When Do You Get Hit?

Pretty simple right? What do you do that cause you to get hit? I get hit if I'm looking for something and become so focused on that that I forget about other things. I get hit sometimes while I'm trying to counterpunch. I get hit when I try to mix it up. I get hit when I am predicting my opponent to react a certain way but he doesn't. I get hit from just plain not paying attention.

One thing that seems to remain constant through each one of these is that for some reason I lack awareness. That is, I am doing something that momentarily takes away my ability to predict punches. Well then if I could increase my awareness and limit the things that cause me to lose it I would be able to predict everything coming my way. And when I can do that; I can then become nearly impossible to hit.

I think the things I mentioned are honestly what cause - not only me - but everybody to get hit. Being unable to predict the punches coming whether because you weren't looking for them or you were preoccupied during the act of punching. So If I want to get hit less I would have to be able to fight in such a way that I see things coming and stop mixing it up so much that I'm too busy in the act of punching to see things happening clearly.

I would have to circle to maintain distance. This reduces my opponent's punch output and gives me extra time to see what he is getting ready to throw. I would have to punch (this includes counterpunching) less in that I can't mix it up so much to the point that I get so busy punching I can't see and predict whats happening around me.

Well thats the basic blueprint for a fighter with good defense; a fighter who rarely gets hit. These are fighters who - through the process of circling and limiting their punch selections - are able to fully maximize their awareness thus allowing themselves to predict what their opponent is doing with greater accuracy than other fighters who tend to just go into a fight face first.



Well this leads me into my next question. Do you get hit with your opponent's lead punches? It is of my opinion that you should never get hit with lead punches and to be hit by a lead punch is a shameful thing. Tunney once said he was ashamed of himself when he let Dempsey knock him down with a simple lead left hook. No set-up, no nothing: just a simple lead left hook. If I were him I would have been ashamed too. I think he blamed it on his eye or something but in any event the point he was trying to drive him is poignant. You shouldn't begetting hit with your opponent's leads at all. If you are there is something wrong in your defense that must be altered.

So with that said do you get hit by your opponent's leads? If so how often. And with what? Jabs, right hands, left hooks? If these leads are landing on you with any frequency alterations must be made.

Ah..getting hit. One of my big problems in boxing -_-' Im often lectured by my trainer that its as simple as keeping your paws in up and you wont be getting unnecessarily tagged by leads and and jabs. As far as habits go, i have a persistent one of leaving my right (southpaw) hangin low. So im consistently getting potshotted at long range by jabs which should be taken on my glove.

I've learned early on to keep my rear guard positioned up tight to the side of my face and body. But i've always liked to leave my jab hand a little lower. My trainers tell me though otherwise. They say as a southpaw, my lead guard should always be raised high (im assuming to negate jabs and left hooks) As opposed to orthodox, where they can leave their jab hand a little lower and away and still be safe. I remember reading this (one of chris n's threads i think) that its acceptable, even beneficial to leave it out there hanging a litle bit. Yet for a southpaw its the exact opposite (one of the quirks of the left handed stance i guess) So im still accepting the cold hard facts that i dont have RJJ like head movement and that i always gotta keep my right hand high to keep my defense technically sound. Despite everything though, i still find sometimes i leave it out and low on purpose, to pop off jabs from different angles. Though fundamentally, i know i shouldnt be :P

Any other lefties dealt with this issue?

now getting clobbered with leads.. If this is shameful thing, then I shouldnt be able to show my face at my gym again. haha. Because i remember once i had just switched off sparring two people. And i recall at the start of both rounds, i got hit with really hard by lead rights from both guys. I remember standing there dazed thinking "Was my rear guard too low? Am i standing too close in his range?" I felt totally safe from where i was standing and then POW! So i guess my left WAS too low and i WASNT standing at a safe range. It usually does cost me a couple clean shots in the beginning in order for me to become aware of my defensive shortcomings and adjust accordingly.


so yeah..good topic btw. as getting hit is something i can really relate to.

Not to brag, but you ain't hitting me with a jab. Not a right hand, either. Ask my ex-girlfriend. ;D
Left hooks...another story. If you hook to my body then to my head, ain't hitting me. But a pot-shot left hook, especially in close...I've eaten too many of those when I thought I was unhittable.
And, I should point out, if you hit me with something and I can't figure out how or why you hit me with it, you'll hit me twice more while I'm trying to figure it out.

