Learning Distance and Range

That video is ok for what hes saying but i would never leave my back foot behind, and i would never stand that far away from someone when fighting unless i wanted a runway for a big kick of flying head butt or something lol. your back foot is your true range no matter how much leaning or reaching you do to try and lengthen a shot if your back foots not there when the punch is then the punch will never be as hard or as fast as it could be.

he says it himself the back foots his pushing foot so why does he leave it in the car park when he needs it with him to drive off of to move or strike? this video is a good demonstration of this mistake made often when starting out in boxing and quite a nasty habit to get into and get rid of, every leading movement like this will leave you in a position that will have your muscles fighting against all your joints if you should choose to throw a punch from where you are, without a correcting step first bringing the back foot with you your exposing yourself because of where youve put yourself and the mobility and attacking potential isnt looking too good either so that really wasnt a great move was it? this is what happens when a stance gets too wide.

If your fighting against joints your wasteing energy and slowing down a shot, ultimately when mastering a punch your first goal should be to get the joints working in harmony because once you have figured this out it tells you where the base is from were all your work will come from, your stance.

Once youve figured that out (good luck lol its tricker than most believe) its time to find the trigger muscles, any muscle that isnt a trigger muscle or a muscle supporting your stance is like leaving on a weak handbreak in your car, it will cost you energy and fuck you up.

Then youve got to take it to the next level and learn to wind up the shots, which means more foot, body and limb placement issues that must be resolved as to avoid fighting the joints and thus wasting more energy winding up a shot that doesnt even let go all that effectively. not a good idea

Then its the same thing for defensive movements and any overall movement you will use in the ring, find where the joints aren't working as they should/could be, correct that problem and then find the trigger muscles which will enable you to locate the 'handbreaks' and then you can relax or release the handbreaks more effectivley because you know where they are.

Sorry guys kind of went off topic a bit there to say its a video on range but i just thought id save any beginners from falling into that trap, ive been there and done that and it was an annoying habit to get rid of.

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Originally Posted by Fran@myboxingcoach

I just wonder whether that step out is simply too far. It's an awful lot of ground to cover in quick time and the risk is high of walking straight onto incoming.

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I think that was what had me feeling a bit uncomfortable initially while watching the video. The exaggerated step just seemed to leave him too wide.

Again, I'm no expert.. I'm here just here to learn as much as I can, so appreciate all the input.

That's one of the biggest problems we have with beginners. They tend to close in and smother their own punches, and of course open themselves up. Then the opposite problem is staying out to far and 'reaching off balance' to deliver a punch. One of the early training techniques I use (beyond bag work) is to have an experienced fighter (padded up and instructed to deliver light punches), stand in a square 4ft X 4ft, (box is marked by tape on the floor). The novice is instructed to to move in and out, around, whatever, and try to deliver puches, combinations, --but understanding that the fighter has to stay in the box, but can block and punch back. After awhile, it accomplishes teaching the novice how to recognize his range, how to evaluate the range of the opponent, respect for balance and footwork, and it gives him some confidence. Now, later on, you can expand the box, and make the sparring as versitle as you want. I learned this from a fighter who trained in the early 1900's.

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Originally Posted by Gray Lion

That's one of the biggest problems we have with beginners. They tend to close in and smother their own punches, and of course open themselves up. Then the opposite problem is staying out to far and 'reaching off balance' to deliver a punch. One of the early training techniques I use (beyond bag work) is to have an experienced fighter (padded up and instructed to deliver light punches), stand in a square 4ft X 4ft, (box is marked by tape on the floor). The novice is instructed to to move in and out, around, whatever, and try to deliver puches, combinations, --but understanding that the fighter has to stay in the box, but can block and punch back. After awhile, it accomplishes teaching the novice how to recognize his range, how to evaluate the range of the opponent, respect for balance and footwork, and it gives him some confidence. Now, later on, you can expand the box, and make the sparring as versitle as you want. I learned this from a fighter who trained in the early 1900's.

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That's an interesting drill, might try and give that one a go sometime.

On the heavy bag you have to learn to move after you hit so you can hit the bag with extended punches. The easiest way to do that is to move to the point where the bag is going to swing to and hit it as it starts to change directions (at its apex). It's also possible you are pushing your punches so the bag is moving more than it needs to (you want the loudest "pop" with the smallest bag movement when you hit). If you move your feet and stay in balance, you can find your punching range. That is really not the hard part. The hard part is finding your range when the other guy is hitting back.

I think the biggest mistake novice fighters make, particularly against taller fighters is that they stay at the end of the opponents jab, in other words in his range out of yours. I think the point of the video is that fighters have to move in and out of range. I agree the wide step is not good, lots of small explosive steps are better. Slipping, feinting and stepping are all methods of closing the gap(I posted a previous question about this). One other point on the video, taller fighters (although I hate you all) have to fight tall, never mind "eye level" if you have a height advantage. Once you get in range, if you are getting the best of it, stay, if you are getting the worst of it, leave.

Range is a challenge that all fighters, no matter how great, have to keep facing every fight. I recently watched Tapia's fight against Barerra (granted it was the end of Tapia's career and he had a lot of miles on him (in and out of the ring)) but the problem was he couldn't cross Barerra's jab and get into range for his left to the body. I then watched Morales against Barerra (which was a war) and I was fascinated with Morale's feints and footwork. He had so many tricks to close the gap...... "Boxers are the world's greatest liars"

i need to study it but it seemed in his last fight Manny P did a lot of this wide stance thing(this is also him not me or you keep that in mind) but also most often the opponent will be coming in towards you with that kind of distance. you don't want to over-extend nor do you want to be smothered. keep in mind most beginners i see tend to smother themselves and or run straight back. i do have a vid for circling to the right(yes his power hand) now that is one i would love to post... bet we could get a real good discussion off that