How to help prevent knockouts

again this is from ross boxing but having it here can help a lot of fighters out, credit to ross boxing.http://www.rossboxing.com/thegym/thegym15.htm

Each athlete is born with a certain level of “natural ability”. While we are all capable of improvement, certain athletes possess natural abilities that are impossible to teach. Consider the Olympic track and field athlete who sprints 100 meters in less than 10 seconds. No matter how hard I train, I will never run this fast. In boxing, one of the oldest debates is whether certain fighters have a natural ability to take a punch. Many believe that a fighter is born with his “chin”. We have all seen many would be champions who were rich in talent but had “glass jaws”. A fighter who can sustain a powerful punch is said to have a good chin or "beard". A fighter who cannot withstand the punishment is said to have "no chin" or a "glass jaw"…

So, why are certain fighters knocked out, while others trade leather for 12 rounds? Consider the action packed bout between Arturo Gatti and Micky Ward. These two warriors traded punches from start to finish. How do these fighters withstand such a barrage of punishment, while others crumble to the ground? We have all seen well-known fighters dominate a bout until they suddenly crumble from a knockout blow. Boxing is unique from other sports. You can be losing every round and land one punch that suddenly catapults you to victory. It only takes a split second to land the knockout punch.

What actually causes the knockout? Is there anything that a fighter can do to prevent the knockout? These are questions that are constantly debated. While the debate remains open, there are certain factors that have been proven to cause the knockout. When a punch is landed to the head, the circulation to the brain is compressed. When a blow is delivered to the head, the impact to the brain depends on the acceleration and snapping motion of the head. When forcefully struck, the head accelerates backwards or sideways. The force of this acceleration determines whether the knockout occurs. The impact to the brain is dependent on the rapid turning of the head following impact. It is also common for the carotid arteries in the neck to compress following impact.

What does this all mean? … While it is difficult to prove, it appears that a strong neck can help to absorb the impact of the incoming punch. A stronger neck will prevent the rapid acceleration of the brain following impact. We have all seen a bout where one boxer’s head is violently snapped back following impact. By strengthening the muscles of the neck, a fighter can help prevent this occurrence. A strong and balanced musculature has always been one of the best ways to prevent injury.

Unfortunately, the neck is perhaps the most neglected area in most training routines. In all of my years at the gym, I have rarely seen fighters take the time to strengthen the neck. Does strengthening the neck prevent knockout? … I ask you to consider Evander Holyfield. Evander has always been considered a small Heavyweight. He first began his career as a Cruiserweight after fighting in the Olympics at 178 pounds. Despite his smaller size, Evander Holyfield has always been able to withstand the punishment inflicted from men much larger in size. If you observe the neck of Evander Holyfield, you will realize why he can sustain such punishment. Evander’s neck is rippled with muscles, which may be the reason why he can withstand such a solid punch.

All fighters should take the time to strengthen their neck. Fighters must do everything in their power to become the best. If strengthening the neck can prevent a knockout, there is no excuse to overlook this important training objective.

Below, I have illustrated three commonneck exercises. These illustrations were taken from The Boxer’s Guide To Performance Enhancement.



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Neck Bridges: I perform the traditional neck bridge with a weight across my chest. I place a towel underneath my head for comfort. I rock back and forth on my head. You should roll back to the forehead and down again. Perform 3 sets of 10-15 repetitions.

Reverse Neck Bridges: The reverse neck bridge is similar only this time you will turn around so that your stomach faces the ground. Roll back and forth on the head as you would for the traditional neck bridge. Perform 3 sets of 10-15 repetitions

Neck Curls: Neck curls require a neck strap and weight. As you can see, the neck strap wraps around my head with the weight hanging below. You will curl the weight upward with the muscles in your neck. Perform 3 sets of 10-15 repetitions.


I recommend training the neck on an every other day schedule. The few minutes required is clearly beneficial, particularly if you can prevent a future knockout...

very good post :coolclick:
i haven't been here for a while cuz all the Q were the same every time, but only a different person asking.

and now i see some interesting posts again :)

there were pics to show how to do the exercises but i kinda forgot lol, thanks for the click :coolclick:

ive seen some kind of neck harnesses where you could attach weight to them but i never used em. I guess the look like they work

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Neck Bridges: I perform the traditional neck bridge with a weight across my chest. I place a towel underneath my head for comfort. I rock back and forth on my head. You should roll back to the forehead and down again. Perform 3 sets of 10-15 repetitions.

Reverse Neck Bridges: The reverse neck bridge is similar only this time you will turn around so that your stomach faces the ground. Roll back and forth on the head as you would for the traditional neck bridge. Perform 3 sets of 10-15 repetitions

Neck Curls: Neck curls require a neck strap and weight. As you can see, the neck strap wraps around my head with the weight hanging below. You will curl the weight upward with the muscles in your neck. Perform 3 sets of 10-15 repetitions.


I recommend training the neck on an every other day schedule. The few minutes required is clearly beneficial, particularly if you can prevent a future knockout...

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Could you post a picture? I'm afraid I don't understand by reading how to do them. A picture really is worth a thousand words! :lol:

:coolclick:

aren't neck bridges dangerous. i hear cracking sounds in my neck when i once attempted it. Also strenghtening your jaw is a good way to improve your chin.

neck3 is neck bridges
neck2 is neck curls
neck1 is reverse neck bridges

Hope that helps ;D

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Originally Posted by vex

aren't neck bridges dangerous. i hear cracking sounds in my neck when i once attempted it. Also strenghtening your jaw is a good way to improve your chin.

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Heh, how do you do that? Hinge a weight to your jaw and open/close your mouth? :P I think you're talking about the term "glassjaw", the jaw itself doesn't have much to do with KO resistance (though the chin is the 'magic button' where nerve endings are bunched together). Stick with the neck exercises listed by Ross Enamait, he is very knowledgable and I can vouch for their effectiveness.

well there is some good in strengthening your jaw. if you are struck with a jab thats lax you will do 2 things:
1: hit the flood, case the vibrations and shock to your brain will be like a truck hitting you
2: break your jaw, and possible shatter your connectors

most people wont be able to fight with a broken jaw. its painful as fuck.

Except Ali vs Norton when norton broke ali's jaw and ali still faught, legend. Aparantly it makes a rattling noise when talking. One fact you might want to know is that if you have teeth pulled out it makes that part of the jaw more prone to breaking, another reason to brush your teeth

:D i use aquafresh! ;D

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Originally Posted by Brandon77

Heh, how do you do that? Hinge a weight to your jaw and open/close your mouth? :P I think you're talking about the term "glassjaw", the jaw itself doesn't have much to do with KO resistance (though the chin is the 'magic button' where nerve endings are bunched together). Stick with the neck exercises listed by Ross Enamait, he is very knowledgable and I can vouch for their effectiveness.

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I believe Mr. Marciano used to chew really tough meat for hours...someone back me up?

Help to develop strong cheek and jaw muscles, but thats all my opinion anyway, if true and it seems to be then steak would be a good choice

On that theory.....is chewing gum good for the jaw muscles?

well on that theory: Yes
but it dun give your jaw mutch of a resistand, does it?
so i think cheap steak or a piece of rubber does the job better and faster.

but i'm pretty confident in takeing punches so i pass the rubber or cheap steak session in my training ;D