Fluid boxing

Got Si and Dan working entries last week. Forgetting front and back foot and just working on "being first" or "countering" in either position.

This week want to emphasis that 80% of the time you aren't actually looking for entries, you're staying "fluid". By which I mean non committal/ single attacks. So jab,  looping jab, lead left and right hooks, jab body, right straight to head or body, and lead left and right hooks to body to change angle. All of this fluidity will keep you opponent guessing so when you go for an actual entry you will have far more luck with it!

Dan Spar notes

Real basic strategy. For both front and back foot

If opponent is busy with his hands throwing punches look to counter off them (on the punch)

If your opponent is looking to counter you and you have to be first. keep a tight guard and throw 3 LONG shots, only step in on your first shot, plant your feet on the rest to ensure you land and he misses (like Liddell / Ortiz)

Pummelling notes Dan and Ben

You always pummel to get DUH

Palm in pummel is normal, weakest but fastest.

Palm out pummel is more forceful and ergonomic (like front crawl)

OH Whizzer if you can't pummel to create space (OH their UH, sharply twist into their shoulder and pull on their opposite lat, then pummel)

UH Whizzer , best used when you have DUH but can't loack hands. On head UH side reach up and grab their delt, this will mean relaxing hold on opposite side to lat. twist sharply into their armpit and pull their oppsite lat to upset balance then drive to get a grip in the space created.

Si spar 150415

Tried one basic idea which was very effective... Attacking the counter side.

Basically when sparring an orthodox it is the jab that is the main issue. The idea is to attack the left side of your opponent to encourage them to use their left hand to defensively rather than offensively.

So we used 2 combos the 1,1,2 aiming the jabs to the left side of opponent to make them block (reverse parry) with their left. And the 2,3/5  this works of course because the 2 is blocked with the left hand.

Guess we could try a 3,2 but this is not exploiting the same idea... We would be taking the shot with full cover. Which is more similar to another idea which was very effective, "counter guard". Applying pressure with full cover and countering ON the attack not after it with a 12.

Sparing Dan 140415

front foot

• leading with a right hand when he was looking for a a jab counter was good as it occupies his left hand with blocking rather than hitting.
• slipping left throwing left was quite effective
• turning shoulders so head was outside gait, and shoulder was inside gait was effective for single shots
• using Russian Jab was useful
• MMA guard being second was very effective, attacking ON their attack not after taking it!
• 112 stepping left was very effective, the double jab preoccupied his potential lead right with defence and setup the 2 well.
• Would like to try this (112) going right, the double jab aimed instead at his left hand, preocupping his potential jab counter with defense, and opening up a looping right .

MY LEFT GUARD IS TOO LOW!

Various spar sessions

When Si got his assertion on the back foot, pumping that jab  he did well.

I could back foot fight Si easily, the key is to wait until he moves forwards, punch on his/their forward movement/attack.

Si started to figure this out on the back foot and my entries became harder and harder (I initially was able to land my left and right easily after lining them up).

Speeding him up to a fluster while "walling" him got his guard back and enabled an entry but this also got harder to achieve.

Would have liked to have tried...

1. More single slips

2. Cutting angle to outside gait then attacking

3. Lead left hooks

4. Centre line attacks with high guard. Issue no angle to escape on?!

6. Hooks from setup angles ie step right - left hook

NOW AFTER SI AND DAN SPAR

7. Slow right down, maybe slower than them to explosive attack (Out Box,  Slow/Hunt To Explode) Mayweather

8. Flurries of speed. Rather than constant speed. (Fluster With Fast Aggressive Contempt) Tyson

9. Get there timing then enter (Counter By Moving To Encourage Them To Throw) Patterson

10. Push and stretch jab ( Dirty Box, hold/ push and hit) Russian style.

130415

Sparred Si today

• I noted was that I do have to stick to my plan but then adapt it around him.
• if he's looking to counter with the left you want to throw a lead right or slip/roll left away from his jab, then jab.
• if he's looking to counter with the right you want to throw a lead left or slip roll right away from his righ, then attack.
• a higher MMA guard would have made life a lot easier on the front foot. making the acceptance of taking the shot easier!

 if he's looking for left counter means you can go ahead a throw a lead right hand because it is on the centre line. But if he looking for a straight right  counter your going to want to want to slip or roll right slipping (or maybe rolling) left away from his jab, shortening it then attacking. if he's looking for counter right leading with the jab is best as this will block it.

