Sparring a hooker

[donnydarkoIRL]

Naturally his left hook is going to be coming from your right hand side.
I've got a few ideas that rely on this.
1) Old school fighters used to use an "inside parry" where the arm is poked out in a straight line, hitting the inside of the oncoming forearm and thus preventing the blow from landing. If you throw a straight right while he throws his hook while bringing the shoulder round to rpotect your head, you'll either land first and set him off balance or block the oncoming punch by tangling the arms.

2)I realise that when friends spar it get's competitive and thats good. But theres no shame in moving away from his left, Circling left while looking out for the right is simple and effective.

3)An elbow defense is easy and practiacl. Lift the elbow and forearm to cushion the impact of the left hook and retaliate with your own hook, easy.

4) Left Hook guys are often sloppy with the left hook, when he throws it, watch his right hand, if it drops make him regret it.

[RozzySean]

Naturally his left hook is going to be coming from your right hand side.
I've got a few ideas that rely on this.
1) Old school fighters used to use an "inside parry" where the arm is poked out in a straight line, hitting the inside of the oncoming forearm and thus preventing the blow from landing. If you throw a straight right while he throws his hook while bringing the shoulder round to rpotect your head, you'll either land first and set him off balance or block the oncoming punch by tangling the arms.

2)I realise that when friends spar it get's competitive and thats good. But theres no shame in moving away from his left, Circling left while looking out for the right is simple and effective.

3)An elbow defense is easy and practiacl. Lift the elbow and forearm to cushion the impact of the left hook and retaliate with your own hook, easy.

4) Left Hook guys are often sloppy with the left hook, when he throws it, watch his right hand, if it drops make him regret it.

I forgot about that inside perry move. I've never practiced it, but that would be a good thing to ask my trainer about and work on over the next few weeks. When I spar that kid, I'll definately move left away from the hook. He does drop his right sometimes when he throws it.

[donnydarkoIRL]

Thats great man, You should do well as long as you keep your head and learn during the spar.
Also, remeber that you've got an Arsenal of your own that he has to be wary of.

[RozzySean]

Thanks, Donny. Like everybody, I'm still work in progress...I just need to get as much sparring is as a I can with as may different people as I can. I'm still at the point where I have a hard time transitioning from offense to defense and sparring is the only way to fix that. If I pull off one or two good counters a round I'm pretty happy. The Muay Thai side of my gym has much larger membership. Sometimes we have to dip into their ranks to give us new looks and styles. My gym has a fair amount of fitness-only boxers and rookie teenagers. That's one of the reasons I want to bring in my friend...variety.

[donnydarkoIRL]

I know precise;ly what you mean mate.
But I don't think it's a bad idea to spar a feew Thai fighters. I myself spar quite a few mma guys and if anything it really helps me as they are predominantly big hitters (if slightly slower and less technical)

It certainly benefits them by sparring a boxer, so perhaps suggest that to a couple of them.
One of my best mates ius a Southpaw, what can I say, come every competition, I nearly prefer to see Southpaws coming now!

[El Kabong]

I LOVE fighting southpaws....I like throwing hooks and right crosses and they nearly always land. Left hook to the body, drops the lead hand and HELLO right cross! You can also land a right hook on them as an orthodox fighter....one of my hardest punches but it's seldom used.

Taller fighters are also good to fight as well as shorter ones.


The more styles you spar against, the more comfortable you get in the ring vs anyone you will fight.

[donnydarkoIRL]

I LOVE fighting southpaws....I like throwing hooks and right crosses and they nearly always land. Left hook to the body, drops the lead hand and HELLO right cross! You can also land a right hook on them as an orthodox fighter....one of my hardest punches but it's seldom used.

Taller fighters are also good to fight as well as shorter ones.


The more styles you spar against, the more comfortable you get in the ring vs anyone you will fight.

The left hook to the body against a southpaw is a little difficult unless you stand straight on.
However as your American I suppose you don't have the same acute angle that the European style does. With the European conventional stance it's quite easy for a left hook to the body to stray around a soputhpaws back and be deeded an intentional foul or kidney blow.

[Sharla]

4) Left Hook guys are often sloppy with the left hook, when he throws it, watch his right hand, if it drops make him regret it.

I'm trying to picture how to do this without still being there to get hit by the hook. care to elaborate?

I'm sure it's obvious to most people on here but my brain is just not working at the moment so maybe you'll have pity on me hitmandonny!

[donnydarkoIRL]

I'm trying to picture how to do this without still being there to get hit by the hook. care to elaborate?

I'm sure it's obvious to most people on here but my brain is just not working at the moment so maybe you'll have pity on me hitmandonny!

No prob, what I do is nail my lead foot in place in a location that would accomodate an attack, I would then step back and allow his left hook to miss me and then presuming his shoulder drops and his right hand is out of position, come back with a hook and straight of your own.

Alternatively, and I've only started employing this recently, I block the left hook on the upraised elbow and forearm and come back with my hook. Takes timing, but it's highly effective.

[Sharla]

Thanks hitmandonny - I understand now! Very clever!

[RozzySean]

No prob, what I do is nail my lead foot in place in a location that would accomodate an attack, I would then step back and allow his left hook to miss me and then presuming his shoulder drops and his right hand is out of position, come back with a hook and straight of your own.

Alternatively, and I've only started employing this recently, I block the left hook on the upraised elbow and forearm and come back with my hook. Takes timing, but it's highly effective.

Do you pull back from the hook or duck it? As I recall, you are a tall, lanking fighter. On the other hand, I am not and I fight out of a bit of a crouch - ducking hooks or blocking is my usual method. Or do you back out with your feet to make the miss?

[donnydarkoIRL]

Do you pull back from the hook or duck it? As I recall, you are a tall, lanking fighter. On the other hand, I am not and I fight out of a bit of a crouch - ducking hooks or blocking is my usual method. Or do you back out with your feet to make the miss?

I just step back and bring the whole body. The front foot designates where my next attack will be launched from so I let that remain. I draw back my rear foot, carrying my body out of range and then step with the right for a counter, as the left is already set.

I'm tall at 71, but not lanky, pretty much the same build as rjj and G man at Middleweight, tall but not freakishly and wider shoulders than the rest of me LoL

[El Kabong]

If you are short you can use the same methods Mike Tyson and Joe Frazier(albeit Joe wasn't short by anymeans) used.


Mike Tyson bobbed and weaved moving side to side but also up and down...he used his shifting weight to counter with more power than most fighters. That's what I try to do in sparring I try to use my weight behind my counter shots and I try to set that up through head movement and footwork.

Joe Frazier just bobbed up and down...perfect for having the hook sail over your head but it makes you a sucker for the right cross or uppercut.



But yeah stepping back is good but the other fighter can just use a feint and BANG you're flat on your ass. That is why I (as a user of the left hook myself) love to feint the right cross and leap in with a left hook.....the thing about feinting is you HAVE to sell it

[Von Milash]

Lyle I never knew you were a boxer. I thought you were just an avid fan with a strong political take!

[donnydarkoIRL]

Concentrated on this last night in order to get a good answer.

What I realised is the left hook is the most easily exploitable punch thrown in boxing.
My friend a useful mma guy and boxer threw many left hooks. Each time I made him miss nothing followed. Each time he threw it he was open at another point like theleft side of his body or theright side of his face.

Elbow parries made it easy.