Southpaws are interesting I've been digging in my library and watching a lot of southpaw fights lately. What southpaws do you like? When talking about defense for southpaws the first two guys that spring to mind would have to be Whitaker and Wright. You should try and get some of their fights and see what they do to prevent themselves from getting tagged with jabs as both men are almost never hit with jabs - let alone anything else for that matter. People talk about things like handspeed, or chin, or power but how often do you ever hear them talking about how aware a fighter is? Whitaker and Wright are two of the most aware fighters I have ever seen. There is rarely anything their opponent can do that they aren't aware of. This may seem like its not very significant but this in itself is actually the basis of all defense. You can know all the moves and techniques any so and so in the gym can sell you but without that heightened awareness none of it will actually work. Awareness is actually the most important trait to have in boxing.

I remember Wright saying in an interview once that he can sense when his opponent is getting ready to attack and when he isn't. When you watch his fights you can see him clearly doing this. When his opponent is in what he would classify as attack-mode he will stop coming forward with his jab and inch back slightly and bring in his guard. He doesn't keep his right glove glued to his temple at all times. He doesn't need to. He only brings it in back to block only when he knows his opponent is getting ready to attack him. Winky has both of his hands at about chin level. This is so that 1. it makes it easier for him to punch as the hands aren't being committed to blocking all the time (even when there are no punches to block) and 2. it allows him to see his opponent clearly. With your right glove at your temple how much of your vision do you cut out? You're literally blocking all of your peripheral vision out if not more. How are you going to see what your opponent is doing? How are you going to know when he is in "attack-mode"? How are you supposed to avoid punches that you can barely see?

What you should practice in order to stop getting hit with jabs and sneaky right hands (which you just can't allow yourself get hit with since the great southpaws never let themselves get hit with lead rights and you want to be one of them) is to number one pick up as many southpaw fights to watch as you can. In particular I would recommend Winky Wright since he seems most in keeping to the style you describe yourself as having. Study how he reacts to his opponent. I am telling you will see an instant pattern in the way Winky Wright defends punches its very methodical and simple. And most importantly get your trainer or someone else in the gym get in the ring and throw jabs at you. Let it be known that he is only allowed to throw jabs but he can't tell you when he is going to throw them. You have to figure that out for yourself. This will help you develop and sharpen your awareness of when an opponent is getting ready to attack and when he isn't. Just work purely on blocking the jabs. Further on you can have your partner throw his jabs and right hands at you. This kind of training will make you very aware of opponent's leads. In time I promise that you will be able to block every single lead in the same way Winky does. Its not magic its just simple boxing.

little tip is to inch back just slightly as your opponent jabs which will take off much of the force on his jabs as jabs tend only to strike into their target by a few inches. If you take away a couple inches the jab will graze you and be unable to sink into the target. Winky does this. He will also lean slightly back with his body to further take away some force from punches like jabs.

Just remember that you have to see the punches coming. And if you're gloves are blocking your eyes: you won't.

Thomas, do you remember Jiro Watanabe? I thought he was a real pretty southpaw.

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Originally Posted by greynotsoold

Not to brag, but you ain't hitting me with a jab. Not a right hand, either. Ask my ex-girlfriend. ;D
Left hooks...another story. If you hook to my body then to my head, ain't hitting me. But a pot-shot left hook, especially in close...I've eaten too many of those when I thought I was unhittable.
And, I should point out, if you hit me with something and I can't figure out how or why you hit me with it, you'll hit me twice more while I'm trying to figure it out.

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I hear you. I can't get hit with jabs and right hands either. Well lead jabs and right hands. If you counter me with the jab or the right its a different story. But I hardly ever get countered either. The left hook is the problem for me. I keep the right hand at chest level so theres that. If I'm not paying attention you get a free one on me.

Jiro Watanabe what a frustrating fighter. The distance to jab is greater when an orthodox and a southpaw fighter fight and when a guy in that fight decides to move around I would hate to be the one who has to chase that guy down. Jiro was that guy. I can't get a jab close to landing unless I lunge in over that distance he is creating and expose myself to some kind of painful counter. Same with the right hand. He doesn't have to do anything but move to take those punches away from me and when I do get close he justs blocks. Seems unfair to me. I should have been a southpaw.

I get hit with the hook when I'm in close and think I can't get hit with it, if that makes sense. Usually when I don't lean in, when we're up close.

