Over the last few weeks I have been catching up on the "big" fights of the last year or so and I have been largely disappointed by most of them. It seems that it is now accepted that one stand square up to an opponent and eat right hands all night, and that using one's intelligence in a fight is now considered unsporting. I have also noticed that the bob and weave is apparently no longer in use and I have a theory or two as to why and some thoughts on how to properly and effectively carry out these moves.
The problem begins in the gym where there are too many trainers that are boxing ignorant. On countless "how-to" dvds and videos I have seen trainers try to sell a way of doing things that is not workable. In gyms I have worked with boxers that had never had anybody show them how to bob and weave without losing balance. The simple fact is that you maintain balance and flow through the shifting of your body weight from one leg to the other; you can't do it while keeping your feet in one spot, no matter how far apart you spread them.
To b&w correctly you must know how to slip a punch and there is plenty of material on that subject on here someplace. The question is what to do after the slip. Let's assume that you slipped to the outside (it went over your right shoulder) of your opponent's jab and, in the samemotion landed a left to the body. To weave to the inside slide the left foot forward and to the left, and pushing off with the right, transfer your weight to the left leg. . At the same time you get your body down low and swing it under his left arm, till its is over the left leg and standing up. Also as you pass under and your wt shifts you should hook a short right to the area under the heart. Once the wt is on the left leg and you are standing up, drop the weight to the rt foot and hook the left to the chin. The whole key to maintaining balance and, thus, fluidity of movement and pop in the punch is in moving your feet and shifting weight. If your trainer is teaching you to do these moves while keeping your feet in one place get a new trainer.
Remember to punch as you bob and weave; too often you see a fighter makes the moves then try to punch and either lose the opening or get clocked in return. Punch to the body as you weave your way to the inside or bob to the outside. You'll feel the point at which your weight is tunedand you can landsnapping solid punche to vulnerable sweet spots.
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