Eubank on Timing & Technique
What I recorded when he came to Tyneside with Glenn McCrory and Tony Jeffries to explain his 'technical philosophy of the fistic art, that very very few are privy to' to a group of amateur boxers.
Quote:
When you throw a punch, you're exposed. So the key is to throw the least amount of punches as possible. To do that, you have to make every punch count. That was my philosophy of accurate boxing, of skillful defensive boxing.
In regards to striking, it was letting the punch go at the right time. Imagine target practice - you're finger is on the trigger and what you've got is a moving target. Timing is apprehension, which comes from thousands of hours of sparring wars. It's striking just before or just after the attack of the opponent, of which when they are most vulnerable. That was my philosophy of skillful offensive boxing.
What one must do, to be a skilled practitioner of the art, is to blend those two examples, those two philosophies, into one. I'm trying to keep it simple, and I believe that's quite a straight-forward way to explain careful application of the art.
In regards to striking technique, speed is key. I say that because speed is accuracy. By speed, I don't the mean the speed of which the glove travels through the air. I mean the speed of which the glove travels to the target, which is all about unwasted motion. The sooner the glove reaches the target, the more likely it is that it is going to land.
My glove positioning, if you watch my fights, was based on that theory. If you fight with a high guard, you have to move your hands away from your face to throw a punch - wasted motion. If you fight with hands by your sides, you have to lift them in execution of the punch - wasted motion. That's why I held my gloves together at stomach height - it made it difficult for opponents to work out what punch was coming next, and when I struck, I would execute the punch with virtually no back-pull, and that made it very difficult for opponents to react fast enough.
Brain over brawn, it's how I won 97.5% of the fights. Brain over brawn... brain, over, brawn.
Re: Eubank on Timing & Technique
Eubank was legally insane in his prime ('I don't watch films, I don't watch soaps, I don't drink alcohol and I don't wear scented deodrant - I wouldn't even consider such things.'), but this was GOLDEN.
He did point out that it wasn't advice as such, only explanation of his own 'technical philosophy'.
Re: Eubank on Timing & Technique
What tainer worth a damn would have you trying to box with your hands up in front of your face? Anybody that knows anything about boxing has known all along that it is impossible to punch from that position.
Re: Eubank on Timing & Technique
Sometimes I am sharp in my opinions and I mean no disrespect.
With your hands 'high' (by that I mean, in front of your face), you can't punch. The motion is unnatural and just keeping your hands there requires muscular tension. You can't hook from there, throw uppercuts without dramatically dropping your hands...nothing works.
Re: Eubank on Timing & Technique
Re: Eubank on Timing & Technique
This is intereting stuff guys.
So Grey/Scrap what would be your optimum position for the hands, i.e a mix of protection and being ready to deploy punches?
Re: Eubank on Timing & Technique
Quote:
Originally Posted by
greynotsoold
Sometimes I am sharp in my opinions and I mean no disrespect.
With your hands 'high' (by that I mean, in front of your face), you can't punch. The motion is unnatural and just keeping your hands there requires muscular tension. You can't hook from there, throw uppercuts without dramatically dropping your hands...nothing works.
By "high" I don't mean in front of their faces, but covering their jaw line as often as possible and being ready to parry straights. I guess DLH or maybe even Arguello would be good examples of what I mean. Uppercuts of course are an exception! Impossible to throw a decent uppercut without opening up to some degree.
I don't seem to have any trouble getting people firing effective combinations from a high guard though, so long as they are moving moving their feet and hips correctly, the shoulders follow!
Re: Eubank on Timing & Technique
Know where the things that moves the Fist are and should be, thats the Elbows.
Re: Eubank on Timing & Technique
I think it's all about the situation you're in.
Cus knew a thing or two about boxing and he'd have fighters who used his peak-a-bo style have a high guard - but not when they were punching or wanting to punch... it'd be once they'd worked in close to an opponent and thrown... they'd quickly retreat from a taller man with a high guard until they were out of range.
