Boxing Skills Training

1. Stance and Guard

2. Left and Right Jab Head
3. Defence and Counter for Left and right Jab Head
4. Left and Right Jab Body
5. Defence and Counter for Left and Right Jab Body
6. Left and Right Hook Head
7. Defence and Counter Left and Right Hook Head
8. Left and Right Hook Body
9. Defence and Counter Left and Right Hook Body
10. Left and Right Uppercut Head
11. Defence and Counter Left and Right Uppercut Head
12. Left and Right Uppercut Body
13. Defence and Counter Left and Right Uppercut Body
14. Trunk Defences and Counterpunches
15. Feet Defences and Counterpunches
16. Hand Defences and Counterpunches
17. Head and Feet Movement
18. Feinting and Drawing
19. Infighting
20. Cutting off the Ring
21. Boxing Styles – Tall Opponent
22. Boxing Styles – Southpaw
23. Boxing Styles – Boxer
24. Boxing Styles – Counter Puncher
25. Boxing Styles – In Fighter
26. Boxing Styles – Slugger
27. Other Punches
28. Getting Inside
29. B-Hops Lead Jab Counters
1. Stance and Guard

The classic guard stance is a good stance to box from, because it

gives a boxer good balance and mobility. An inside fighter may
adopt a slight crouch for strong body punching.

• Form good stance and guard

• Classic guard stance
• Orthodox left foot forward
• Legs shoulder width apart
• Triangular base with length and width
• Back heel off the ground
• On the ball of front foot

Moving forwards
• Use step and slide motion
• Step with lead foot slide back foot
• Use small steps

Moving backwards
• Use step and slide motion
• Step with rear foot slide lead foot
• Use small steps

Moving left
• Use step and slide motion
• Step left with lead foot slide back foot
• Use small steps

Moving right
• Use step and slide motion
• Step right with lead foot slide back foot
• Use small steps

Circling left and right

• Use step and slide motion
• Step left with lead foot slide back foot
• Circle round your opponent
• Use small steps
• When orthodox boxing a southpaw circle left and keep lead
foot outside of southpaw opponent’s lead foot

Circling left and right

 • Use step and slide motion
• Step right with lead foot slide back foot
• Circle round your opponent
• Use small steps

Pivot left
Step turn left foot 90 degrees clockwise, slide rear foot round

Pivot right
Step and turn right foot 90 degrees anticlockwise, slide lead foot
round

Step across left

From boxing stance step across to the left using left foot, create
new angle of attack for left jab. Rear foot remains unmoved.

Step Across right

From boxing stance step across to the right using right foot, create
new angle of attack for right cross. Lead foot remains unmoved

Side step left

• Step forward and to the left of your opponent
• Step with left foot and slide rear foot
• Create new angle of attack for left jab.
• Maintain good boxing stance

Side step right

• Step forward and to the right of your opponent
• Step with right foot and slide rear foot
• Create new angle of attack for right cross.
• Maintain good boxing stance

2. Left and Right Jab Head

Left Jab Head

The left jab is one of the most important punches to master. 80%
of you point scoring will be with the left jab.

• Snappy Punch
• Left arm travels in a straight line to the target and back to
guard
• Back heel off the ground
• Spring off back foot but keep feet planted
• Half twist lead shoulder and hips
• Twist left wrist on impact palm facing floor
• Hit target with surface area of last three fingers of fist
• Keep chin down
 • Keep right hand to guard
• Punch straight from guard no telegraphing
• Aim for opponents chin

Right Jab Head

• Snappy punch
• Right hand travels in a straight line to the target and back to
guard
• Back heel off the ground
• Weight is transferred to front leg
• Slight rotation of rear foot anti-clockwise
• Good rotation in hips and shoulders
• Rear shoulder comes past lead shoulder
• Twist right wrist on impact palm facing floor
• Hit target with surface area of last three fingers fist
• Keep chin down
• Keep left hand to guard
• Punch straight from guard no telegraphing
• Aim for opponents chin

3. Defence and Counter for Left and right Jab Head

• Block and counter left jab
• Block and counter 1-2
• Block and counter 1-2 + Left Hook
• Slip outside and counter right jab
• Slip outside and counter right jab + left hook
• Slip outside and counter right jab + left hook + Right Jab
• Dip and counter 1-2 to body
• Layback and counter left jab
• Push away and counter 1-2
• Slide punch with right jab

