Blocking Punches

Discussion in 'Kickboxing' started by Wadey, Nov 4, 2008.

  1. phillholden

    phillholden Valued Member

    do you always get hit in the face or was it just that one night that he was alot faster than your self?
     
  2. Rebel Wado

    Rebel Wado Valued Member

    I like your attitude. Be critical of yourself so that you can get better. But don't be so critical that you give up. Realize that every time you are attacking, you are leaving yourself open to get hit.

    Being a hard to hit target is the best advice, every time your opponent tries to hit you, change angles so that they have to re-acquire the target. And if you are getting hit in the head, you only have to shift your body half the width or height of you head and they will miss, no need to move greater distances. This takes a lot of practice to get right. We use strings across the room. Bob and weave so that the string touches the top of you head and slices down on each ear, if you go further, you are not just wasting movement, but you can end up leaning and then you will be off balance. Of course move your feet as necessary to align the body properly.

    I was also thinking that your opponent probably isn't afraid of you like he should be. This probably means that your punches are hurting him. Maybe you are really pulling them, or maybe you are punching with just your shoulder instead of your whole body. Anyway, hit him hard enough to put some hurt into him, then his counter punches will start to lose their power and accuracy.

    Another aspect is timing, train up on using broken rhythm also. You can also use compounded attacks, such as after you hook punch, hit him with an elbow strike immediately using the same arm as the one you threw the hook punch with.
     
  3. Wadey

    Wadey Valued Member

    Thanks for the advise. I've been working and concentrating a lot more this week on my movement in and out of situations rather than tightening up and getting ready for the hit and it seems to have worked. My partner didn't land as many or throw as many this week, but it certainly knackered me out!! Think my body has some adjusting to do if it doesn't want to keep getting b*tch slapped!! But all signs are positive.

    What do you mean by broken rhythm? (Excuse the ignorance) Unfortunately, in the San da I'm training in, elbows and knees aren't allowed, but everything else seems fair game.
     
  4. Rebel Wado

    Rebel Wado Valued Member

    Hey Wadey,

    My advice can't replace the coaching of your own instructor and training partners. For one thing, I'm not able to see you in action. With this said, where does all action start?

    All action starts first in the mind. So to be a hard to hit target first starts in the mind, then the body follows. As you move to avoid getting hit, you can think of positioning BEFORE the attack. For instance, if you move to your opponent's left, this makes it harder for him to hit you with his right side, if you move to his right, this makes it harder for him to hit you with his left side (he will have to turn or spin first before he can hit you with power). If you stay within the inside of your opponents front foot, this makes it harder for them to hit you with their lead side leg attacks such as side kicks and spinning techniques. These of just examples of how you can use positioning to limit the options of your opponent.

    Now comes what I call the hard part. It is easy to move around to avoid getting hit so long as you have room to move and you are fairly mobile. The hard part is how to move so not to be hit but at the same time be able to attack your opponent? Again, all action starts in the mind. You must learn to accept the hit and trust your tools.

    Accepting the hit means basically that you are brave and wait until the last possible moment to move to avoid getting hit. One way to look at this is minimum movement, maximum mobility. Trusting your tools means that you move the minimum you need to move and you trust your tools (techniques) to do the rest.

    Not easy stuff to learn over the internet, only hands on learning. But it all starts in the mind first. Think of moving only as much as needed (and remember that it is faster to move to the side and forward than it is backwards... so limit the moving backwards to only when absolutely necessary, move forward as much as possible). Think of your techniques as your tools that you must trust.

    Movement first then tools, but trust your tools.

    Hope this makes sense.

    ---- About Broken Rhythm ----

    Broken rhythm has to do with changing the timing and often angle of your attacks. It is listed as one of the principles on this web page: http://www.jkd-la.com/principles.html

    Whole books have been written on the subject such as this book by Joe Lewis: Amazon.com: Joe Lewis How to Use Broken Rhythm Attacks-D: Joe Lewis, D Warrener: Movies & TV
     
    Last edited: Nov 21, 2008
  5. Wadey

    Wadey Valued Member

    Nice and simple then!! lol Thanks for all your help.
     
