Fighting off your back foot...

[God.in.my.corner]

An older guy who I see occassionally around the gym was watching me spar the other day. He told me I need to learn how to fight off my back foot. He just keep saying it over and over but when I asked a little about it... he began a profanity-laced tirade about fighters these days not fighting off their back foot.

I usually have less of a reach and prefer to fight inside. How can you work inside while standing upright with your weight on your back foot? I thought it was used for counterpunching. I know it helps stepping forward with the jab... but I try to move in under my opponents jab.

Any thoughts?

[Chris Nagel]

Whether you're fighting on the outside, inside, or on the ropes, you can still push off of your back foot for more power.

I can see how it can be used as a counter like you said, stepping in avoiding their jab while launching a counter on your own. You can also take some steps back, and then spring forward when you see an opening.

[Scrap]

Chris is right, as an example look at JC Chavez.

[AdamGB]

Trick the other guy onto your punches... sort of like Chris has said if you get him to come forwards chasing you and throwing shots then you can stop, plant your back foot and launch a counter punch with him, not afterwards and he'll walk onto it.

[Youngblood]

Tho naturally orthodox, I fight a substantial amount of time in southie. From here I tend to find myself often on the back foot. I find I do use it often as a counter, my left...but how it seems to work if I understand the mechanics properly, is that while backing up, I can give a strong shot with my right, to create the combo of a straight left to follow that when delivered done with a momentum or gravitational shift of weight forward.

Or something.

[Andre]

Tho naturally orthodox, I fight a substantial amount of time in southie. From here I tend to find myself often on the back foot. I find I do use it often as a counter, my left...but how it seems to work if I understand the mechanics properly, is that while backing up, I can give a strong shot with my right, to create the combo of a straight left to follow that when delivered done with a momentum or gravitational shift of weight forward.

Or something.

Do you use the initial switch to your advantage or the ending of the switch to your advantage or both? Do you trigger the move on their commitment and use the switch to go out of range on one side fast and counter with the other side? Not many people do it safe and right.

[Howlin Mad Missy]

An older guy who I see occassionally around the gym was watching me spar the other day. He told me I need to learn how to fight off my back foot. He just keep saying it over and over but when I asked a little about it... he began a profanity-laced tirade about fighters these days not fighting off their back foot.

I usually have less of a reach and prefer to fight inside. How can you work inside while standing upright with your weight on your back foot? I thought it was used for counterpunching. I know it helps stepping forward with the jab... but I try to move in under my opponents jab.

Any thoughts?

Ask him to show you what he means. He could have meant your weight placement or he could have meant moving/backing away from your opponent. I've heard the term used to describe both actions.
Good luck with your training.

[God.in.my.corner]

I think he was referring to controlling distance. I wasn't quick enough getting in and was getting hit with jabs, and my counters were slow. He also said it sould be a sin to lead with the hook. He said you finish with the hook, not lead with it. I tried the hook lead a couple times, probably with my weight on my lead foot. I think it was blocked once and ducked once and I got countered each time....