Bouncing or no bouncing when it comes to footwork?

Ask your trainer. It's probably just difficult because you haven't done it 50 thousand times yet.

Just keep practicing, and don't worry about it.

 

Bouncing isnt a very good idea if your in range or being put under presssure. Its likely you will get caught mid bounce and your just not in as much control as when you move with good footwork, when walking forward you would lift the leading foot and drive from the back foot to put you and your leading foot where you want to be, dont just simply lift the foot and take a step with the leading leg.

This is how you should be looking to move in any direction for optimum balance and strength in movement, think of how you would push a tall fridge freezer or somthing similar to slide it across a smooth floor into position, would you push at the top or the bottom? same thing, just physics. we as a species are top heavy and every movement we make we are fighting to maintain balance, our head wants to pull us over and therefore reaching and imbalance becomes a problem, same thing when we box/fight but with movement and leaning with shots, everything you do to throw a punch in terms of technique should be to remedy this flaw, done properly will then give you strength and speed in both movements and strikes.

Pending on the direction lift the leading foot and drive with the rear foot, thats basic boxing footwork, practice it until its 2nd nature, then your ready to start punching. have fun

 

no bouncing. you can stay on your toes w/o bouncing.

boucing tires you out and throws your balance off.

ok to take a couple of bounces when OUT OF RANGE to reset, loosen up

 

Feet flat on the floor!...if you're like me lol

 

when you "bounce" are you going ... ?
1. up and down
2. twisting your feet (common mistake)
3. forward/backward

a "pendlum step" (like the thing that swings in a grandfather clock) is a slight forward and backward stepping motion. stay away from too much "bounce" because this means you are leaving the ground with both feet at the same time and have absolutely no base. push off the back foot to go forwards, land both feet, push off the front foot to go back, land both feet; repeat. try to have one foot on the ground at all times, keeping the time airborn without a base to a minimum.

the theory is that anything in motion stays in motion so it may give you a quicker reaction time. problem is, it's a 50/50 gamble if you're going in the correct direction at the time you need to move.

for your question, what you get to do is practice decreasing the transition time from one skill to another.

start by standing in place with your pendlum step and have your coach/teammate/etc randomly either blow a whistle or clap their hands. everytime they do, JAB, then back to p-stepping. use this drill to get all the hesitation out then mix up your skills everytime the whistle is blown; p-step to headmovement; p-step to flash right; p-step to check hook; p-step to slip and angle; etc.

all it is, is doing it properly and practice getting comfortable with it. good luck!

 

If you bounce, you can get timed.

Bad idea.

 

Well if bouncing is no good, somebody better tell Muhammed Ali he was doing it wrong all those years ago! half you bloody clowns don't know what your talking about! : )

ps: do any of you watch boxing?

 

Amir Khan bounced his way to an Olympic silver metal.

you decide

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3bUBb-tmYg[/ame]

 

Just because a pro boxer does something doesnt mean its right. Do you think any amateur coachs tell their fighters to try and fight like prince Hamed or Roy Jones?

As for bouncing its not recommended by alot of amateur coaches due to the lack of balance if you get caught mid bounce but some people with really good footwork can pull off a bit of bouncing here and there.

 

I'd say it's alright at safe range or in small spots if it helps you get into a rhythm or loosen up your foot movement, but as a consistent movement it's a bad idea. You can get timed and you aren't in a position to quickly move or pivot into a punch. A few bounces here and there are sometimes a part of your style and can help you get comfortable, but it shouldn't be something your always doing and fitting into your habits.

 

i don't get this whole "bounce and you'll get timed" theory. like my opponent can't time me if i stand still; or STEP forward/backward/left/right/etc. there are so many more variable to "getting timed".

ANY skill is not inherently good or bad ... it's all situational. if you have an outstanding jab and i get inside of it, your jab is now a liability than an asset (until you reposition yourself).

if the "bounce" has worked for you in the past then keep developing it as a skill. just because you've got to a sticking point and your magical tool isn't working the way it used to, doesn't mean the magic has expired. it means that this is your opportunity for real growth as an athlete. how can you build on this experience and make yourself better, weather this storm and get over this hurdle of being "uncomfortable" (and i promise that you'll be a better athlete for it)?

if you were my athlete i'd ask you to look deeper and find other places in your life where, instead of making a simple adjustment to an existing strategy, you're willing to throw it all away to start gambling on a new unknown, thinking that there's something better out there, when the "better" opportunity is right there infront of you.