Spar with Danny

Long time since I had a good spar.Few things that came to mind.

• Being "busy" (by which I mean faster pace tempo) on the front foot is the best game plan, this flusters opponent and makes safer entries, you can slip before your entry or simply attack fast and exploit your angle.
• Being "slow" (by which I mean slower pace tempo) on the back foot is the best game plan, this slows your attacker down and makes timing counters easier. Use your flicks and stiff jab you aid this cause.
• Resetting ( by which I mean changing angles/moving) either on back or front foot is the best game plan when you feel you don't have an edge or are working too hard to get one.
• We have not been concentrating enough on centre line attacks (low stance, pillars, drive, attack). Both Danny and I didn't work any of these/ very few of them. 
• My guard needed work I was not keeping left hand up/ right hand up
• Danny sparred more confidently with his left shoulder up

Boxing Universal Laws

Circle

Step left to setup right hand

Step right to setup left hand

Drive centre line to close distance

Pillars+Shrug best universal guard enables all defense and attack.

Left hand up going left

Right hand up going right

pace faster if on front foot to fluster opponent

pace slower on back foot to better time counters

reset whenever you struggle to do what you want to do (find entry / see counters)

Sparring Strategies

Universal Laws

• Circle
• step left to setup right hand
• step right to setup up left hand
• left hand up going left
• right hand up going right

Backfoot
Being first (to punch): circle slowly, get your flicks and stiff/holding jab working to slow down opponent to your speed and setup a solid cutting angle shot. This can be thrown solo or in combination after your flicks.
Being second (to punch):  circle slowly,  intimidate opponent by really focusing on chin, this will help slow them down, wait for their entry and time a big cutting angle shot as they come in.
Being f***ed 1 (getting flustered): Quick fix: give yourself space to work in,  get your flicks and stiff/holding jab working. This will keep opponent at bay and give you space to think and move in. Option 1 (with space): Keep circling and aggressively turn into, not away from your opponent (almost shoulder slam them). Option 2 (no space): stop moving, sink weight, full cover, turn right shoulder away/ left shoulder forward and throw an overhand right.  Irrelevant if it lands simply a way of clearing some space so you can escape.

Front Foot
Being first (to punch): You're going to need to distract/slip/feint your way in. Circle and gradually build the speed of your rhythm. don't circle faster, pace faster. Once you have your speed up you should feel far more fluid and agile, from this state slip left - throw left or slip right - throw right, ensuring that when you slip your head moves outside their guard, and throw punch from there as you are off eye line. You can also use feints from this state but in this case you step left to setup up a right then- feint left - throw right or step right to setup  a left then  feint right - throw left.
Being second (to punch): You're going to need to get their timing down/ listen to the Morse code. Stay just outside of range (end of their jab + 6 inches) and move slightly on each of their attempted shots, NB a more advanced version of this is to move on each of their movements (more subtle!). Your movements can be as slight or as vigorous as you like but remember the aim is not to slip the punches, they're not in range, the aim is to move/match with their timing. Like above once you have their speed you should start to feel fluid and agile. From this state simply time one of their punches/movements or gap between punches/movements to enter using a left or right parry to remove either of their hands which is in the way of your attack.
Being f***ed (getting timed and punished on all of your efforts): Quick Fix:  respect their range! get back to the end of their jab + 6-9 inches! Option 1: Reset body and mind, once calmer and you will be able to remember the entrance and be more likely to execute it correctly. Option 2: Go on the backfoot/make them go on the front foot. Sometimes your opponent is just having a good day, stop giving it to him. Once his mindset changes to front foot switch back to front foot too and catch him in the wrong mindset.