And Watanbe had those punches, it was like he had razors in his gloves the way he'd cut guys up. He was always my nightmare southpaw, circling right with that sharp jab and left hand...A lot of modern southpaws could learn a little bit by watching him fight.

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Originally Posted by greynotsoold

I get hit with the hook when I'm in close and think I can't get hit with it, if that makes sense. Usually when I don't lean in, when we're up close.

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You mean like how Toney gets in the pocket and sometimes holds his arms lower and rests his right arm over his opponent's left arm, I guess to feel when he is going to throw it. But he always ends up getting hit with a cheap little left hook over the top of his arm.

[yt=425,350]http://youtube.com/watch?v=SKArp0h3-Tk[/yt]

Kind of like this. Toney gets hit a bunch of times here. Too square.

More or less, but, as I tend to be taller, and tend to lean, I tend to get hit a bit more, uh, forcefully.

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Originally Posted by ThomasTabin

Southpaws are interesting I've been digging in my library and watching a lot of southpaw fights lately. What southpaws do you like? When talking about defense for southpaws the first two guys that spring to mind would have to be Whitaker and Wright. You should try and get some of their fights and see what they do to prevent themselves from getting tagged with jabs as both men are almost never hit with jabs - let alone anything else for that matter.

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Southies are interesting. I boggle my own mind sometimes. As for my favorite one, i cant really say. One reason, is i dont know/havent watched enough southpaw fighters. I actually go online just to find a list of names of southpaw fighters  :-[ then go look them up on Youtube in hopes some of their fights are on there, So i can scope out their style and all. The second reason being, im honestly too intrigued with all the different styles. I find them all fascinating. From Winkys seemingly simplistic yet effective style of peekaboo defense, To whitakers slippery headmovement.

As far as studying videos of southpawed fighers, im way ahead of you there. I find alot of my free time i spend, sitting in front of my monitor, munching out and trying to find videos of acclaimed left handed fighters (or any fighter that caught my attention) So i can sit there for about an hour or two studying their footwork and little tricks in the ring (Whitaker was one guy who i really rewinded and replayed for). Sometimes i dont come out with much, due to my lack of understanding of the fight game.  but sometimes my studying pays off and i learn a trick or two.

Currently i found a videos of Micheal Nunn, which i've never heard of prior (im not too boxing savvy on history and all), but i now find out he was voted a P4P fighter. Im watching his fight with James Toney right now. Its quite a lucky find because one of my sparring partners has Toneyesque defense and head movement. So im trying to see what i can pick up and apply myself.


p.s. Tabin you really needa recommend me some videos or southpaw fighters to do case studies on. I scour the net for new fighters to study. But I find it frustrating when i have to find and watch fighters that are brand new to me. It makes it harder to know what i should be watching for. I could find a extensive list of southpaws, but theyd all just be names to me. yknow what i mean?

like i recall seeing jiro watanbes name somewhere and trying to look him up on the tube. But i dont remember finding any of his videos.

I'm not an aggressive person by nature so I tend to get hit in the early going until I realize that the other guy isn't taking things as easily/lightly as I am. Then I get a pissed and fight back and usually land one that's harder than I meant.

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Originally Posted by Walker Smith Jr.

Southies are interesting. I boggle my own mind sometimes. As for my favorite one, i cant really say. One reason, is i dont know/havent watched enough southpaw fighters. I actually go online just to find a list of names of southpaw fighters :-[ then go look them up on Youtube in hopes some of their fights are on there, So i can scope out their style and all. The second reason being, im honestly too intrigued with all the different styles. I find them all fascinating. From Winkys seemingly simplistic yet effective style of peekaboo defense, To whitakers slippery headmovement.

As far as studying videos of southpawed fighers, im way ahead of you there. I find alot of my free time i spend, sitting in front of my monitor, munching out and trying to find videos of acclaimed left handed fighters (or any fighter that caught my attention) So i can sit there for about an hour or two studying their footwork and little tricks in the ring (Whitaker was one guy who i really rewinded and replayed for). Sometimes i dont come out with much, due to my lack of understanding of the fight game. but sometimes my studying pays off and i learn a trick or two.