i know i may be getting a little too spiritual but i tell my boxers all the time, "boxing is not about boxing. it's about life. the way you act in the gym/ring is the same way you conduct yourself in your everyday life". if something, in the general, works for me and someone tells me, "that doesn't work. that's stupid" and i stop doing it, what does that say about me and how much i trust myself and how much value i place on other's advice over my own intuition.

and back to this particular situation, you're really ahead of the curve because this "bouncing" skill sounds like it works for you a lot, and you've found an isolated situation when it doesn't work. that's awesome! you're not in the question anymore, you know what the problem is (going from the bounce to inside/defense/headmovement).

earlier i gave you a drill for timing off the bounce (pendlum) but now i'll explain what's going on with you. you want to do one skill (bounce) and transition into another skill (slip inside) and you're getting caught in the transition because you need to fill the gap with a "set-up" to a "position". let's say you're playing basket ball and standing at the foul line with the ball in your hands, thinking to yourself, "i'm in postion to shoot with a fade-away, but i think i'm going to go for the lay-up ...". You need to take your two steps, get under the basket and into position before you can lay-up. now, with boxing we're talking about a shorter distance, possibly a matter of inches, so the transition isn't so obvious. below is a broken down progression of drills for you:

-pendlum-(whistle blows) STOP with solid base, pause-pause (counting 1mississippi, 2 mississippi and making sure you're in balance); repeat

-pendlum-(whistle blows) STOP-pause, pause-headmove, headmove, headmove; repeat

-pendlum-(whistle blows) STOP-pause, pause-multi headmovements while stepping forward; repeat

-pendlum-(whistle blows), quick STOP, multi headmovements while stepping forward

-pendlum-(whistle blows), smooth transition into multi headmovements while stepping forward

NOTICE how all the progressino drills above refer to "position to SELF". you get to crawl before you run and know how to execute the skills in balance by yourself.

now add a partner:

-partner moves towards you with an extended jab arm and you bounce bounce backwards until ... THAT MOMENT when he's just about to touch you, then sit down and move forward with headmovement around his jab and get inside his jab range; taking his jab away

-partner comes at you (in his ready position) and jabs when he thinks he's close enough-you react by bouncing back, sitting down while stepping back and opening up your base and ... at THAT MOMENT when he's about to touch you, start slipping and moving inside his jab range.

hopefully you get the idea and can figure out your own progression as best as it will get you to learn it. at some point you'll have to put it into actual play and it will take work. ask anyone who has had to learn how to get inside. it's not easy. it's like fighting up a mountain. but, again, you have an asset with the bounce. opponents are going to think you're evasive because of your movement. they'll chase you. it's esier to get inside of someone chasing you than running from you. you're more ahead than you think you are.

good luck!

ps. i know this was a big rant but i'm not a big fan of telling someone they CAN'T do something, especially if it's already working for them at some degree

 

Nothing is "bad" or "good" in fighting there is only effective/ineffective. If you are able to "bounce" successfully? Fine. Are you sacrificing needed power for movement? If not? All is well.

The only warning I would give about "bouncing" is that you can get timed if you meet a guy who has superior speed/timing/"flinch". Make sure that before you dedicate inordinate time to perfecting an unorthodox component to your fight game you make sure you work with QUALITY sparring partners and can revert as needed.

I have found that many "bad" habits are actually monstrously effective... until you meet the "right/wrong" guy. Then they become debilitating crutches. Things that look beautiful against inferior fighters and when you finally meet your match? Leave you exposed like a newborn's a$$. Leaning back, lead hand low, arm punching, squaring up, stance switching bouncing(?) etc... Make sure you keep the fundamentals at the ready if the unorthodoxy fails you.

Also, I feel that Boxing/Fighting should be treated as a war of attrition. Bouncing might look good, but it comes at a high metabolic cost. If you are dedicated enough to incorporate this fact into your training conditioning regime? Great! If not? One day... You will be tracked down and crushed. I feel that in a pinch a person is unable to abandon a strategy like bouncing until it is far too late. My personal philosophy in fighting is "less is more".

(Great post from BoxingScienceUSA!)

 

Starts off ugly and useless in starting fighters but can be refined and made useful.
It shows some starting awareness of rhythm and timing to me or just an indicator if a nervous person.

 

well Martinez fights with his hands down, somebody better tell him to bring them up right?