developing fighters make choices
When a fighter is developing his skills, he usually begins to develop a style, that is to say, he chooses to fight predominantly 1 way or another. The basic stylistic choices that a fighter needs to make depends on his body type, his chin, his speed, strength, coordination, reflexes, etc.
When I 1st see a fighter I usually get a quick impression of their basic style:
inside or outside fighter
stalker or counterpuncher
short puncher or long puncher
head-hunter or body-puncher
1 punch knockout artist or combination puncher
which punch they use the most: jab, hooks, straight rights, etc.
do they have good defensive skills or do they rely on clinching
There are a few hard and fast rules about styles:
(1) slower fighters should learn to go to the body since it's a bigger target than the head.
(2) Short, compact fighters should usually concentrate on developing punching power rather than trying to be counterpunchers; they should learn body-punching and learn to get leverage, punching with their feet planted on the canvas. They should learn to cut the ring off and wait until they're in punching range to throw. Lunging is to be avoided.
(3) Tall, slender fighters usually have a long reach and should learn to use it by using their jab, counterpunching against lunging opponents, and learning to use the whole ring to stay out of harms way. If they have a lot of defensive ability they can fight on the inside occasionally but should not try and make a career out of it. Some lean guys are big punchers, but usually punch from a distance rather than on the inside.
(4) Weak-chinned fighters should avoid getting into slugfests. Instead they should learn a variety of defensive techniques to protect their chin such as bobbing, weaving, covering up, keeping their gloves up, using lateral movement and occasionally clinching when they feel that they're in serious danger. Clinching should always be used only as a last resort when a fighter is tired or hurt, and not used repeatedly as a substitute for other defensive skills. Boxing is a form of entertainment and boxing fans don't pay to see lazy, unskilled or cowardly displays of holding.
That's a basic summary of my knowledge about boxing styles. I'm sure that I left out stuff about different punches, when they should be used, etc.
When a fighter is developing his skills, he usually begins to develop a style, that is to say, he chooses to fight predominantly 1 way or another. The basic stylistic choices that a fighter needs to make depends on his body type, his chin, his speed, strength, coordination, reflexes, etc.
When I 1st see a fighter I usually get a quick impression of their basic style:
inside or outside fighter
stalker or counterpuncher
short puncher or long puncher
head-hunter or body-puncher
1 punch knockout artist or combination puncher
which punch they use the most: jab, hooks, straight rights, etc.
do they have good defensive skills or do they rely on clinching
There are a few hard and fast rules about styles:
(1) slower fighters should learn to go to the body since it's a bigger target than the head.
(2) Short, compact fighters should usually concentrate on developing punching power rather than trying to be counterpunchers; they should learn body-punching and learn to get leverage, punching with their feet planted on the canvas. They should learn to cut the ring off and wait until they're in punching range to throw. Lunging is to be avoided.
(3) Tall, slender fighters usually have a long reach and should learn to use it by using their jab, counterpunching against lunging opponents, and learning to use the whole ring to stay out of harms way. If they have a lot of defensive ability they can fight on the inside occasionally but should not try and make a career out of it. Some lean guys are big punchers, but usually punch from a distance rather than on the inside.
(4) Weak-chinned fighters should avoid getting into slugfests. Instead they should learn a variety of defensive techniques to protect their chin such as bobbing, weaving, covering up, keeping their gloves up, using lateral movement and occasionally clinching when they feel that they're in serious danger. Clinching should always be used only as a last resort when a fighter is tired or hurt, and not used repeatedly as a substitute for other defensive skills. Boxing is a form of entertainment and boxing fans don't pay to see lazy, unskilled or cowardly displays of holding.
That's a basic summary of my knowledge about boxing styles. I'm sure that I left out stuff about different punches, when they should be used, etc.
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