4. Left and Right Jab Body

Left Jab Body

• Snappy punch
• Bend knees bring shoulders down in line with target
• Move in towards target (chest area)
• Left arm travels in straight line to target and back
• Keep back heel off the ground
• Half twist lead shoulder and hips
• Twist left wrist on impact palm facing floor
• Hit target with surface area of last three fingers fist
• Keep right hand to guard
• Punch straight from guard no telegraphing
• Aim for opponents chest, heart or liver
Right Jab Body
• Snappy punch
• Keep back heel off the ground
• Bend knees bring shoulders down in line with target
• Weight transferred to front leg
• Right arm travels in straight line to target and back
• Slight rotation of rear foot anti-clockwise
• Good rotation in hips and shoulders
• Rear shoulder comes past the lead shoulder
• Twist right wrist on impact palm facing floor
• Hit target with surface area of last three fingers fist
• Keep right hand to guard
• Punch straight from guard no telegraphing
• Aim for opponents chest, heart or liver

5. Defence and Counter for Left and Right Jab Body

Defence Left Jab Body

• Right elbow block counter with left jab
• Right inside parry counter with left jab
• Left outside parry counter with right jab

Defence Right Jab Body

• Left elbow block counter right jab
• Left inside parry counter with right jab
• Right outside parry counter with left jab

6. Left and Right Hook Head

Left Hook Head

• Lower back heel to floor
• Transfer weight to rear leg
• Rotate lead leg, hips, left arm and shoulders clockwise
• Left upper arm should be 90 degrees from body
• Palm facing down or inward
• Rotate lead foot clockwise
• Keep right hand to guard
• Don’t hook past centre line
• Violent twist from hips and shoulders

Right Hook Head

• Transfer weight to lead leg
• Rotate rear leg, hips, right arm and shoulders anti-clockwise
• Upper arm should be 90 degrees from body
• Right hand palm facing down and inward
• Rotate lead foot clockwise
• Keep right hand to guard
 • Don’t hook past the centre line
• Violent twist from hips and shoulders

7. Defence and Counter Left and Right Hook Head

Defence Left Hook Head

• Right arm block roll with punch and counter left hook
• Right arm block roll with punch and counter left hook + right
jab
• Dip and counter 1-2 to body
• Lay back and counter 1-2

Defence Right Hook Head

• Left arm block roll with punch and counter right jab
• Left arm block roll with punch and counter right jab + left
hook
• Dip and counter 1-2 to body
• Lay back and counter 1-2

8. Left and Right Hook Body

Left Hook Body

• Lower back heel to floor
• Transfer weight to rear leg
• Rotate lead leg, hips, left arm and shoulders
• Aim to punch floating rib or liver
• Palm facing inward
• Rotate lead foot clockwise
• Keep right hand to guard
• Don’t hook past centre line

Right Hook Body

• Transfer weight to lead leg
• Rotate rear leg, hips, right arm and shoulders
• Aim to punch floating rib
• Right hand palm facing inward
• Rotate rear foot anti-clockwise
• Keep left hand to guard
• Don’t hook past the centre line

9. Defence and Counter Left and Right Hook Body

Left Hook Body

• Right arm elbow block roll with punch and counter left hook
• Right Hook Body
• Left arm elbow block roll with punch and counter left hook
10. Left and Right Uppercut Head

Left Uppercut Head

• Lower left arm and shoulder
• Punch upward towards opponents chin
• Arm travels upward and vertical

Right Uppercut Head

• Lower Right arm and shoulder
• Punch upward towards opponents chin
• Arm travels upward and vertical
• Body moves through central axis

11. Defence and Counter Left and Right Uppercut Head

Defence Left Uppercut

• Layback counter with left jab
• Block with right hand counter with left jab
• Block with left hand counter with right hook

Defence Right Uppercut

• Layback counter with right jab
• Block with left hand counter with right jab
• Block with right hand counter with left hook

12. Left and Right Uppercut Body

Left Uppercut Body

• Lower left arm and shoulder
• Punch upward toward opponent’s chest or floating ribs
• Arm travels upward and vertical

Right Uppercut Body

• Lower right arm and shoulder
• Punch upward toward opponent’s chest or floating ribs
• Arm travels upward and vertical
• Body moves through central axis

13. Defence and Counter Left and Right Uppercut Body

Defence Left Uppercut Body

• Elbow block
• Layback

Defence Right Uppercut Body

• Elbow block
 • Layback

14. Trunk Defences and Counterpunches

• Dip
• Slip to left
• Slip to right
• Layback
• Head roll
• Bob and weave
• Shoulder roll (right jab)
• Head roll right jab

15. Feet Defences and Counterpunches

• Push away
• Step across
• Side step
• Pivots

16. Hand Defences and Counterpunches

• Block left jab and counter with left jab

• Outside parry right jab and counter with right jab
• Inside parry left jab body and counter with left jab
• Inside parry right jab body and counter with right jab
• Elbow block left jab body and counter with left jab
• Elbow block right jab body and counter with right jab
• Wedge block right jab
• Wedge block right body
• Stop right jab

