So a guy at the night-club I fight at has volunteered to train me. He trains all the fighters there that ask.(He's actually the referee, you see him in my fight videos). Problem is I don't think his primary style is boxing. He trains Muay Thai and MMA stuff. He holds the mitts for me, and encourages me, gives me his time and advice so I shut up and do what he says, but I have become comfortable holding my left hand down on my chest instead of up on my chin(I'm orthodox). When I snap the jab out I bring it right back to my chest instead of to my chin. I'm very comfortable this way, it feels natural. He however demonstrated how someone could see this and pop me in the face on my left side after my jab was thrown. I do try to keep my shoulder in front of my chin a bit but he jabbed me back and popped me with a loose right hand a couple of times to demonstrate.. Problem is everything comes back to my chest and fires from my chest with that hand. From jabs to short left hooks, even the lunging hooks. When I bring it straight back to my chin I feel very stiff in that arm and can't transition into the next punch very well(I like to jab, jab, short left just to keep them from leaning to the outside with ease) Do you guys reccomend the way this feels natural, and the way I practiced it on the bag hundreds of times before I met this guy, or should I go with his way, despite feeling stiff and uncoordinated? I thoroughly see his point of course..I've just never been much of a blocker, either it misses me completely, or not. I like to stop punches with punches(Jabbing at them and turning my shoulder up to stop the right hook to the head etc) or I like to move my head out of the way. Thoughts on this? The guy is good fyi. He's both strong and fast and boxes like a boxer, not some 3 nights a week Kung-fu class guy. He also sparred about 10 2 minute rounds the other day while I was there so he knows the conditioning too.
You picked up a bad habit, your hands don't have to be planted on your cheek/chin, but you need to keep them up.
I know I'm no Floyd Mayweather, but don't a lot of good pros keep that left low? Regardless when I hit the bag tomorrow I'm gonna focus on getting it back to the chin, it's what I tell anyone who ask me for boxing advice to do. I also tell them that in time they will find their own style, but for now to learn the traditional manner. I'm a bit afraid that I will start dropping it to my chest to throw it, which will telegraph it and get me hit. If I do change it up it's gonna take a lot of work. Luckily I have some good fighters to train with, and some not so good fighters to slug it out with in those club fights. I never know who I'm fighting in that club though until fight-night, and I never know their background. Any day a real pro may step in and step up.
Like you said "Pros," and I don't know many who actually do it. Most boxers keep their guard up, which is a good idea.