  6. dle1232003

    dle1232003 Valued Member

    skipping and keeping on the balls of your feet

    also when punches are coming at you, move around a little not only on your feet but your upper body

    and learn to parry the straight punches aswell as moving out of the way
     
  7. steve123

    steve123 Valued Member

    Rebel Wado gave some great advice throughout this thread that I also found helpful, so thanks for that.

    I remember having a similar problem when I began sparring of going flat-footed and eating punches. The problem I had was that I didn't have a great fitness level and staying on my toes and moving around took it out of me, so as rounds went on I would move less and get hit more.

    As my fitness increased I noticed this and began to move too much. Like some people have said, you only want to move out of the way of the punch, not halfway across the ring. I used to damn near kill myself moving waaay too much.

    Not sure if the issues you had are similar to those I exerienced but I found skipping very helpful to get me to stay on my toes, and movement drills such as only being allowed to use the jab or hit to the body, where you are better able to concentrate on moving and then work this into your fighting style.

    But it sounds like your noticing these things yourself and improving them and thats the main thing, you'll never run out of things to learn so keep at it!
     
  8. path_one

    path_one steps taken

    Hi Wadey,

    lots of great advice so far, before adding my own I have to agree that the best advice you are going to get would be from those who has seen you in action.


    Maybe you should try some more head movement. It sounds like he caught you a lot countering your jab. You said your hands were up and in, if you keep a distance between you and pick your shots have your hands out as well as up.

    besides some speed/foot work I think the best thing to do my be to talk to your sparring partner at the end of the session to see what was easy for him and what was hard, this way you should get an idea of what to do less of and what to do more of.

    All the best ;)

    A
     
  9. axelb

    axelb Master of Office Chair Fu

    skipping to help your flat footedness, I am terribly flat footed and it helps me a lot.

    also work on your footwork and keeping on the balls of your feet whilst shadow boxing.

    keep moving on your feet and it will make it harder for them.
     
  10. Van Zandt

    Van Zandt Mr. High Kick

    Try going side on and sparring from a more traditional Karate style "horse" stance. I find it reduces the target areas visible to my opponent, I can lean out of the way much easier (and keep my hands guarding where they should be) and I can keep my face hidden behind my lead shoulder. It also works great for kicking. Bill Wallace propagated this stance during full contact kickboxing matches back in the 70s.
     
  11. Rebel Wado

    Rebel Wado Valued Member

    Not to be picky, but please don't use the word "lean" as leaning is unbalanced. Bob, weave, slip, duck, etc. yes, but none of these should be done with leaning.
     
  12. Van Zandt

    Van Zandt Mr. High Kick

    Rebel Wado,

    Maybe you missed the part about adopting a side stance? This way leaning does not disrupt balance. Another name might be "lay back"... But it is a separate technique from the basic boxing evasions you mentioned. Here is a clip of Bill demonstrating it (0:30 onwards):

    [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwAPDN6NWGw"]YouTube - Superfoot's Secrets For Success Vol. 2 Clip[/ame]
     
  13. Rebel Wado

    Rebel Wado Valued Member

    Thanks for the example. I did not miss the part about adopting a side-ways stance, although you said horse stance (wider side stance) which is not what Superfoot fought in, he fought from a shoulder width stance.

    Well you may have found the one exception to my leaning rule :mad: ... lol.

    Superfoot Wallace is really balancing on one leg, the same as if kicking. And who is a better example of someone good at balancing on one leg than him...:cool:

    I don't think I would recommend beginners or the less experienced with this type of movement as their primary fighting stance until they realize the flaws as well as the benefits of it. They are giving up a lot for this, such as use of the rear hand for power, and being on one leg doesn't work well in MMA or against leg attacks, you need to be able to keep hips back for sprawling and such. IMHO.
     
  14. Van Zandt

    Van Zandt Mr. High Kick

    It's interesting you notice this. In his books, DVDS, and his seminars, he always teaches his method from a double-shoulder width stance. Yet when you watch him an action in his fights, he was moving from a shoulder-wide stance.

    Absolutely :cool:

    Sound advice. I've found this method to be effective mostly in Tae Kwon Do and Kickboxing (where leg kicks and takedowns are not permitted), followed closely by boxing (the side-on position confuses a lot of fighters, and ****es off my coach :D), but I'm still trying to figure out a way to use it when I spar my MMA buddies. The times it is most effective is when they are trying to punch or land a kick, but 9 times out of 10 I will be put on my butt.
     

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