of throwing your jab and shifting your head from the centre-line provides protection from right hands and left hooks.

6. The Tap Timed Point – 7:10

It’s really simple this one. Your jab simply ‘taps’ away, multiple times and with caution, peppering the face of the opponent. This has the effect of both triggering the opponent into a response and giving you an excellent gauge of range (if your jab is landing then you know that you can unload your back hand). The key really is using speed and ferocity in your follow-up power shots, this switch from teasing-taps to crunching speed and power is a real fight winner.

7. The Delayed Arrival Timed Point – 7:52

The ‘Delayed Arrival’ is a type of feint that can be really effective. You feint your jab and then immediately throw the actual shot. This introduces a slight delay and takes advantage of your opponent’s block response to the initial feint. By the time your jab actually arrives (rather than when the feint ‘would’ have arrived) your opponent’s blocking hand has returned to the start position. And bingo, your jab lands. Simple and effective. A Final Word

So that’s 7 tactics designed to improve your jabbing capability and increase your jabbing success. Once you are landing your jab freely on an opponent then you really are half way to winning. Practice these tactics alongside your drills, in your shadow boxing, on your heavy bag. Instil them. The more you work these the more they will become instinct…and that’s when you really reap the rewards. Associated Resources On this page you will find a bunch of links to posts on MyBoxingCoach.com. I’ve selected these posts because I think that they will be helpful, interesting and motivational to you.

Link About

Finding Your Range in Boxing! This article explains the 5 aspects of range.

Don't Overlook the Pivot A video on one of the most taken for granted footwork skills – the pivot

Ducking Punches – A Simple Defense A video on the simple art of ducking

Blocking the Jab Using the back hand block to stop an incoming jab

Long Left Uppercut - Slick and Smooth Open up a new angle for your jab

Long Left Hook - A Great Shot Open up ANOTHER angle for your jab

Feinting in Boxing - Ultimate Deception A video explaining the basics of feinting. Concise and effective.

Roberto Duran Boxing Style Analysis Some killer jabbing and feinting here!

Floyd Mayweather Jr Boxing Style Why Mayweather Jr is so good at what Analysis he does.

The Secrets of the Top Fighters A ton of fighter analysis articles. Tyson, Chavez, Hagler, Klitschko and more

The Boxing Training Foundation Gym Sheet - The Stance

Do:

Stay on the balls of your feet Feet = more than shoulder width Body weight central/on back leg Front foot = 450 angle

Don't:

Go 'square on' Let your hands drop/your chin lift Let your elbows lift Allow your back foot to go directly behind your front foot.

The Killer Jab Master Class Gym Sheet - The Jab

Do:

Rotate your body Accelerate the shot Take the same line out and back Turn your fist on impact

Don't:

'Telegraph' the punch Drop your back hand Let back hand elbow to 'flare' Throw your weight forward

The Killer Jab Master Class Gym Sheet - In and Out

Do:

Back foot push = forward Front foot push = backward Movements = short and sharp Distance between feet = same

Don't:

Go flat-footed “Step and drag” “Heal-and-toe” going forward Lose your baseline

The Killer Jab Master Class Gym Sheet - Side Stepping

Do:

Left foot push = go right Right foot push = go left Movements = short/sharp Maintain your stance

Don't:

Step and drag Cross over your legs Go flat-footed Lose your baseline

The Killer Jab Master Class