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Preface
This manual has been made possible due to the generous effort of Jesse Rodriguez who has helped many fighters learn the finer elements of boxing. Sadly Jesse passed away in a car accident a few years ago. This guide is a token of Jesse's intense studies in the sweet science and was meant to be a small preview of the things that you can see in his fantastic instructional videos. There is so much more moves and useful tips in the videos. Andre, Jesse's close friend and business partner is now the sole owner of the tapes.

Note from AdamGB: stickied this because it's good... but to any newcomers to boxing: This isn't teaching you how to box! These are techniques and tactics that you can develop and use once you have mastered the basics.

Online Professional Boxing Lessons

"To show the boxing techniques that I have in mind for this manual using only words and pictures is a difficult task and most of the time a impossible one. Anyway I will try to do my best trying to explain some." -Jesse Rodriguez

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• Text by Jesús “Jesse” Rodriguez
• Illustrated by Fernando Olano
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Lesson #1: “The dissuasive jab feinted to the solar-plexus”.

Lesson #2: “Feinting a devastating hook to elude blocking and hit with full contact”.

Lesson #3: “The 1-1-2 with fast circular movement”.

Lesson #4: “Hook to the body leaning to the left --> angle chance --> uppercut”.

Lesson #5: “The ascending jab with explosive leg power”.

Lesson #6: “Variations of the ascending jab”.

Lesson #7: “Straight right pivoting to the right --> straight right against a left-hander” (from the old Philadelphia boxing school).

Lesson #8: "Straight right and hook pivoting to the right --> straight right, against a left-hander”.

Lesson #9: “Jab pivoting to the right --> uppercut or straight right”.

Lesson #10: “How to free your arm from a classic tie” (simple but forgotten move).

Lesson #11: “Rocky Marciano’s phantom overhand”.

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If you hear a voice within you saying that I am not a painter, then by all means paint and that voice will be silenced.

Lesson #1: “The dissuasive jab; feinted to the solar-plexus”.

In this lesson we are going to see 3 things:
1.-How to throw a jab to the solar-plexus.
2.-How to jab to the top feinting a jab to the solar plexus.
3.-How to use this feint as a dissuasive weapon against an opponent who tries to counter your jab to the body with a straight right.

The great Sugar Ray Robinson was a master of throwing a jab to the solar plexus. And like him you can even throw it at shorter opponents.

A good indication that you are throwing properly is when your arm is parallel to the floor at the punch’s contact.

Along step and bending your knees to the maximum guarantees the proper arm position. Also bending from your waistline and leaning your upper body to the side are important points (see figure 1).


Figure 1.- There are a few minor points that you can adjust to in this picture to suit varying situations.

Lets suppose that you have thrown a few good jabs to your opponent’s body; the next time, you are going to feint throwing it low and go for his head instead.

For you to succeed you have to look at his body as if you were throwing a real low jab. (see figure 2).


Figure 2.- Of course you can throw this jab even before you start throwing your low jabs.

It is more fun when facing an opponent who is highly confident in countering your jab to the body with a straight right hand. (see figure 3).


Figure 3.- Your opponent has once again tried to counter with his right hand but you have made him pay for it!

Lesson #2:
“Feinting a devastating hook to the liver area; to then elude the block and then make full contact”.

Let us suppose that your opponent is constantly blocking your left hook to the body (see figure 1).


Figure 1.- With your opponent preferably on the ropes.

In order to hit him with your best left hook you could next time do the following.

Throw a fast but soft hook inside his guard to the liver area in order to force him to move his arm or elbow and block it as has been done before. But at the same time you must start a full step (both feet move) as seen in figure 2.


Figure 2.- Your front foot is in the air when your fast but soft hook is blocked.

Remember that you must throw this fast but soft hook feinting that you are throwing a devastating one. For more bluff; if you’re letting out noise and air with your big hits then do so at this time as well, except you don’t put any shoulder or twist into the hit.

Once you have finished your stepping you are set to hit a second hook (this time a real devastating one) on the opening that your opponent has made when he moved his arm to block the first one, the “feinted hook” (see figure 3 and 4).


Figure 3.- Notice how your back foot crossed the line yy.


Figure 4.- Compare your foot position to all pictures.

Lesson # 3:
“The 1-1-2with fast circular movement”.

Muhammad Ali used to dance revolving around his opponents while simultaneously hitting them.

His famous expression “Float like a butterfly sting like a bee”, came from these movements.

This is one of Ali’s classic combinations:


Figure 1.- sequence.

Let’s suppose that you are dancing on your toes around your opponent (see picture # 2).


