A lot of people think of boxing as just a sport. It’s not just a sport, its an art. But to understand the art of boxing properly you must first master the basics.

In this article we are going to go through some of the basics of boxing.

Understanding stances

Foot placement is first the first step and arguably the most important aspect of the stance as it’s possible the best defensive move. Your stance will prove vital in your boxing game as it gives you a competitive edge with your power, range, stability etc. First of all, your dominant hand should always be your back hand, so if you are right handed, position left foot forward and your right hand back. Distribute your weight evenly across both of your legs and slightly bend your knees. Keep your feet a little bit wider than your shoulder length and rest on more on the front of your feet. Keep your head behind your gloves with your elbows down and arms up.

Jabs

For starts, there are many different jabs and more than one use for a jab. You can unsettle and distract your opponent, counter-attack, distance yourself to set up attacks and a whole lot more. The jab is the fastest punch and the lightest to throw. It’s easy to train the jab, even without access to a gym or equipment. Simply shadow-box to work your jab or if accessible, put hours in on a bag or in sparring. The jab often opens ups the potential to throw heavy punches while keeping your opponent at bay. Never overlook the jab.

Counter-Punch

Most defenses, if not all, lead to a counter opportunity, A counter will be sure to catch your opponent off guard as one of the last thing they will be thinking off while trying to knock your block off is an instant punch in return. Be sure to keep your eyes on your opponent during sparring and allow yourself some time to feel your opponent out for techniques and timings and make them pay.

Parrying

Parrying is a great way to deal with a power puncher as it eases off the impact of the punch. Parrying is when you roll away with the punch, slightly deflecting it. It is also a great way to use your opponent’s momentum against them while tiring them out. This won’t work against all fighters such as less aggressive boxers or shorter opponents with the best way to train this would be training drills and sparring. During sparring, be sure to get hang of covering your vulnerable areas but can leave you stuck in a defensive shell so look to avoid falling into that trap.

Slipping

Slipping is the most demanding of skill as it requires complete focus. If you are able to make your opponent miss, you are completely free to counter punch and can be extremely effective against faster boxers and can act as a tool to close distance on a long reach fighter. Practice your head and leg movement to get outside of jabs and getting low while rotating your body away from punches opens an opportunity to counter punch. In sparring, try to slip punches barely, allowing you more time to counter rather than always focusing on getting out of the way of the next punch due to less of a window to get the counter in.