Stances

[JackD]

i got into amateur boxing when i was younger. i don't think i learned anything but they taught me the typical boxing stance like thats how you had to stand. with your right back by your jaw and your left 6 inches in front of your face. recently i started sparring and i want to try out different ways. my favorite fighters i see didn't even fight like this. almost all of them keep their left hand down or at least a good bit lower than their face. this does allow you to have a more powerful jab. a rising jab is much harder than one thrown from in front of your face.

i have been reading jack dempseys book championship fighting and i have already learned more than i ever did from those amateur instructors when i was young like fall stepping for a really hard straight left. but one of the things he mentioned was when you do automatically moving the right up in front of the left side of your chin to guard for a right from opponent. when you have your left hand up this gets in the way. i thought about just keeping it that way and kind of keep your right forearm horizontal to help block a left. this can leave you more vulnerable for a left from your opponent plus its hard for me to throw a really hard straight right like this unless i do a fall step. but i always spar with REALLY heavy guys who hit really hard so i kind of dont like trying new stuff. but what are good styles that you use? i am convinced it is best to have your left hand down though.

[JackD]

anyone? all i am really asking is if anyone has experience fighting with their hands down or success in different styles. or their left hand down. vitali did it with areola and that was an awesome fight i thought. i know he had a huge reach advantage but still. and he wasn't guarding with his right like i am talking about. and i am about 170 and the biggest guy i sparred was pushing 300. since i started back sparring i havn't had a partner who either didnt outweigh me by alot or had a huge reach advantage so this is why i will put alot of thought into whatever i do before i try it.

[josh-hill]

well pros fight like that because they are pros. they have the reactions to be able to drop their guard. if you do that you will most likely get hit in the face a fair few times though.

[SBleeder]

My stance is pretty unique (no one else in my gym has a stance quite like it). I fight orthodox.

Some fighters are pretty squared-up to their opponent, some are more "sideways". I myself am almost completely sideways to my opponent. I look like a fencer. I keep my right hand up and on my forehead, like a catchers mitt. My left hand can move from being right in front of my face to being several inches out away from me. What this does is allow me to parry well with my right hand, something I've always done well, and my footwork feels best in this stance. Going back to my football days, I always had good lateral movement. Now my stance allows me to practically move in and out of range with side-steps. Since my style is to hover on the edge of jabbing range, quickly step in, throw straight punches from long range, and then step out, it suits me very well. The weakness of my stance comes with an opponent who himself has great lateral movement. Therefore, I can never remain stationary. If a guy tries to swarm, I have to be ready to square up slightly, or else quickly back out of range. Basically, the closer the action gets, the worse I am- my straight punches are far more effective than my left hook or uppercut. I've won matches where I never threw a punch other than the jab or the straight right.

I've made it a point to basically never copy the pros. They're amazing athletes, I'm not. They can afford to do things like leaving a hand low, because they're amazingly fast and have exceptional reflexes. That's why they're pros. I'm not. I'm an amateur, and in the amateurs, fundamentals win fights (and anyone who tells you otherwise is a lousy trainer).

[Vitez]

I'm a beginner and I like the one Russ Anber shows on youtube

yeah tried with left hand down but wasn't successful really =)

[JackD]

@ josh hill i was talking about using my right as a guard instead and keeping my left down like a catchers mit like sbleeder said keep my right protecting the left side of my chin and my right arm kind of horizontal to block jabs. but that is not as important because many people today dont even use their left to do anything but slap and set you up for a right. i am confident with the fall step (that i didnt know when i fought the biggest guy) that i could have knocked him out if i got him on the chin with it or knocked him down and made his legs wobbly.

@ sbleeder i am not amateur because amateur is an actual type of boxing and i didn't like it. i just spar. i dont use headgear and i use 14 oz gloves my partner wears 14 or 16. i really just do it for fun and to be a better fighter. and confidence. if i just got hit on the chin by a 300 pound guy and didnt fall i feel like i can do anything and you aren't going to stay the same. i am turned sideways too. i keep my feet in the stance that i learned there. this keeps your shoulder blocking your chin if you have it down (it protects it from their right). but if i get where i am just trading hooks and stuff i will be squared off. but something i do now is always keep my weight on my front foot when at a distance to be ready to do the fall step.

@ vitez were you trying to use your right as a guard?

[Suckmedry]

Don't worry about learning a unique stance when you are starting out. Learn the same basics as everyone else, then a good coach will mould you your own individual style based on your strengths. If you are naturally strong, you will learn to fight coming forward, taking short steps to cut off the ring, if your fast, you will learn to stand back, move around, and pick guys off, if you are smart, you might learn to sit back, analyse the opponent, and counter his moves.

Either way, don't try fancy **** as a beginner. Believe me, unless you are very talented and are lucky enough to be in with another complete beginner, you will get hurt.

[Vitez]

JackD yes I did but I just don't feel this stance is yet for me. May be later when I get better...

JackD may I borrow your topic since you read the same book as I?

One thing that bothers me with Jack's advices is when he says not to whirl hand yet everyone does it from amateurs to pros.

Also regarding the falling step. Imagine if opponent does a side step and than counters you....he can do that easily since you made such a large step.

He also doesn't say when you shoot a left jolt if you slide rear foot forward (after the shot) or do you back off with left foot.

Another thing is that most modern coaches say that when punching the weight should be transfered from back leg to front leg....so weight should be around 50/50 and not most of it on front foot like Jack says....

What are your thoughts on that?

[Spartacus Sully]

He also doesn't say when you shoot a left jolt if you slide rear foot forward (after the shot) or do you back off with left foot.

Another thing is that most modern coaches say that when punching the weight should be transfered from back leg to front leg....so weight should be around 50/50 and not most of it on front foot like Jack says....

What are your thoughts on that?

there are many ways to throw a falling step punch.

dempsey says to crouch down and put all your weight into your front foot at this point you stalk up to your opponet aim your shot and fall with it. as in this sitaution your probly trying to get on the inside so after the jolt you'll most likely want to step up with the right.

but all that crouching forward with all the weight forward and no preemptive movements thats all so you can catch your opponet off guard because after all you just stopped crouched down and now your walking twords your opponet in a stalking fassion......hes waiting for something.

you dont have to have all your weight forward and be crouched down you can say be on the inside take a step back with your right then a falling step forward with your left while you throw a jab or jab jab then a falling step with your right or even a falling step right then pop back. if the falling step is done in this fassion i would reccomend stepping back with your left in stead of forward with your right.

then theres falling hooks too. like take a falling step to your right with your right as you throw a left hook for a really nice left hook.

dempsey gave one example while there are a hundreds of uses for the falling step and the actions surronding it unique to how its used. your best bet is to expeirment with it and see how you use it best.

[MidnightSpecial]

for some odd reason, be it conscious or subconscious, my natural stance has always been similar to Tyson and Tommy Morrison.

fairly squared up, hands close to the face, elbows tucked in, more of a plodding footwork and head movement.

maybe its because of the way im built.

im much better working from a mid range stance and work my way in to land uppercuts since most of the people my weight are about 6'2 when i stand 5'11 1/2.

i fight like a small guy.

of course im no where near professional and dont fight amateur.

just sparring sessions here and there in the gym with a few of the amateurs.

i used to spar with some of the heavyweights when they were training to fight smaller guys but it really sucked because they were all 220+ and im always around about 190-195.

so my ass would get thrown around when i tryed to get inside.

good experience though..........i guess