Fundamentals
Review what happened after each exchange
Review
When you look back on an exchange, focus less on whether you got hit and more on how quickly you recovered afterward. For the moments when your own punches landed, put into words why they landed. That makes it easier to set up the same situation again on purpose. Use this right after sparring or when you think it over on the way home.
| Type | Fundamentals |
|---|---|
| Guard | Written for orthodox (left foot forward) |
Review what happened after each exchange: how to do it
- Recall the moments you got hit, and check whether you recovered and chose your next move quickly.
- Recall the moments your punches landed, and think about which was the reason: the angle, the distance or the opponent's reaction.
- Put that reason into a few words, and test whether you can create the same situation in your next session.
Review what happened after each exchange: key points
- What you judge is not whether you got hit. It's how fast you recovered after getting hit and chose your next move.
- For punches that landed, put into words why they landed, broken down into angle, distance and the opponent's reaction.
- If you can put it into words, you can aim for the same shape next time and reproduce it.
Review what happened after each exchange: common mistakes
- Worrying only about how many punches you took. You miss the real problem: how slowly you recovered.
- Being satisfied that you landed and stopping without thinking about why. Next time the same situation comes, you can't reproduce it on purpose.
Review what happened after each exchange: how to practice
- In shadowboxing, recreate the moment you put into words in your review, with the same angle and distance.
- In shadowboxing, imagine you've just been hit, then immediately reset your guard and feet and choose your next move.
- On the heavy bag, picture the way you landed as you described it and punch from the same angle and distance.
Related techniques
Left and right are written for orthodox (left foot forward). If you're southpaw, swap left and right as you read. How to read the notation
This is Japanese-style boxing: techniques as taught at a boxing gym in Japan. American or Mexican coaches may teach some of them differently.