Figure 2.- See the line, you will be moving away from it during the sequence.
Throw a fast jab crossing your back foot as seen in figure 3.


Figure 3.- Try to block your opponent’s vision with an open hand.
Retract your arm or glove, but not much (see figure 4).



Figure 4.- Your back foot lands and crosses over the front one.
Throw a second jab uncrossing your feet (see figure 5).


Figure 5.- You connect with this second jab while your front foot is still in the air. Once your front foot lands, follow with a right, and let the inertia work for your body. Just move with your inertia, flow and don’t worry that you may get hit as you have disrupted their pattern and their timing while attacking (see figure 6).


Figure 6.- This punch is aimed a little to the right where your opponent’s face should be because of the angles you made while circling.

Lesson # 4:
“Hook to the body leaning to the left --> angle chance --> uppercut”.

Let suppose that you got your opponent against the ropes (see figure 1).


Figure 1.- Looking for an opening.

Lean quite a bit to the left and connect with a hook outside your opponent’s guard pivoting on both of your feet to increase the hip movement (see figure 2 and 3).


Figure 2.- Pivoting on both feet.


Figure 3.- When hitting with this hook your weight stays on your left side.
Right after you connect and begin to bring back your arm, jump and pivot in the air towards the right. (see figure 4).


Figure 4.- The jump and pivoting mid air begins almost simultaneously with your glove retracting.

Once your feet land you are in a better position to connect and uppercut (see figure 5 and 6).


Figure 5.- Your weight on the left. You are set to punch.


Figure 6.- Compare your feet position in all pictures.

The jump that allowed us to change angles will be known on this manual as the “unclassic step”. Later on I will dedicate 1 or 2 lessons to explain its meaning and also see its differences with the “classic step”). These “terms” will make it easier for us to relate to future techniques discussed.

Lesson # 5:
“The ascending jab with explosive leg power”.

The “ascending jab” is effective mostly on tall opponents; it could be at times effective against opponents of more or less you own height.

Lets suppose that your opponent is taller than you and he is separate from you (at a distance) as seen in figure 1.



Figure 1.- Your opponent on the left side could be one much taller than the model.

So in order to get inside, you move forward your left foot landing heel first and began by bending your knees (see figure 2).


Figure 2.- Be sure that the heel of your foot lands first.
Keep bending your knees further and put your weight on your front foot (see figure 3).


Figure 3.- Bend your knees like in a squat to throw this jab with your leg’ explosive power.

Then go up and forwards with your legs explosive power and hit your opponent hard with an “ascending jab” (see figure 4).


Figure 4.- Your feet are off the floor when hitting.

Once you are inside get set to throw your best punches (see figure 5)


Figure 5.- When you land, your back foot touches the ground first.
(see variations of the ascending jab in lesson #6).

Lesson # 6:
“Variations of the ascending jab”

(See definition of the ascending jab in lesson #5).
The variations of this jab are many. Julio Cesar Chavez, the great fighter of the 80s and 90s often used these techniques.

When throwing the ascending jab your upper body usually won’t lean (see figure 1).



Figure 1.- This jab carries explosive power.

But if your opponent wants to surprise counter you with a straight right when you throw this jab you can lean your upper body to avoid his counter or even use classic blocking with it. (see figure 2 and 3).


Figure 2.- Compare your upper body position with this one on the previous picture.


Figure 3.- Leaning and blocking simultaneously.

Depending on the distance that your target is at you can throw and ascending jab:
-Keeping your feet well apart from each other while in the air.
-Letting them get closer until they almost touch each other.
-Not letting them get close as you can see in pictures above and picture 4 of lesson #5.
-Crossing them.

Depending on your abilities and tricks you can “load” (pull back) your left shoulder before throwing the ascending jab (see figure 3 in lesson #5).

When you’re practicing this jab to start with, you should try to:
-Not let your feet get close together while in the air (hitting a target not too far away will help).
-Don’t load your shoulder too much.
-Bend your knees a lot before throwing it.
-Once you’ve gotten more practice you should start trying variations.

Also you should practice:
-The 1-2 with the ascending jab.
-The ascending jab as a weapon of an offensive attack when you are backing up,
-Throwing it after you’ve allowed to your opponent’s jab to go over your shoulder simultaneously avoiding and attacking forcing your way to the inside (in this case your opponent is a tall one stepping back with each jab he throws).

Lesson # 7:
“Straight right pivoting to the right --> straight right (against a left hander)”.

Let's suppose that your left-handed opponent was 3 steps apart from you, and that he made you follow him to the ropes. Or it could be a situation where he is already on the ropes and calling you in to fight (see picture #1).


