Punch Placement

Lots of threads about combination punching, body punching and volume punching. Not a ton on accuracy and targeting of punching. I have always thought that there is a great deal to be learned from the bareknuckle fighters because they fought to a finish and had no hand protection. I've always thought that defensive moves then would have involved a lot of parrying and misdirecting of blows, and that punches would have had to have been accurately and deliberately placed for maximum effect on the opponent and the least amount of damage to the hand. Even years into the gloved era heavyweights, like Dempsey and Gunboat Smith were fightiung with 4 ounce gloves (and training in 8's).
Now there is such an emphasis on throwing a lot of punches that I wonder if anybody really has an idea of where there are all going? In my estimation a lot of necessary defensive skill and proper punching gets lost in the hurry to "throw punches in bunches." I like to emphasize, early on, the slip and the initial counter, get that right, then worry about what comes next- other punches and getting out.
So, before I get thoroughly side-tracked, when you are punching, WHERE are you trying to land those punches, and what are you expecting to accomplish?

Wasn't it Archie Moore's belief that the placement of punches should be used to hurt an opponent and combinations were only a tool used on an already wounded opponent?
I think there is a direct relation to what you are saying Grey.

Until the 70s it was 6oz ;D, funny if the 1st shot doesnt get him He has a problem, completely agree there greys in a boat without a paddle. ;D

I am with you here. For me defence is the most important thing. I include here the initial counters. I think that the problem here comes from the trainers. Most of them are really not competent. Not knowing the basics, miss interpretating and copieng blindly what they see... Following false myths made by the incompetent comentators... All this results in the instructions put your hands high and go throw'em punches :mad: And than if you get KOd the trainer says: he just got lucky :mad:

Back on the threat.
greynotsoold:
"So, before I get thoroughly side-tracked, when you are punching, WHERE are you trying to land those punches, and what are you expecting to accomplish? "
I interpretate this question like in which position i want to be and how i get there?
I am far from expert but i try 2-3 things that are working for me.
First is the left jab to the oponents right hand when he is going to his left. I just want to pin it and than follow with right cross.
Second position is when the guy is staying in front of me i try to go down and hit him with left hook to his left elbow to make the hand move away and than to come with straight right.
Than is the fast light left hook more like a swap just to move the head of the oder boxer over my right cross.The upercuts work in the same maner. Just to lift the head up and its really easy to breake the nose of someone with them...
The left hook and the wild right to the body are must for me to cut off the ring and to stop him from running away.
With the jab i try to make the oder guy respect my distanceand not to go wild over me.And if shorter oponent for example is trying really hard to get me i like to give him a "slower" one to make them slip inside over my right upercut.
If someone can execute the left slip with left hook counter or the right slip with right counter he is way above my legue :)

What I was getting at is what part of your opponent's body are you targeting. It sounds like you are thinking in the ring and that is really where it all starts; you have to do your roadwork and your sit-ups, but the most important part of your body, in boxing, is your brain. (maybe I'll trademark that?).
To slip left- do you mean to your left?- and counter with a hook is very short and sharp move. Weight goes to the left foot, turn your shoulders to your left, then hook coming back. Very short and sharp. To slip to your right and counter with your right, drop your weight onto your right foot and, as you transfer it back to your left foot- as you throw your right hand- pivot a bit to your right. You are basically following his jab home.

Once i have spart with small gloves against an oponent without headgear... I will never make this mistake again ;) My punches were not really precise and i punched him on the top of the head. It really hert my knuckels. I understand now why dempsey was so hard to hit :)
Now i spar with 18 or 20 oz gloves... First i can't be really precise were i am hitting... But every where from the begining of the chest to the top of the head is OK.
To hit someone on the hip and the inside of the hand is damaging too. Its not legal and if someone is doing it to you, you must complain immediately :)
When i hit someone with small gloves i am aiming for the face, temple, neck and ear, but i give really alot of cosideration not to hit him on the bone behind the ear and top of the head under a small angel. In the body if you can dodje the elbows is super , but is not always the case... Not only you can break your knuckels, but also the thumb is really succeptable and you can injure it really easy.

Something that I find curious is that nobody punches to the heart any more; it seems that since Chavez the punch to the liver is the be-all/end-all of body punching, but if you read the accounts of old fights, the punch to the heart was very often a fight changing, if not fight ending, punch. And it is right there- a natural counter to a left jab, a damaging punch that will certainly shorten your opponents reach right away, and it gets you inside. That was the start of one of Dempsey's famous "triples": slip inside with a right to the heart, weave outside with a left hook to the body, the a right hook back over the top. (the other was slipping outside with a hook to the body, weaving back inside with a right to the herart, finishing with a short hook to the chin.)
Also. the solar plexus punch; nice straight right hand will take your breath away.

If you check out Bernard Dunne vs. Poonsawoot Kratidaenggym (spelling?) in the first round Poonsawoot concentrated some straight punching to the sternum/heart- I would attribute those shots to Dunne's lack of movement shortly after which finished the fight.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXgwny6_Ous

These shots to the heart are making me investigate the origins of the Bob and weave