Currently i found a videos of Micheal Nunn, which i've never heard of prior (im not too boxing savvy on history and all), but i now find out he was voted a P4P fighter. Im watching his fight with James Toney right now. Its quite a lucky find because one of my sparring partners has Toneyesque defense and head movement. So im trying to see what i can pick up and apply myself.


p.s. Tabin you really needa recommend me some videos or southpaw fighters to do case studies on. I scour the net for new fighters to study. But I find it frustrating when i have to find and watch fighters that are brand new to me. It makes it harder to know what i should be watching for. I could find a extensive list of southpaws, but theyd all just be names to me. yknow what i mean?

like i recall seeing jiro watanbes name somewhere and trying to look him up on the tube. But i dont remember finding any of his videos.

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Watching fights is one of the best things you can do. I know that Boxing seems pretty hard to understand at first because theres seemingly so much stuff going on at once but actually its pretty simple. When I was younger I used to watch fights and I had no idea what was happening or why this guy got knocked out or why another guy didn't. But if you watch enough boxing for a while it all makes sense. You'll need a couple things though

first thing you need to do is join a site where you can get all the fights you want! I suggest you go here: http://fights.worldboxingvideoarchive.com/ and sign up. Basically its kind of like file sharing with music but...with fights. I've gotten hundreds of fights from them and even some really rare ones. The site is completely free. Anyway read their FAQ section before you get started.

another thing you need is a good way watch your fights. I go on youtube and watch fights too and they got some good stuff on there. The only problem is the quality is terrible, you cant use slow motion to analyze things, and its hard to rewind to the specific location you want to.

I suggest you get this media player: http://www.free-codecs.com/download/...er_Classic.htm media player classic. Its like any other media player but just real simple and without any extra stuff you don't really need. Whats unique to this player is that you can frame step forward in slow motion with the arrow keys on your keyboard. Or frame step backwards. Its just very easy to control the fight this way because when you see something you want to look closer at you can easily rewind in slow motion and then play it back in slow motion again over and over. Watching the fight in slow motion makes it very easy to see what the opponent's are doing.


Southpaws to study would be Marvin Hagler, Pernell Whitaker, Winky Wright, Joe Calzaghe, and like Grey said Jiro Wantabe. They all seem different but actually they do a lot of the same things. When you watch them you will begin to see the similarities. Its also a good idea to watch southpaw fighters who aren't so great. You can watch them and see what they're doing that causes them to get hit.

A fight I really really recommend in Vic Darchinyan vs. Nonito Donaire. Donaire (orthodox) knocked Vic (southpaw) out just brutally with the most simple counter in orthodox/southpaw. Vic was rushing in and trying to take off Donaire's head with a big looping and sometimes straight left. That was his only strategy. Actually thats all Vic could do. Donaire was using movement around the ring and forced Vic to *HAVE* to come forward to him with what else but a left hand. Well after implicitly forcing Vic to use his big left hand on him he blocks it on his right arm and counters with his left hook. Its a counter he had been throwing all night and hurting him with.

Ironic because this is a strategy the southpaw fighter is supposed to use! A moving southpaw that counters his orthodox opponent's straight right by blocking it on their left arm and rolling with it to counter with their right hook. Using Movement to create distance and thus through this taking away all of their opponent's punches except their right hand and then blocking and countering that. This is one of the most dominant strategies in Boxing. You'll see those southpaws I named doing this. You can find a bunch of their fights at that site I gave you a link to.


I was just watching the Nunn/Toney fight. I'm in round 5 or something. Nunn should use more movement. He is really mixing it up with Toney a little too much.

Wow.. Alot of guys on this side really like and study toney

I am a huge toney fan.. But for instance you should take what is good from toney if you wish and not try to mimick him..


See the thing is about toney..Im sure you have already noticed..The man has an amazing chin.. and he knows it.. he has an amazing chin because when he was learning this dangerous defensive fighting style it didnt just come to him..It took a long time and he got hit hard and often in the process of perfecting it..

But on the upside although a defensive master when he did get hit he took it like nothing..Look at his posture and his facial expressions in the ring..Its nothing to him, very calm and relaxed.. and thats where his composure helps him out big time.. always looking for the counter and calm enough to think and act smart in the ring.. and when he does get hit it doesnt bother him like it does another fighter..

But yes, main point is.. toney is great but he knows he has a great chin and dont emulate him just take what you like or need

Toney doesn't do anything that the old guys like Walcott and Moore never used to do. He was built on the same foundations these fighters were built on. One of the problems with fighters today is they don't want to dig in and analyze the whole thing. They just want to be regular fighters that do the same regular things that others do. Try to bring up one of the old fighters in a conversation. That conversation won't last long.

