Today we will tell you about the main punches in boxing and how to deliver them correctly. Make yourself comfortable, the show is about to begin.
Jab
This is a direct blow, the most common one in boxing. It is believed that a boxer without a jab is not a boxer. A jab is thrown to the head or body. Upon impact, the arm is fully extended, the fist is kept parallel to the ground. When attacking, it is advisable to take a step forward - the force of the blow increases. The fist of the free hand covers the face, and the elbow covers the solar plexus (to repel possible counterattacks of the enemy).
Pros and cons: Jab power is not too strong. However, it allows you to constantly keep your opponent in suspense. They often start an attack with jabs - to prepare the ground for the subsequent powerful combination. The jab is also important when defending, allowing you to keep your opponent at a distance.
The most prominent representatives of boxers who use jabs are Vitali and Vladimir Klitschko. Look what this type of strike looks like as interpreted by the brothers:
Cross
This is a far hand strike. Execution technique: with your fist, whichever is further away, you hit your opponent in the head or body. Movements are made along the shortest trajectory, above the “opponent’s” hand. You can take a step forward with this. But in any case, turn your body and transfer your weight to your front leg - you increase the force of the blow. Tip: When you hit the body, bend your knees slightly so that your shoulder is level with the target.
Pros and cons: the cross is a fairly accurate shot. It is safer for the attacker, because it makes it easier to return to a defensive position. But such a blow is not a natural movement of the human body, and therefore requires serious practice.
Video with the best crosses in boxing:
Hook
This is also a side kick with a bent arm. Can only be used in close or medium combat. The striking shoulder is pulled back, then the entire body sharply spins. The arm, bent at the elbow, is thrown towards the opponent’s head or body. The bend of the elbow at the moment of contact with the opponent should ideally be at an angle of 90 degrees. This makes the blow more powerful. The knees also bend slightly or, conversely, straighten - this again adds kinetic energy to the fist.
Pros and Cons: The hook is the most powerful punch in boxing. It is performed without a swing and is often unexpected. However, be careful not to open up - you risk missing the oncoming “bun”.
Video with visual examples of bright hooks:
Swing
This is a strike with a straightened arm, with a swing. Technique: move your arm back and straighten it. At the same time, you turn your body and dive headfirst. During these movements, the hand describes a large radius and “lands” on the opponent’s head. Watch the video for understanding:
- Starring Shannon Briggs
In boxing, and there are only a few of them about twelve. They differ from each other in direction and point of application, distance and speed, while the position of the hands changes, so it can be straightened or bent. Boxing punches form ligaments that can be used to deliver a series of punches, that is, one after the other. The skill and speed of striking is practiced with the help of various types of boxing equipment, and the use of a blow or a combination in a certain situation comes with experience.
Boxing punches, such as the uppercut and cross, are considered very powerful and strong.
Punch technique video
is very much determined by training and the technique of the strikes performed. To deliver strong blows, you need to move your body weight to the supporting leg (the right leg, if boxing punches are delivered from the right, or the left leg, if boxing punches are delivered with the left hand), and strike, assisted by the massiveness of the body. After this, most likely there will be a knockout. But this is far from the only thing that needs to be done in order for the blows to be strong; first of all, training is needed. To develop strength, you need to do push-ups and pull-ups, and to develop speed, you need to use punching bags. All these exercises must be performed at speed. Such training will give your punches speed and power, and these two definitions are the main components to throw strong punches in boxing.
Video about types of punches in boxing
- this is the main weapon of a boxer in the ring, which will help you defeat your opponent only with intensive and proper training. Timely use of well-practised combinations increases the likelihood that the opponent will be knocked out. The punching technique includes everything an athlete needs to use during a fight - speed, strength, tempo, connections. That is why a well-mastered technique will give excellent results.
The most important means of fighting in boxing is the strike - a technical action that is a reciprocating movement of the hand of an impulsive, explosive or ballistic type with a rectilinear or curvilinear trajectory.
The level of a boxer's skill is determined by the breadth of his punches and the ability to use them in a wide variety of situations. A good professional boxer, of course, knows how to perform all the punches, but in his arsenal he has several particularly effective techniques. In this case, the concept of “technique” is defined as a combination of technical and tactical actions or a separate action, movement, or method of achieving a goal in a specific combat situation.
The effectiveness of the strike depends on the following factors.
Accuracy. First of all, the blow must be accurate and hit the most vulnerable spots on the enemy’s body.
The actions of Mohammed Ali were particularly accurate. This boxer did not have the strongest punch, but had an amazing sense of distance and timing that allowed him to send the most ferocious opponents to the floor. When watching his knockouts, one gets the impression that some of the decisive blows he delivered were somehow inferior, unsightly and even downright weak. However, his opponents fall. Why? The answer is very simple: these are very accurate and timely strikes. And they hit vulnerable points on the enemy’s body.
