Punches Tips and Defenses
2 Cross or straight - right hand: Long Punch
The cross/straight punch/number 2 punch are different labels for the same punch. From the ground up. Keep your left foot planted firmly on the ground. Pivot your right foot as you execute your punch. The right foot pivots towards the left along with the waist. In a straight central line, the punch is thrown. The hand returns quickly and immediately back to your face. Its important to remember that every punch returns to home as fast or faster than the punch was thrown.
3 Left hook - left hand: Mid-Range Punch
The left hook or lead hook, like all punches, starts with the hand at your face. As your hand approaches its target, slightly off center, your elbow rises and your arm extends as if you were to hug someone. Pivot your left foot and waist in the direction you are throwing your punch. Drive 6-8 inches through your target and semi-circle your fist back to home reversing the process.
4 Right hook - right hand: Mid-Range Punch
Reverse the number 3 punch.
5 Left uppercut - left hand: Close-Range Punch
The left uppercut, like all punches, starts with the hand at your face. Squat slightly as to give your upper cut more power. As your hand approaches its target, your elbow rises, and your arm (now about 135 degrees) follows your leg as it extends, and you return to your standing position. Though the punch is up, it is also forward as if you were driving your punch through your opponent’s chin and out the back of his head. Pivot your left foot and waist in the direction you are throwing your punch and lean back. This rocking motion with your feet creates power and additional space between you and your opponent for they may be throwing a straight punch simultaneously. Drive through your target and semi-circle your fist back to home reversing the process.
6 Right uppercut – right hand - Close Range
The right uppercut, like all punches, starts with the hand at your face. Squat slightly as to give your upper cut more power. As your hand approaches its target, your elbow rises, and your arm (now about 135 degrees) follows your leg as it extends, and you return to your standing position. Though the punch is up, it is also forward as if you were driving your punch through your opponent’s chin and out the back of his head. Pivot your right foot and waist in the direction you are throwing your punch and lean FOREWARD. This rocking motion with your feet creates power and closes space between you and your opponent for they may be throwing a punch simultaneously. Drive through your target and semi-circle your fist back to home reversing the process.
All punches should be targeted through impact point about 6-8” and should immediately be returned to cover (home) in a straight line as elbow descends back to floating rib.
Always stay in a guarded and move in a guarded position. You’re playing a dangerous game if you keep your hands down, so hands up. One of my teachers used to shout “Micky Mouse!”. Why? Put your hands where Micky Mouse’s ears are. Yes. It’s a little higher then norm but you get the point. I had another teacher who used to put tape on the temples of our heads. Every time we threw a punch, we had to touch the tape then set our hands back to our home positions. It’s a good idea to ingrain this habit. It’s also a part of an over training/compensating principal. As people fatigue their hands lower. Burn this concept of Micky Mouse in your head over and over untill it no longer is a thought. It’s what comes naturally.
Keep your head moving at all times. It is harder to hit a moving target. If you’ve fired a weapon (gun or bow) at a stationary target vs. a moving target (as in skeet shooting) you understand and know how much the difficulty increases trying to hit a moving target. Or, imagine playing dodge ball where everyone stood still. Odds are pretty good that you will be successful in hitting the other players.
Breathe! People have a tendency of holding their breath when fighting. You will run out of energy real fast if you hold your breath. Exhale when you are striking. Breath normally.
Abs tight - keep your abs tight at all times. This is not just for protection. You will be able to punch harder if you keep your core tight and abdominal muscles flexed.
Eyes - the eyes can be deceiving to the novice especially in a street fight. If you’re in the habit of staring into the eyes of an attacker, loose that habit. But there’s nothing wrong with using deception. Look into the eyes of your opponent then kick low. Or look down and throw a punch to the face. You can create openings just with your eyes.
Feet: Stay light on your feet. Ground/plant your feet only when you are ready to strike. Remain small and crouched. A smaller target is more difficult to hit then a larger one.
Balance and power are at their best when posture is small, confined and crouched while we maintain both hands and feet in their proper position (more to come on appropriate positioning). Hand Movement and their relationship your feet…The hand and foot move together except for the jab. For example. Left hook – your left foot pivots and right foot remains anchored to the floor. Right cross or straight punch – Right foot pivots left foot stays planted firmly. Jab – there is no pivoting.
Positioning - Left foot and jab hand (left hand) are closest to your opponent. Stand at a 45 degree angle with your feet about shoulder width apart. Your shoulders should not be square to your opponents, nor should you stand completely sideways.
Facing your opponent directly presents a large target. We do not want this. Standing sideways or more accurately bladed (45 degrees) to your opponent is the appropriate position. Keep moving. A moving target is difficult to connect with vs a person/target that is stationary.
Keep your hands up at all times. Let your head, feet hands and body moving in all directions while keeping guarded. Your feet should remain grounded when striking or otherwise appropriate.
Breaking it down: Punching or kicking - Always stay covered or guarded. Hold your hands high, about temple high. This position provides ample facial coverage and it’s a good defensive position, a and protector of floating ribs and face. Another guarded position is with your hands covering your mouth and nose. There is also what is called a low gate. Your right hand rests on your right cheek and your left covers your groin. But never, never cover your eyes! Eyes covered means you cannot see your opponent.
Fast Hands: What makes for fast hands? Relaxation – If muscles are tense, speed decreases and oxygen consumption increases. This is why we DON’T want to have. TENSE MUSCLES. Try flexing one of your arms as hard as you can. Now punch several times. What happened? Now do the same thing relaxed and imagine your arms as if they are wet noodles. You should be able to move much faster. We only apply tension to the fist a split second before our punch connects…then we relax again.