The objective during that phase of the style wasn't to punch, so it worked.
Re: Eubank on Timing & Technique
Quote:
Originally Posted by
AdamGB
I think it's all about the situation you're in.
Cus knew a thing or two about boxing and he'd have fighters who used his peak-a-bo style have a high guard - but not when they were punching or wanting to punch... it'd be once they'd worked in close to an opponent and thrown... they'd quickly retreat from a taller man with a high guard until they were out of range.
The objective during that phase of the style wasn't to punch, so it worked.
Spot on!
No technique works in every situation, but I think having your chin protected is quite often a good place to start.
Re: Eubank on Timing & Technique
I believe the distinction Scrap and Greynotsoold are making, is that there is a difference between a high tight guard, and your hands in front of your face.
I'm of the belief that every beginning boxer should start with a high tight guard, work only the basics. Learn them and learn them well. Then begin to develop their style and stance based upon their own personal set of skills and physical attributes.
Re: Eubank on Timing & Technique
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Youngblood
I believe the distinction Scrap and Greynotsoold are making, is that there is a difference between a high tight guard, and your hands in front of your face.
I'm of the belief that every beginning boxer should start with a high tight guard, work only the basics. Learn them and learn them well. Then begin to develop their style and stance based upon their own personal set of skills and physical attributes.
So learn the rule book before you rip it up...?
Nice! :cool:
Re: Eubank on Timing & Technique
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Youngblood
I believe the distinction Scrap and Greynotsoold are making, is that there is a difference between a high tight guard, and your hands in front of your face.
I'm of the belief that every beginning boxer should start with a high tight guard, work only the basics. Learn them and learn them well. Then begin to develop their style and stance based upon their own personal set of skills and physical attributes.
I agree with them, you can't see as much with a high guard and it's not an ideal position to punch from. It can be utilised in a few sitatuions though, some elements of the peek a boo style being one of them.
It's quite handy for outright beginners, gives them something to learn behind but it is a habit that shouldn't be formed.
I always say to beginners I spar, you'll soon be able to block punches and back pedal around the ring for a round... but if you're not learning how to slip, roll and deflect shots then you're never going to land because the opporunities and positions to punch just aren't going to be there.
That's why I think light spars are good early on, it gives newbies a chance to figure out the timing and angles etc and if they fuck it up... all they get is a love tap and a message that lets them know they moved too soon/late/far/not enough etc
If it's 100% from the get go then they'll just learn what it's like to think "fucking hell" and get punched around the ring... they'll never want to get out from behind the safety of that basic block and guard and actually try things.
Re: Eubank on Timing & Technique
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Jimanuel Boogustus
Quite remarkable that Eubank learned anything then because from what I understand, he was a punching bag from the off..!
I think it says a lot about his mentality/strength of mind. I think once you've got the basics down you need to learn how to fix and box whilst all of that adrenaline is flying about... because it it's a completely different frame of mind.
But for doing it all the time? I don't think you can teach somebody to fight, they either can or they can't. You need to keep sharp with heavier sparring but too much just adds unessacary ware and tear.
Look at James Toney and how he's talking now... that's from sparring as much as he has and the way he does.
Re: Eubank on Timing & Technique
My opinion on boxing with the hands up comes from a complex of mistakes. First of all way must a beginer learn it this way? Because someone is not explaining him what the proper stance is and the head is sticking out infront! This combined with no understanding of positioning leads to blindly bringing the hands up... And here is the biggest problem. Man can not spar after an 15 mins of instructions! It must be devoted alot of hours of preliminary preparation. The stance, the movements, where am i going, way i am going? The beginer must be able to think a bit on his own and maybe after that he is ready to spar!
Second misunderstanding is the idea of boxing tall. Normally the one who is on the lower level has leverage advantage. How will you punch someone who is down on your waist level when your hands are up even at the chin?
And as greynotsoold said it is not biomechanically optimal!