When i lose concentration sometimes my mind is totally not on boxing at all and im thinking of all other things in my head. And i can't see the punches coming and i can't anticipate the punches. But everyone has off days its just something you got to live with.

Bhb you make a lot of sense. One point its always amused me. Why is it all the defensive masters well most of them cant put a sentence together, but the ones who werent can. Now not mentioning names, but I no of one guy in the 60s by you punching yourself out on him he would ware you down and beat you he was a rated fighter. 40 years on he does the Times crossword in 20 minutes. The clue is what happens in the gym this guy rarely sparred, the clever ones do. The answer to me is getting the balance right. the guys who want to be the champ in the gym dont become Champions of the world or very rarely. They dont leave it in the gym.

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Originally Posted by Scrap

Bhb you make a lot of sense. One point its always amused me. Why is it all the defensive masters well most of them cant put a sentence together, but the ones who werent can. Now not mentioning names, but I no of one guy in the 60s by you punching yourself out on him he would ware you down and beat you he was a rated fighter. 40 years on he does the Times crossword in 20 minutes. The clue is what happens in the gym this guy rarely sparred, the clever ones do. The answer to me is getting the balance right. the guys who want to be the champ in the gym dont become Champions of the world or very rarely. They dont leave it in the gym.

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Toney wasn't really a defensive master, he had good defense but he did get hit with a lot of flush punches, plus he has took bombs from fighters who are much bigger than him naturally, like Samuel Peter, Jirov etc.

Icb, not saying he is making a point to bhb.

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Originally Posted by Scrap

Icb, not saying he is making a point to bhb.

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I was basically saying it to the people that thought that way mate.

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Originally Posted by Scrap

Bhb you make a lot of sense. One point its always amused me. Why is it all the defensive masters well most of them cant put a sentence together, but the ones who werent can. Now not mentioning names, but I no of one guy in the 60s by you punching yourself out on him he would ware you down and beat you he was a rated fighter. 40 years on he does the Times crossword in 20 minutes. The clue is what happens in the gym this guy rarely sparred, the clever ones do. The answer to me is getting the balance right. the guys who want to be the champ in the gym dont become Champions of the world or very rarely. .They dont leave it in the gym

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truth that ! cc enjoyed the read.. one can get old quick in the gym wars

Generally I get hit if i over commit on punches. As a resultant I may withhold punches and then get hit.

I find that when I'm sharp and my offense is in good shape, I get hit a lot less.

Yeah overcommitting on punches is the primary reason you will ever get hit in boxing. You put your body out of a position to defend and more importantly I notice that when fighters are committing hard into their punches they are in a kind of an attack mind set. During this they are just purely focusing on the act of punching and landing their punch. This of course has the consequence of being unaware of everything else that is happening. they see one thing and everything else disappears.

they make themselves unaware.

Thats an interesting phenomena for the counter-puncher to consider. He wants to try to encourage his opponent to overcommit. The only thing to consider next would be how might you go about encouraging him to overcommit on his punches?

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Originally Posted by Cuchulain

As a resultant I may withhold punches and then get hit.

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do you mean you commit less to your punches (you pull them/ throw them just short of landing) or do you mean you just stop punching?

I'd get hit for stupid things like looking at my opponents hands, getting caught out of position, but for the most part just plain being unaware of what's happening.

To name a few here's some of the fighters who embody the essense of awareness that come to mind, Pernell Whitaker, Mike McCallum, Roy Jones, Floyd Mayweather jr. and oh yeah-- I can't leave out Wilfredo Benitez, and Nicholino Locche. ;D

They all had the uncanny awareness of what was happening in the present, right down to as it was unfolding. They could see how their opponent was trying to counter, among many other things. On their high level of fighting they could basically steer the fight into any direction that they wanted.

I think part of it has to do with familiarity with particular situations, using your stance and punches to tone down the unpredictability or options of your opponent, but ultimately observing actions as they unfold and knowing what to do when the time comes.

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Originally Posted by ThomasTabin

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Originally Posted by Cuchulain

As a resultant I may withhold punches and then get hit.

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do you mean you commit less to your punches (you pull them/ throw them just short of landing) or do you mean you just stop punching?

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Absolutley, missing and getting countered knocks confidence, it disencourages you to throw punches and when you do they may be shorter.
I used to have this problem a lot when I was younger.