Blocking

[Mikro]

I'm not sure the exact term here, but I've been working on blocking more punches with my hands up on my face and just catching them with the forearms or gloves... like what winky wright does all the time.

My problem is I feel like I'm doing the 'stop punching yourself' game... where the force of the punches is just knocking my fists into my head. If I keep my hands on my cheeks they sometimes get pushed at my eyes too... It seems to work better if I have them up higher, but its hard to see.

So I guess my question comes down to how exactly should I be holding my hands when I do this and should I expect to feel like I'm hitting myself or is that from something I'm doing wrong?

[achillesthegreat]

Generally that goes into the line of defence known as arm movement.

You can basically block with any part of the arm:
- inside and outside of glove
- inside and outside of forearm
- inside and outside of elbow
- outer arm (inside protects your body and head automatically)
- inside and outside of shoulder

It depends on your proportioning as to how you like to hold your hands.

Text book guard your hands aren't actually pinned to your chin. When you want to block numerous shots you can raise both hands in a peek a boo style. If you want to block one shot at a time then you only move one arm.

Sometimes you'll feel the punch go through you. You'll have to gauge what your opponent has. You need to be able to move with his shots and at the right time so as to take the sting off them.

Some guys can block everything, others feel the punches go through them. If a guy is doing that to you, you'll have to block and soak up the shot but make sure to make the follow up shots miss either with foot or head movement.

[Mikro]

Originally Posted by achillesthegreat

Generally that goes into the line of defence known as arm movement.

You can basically block with any part of the arm:
- inside and outside of glove
- inside and outside of forearm
- inside and outside of elbow
- outer arm (inside protects your body and head automatically)
- inside and outside of shoulder

It depends on your proportioning as to how you like to hold your hands.

Text book guard your hands aren't actually pinned to your chin. When you want to block numerous shots you can raise both hands in a peek a boo style. If you want to block one shot at a time then you only move one arm.

Sometimes you'll feel the punch go through you. You'll have to gauge what your opponent has. You need to be able to move with his shots and at the right time so as to take the sting off them.

Some guys can block everything, others feel the punches go through them. If a guy is doing that to you, you'll have to block and soak up the shot but make sure to make the follow up shots miss either with foot or head movement.

Thanks for the response.

When you raise both hands in the peek-a-boo should you hold them away from your face and tense them right before impact so they don't get knocked back or should they be braced on your head?

[achillesthegreat]

Originally Posted by Mikro

Thanks for the response.

When you raise both hands in the peek-a-boo should you hold them away from your face and tense them right before impact so they don't get knocked back or should they be braced on your head?

It depends.

How do you naturally hold your hands? Are you long and hold them like Marquez, Morales etc That is the conventional text book way to hold your hands. Are you a little shorter and prefer to tuck up ala Cotto, Patterson etc

If you hold your hands like Maruqez then when the barrage of punches are coming you pull both hands in close.

If you hold your hands like Cotto then your hands are already in close.

As I mentioned in the last post you need to gauge the intensity, velocity etc

You want to stay relaxed when picking off the shots. You'll want to gauge the shots and then change up how you brace yourself for the shots. How much you tense up and how loose you can be. No point tensing up like Tyson is hitting me when I got Byrd hitting me!

You'll notice many boxers have a feeling out round. Think Hopkins and Mayweather. What they are doing is gauging what their opponent has and what they can do. This includes their speed, strength, range, timing etc It also includes their power.

Once you've felt that you can dictate how much you need to brace yourself for shots. If the punches are going through you then you need to switch it up. Not just block but also use other lines of defence like head and foot movement. Very few fighters should be able to punch through you though.

This also comes back to talent. Take Wright for example. He is extremely strong. He has a good defence but he gets away with keeping it simple because he is so strong. Even when a big middleweight like Taylor was bombing away he couldn't break through it. If Wright wasn't that strong and sturdy he wouldn't be able to absorb those sort of shots.

I don't know what your talent is. You may be young and still growing so by the time you are a fully fledged man you may be able to absorb shots no problem.

What I advise is work on your blocking like you clearly are but also work head and foot movement.

[Mikro]

Originally Posted by achillesthegreat

It depends.

How do you naturally hold your hands? Are you long and hold them like Marquez, Morales etc That is the conventional text book way to hold your hands. Are you a little shorter and prefer to tuck up ala Cotto, Patterson etc

If you hold your hands like Maruqez then when the barrage of punches are coming you pull both hands in close.

If you hold your hands like Cotto then your hands are already in close.

As I mentioned in the last post you need to gauge the intensity, velocity etc

You want to stay relaxed when picking off the shots. You'll want to gauge the shots and then change up how you brace yourself for the shots. How much you tense up and how loose you can be. No point tensing up like Tyson is hitting me when I got Byrd hitting me!

You'll notice many boxers have a feeling out round. Think Hopkins and Mayweather. What they are doing is gauging what their opponent has and what they can do. This includes their speed, strength, range, timing etc It also includes their power.

Once you've felt that you can dictate how much you need to brace yourself for shots. If the punches are going through you then you need to switch it up. Not just block but also use other lines of defence like head and foot movement. Very few fighters should be able to punch through you though.

This also comes back to talent. Take Wright for example. He is extremely strong. He has a good defence but he gets away with keeping it simple because he is so strong. Even when a big middleweight like Taylor was bombing away he couldn't break through it. If Wright wasn't that strong and sturdy he wouldn't be able to absorb those sort of shots.

I don't know what your talent is. You may be young and still growing so by the time you are a fully fledged man you may be able to absorb shots no problem.

What I advise is work on your blocking like you clearly are but also work head and foot movement.

That makes sense. I've only been boxing for 5 or 6 months and the trainers I've worked with haven't spent very much time on defense... although we've worked on it more lately and i'm trying to make sure I'm keeping my head moving and working on slipping and weaving everytime i'm hitting bags or anything now.

I'm reasonably strong and well conditioned, but i keep feeling like i must be doing something wrong... maybe its something about bracing myself... I probably just need to get more experience and develop a better feel and like you said work on head movement and footwork so i'm not as easy a target in the first place.

Thanks again for the advice

[austyn]

just open your glove and mayb knock the punches

[skipdog]

Work on all forms of defense, each has an advantage in certain situations. Also if you stick to just the Winky style, unless you are freakish good like he is someone will figure your armour out and crack it.

[austyn]

Originally Posted by skipdog

Work on all forms of defense, each has an advantage in certain situations. Also if you stick to just the Winky style, unless you are freakish good like he is someone will figure your armour out and crack it.

good practice them all. when your opponent is close u need to cover up etc...