Peripheral Vision & Elbows

I wanted to know if its true that the elbow moves at half the pace of the knee and if its better to look at that instead of the shoulders as a focal point when accessing your peripheral vision? Do you look like half way between both elbows(right around the person's navel) so that you have both elbows in your peripheral vision? I'm basically looking for any exp you've had using this and how it compares to resting your eyes on other points.

I stumbled upon this by reading a Saddo article
Source: saddoboxing.com/andre.html (cant post links yet)

Excerpt: "Rule 1 is getting the opponents timing down, and when you're watching for the timing watch their elbows (they move at half the pace that the gloves move! I know that it is taught to always look into the opponents eyes and it is true that this works but no rule is hard fixed in fighting and if your opponent is relying on looking into your eyes to know what your relaying to him; Then what is going to happen to his training if your not looking into his eyes? How can he bluff you? You see it all works both ways and the knee moves at half the pace of the foot and the elbow at half the rate of the hand so think about it. That's all I'm going to say because it's a preference thing and in any case Peripheral or overall vision plays a huge part in both plays which ever is your final choice. It is all in your training."

Theres a lot there that does not make sense.

You meant to write half the pace of the fist instead of knee :).


I originally wrote that to open up peoples minds to other possibilities and to not get caught in one belife.

Put it this way: If you are trained to only look into someones eyes for all the triggers,what happens to you if they are not looking into yours and are looking at your elbows and knees?
You will not see straight into their eyes,
where does your training leave you in that situation?

The statement half the pace is correct in a looping swinging punch but not so on a jab so much, as the elbow and fist travel out together on the same plane.

Depends on your preferred fighting distance as to the benifits; but in close I think its a great place to look, stop and also attack from. In Mma especially so, because you have the knee and elbow in vision and with headbutts not allowed you wont fall for it like on the street; so those two points are their triggers and balance points and you'll stop a round high kick at the knee with your knee or hand and do their joint some damage.

Balance is big thing in close and those are the two areas to disrupt it all by too. You can also stop someone kicking you by dropping your arm down into the crook of their arm or pulling their arm forwards or pushing it in towards their opposite foot that is kicking. (they cannot complete the kick if you have control of their elbow). If you lean on their other knee the kick is disolved too same goes for the elbows you move someones elbow and see what happens to their other arm that punching (the power dissipates).

They are close in tricks you can adapt into a telephone box style battle without grabbing you can disrupt them ad make them adjust so you get an opening.

Also blocking their wrist with your elbow allows you to remain in distance and get one off on the same side without you adjusting.

Just things to consider and open the mind to is all.

You have to be careful about the eyes. Emile Griffith would "eye-feint" you into knots, I've been told.
I liken this to driving on a busy road. You can't focus one one car or the other. Instead, you have to see the whole picture. Hands, shoulders, all of it. And there is an element of mind-reading as well, because you and the opponent are constantly trying to out-think one another.
And, of course, in certain situations you know the guy is going to throw a hook because that is what is done in that situation.

I've never really thought of focusing on the elbows.

Its this a stard way of teaching? I always thought it was the shoulders.

No its not standard if thats what you meant to say.

My thoughts were more from a martial art point of view originally, cause you have the whole in vision feet and hands when you look there and if you stop them near the joints on each limb you have their balance as well.

I did notice that when boxers are fighting in close nose to nose they cant always look into the eyes anymore too.

It all just got me thinking is all.

Theres alot to it and I think distances are the key factor and the rules of engagement will play a big factor. (you dont want to be eyes down if head butts are on). and you dont want to caught by an axe kick or one to the nuts when moving in cause your looking into eyes etiher.

Into the eyes pre contact range and at leg or arms length seems usual and sensible what ever the art form though.

So its just a matter of preference or does focusing on the elbows allow you more time to react than the shoulder. Basically I'm asking which would give me more time to defend looking at the shoulder or elbows? I'm asking this for all sorts of strikes with the arms, jabs, uppercuts, hooks and elbow strikes.

"They are close in tricks you can adapt into a telephone box style battle without grabbing you can disrupt them ad make them adjust so you get an opening."

Some examples of that would be great.

When you are sparring see what works for you.

There is no, this is better or that is better ,that was the point in writing it.

Im all for the elbows for the given reasons. Its where I block,I have the knees in vision too, it is the oppositions balance point controls.

I think shoulders are a fair focus for just boxing though.

There are down sides to only looking into the eyes.

Something to try when in close is dropping your glove into a elbow or your elbow down to meet a wrist to dissipate the power in their shot and follow that arm as it retracts back to the target. Same side same shot.

Up till now, Ive never been Hit by a pair of Eyes ;D