One of the greatest trainers of our time, Cus D’Amato, who trained such champions as Jose Torres, Floyd Patterson and Mike Tyson, paid special attention to the ability to strike at vulnerable points. From the very beginning of his training, he demanded that his students hit not just the torso or head, but four main, in his opinion, points: the liver, the lower left rib, the chin and the corner of the jaw under the ear.
Speed of impact. The higher the speed, the more invisible the blow and the less time the enemy has for defensive actions. The speed of impact depends on:
on the speed of impact movement. The higher the speed, the faster the fist will reach the target;
the brevity of the striking movement. The shorter the fist's flight path, the sooner it will reach the target;
the period of contact of the fist with the target. The shorter this period, the greater the impact force. According to research by I.P. Degtyarev, the blow lasts 14–18 milliseconds. When this time is increased to 30 milliseconds, the blow turns into a push.
Floyd Patterson, Lennox Lewis, and Muhammad Ali were especially quick to hit. Among today's champions, Zab Judah, Oscar de la Hoya, Roy Jones Jr., Fernando Vargas stand out.
In American boxing literature there is such a semi-mythical concept as an irresistible “six-inch” punch, that is, a punch 6 inches (15 centimeters) long that leads to a knockout or knockdown.
Rocky Marciano had such a blow. This boxer quickly realized that due to his small stature, it was advantageous for him to box at close range. It took study and improvement of short strokes. Marciano was the first boxer to practice punching in water. He did this every day for two hours and eventually became the owner of very short blows that were monstrously powerful, which allowed him to achieve fantastic results: Rocky Marciano finished 83% of his fights by knockout.
The “six-inch” punch can be seen in the fights of the young Mike Tyson. The amplitude of his blows was at times so short that it was even difficult to see them.
Impact force. The stronger the blow, the more damage it causes to the enemy and the faster it reduces his combat effectiveness.
The impact force depends on:
on the speed of impact movement. The higher the speed, the greater the force;
boxer's weight. The greater the weight of the boxer, the greater the impact mass (the total weight of the hand, forearm and shoulder), and therefore the force of the blow;
impact severity. It is greater, the less movement in the joints of the shock lever of the hand. To increase rigidity, it is necessary to block movements in the wrist, elbow and shoulder joints by tensioning them;
forms of impact movement. The force of the blow from the leg and torso is better transmitted to the target through the arm when the shoulder, forearm and hand lie on the same line of impact.
It is believed that Earnie Shavers had the strongest punch in the history of boxing. Second place goes to David Tua. Both of them competed in the heavyweight division, but despite the fact that they had the strongest blows, they were never able to conquer the boxing Olympus - to win the title of absolute world champion. This suggests that the power of the blow, although of great importance in boxing, is still not the main thing.
According to the rules of the competition, blows can only be struck with a clenched fist in a boxing glove. When hitting, the hand receives a significant load, so it is necessary to clench it correctly into a fist. If the fist is clenched incorrectly or its position at the moment of contact with the target is incorrect, this can lead to injury to the hand.
The hand is clenched into a fist as follows. The fingers are bent and pressed against the palm. The thumb is pressed to the middle phalanx of the index finger.
The striking surface of the fist is the head of the metacarpal bones.
The position of the fist at the moment of contact with the target can be very different: horizontal, vertical, inverted vertical, intermediate.
Depending on the direction, punches in boxing are divided into direct, lateral and low blows.
If you visit several boxing clubs and ask to see a particular punch (for example, a straight right), the techniques you see will probably vary slightly. Moreover, even in the same club, coaches can show the same shot in different ways. How to be? Which of what you saw is correct? The answer is very simple. Each blow has several ways of execution, and they, in turn, have several options.
Methods of performing strikes differ in the number, sequence of inclusion and degree of participation of the body muscles, as well as the amplitude of joint movement. In total, there are four types of punches in boxing.
Strong blows. All muscles of the body are equally involved in their implementation. They are included in the kinematic chain of technical action sequentially: from bottom to top. In accordance with the given direction, the fist moves towards the target along the shortest trajectory.
Short blows. In performing technical actions of this group, the participation of various muscles of the body is unequal. The range of motion of the joints is limited. Strikes of this kind are usually delivered at medium and close distances and are characterized by a short amplitude of execution.
Quick strikes. The participation of body muscles in them is minimal, which allows you to perform technical actions with considerable speed, but leads to a loss of strength.
Long strokes. When performing strikes in this group, all the muscles of the body are consistently used. The amplitude of joint movement and the trajectory of the striking surface towards the target are significant. Due to this, additional acceleration develops and the blows acquire greater force, but at the same time they lose speed.
