Larry Holmes teaches the jab

I've said it many times on here.
Best jab of all time regardless of weight class.

 

Magnificent.

Amazing how far we've come since 1890. Compare these clips to the lurching "jab" Corbett demonstrated to Tunney. And Corbett was younger than Larry!

Loosen up and whip it, indeed.

 

I like Hearns better but it was a great jab. Hearns snapped guys head back with the jab even a younger Virgil Hill.

 

Hearns had a great jab. Hes near the top of my list. Quartey is another guy who's jab I liked alot but Holmes holds the top spot for me not just because of how well he mastered it but how creatively he used it both offensively and defensively. He stresses how to slap with it here but I've also seen him turn it into a hammer and try an knock guys teeth down there throat too. He showed me some different ways he used to throw it when I stopped by his restaurant in Easton and had lunch some years back. He was very kool and accommodating. Sat down with me and just wrapped

 

Does anyone else feel like some flicking jabs come really close to looking like a back hand punch?

 

I always found it odd that people rate Larry's jab so high and rave about how amazing it is/put it on their top 5 lists, etc--yet you can hardly find ANY videos breaking it down or explaining it! Just goes to show how unnappreciated Larry was.

Yes, they do this in karate too sometimes. Some guys will pump the jab with the shoulder stiff but the rest of the arm loose. Or, they'll tighten up at the very last minute. Yet another variation is like u said, getting away with hitting with the knuckles or back of the hand by altering the trajectory mid swing.

It can be very hard to track and anticipate! If a guy already has good speed and reach, it becomes that much more frustrating to dodge or even block.

 

Good video. Paulie Malignaggi's jab video was also excellent:

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Best jab ever for a heavyweight imo (which is saying a lot considering Liston, Ali, Louis). And I agree with the above, there aren't many videos really demonstrating how to pull it off. Larry is my favorite fighter, but I'm wondering if the beer made him forget about telling the Thai guy about stepping in with the jab and the recovery after throwing it (especially foot positioning).

I'm actually a little weirded out by the Thai guy video; doesn't look like something that really needed to be recorded for prosperity (though entertaining to some extent).

If Larry ever put out a book about the jab I'd be all over it.

I must mention, I recently agreed with an article that mentioned how we should all remember how good Larry's right hand was. His cross, overhand, and uppercut weren't Foreman or Shavers great (interesting too how he really didn't start stepping in with the right like he should until after he was champion), but it seemed to get better (heavier) as time marched on.

Imagine the Norton fight had the right hand been there for Holmes like it was during the Leon Spinks fight. As great a heavyweight as Norton was, I don't think Ken would have lasted 15 had that been the case. That said, I think there are few heavyweight battles as amazing as theirs...though I had Holmes ahead by four points at the end.

Larry's right in the early days was nearly as fast as Ali's, and after the Evangelista fight (or so) was stronger than the Louisville Lips' (and yes I love Ali like crazy and he did have a significantly better left hook than Larry).

 

Oh, and Larry, your left hand hurt people. A lot of the time (especially 79-84) it was more of a punch than a jab.

 

https://i.imgur.com/Pv5Z1Np.mp4

 

I use it a lot and it's pretty easy to disguise. Especially with the upjab that Ali and Holmes use. Half of it is just making sure that big knuckle lands on the jaw with an upward trajectory, the other part is stiffening at the last moment to snap it in.

 

My avatar!

 

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That's something I had to learn, to relax until right around the moment of impact.