On the inside, push with your legs, not your arms

On the inside, push with your legs, not your arms: how to do it

1. When you're chest to chest, don't try to shove them away with your arms. Lock your arms and shoulders and make your upper body a single wall.
2. Keep your center of gravity low and push off the ground with your legs.
3. Send that force through your core into your upper body and push the opponent.
4. When the push knocks them off balance, punch through the gap and angle that opens up.

On the inside, push with your legs, not your arms: key points

• It's a shoving match, not arm wrestling. The pushing power comes from your legs, not your arms.
• Lock your arms and shoulders so your upper body works as one piece, and the force from your legs reaches the opponent without leaking.
• You push them off balance in order to punch. Where they're off balance, a gap and an angle to punch open up.

On the inside, push with your legs, not your arms: common mistakes

• Extending your arms to shove the opponent away. It becomes a contest of arm strength, you get pushed back and lose your balance.
• Pushing with your center of gravity high. Your leg power doesn't transfer and the opponent pushes you back instead.

On the inside, push with your legs, not your arms: how to practice

• In shadowboxing, imagine being chest to chest. Lock your arms and shoulders, lower your center of gravity and drive forward with your legs. Repeat, and follow the push with punches.
• Put your upper body against the heavy bag and push it by driving off the ground with your legs, not your arms. The moment the bag moves away, throw a short punch into the gap.

Related techniques

• Don't turn the fist over at close range
  Don't turn fist
• Keep breathing at close range
  Breathe
• On the ropes: stop, deflect or circle out
  On the ropes
• Choose your punches by range
  Pick by range
• Short right hook to right body uppercut
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