Off the ropes..

Alright, well i guess the answer is kinda obvious. But i wanted to get some fundamental advice for punching off the ropes.

I find when i get backed up on them, My back is flat on the ropes and im real square to my opponent. Im hunched over, guard up real tight. So the problem isnt me getting hit, but me not being in a position to counter with short uppercuts and hooks after i feel their punch bounce off my guard. I just get no hip torque.

So my question is, When im on the ropes, should i be fighting to keep my body slanted, thus giving my hips room to twist into those short punches or what?



also iceman if you see this.. please please please stop flooding this place with your instructional clips from youtube. thanks.

I can't comment much but I will say whatever you do off the ropes make sure it's legal for whatever competition you're entering.

I found out last year it was illegal to bounce off the ropes coming out with a punch in amateur boxing. Perhaps this is obvious to many people but I'd been competing for a few years before I found out and could have been penalized had I been in a situation which called for that!

Seems to be one of those little things some coaches think everyone knows - so they forget to tell them. I'm especially confusing for them since I've spent time in different gyms and the poor blokes don't know where I'm at anymore!

I have always been taught to throw a left hook pivot out and jab to get some distance so basically the roles become reversed. It seems to work pretty well for me when I get stuck there.

never mind

cmon someone throw me a bone here.

salty and sharla, good advice, but im lookin to box on the ropes, not try and spin myself off em.

A little tip, as soon as your back hits the ropes bend your knees not your back. Bend them before he bends them for you, plus you have the inside track and the ability to move.

I use to like lying on the ropes, usually when I was too knackered to move about so they could tire themselves hitting my arms. :cool:

Have you tried pushing back in to the ropes so you can use some of that spring Sharla talked about. Cheeky uppercuts tend to work well.
Cuff them round the ear and turn them. Push in to them and slides along and out. If they square off to you try pulling them in to you and slide out.

If they're keeping their distance I would get outta dodge.

This is a location commonly seen as a disadvantage, but it can be highly beneficial if you know what to do. Seee Wilfred Benitez or Juan Diaz.

Backing an opponent to the ropes or corner is an instinctive strategy implemented by a slower boxer, chasing a taller or more mobil opponent. The simple fact is that once the fighter does limit the faster guys mobility he has little idea what to do next.

This puts the fighter with his back to the ropes in a situation where he has a unique window of opportunity. When viewed in perspective the fighter has a slower guy walking him into the ropes and putting himself in range with no particular plan when he does get there.

If I were polaced against the ropes I would retaliate primarily with the uppercut, directed toward the head if possible. Room for clean punching may be limited so I find leaning froward less than 45 degrees will force an opening. This will allow the window of opportunity to fill the gap with uppercuts and hooks. I heard this term used in a recent Juan Diaz fight. At this stage the man forcing the opponet to the ropes will make a concious decision, either he will slug it out or he will tie the opponent. up. Should you be tied up you simply rotate clockwise and you have room to move. Should he slug, you have another key advantage in that he cannot force you backward. His punches will have impavct but you have to focus less on balance. When you create space for yourself to punch, make those punches count. Should you achieve this goal you can presume he takes a step back allowing for you to counter with a straight.

As I've mentioned being square on with your back against the ropes, means you can actually endure more punishment without having to worry about balance. Use this adavantage.


And remeber, anytime your opponent concentrates entirely on offense (i.e. when your pinned against the ropes.) he is neglecting his defence.

would it not be better to be in a postion where you can move freely? not everyone is Ali and he paid a price for geting hit... why limit your mobility?

Well you touched on my counter comment in your post also. Not evryone is Ali, in that they can lay on the ropes, but then not everyone is as good as Sugar Ray in mid ring or as Charley Burley on the move. Every fighter has something different and I feel it's a good time to develop that something in the amateurs. Fighting on the ropes can prove to be as beneficial a skill as any.

Roy Jones Jr. suffered severe knockout losses. In common they had one factor. Roy was on the ropes. Trainers emphasise the importance of fighting outside and inside at an early stage, why not give a little knowledge of rope fighting too? Because it's not very well known I believe.

Wilfred Benitez was a master of this technique.
It takes a huge amount of energy to get into a heaving match with an opponent pushing you onto the ropes. I think it would be highly advantageous to allow the opponent to push your back to the ropes only to be placed in a familiar setting with a degree of command over the situation.