“It was discovered during my great need” - Jim Corbett

When I was training fighters, we would often go over certain scenarios so they had a plan and wouldn’t panic when something bad happened unexpectedly in a fight.

One of those was what to do if you broke/hurt your hand. The instruction was to feint, sometimes throw it not to land and maybe test it to the body when the opportunity arose — not the ribs but the middle, soft tissue.

In sparring, I’d ocassionally tell a fighter between rounds (without the other fellow knowing),’you just broke your right hand, so fight this next round as if it’s broke.’ And then go over it with them after how they did and remind them that they should have feinted it more or thrown it over the guy’s shoulder to hook off it or whatever.

We also did things sometimes like I’d yell stop and tell Fighter A, ‘you just got knocked down.’ And he’d go down, the other fellow would go to the corner (we also went over this all the time — if you knock a guy down, get to that neutral corner straight away so as not to interrupt the count) and how to get up … if you’re on your back, roll over to get up rather than doing a sit-up because when you’re dazed that can make you more unsteady than if you roll over, get to one knee and then get up.

Also, when you’ve been knocked down and get up, hold your hands up and look the ref in the eyes and nod to get across that you’re OK. If we practiced this and a guy did not do those things, I’d wave it off and say I’m stopping the fight … because a ref might do that if the fighter didn’t get across that he’s good to continue.

All sorts of situational details. Prepare for what can happen so you know what to do if it does.

 

This would explain Jim’s bizarre left to the body he often throws

 

I was re-reading Corbett's book "Scientific Boxing" and found an interesting, albeit amusing excerpt about how to throw an uppercut properly:

"The upper cut is always delivered at short range, and is a short, sharp, snappy punch, which lands on the point of the jaw unless your opponent is ducking at the time when it lands full on the face. When well delivered, and with force behind it, it is a most damaging blow. Many young boxers have a habit of rushing in head downward."

It's pretty funny to see Corbett, of all people, say that the uppercut should be short and snappy, and not thrown at long range when that's really all he did with the uppercut.

 

True, but then again Corbett's uppercut has achieved a fair amount of infamy on here:

https://www.boxingforum24.com/threads/corbetts-uppercut.614379/

People in this thread were using Corbett demonstrating an uppercut as proof that all boxers from that era didn't know how to throw uppercuts.

 

I invented walking when I needed it. Yall better thank me.

 

Right? I'm pretty sure the first left hook was thrown by some cave-dude at another cave-dude for trying to steal his steak or his cave-woman.