boxing w/ leading arm lowered

It gives your opponent two angles to be worried about getting hit from, they have to watch out for the lead hand from below and the rear hand up top. Bernard Hopkins does this. Floyd Jr does this. Thomas Hearns did it.

A lowered lead arm also makes it easier to roll your shoulder and protect yourself with it from punches.

 

This!

I would add that you also have to fight a bit off of your back foot and off center with this too. It is also useful for creating false opportunities for offensive fighters so they can be countered and defense.

-- If a guy goes for your head a fast stiff jab comes from below his line of sight.
-- If you have speed, a blinding quick lead hook/shovel hook can catch a guy off balance coming in and put him on the canvas (flash KD).
-- If a guy goes for the cross you can land a pretty decent hook to the body.
-- If fighting a blinding fast south paw it provides quality defense to the straight to the body (elbow and forearm) while still allowing you to cover the head (left shoulder and right glove).

It is a quality stance IF you have the attributes to utilize it (decently fast hands, stiff jab, good intelligence, good reflexes). I hate that so many guys seem to have something against it.

 

this is right, stick to the basics and your style will develop naturally

 

Yeah stick to the basics for now, even if you do have the reflexes and hand speed to pull off a low lead hand, you'll most probably not have the ability to anticipate punches and know how to move away from them effectively (and doing it without thinking) yet.

Reflexes and hand speed is god given, the ability to anticipate punches and effectively move away from them is learned.

You can try experimenting with a low lead hand as you get more comfortable with the basic hands up style.

Theres a great video of a amateur KO I saw on the Rosstraining forums where the kid got Ko'ed because of his low lead

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8MhP9SYPIM&feature=player_embedded[/ame]

 

This happened to a guy at my club, but the guy at my club took a much harder ko

 

I disagree that you have to fight off your backfoot. I mean in the sense that you need to be on the outside.

 

The guy was confused. He didn't know what he was trying to do and he paid the price.

 

Yes, it is legit. However make no mistake... It is NOT for everybody and even the guys it is "for", if you meet a guy with superior twitch and speed? You are toast if you can't fight out of a high guard. My advice is to use both, but focus like 70% of your time in a high guard at first.

You will know pretty quickly if your left eye gets closed and lips get busted if the stance is NOT for you. If it is "you", a person usually naturally gravitates to it. The desire to see and confidence on reading and countering opponents and sticking the jab usually make you gravitate to it.

When the front hand is low and it is NOT in your favor... gets UGLY!

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KCd8GdRzfM&feature=related[/ame]

 

Really? Explain.

From the outside I think you need to be on your rear foot. Lead hand low is a counter puncher's style. Even if you are "pressing" the guy you are just trying to press him to fire so you can read and counter. All this using the rear foot to launch jabs, drive left hooks, and step into the cross.

In close it is assumed that the weight is pressed against the guy in any stance. Unless you are FAR taller than the guy and hella advanced where you can lay on the ropes rope-a-dope style.

 

Wow. That is an example of a kid that knew how to LOOK like he was fighting not fight. His hands were all over the place and his chin was high as a kite and right in the middle when he threw! At times his rear hand was tapping his front shoulder. Then when he started punching he just threw like nothing was coming back.

His fundamentals where horrible. He was prepped for a slap fight. He was just not ready. That is not an indictment of the stance. His coach should be slapped.

 

I say ONLY use this as a base stance if you have VERY GOOD reflexes. You can use it occasionally to mix it up. I agree you need to be off the back foot, slightly off-center.

Its also used for contering. Its used to invite a straight right hand.

 

Like many people posted stick to the basics first, with experience you will be making all the minor adjustments that will compliment your style

 

That's not what I'm sayin...

I'm sayin, you can use this style effectively as an aggressive fighter...

I'm sayin, you don't HAVE to be on the outside IE, the hunted...you can be the hunter...