Controlled Breathing – slow and controlled breathing. Do not hold your breath and do exhale when striking. Execute a quick sharp exhale then inhale and relax. Small motions are used to evade strikes and defend.
Passing weapons/hands halfway. When alternating strikes left to right or right to left, your hands should pass as if they were “push pull motions”, in the middle of full extension, the opposite hand should be ½ way from the target. Practice by extending your jab hand completely. Now strike with your cross hand as soon as you begin pulling your jab hand back to your face. Notice how your hands pass each other in the middle (elbow joint)…one forward and one back. Push/pull. Don’t forget waist turn. Hands follow the elbow and elbow follows the waist. A left right or right left is called a Natural Combination. Multiple strikes from the same side are called Trained Combinations.
Never Drop Your Hands – again…always keep your hands up!
The hand follows the elbow. If you want to know if your opponent is about to strike…watch their elbows.
No matter the punch, the hand starts in center, connects, and returns to guard position. Your elbow, waist and foot dictate the direction of your hand.
*There is another punch similar to the hook. It’s called a SHOVEL hook. This is an upward hook at a 45-degree angle. Squat a bit and release punch while standing. Its as if your hand was in your pocket, you pulled it out, and you were to slap someone. The energy goes from right to left or left to right at a 45 degree angle. The impact should start at the chin of your opponent and drive through and up toward the back of their skull.*
Natural combinations could be a 1,2 or 2,3, or 1,2,3. if we begin in a central position (home or neutral position) and strike with our left side, we rotate right. We must then return to guard or home position by pivoting left. Reverse it for a right to left approach 2,3 or 5,6. Try this approach using not just your hands, but in kicking, elbows, knees or both.
Trained combinations 1,1 (double up the jab) 1,3 (jab, hook). These combinations do not have the same power as a natural combination but are great for confusing the opponent and great to set up a natural combination. Often, by themselves they do have a positive result.
Keep moving and hands up at all times. This is information worth repeating. This is key…HANDS UP! Use your temples as a resting place for your hands or your chin. Always return your hands to this place that is sometimes called “home”. If covering your temples, chance is your opponent will punch at your center. If you cover your chin or center, chances are your opponent will throw a hook
Defenses:
Kick Step or Shuffle Step - turn slightly left, kick your left foot left and scuff the floor then quickly step right with your right foot while moving right. Reverse it all for moving left.
Duck – using the knees, squat to evade but not low enough to be in striking distance of your opponents knees.
Slip – slight head movement typically to the left. 90 percent of attacks come from your opponent’s right.Pivot – typically to your left. Opponents weapons typically come from their right.
Swim – intercept punch with a punch and swim to the left or right.
Half Step – maintain lead foots position and take a half step with back foot backwards creating distance from attacker then return to home position.
Sidestep – left or right laterally one step. Creates distance but must then reposition for attack.Semi-circle- avoids punch and creates new angle.
Bob – like duck but strike as you descend.
Bob and Weave- duck and punch simultaneously then pivot to outside then stand while throwing uppercut
Retreat – multiple steps back and side to the side, or to the side and back.
Advance – close distance. Move Left – step to the left and reposition. Move Right – step to the right and reposition.
Perry – defect in to out or out to in.
Catch – catch the punch with cupped hand
Jam – use stiff arm against opponents shoulder.
Circle or Semi-Circle – reposition while staying within attacking distance
3 Step – 2 steps in on direction and 1 in another or, 1 step in one direction and 2 in another.
Run/Don’t be there.
Fein or feint - fake
Cover – used for many things. Cover vitals.
Distract – yell, use eyes, spit, blow sharply out nose
Zigzag – move forward from left to right or right to left while striking in a “Z” formation.
Finger jab – eyes, and throat. Aim underneath target with cupped fingers. Execute up and in. This is a quick flick-like motion.
Back fist – quick or powerful. Always return to face. Think of it as a small whip. Raise arm and use elbow as hinge.
Elbows and Knees – short range attacks and defenses. Attack – close range. Defend kicks or punches. Use knee in a thrusting motion while rocking hips and keeping toes and foot pointing downwards.
Elbows – horizontal or vertical: Also good for 45-degree strikes. Best followed by uppercuts, shovel hooks knees or grappling.
Knees – knees thrust and rise at the same time. Like you are poking something
Grab – hold onto or hug your opponent so they cannot strike.
Varying levels *applicable to kick boxing and Mauy Thai boxing*– strike opponent anywhere from head to toe with your hands, feet, elbows and knees. This could be…Stomping or stepping on an opponent’s feet also.
Strikes to head, body, arms, torso, hips and legs, thighs, shins applicable at times.
Posture: Before we address any punch, we must have the correct posture. Keep your back slightly curved as if you had a hunch back. Lower your chin in the direction of the chest to guard the head from uppercuts. Roll your shoulders slightly forward and raise them a bit as if you are slightly shrugging. This is part of your defense when it comes to receiving a hook.
Feet: Your heals should be slightly elevated and toes planted firmly. This will allow you to move freely and quickly. It also will allow you to, (when you’re ready to strike), rock or drop one foot and pivot the other. More to come on this later.
Elbows - keep your elbows tucked in towards your centerline before, after and while executing your punches.
1 Jab - left hand: Long Punch
The jab is the only punch that can be thrown effectively while moving in any direction and can be thrown anywhere to the body. Even when moving backwards it’s a deterrent, offensive strike or defensive motion. The jab can be quick repetitive/snappy and for setting up your next strike. It can be used as a pushing motion or in synchronicity with a step giving it even more power. I’ve had the opportunity to see boxers knocked out with this underrated punch. It’s labeled as the number 1 punch for a reason. This punch, like all punches is launched while the right hand (sometimes left depending on the fighter) keeps guard at your cheek.