how can i learn to slip punches?

Hey Herb

Good to chat again. There is an article on slipping punches on the site; navigation is not great at the moment, so I'll aim to improve it (the 'Look in Here' drop down on the right is your best bet.) Have a look at the vid, read the associated article and then let me know any questions via this thread. The slip does require some knee bending on the inside slip not so much on the outside slip), but it sounds like this may be a 'lesser of two evils' situation in terms of discomfort when slipping shots; I guess you will need to experiment.

Take it easy mate

Fran

Thanks -- I had seen that before and really thought I could use it, but then didn't find a chance to practice it at the gym.

I am really glad you reminded me of that video.

This is entirely different from the 'fade' my coach teaches. (Not saying which is better but that doesn't matter because at worst I will have another choice of movement.)

This looks like something that I can do effectively as well -- need to try it with some punches coming at me.

Thanks again Fran.

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HerbM

Simply the Hips cant move without assistance of the joints of the Legs. Hips are not made to move by themselves cant happen, 6 degrees at the most is all you will get in laterell movement.

The bag tied up with string and swinging was the best for me... I found when your learning to slip and you have someone throwing punches at you, even not very hard, it's easy to tense up a bit and exaggerate the movement/swivel/lean to avoid the punch...

With the swinging bag though, it's much easier to be relaxed at first, and it's almost a revelation when you realize just how little you need to swivle to completely slip the bag...
With a bit of practice, it feels like you're barely traveling an inch while the bag goes whizzing clean past your ear... Which seems impossible as the bag is much wider than an inch.. But if your relaxed and use your whole body together from your feet, it takes barely a twitch to slip a punch...

I didn't learn that though until I actually starting using a ball swinging on string.. When avoiding punches I always tried to add much more into the movement than was needed. Putting myself off balance...


As for technique, for me the best place to start was to just get in your regular stance, and as the ball approaches you, simply swivle left or right on the balls of your feet about maybe 10 - 15 degrees,,, keeping your whole stance completely aligned, and just letting the swivle rotate you. That alone can almost be enough for a punch to slide past your ear..
You can work from there to reduce the amount of movement needed, or add more, or adjust if you are setting up for a counter or come back with a punch swivling the other direction.. With even a tiny swivle on the balls of your feet, it may only need a 10th of an inch movement around your torso/knees to add enough movement to avoid the punch/bag/ball..

As with just about every movement in boxing or sport, you are fastest and most agile when you are relaxed. If you're tensing up all your muscles to slip a punch, your putting way to much into it... That's why I suggest using a bag to slip first to learn how to do the movement relaxed, and constantly monitor the amount of effort needed to actually avoid the punch..

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Andre

If you havent got a sparring partner you can tape a glove on to the end of a broom stick and get your misses to move around in jab fashion trying to land one on you.

They will enjoy that too. If they can get in ten clean shots in 3 minutes you'll do the sweeping for them.

Win /win :cool:

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Is that because if you actually strap the gloves onto her hands, she'll really quickly get the urge to proper punish you for all the times you havn't done the sweeping?

"hey!! stop punching so much! i'm trying to actually learn something here"
"Sorry it's just fun (trying to punch your head in)"

That's how it's always gone for me... Just no control in girls..

cheers guys, looks like im gonna get hit lots with the broomstick for the next few weeks haha

A couple of drills i find useful for developing the slip are;
1 kneel opposite a partner just inside his/her range(they are also kneeling BTW) and work for a round with your guard up allowing them to throw straight punches at you. your job is to slip them. The kneeling takes the footwork out of the equasion. experiment with rotating as you slip to 'load'.
2. Stand about a metre and a half away from a wall - you must be facing the wall - in your boxing guard. then get your partner to throw a tennis ball against the wall -from behind you - in such away that after it bounces off the wall it comes straight for your face. then slip it !!!! works the reflexes well.
hope they help.

Here is a little thing I found, one of the boys.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RROEM3Ka8Lo

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Scrap

Here is a little thing I found, one of the boys.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RROEM3Ka8Lo

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Well i know this has answered a lot of my questions on slipping, what does everyone else think to scraps video?