Long and Short rhythm?

[Chris Nagel]

I think that short/long rhythm is somewhat a vague subject. It could've just the same been called x/y rhythm, as it seems more related to the direction of movement rather than rhythm.

Rhythm is made up of the time that it takes to do different movements, be it a slip or a punch. It also refers to the time that is between techniques.

In boxing it's an important concept to grasp in order to be more effective at landing punches as well as avoiding them. Say for instance, if you were to throw punches at a steady tempo, it'd become predictable. That's why you'd want to throw it at different speeds, including stop and go. At times it's just like a change-up pitch in baseball. Having variety in your speed and rhythm can keep your opponent guessing.

It's the same thing when you're moving, slipping and weaving. If you're moving your head back and forth like some kind of human-metronome your opponent is easily going to figure out where your head is going to be. This is especially true if your head is tracing the same path over and over again.

Floyd Mayweather talks about rhythm in his interview with Smitty: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqOJp9Wmayo-The changes in the speed of his movements and timing is more important than just him being fast.

Just try to get a feel for it in your movements, especially when you're shadow boxing or hitting the bags. You can break down certain moves into beats, kind of like dance steps or drummer-beats. Apply it to different techniques, ie. feinting, punching as well as defensive moves.