Figure 1.- You are moving toward your opponent.

So you begin stepping toward him and throw the strongest straight right that you can with you last step and start pivoting on your front foot (see picture # 2).


Figure 2.- Your front foot is already pivoting landed a little to the right you might need to do this too.

Keep pivoting and jump with your left foot before your back foot lands to get in the position shown on figure 3.


Figure 3.- This is your position after pivoting and jumping.
Finally with your opponent out of balance throw another right (see figure 4).


Figure 4.- This move left your opponent with no reaction time, guaranteed.
The next lesson (# 8') shows exactly the same foot work seen here but viewed from an opposite angle.

Lesson # 8:
"Straight right and hook pivoting to the right ---> straight right (against a left hander)".

I am assuming you already have practiced the move shown in lesson #7 which I actually prefer over this one.


Figure 1.- Your opponent is on the ropes and you are moving forward.


Figure 2.- Throw a straight right and start pivoting.


Figure 3.- Throw a hook while "jumping" with your left foot before your right foot lands. This soft punch helps distract your opponent.


Figure 4.- Your opponent is surprised with this move.


Figure 5.- When practicing try the left-hander's position so that you also experience the situation you put him in.

Lesson # 9:
"Jab pivoting to the right ---> uppercut or straight right".

This combination helped Ali KO Cleveland Foster in an explosive way.

It works well only when your opponent is hurt or disoriented. I am showing it only because of its similarities with the two previous moves seen in this manual.



Figure 1.- Standing anywhere in the ring.


Figure 2.- Throw a jab stepping to the right and start pivoting on your front foot when it lands.


Figure 3.- After pivoting you are set to punch.


Figure 4.- You can first follow the jab with a right hand.


Figure 5.- Or you can follow the jab up with an uppercut.

Lesson # 10:
"How to free your arm from a classic tie up".

Let’s suppose that your opponent keeps on tying up your arm (see figure 1).


Figure 1.- Classic tie up.

To free your arm pull it while turning it as if you were unscrewing it (see figures 2, 3, and 4).


Figure 2.- Start “unscrewing” your arm.


Figure 3.- Keep “unscrewing” your arm.


Figure 4.- Your arm is free with little effort.

Also you can add some pushing to the start of the move, I don't like it much personally because the use of force (see figures 5, 6).


Figure 5.- Give him a short and quick push with your shoulder.


Figure 6.- “Unscrew” your arm as your opponent starts losing his balance.

The push makes his muscles instantly react in reverse to his own intention, which assists you to break free with the screw out technique.

Lesson # 11:
"Rocky Marciano's phantom overhand".

You can effectively throw this phantom overhand move from a distance that is usually unthinkable when throwing a classic overhand.

A confident opponent has dropped his left hand; as he doesn't believe that you could throw any punch with your right hand from that distance (see figure 1).


Figure 1.- Look to your opponents eyes till you start your move.
Now change your sight to the body as you step forward with your front foot bending your knees a lot and dropping your glove in an arch: This preliminary move makes your opponent suspect an attack low or to the body (which causes him to react and open up further falling into the trap of your real intentions. (see figure 2).


Figure 2.- Your glove will follow a path like the one drawn.
Your legs will work like springs. Bend your knees allot, then spring up fast and let your glove continue the line of the arch; (see figures 3, 4, 5).


Figure 3.- Go up violently, fast with your legs.


Figure 4.- At this point you can look at the target, no problem.


Figure 5. - He won't see (in time) the phantom overhand coming.

Notice: The fist is vertical throughout the downwards-circular move with the knee bend but on the upper part of the figure eight the fist twists into horizontal.

This punch can also be thrown from a distance or even a little closer or a little further than what we have just seen. If you are set up at a greater distance or if the opponent shuffles back creating more distance, you can throw it while raising your back foot making it land further forward as sometimes the great Rocky Marciano did.

Many of these are advanced moves which require you to have already learned the fundamentals and possess a fair amount of fighting experience. This way it'll be easier to adapt these techniques to your boxing if you already have a solid base. No doubt you must practice these movements many times throughout your shadowboxing and sparring sessions so that they become second-nature.

Just curious, is this the same stuff he advertises in the classifieds of Boxing Digest?

That's right, except this isn't what was he was selling. Jesse Rodriguez made about 36 hours worth of video footage pertaining to advanced techniques like the ones as seen above. The techniques shown here is just a small taste of what's on the videos. I'm excited about getting a set for myself. I'm waiting to see how things go first.