how can i learn to slip punches?

[Gray Lion]

I agree with all the suggestions. But at the end, you still need a partner to practice with. Start off slow and work your way into being able to slip and parry as a reflex. Good luck!

[WayneFlint]

What really helped me was a tennis ball hung from my garage ceiling by a string, i find it teaches good habits as you cant just hit it and stand infront of it you must either create an angle or slip, aswell what grey lion says i believe a partner to work with is best but if thats not an option the tennis ball is good and quite fun =D

[HerbM]

The tennis ball is a really good idea.

I had forgotten that we have a slip bag (or some name) tied like that. It's a small sand bag that you tie off at head leaven and then start it swinging back and forth. It's heavy enough that it's very mildly uncomfortable to get hit, but light enough it does no damage.

The idea of course is to slip back and forth, throwing punches while it is in it's swing and slipping when it gets near your head (front or back.)

Not hard to setup and cheap. Best is to have a fairly high ceiling or hang point so you get a pretty long swing without much input.

Look (now) at the related posts (or search for "Slip Bag") since that is causing the related posts to bring up articles about how to use this resource.

I just pasted in what was showing there (in Related Posts) for me so you would have something to search:

• Slip Bags and an Alternative By ThomasTabin in forum Important / Useful Posts
  
  
• Am i Using the Slip Bag Correctly? By RedTbShark in forum Ask the Trainer
  
  
• greynotsoold - For the Beginners: How to Slip a Jab By Chris Nagel in forum Important / Useful Posts
  
  
• Slip ball, anyone? By Von Milash in forum Ask the Trainer
  
  

[Scrap]

Slipping shots, isnt done with the Head, its done with the Feet. Move the Head without engaging the feet youre Off bBalance, and have to go back where you started, easy to read.

[HerbM]

Slipping shots, isnt done with the Head, its done with the Feet. Move the Head without engaging the feet youre Off bBalance, and have to go back where you started, easy to read.

That makes sense and fits my Systema training which emphasizes form (vertical, natural, balanced posture) generally avoiding 'kinks in the spine' or quickly restoring a vertical spine and balance if tactical necessity requires you to temporarily compromise your form.

My boxing coach however has us practice what he calls 'fading' -- bending at the waist, just far enough to take the head aside as the punch arrives, preferably outside so as to avoid moving the head in front of the opponent's other hand.

Mike Tyson at his height sure seemed to be able to use such movement to his advantages, and there have been boxers who specialize in bob and weave.

For myself, I have recently surprised myself by being able to use side to side head movement to avoid punches and deliver my own -- this is almost unnatural to me as my spinal mobility is somewhat reduced by arthritis and it is contrary to my nature and that Systema training mentioned above.

On the other hand, I have found that anyone who fades/slips predictably is pretty easy to track and hit, plus as you say Scrap it destroys their form/balance and they must (generally predictably) restore it to continue working effectively.


I don't know what the correct answer is, but it does seem worth discussing further and it is quite possible that the answer is to build this skill but use it judiciously.

[Scrap]

When Tyson stopped using joints to move His Head He lost it. His Feet became wide with no mobilty, and lost movement and the inabilaty for His Oral and Ocular cavity to work as it should naturally. His greatest asset He lost, movement at speed.

[Andre]

If you havent got a sparring partner you can tape a glove on to the end of a broom stick and get your misses to move around in jab fashion trying to land one on you.

They will enjoy that too. If they can get in ten clean shots in 3 minutes you'll do the sweeping for them.

Win /win