There are several options for performing strikes:
During a technical action, the body weight can be on the left leg, on the right leg, or evenly on both legs;
During the performance of a technical action, the body weight can move from one part of the support area to another, or it can remain in place;
The action with the hand can be performed simultaneously with the placement of the same leg, opposite leg, or both legs;
The action can be performed before setting the leg(s), after setting, and simultaneously with it;
Various links of the impact lever at the moment of contact with the target can be located either in the same or in different planes
There are many different types of punches in boxing, but essentially they are all variations of the five basic ones. We will now tell you what the punches in boxing are called and what is their peculiarity.
Many of you, even those who do not understand this sport, have probably heard the names of boxing strikes at least once, but simply did not attach any importance to it.
In fact, the types of punches in boxing are not that difficult to distinguish; all you need to remember is the technical features of the five punches.
Jab (straight punch in boxing)
The jab is the most common and frequently used punch in boxing. There is even a saying in this sport: a boxer without a jab is not a boxer.
This blow is delivered to the head or body. During the impact, the athlete's fist is kept parallel to the ground, and the arm is fully extended during the impact. At the same time, the free fist covers the face, and the elbow covers the solar plexus (to repel possible attacks of the opponent).
If we talk about the pros and cons of the jab, it is worth mentioning that the force of its application is not as great as that of any other blow. But at the same time, thanks to the jab, the opponent is always in suspense. Another advantage is that thanks to this blow the boxer can defend himself from his opponent.
Vitali and Vladimir Klitschko often used such techniques.
Cross (far hand strike)
The names of boxing punches are easy to remember if you understand what they mean. Using the cross technique, the opponent gets hit on the head or body with a fist, whichever is further away.
The main advantage of this type of strike is maximum accuracy. It is also considered safe for the athlete who is attacking, since with a cross it is easier to return to a defensive position.
The disadvantage of cross-country is that it is not a natural movement of the human body, as it requires serious practice.
Earnie Shavers was a prominent figure in the boxing world who often used the cross.
Hook (bent arm strike without swing)
In other words, a hook is a side punch in boxing with a bent arm. The hook is only used in close or medium combat. During the blow, the athlete's arm is bent at the elbow and is directed towards the head or body of the other boxer.
The bend of the elbow during the hook should be at an angle of 90 degrees, thanks to this the blow is more powerful.
The advantage of the hook is that it is considered the most powerful; other basic punches in boxing cannot boast of this. The main thing is not to open up while striking, as you can get a retaliatory blow from your opponent.
Joe Frazier often used this blow in his career.
Swing (stretched arm strike with a swing)
During the swing movement, the hand describes a large radius and “lands” directly on the opponent’s head.
The advantage of the Swing strike is that the time it is applied, the hand travels a long distance, therefore, the strike gains greater force. But the disadvantages include the fact that all this takes time, during which time the enemy can strike.
Shannon Briggs is considered a prominent representative who loved to use the swing punch in boxing.
It's no secret that many people enjoy watching the exciting action called boxing.
The names you hear from time to time - hook, uppercut and others - are types of strikes, and in order to fully understand the nuances of this sport, it would be nice to familiarize yourself with them.A truly masculine sport cannot leave indifferent not only professionals, but also those who accidentally turned on a sports channel on their TV. It would seem that the process itself is quite simple, since blows can be applied exclusively with the hands; non-professionals cannot even see the differences in the methods of attack or defense. However, this is not the case.
Types of blows
Depending on the area of application, there are several types of blows:
Blows to the head;
- straight;
- lateral;
- uppercut;
- blows to the body.
If everything is clear with the beats indicating the direction, then some unfamiliar words can be misleading, although in fact they are an ordinary transliteration from English.
As you know, boxing appeared in Great Britain back in the century before last, and therefore it was in this country that what they would now say “professional slang” was invented. Its geography has gradually expanded; now on any continent you can find boxing leagues of different levels, as well as belonging to a particular country, for example, Thai boxing. Regardless of who the participants are in the fight, and the competition is held, the professional names still remain the same.
Origin of the names of punches in boxing
The loudest names are always heard, but not everyone knows how to use them and what they mean, although in reality everything turns out to be not so complicated:
Uppercut - the name comes from the English uppercut, which can be translated as “cut from below” and means a backhand attack with the fist along the internal trajectory, with the fist turned towards itself. This blow, like its name, also comes from traditional English.
Swing is a side kick, the name comes from the English verb swing, that is, a blow delivered from the side and from a long distance. It also belongs to the traditional one, and is mainly used there.
Jab - the name comes from the English word jab, a sudden blow, a poke, is one of the main blows used in modern.
Hook - the name comes from the English hook, meaning hook, since it is applied with a hand bent at the elbow; sometimes the Russian name can also be used.
In addition to these basic ones, there are also a lot of auxiliary techniques that can be characteristic of individual athletes; they make boxing even more vibrant and spectacular.
The Dempsey punch, also called the “sun,” looks like rotating the body along the trajectory of the number 8; its meaning is simultaneous protection from enemy strikes and attacks. Its author is boxer Jack Dempsey.