17. Head and Feet Movement

• Side rhythm
• Forward rhythm
• Use pads
• Use sand ball
• Use rope
• Use tennis ball in stocking

18. Feinting and Drawing

Feinting
• Feint to freeze opponent then 1-2
• Feint left jab head right jab body
• Feint left jab body right jab head
 • Feint right jab body right jab head

Drawing
• Move head forward few inches to draw left jab, then slip jab
to outside and counter with right jab
• Lower lead hand invite the right jab, when it is fired slip
outside and counter with a left hook
• Raise right arm invite lead jab to the body, drop right arm and
elbow block jab and counter with left jab to the head
• Invite a right jab, slip outside left hook body, left hook head

19. Infighting

Work in close using short punches, hooks and uppercuts

20. Cutting off the Ring

• Shuffling left and right

• Using hooks to manoeuvre opponent

21. Boxing Styles – Tall Opponent

• Counter the lead jab

• Use good head movement
• Move inside use short punches body and head
• Use body punches to lower the guard for head punches

22. Boxing Styles – Southpaw

• Move left
• Keep your lead foot outside of opponents lead foot
• Lead with right jabs
• Parry Southpaw lead jab and counter with right jab
• Use short parry with lead hand and quickly counter with left
jab
• Slide punch southpaw lead jab with left jab
• Slip the lead jab and counter with a left hook

23. Boxing Styles – Boxer

• Use good head movement

• Use lateral movement
• Punch in combinations
• Use feints to freeze your opponent
• Use power shots
• Work inside with hooks and uppercuts
• Counter lead jab
24. Boxing Styles – Counter Puncher

• Don’t rush in edge in

• Try and offset his timing by using lots of feints
• Be extra sharp and make sure your hands come straight back
to guard
• Use combinations and strike from different angles
• Try countering the counter

25. Boxing Styles – In Fighter

• Use lots of left jabs doubles and trebles

• Use lateral movement and pivots
• Use 1-2 when opponent tries to move in
• Use uppercuts if comes in low
• If opponent gets inside move away
• Use straight punches
• Use height reach advantage

26. Boxing Styles – Slugger

Sluggers are characterised as boxers whose main strength is their

punching power. They just want to hit you, and if they can they’ll
knock you out. They don’t worry about defence or being able to
move a lot. They generally (not always) don’t have great
endurance because they get a lot of early knockouts. Because of
this, sluggers have the potential of being very tough opponents
when you are in the ring.

• Throw a lot of jabs and straight punches to keep a slugger off

balance
• Don’t let a slugger get set and when he does step off to the
side out of his punching range
• A slugger usually gets tired in the later rounds
• Make him pay with counterpunches when he misses
• Use goods movement around the ring and make him miss
• Use 1-2 when opponent moves in and move off
• Stick and move
• Use good lateral movement
• Use lots of jabs doubles and trebles
• Use straight punches

27. Other Punches

• Overhand right
• Shovel hooks
 • Bolo punch
• Slide punching

28. Getting Inside

I’ve been asked a few times in the gym, “which is the best way to
get inside of an opponents guard to use the shorter punches?”

As we know the infighter is the shorter stockier opponent who has a

short reach and needs to close the gap, against a taller opponent to
eliminate the taller opponent’s height reach advantage.

Moving in with the Jab

This is one of the best ways I know of closing the gap and moving
inside your opponent’s guard. Throw a double jab and close the
gap between you and your opponent, then when in close switch to
the shorter punches (hooks and uppercuts)

Dip Under the Jab

Time your opponents jab so that you can dip and move forward with
a 1-2 body counter, then come up to the head with left right hook.
The body punches generally lower the guard for a clean head shot.
Moving forward under the jab should get you inside for the shorter
hooks to the head.

Countering the Jab

You can also work off your opponents jab by countering with a 1-2
or double jab and moving inside to use the shorter punches.

Moving in with Side Rhythm

Keep your head moving side to side in a bob and weave motion
while moving forward, if your opponent throws a jab and you see an
opening then counter with a hook. Move inside and use the shorter
punches.

Slipping the Jab

Slip the jab to the outside and step in with the right leg, right
uppercut left hook. Stay inside and keep throwing short punches.

29. B-Hops Lead Jab Counters

For orthodox v orthodox

If your opponent has a good jab you have to be able to eliminate it:

• Catch the left jab with right hand and counter with left jab
• Catch the left jab with right hand and counter with left jab to
the chest
• Catch the left jab with right hand and counter with left hook
• Slip the left jab to the outside and counter with right jab