Coach told me I had natural ability tonight for

[Blackvenom-2001]

blocking jabs with my face... heck he didn't have to tell me that I already knew it...

Just one of the ohhhh so hilarious comments I heard tonight while sparring...

Another one...

Coming from a very good amatuer/semi-pro fighter... while I am sparring and in the ring...

Your too stiff... get up on your toes... you look like a robot in there... (So I start doing my bob and weave)... ok now you look like a bobbing robot....

That one actually cracked the whole gym up... even me... I about lost my mouth-piece... while blocking another jab with my face...

It's just the comments like these that create the feeling of 'home'... I love my boys in the gym... took awhile for them to accept me... but there all there to help me and I thank them for that...

On a serious note... missed a straight right shot at an opponent and hyper-extended my arm... over committed... it's not bad and by tomorrow morning should feel almost fine...

Sparring went well... loved it... chewing gum right now to keep my jaw from stiffening up from a really nasty shot that I took early on in the evening...

Loving life...
Blackvenom-2001

[Sharla]

I can top that - worked out this morning that I have a tendency to slip INTO jabs. So you think you're gonna miss me - No you're not I caught it right on the button for you!

[Blackvenom-2001]

Dang now that does take skill I don't think I can move my head fast enough to slip into a Jab...

Hmmmm...if you're slipping makes me wonder if someone doesn't have your slip timed and is aiming for where you will be...

Care to elaborate?

Blackvenom-2001

[Chris Nagel]

I guess they owe it to you to be the one to put the joke on.

Could be worst than what even Sharla's got... think about if you could jump into low blows.

[Douglas]

They say the heavybag doesn't hit back, but it always hits me right in the fists.

[Cortez The Killer]

I can top that - worked out this morning that I have a tendency to slip INTO jabs. So you think you're gonna miss me - No you're not I caught it right on the button for you!

LOL, I do that myself sometimes! Once I get into the rhythm of doing it I know it's gonna be a long night!

[RozzySean]

LOL, I do that myself sometimes! Once I get into the rhythm of doing it I know it's gonna be a long night!

I'm also guilty of that. Damn near slipped into a right hand. That would have been bad

[Sharla]

Yep Glad I'm not the only one who does that

I think Cortez has come up with the best explanation of it so far as to why I do it.

I do have one particular sparring partner who knows me very well too. Sometimes it's very boring to watch us spar because we both defend everything and nothing we throw connects because we're so used to each other.

Sometimes I guess my game is off though and I run into things. If I work out a theory as to why I do it in any more depth I'll share it and post it here for opinions

[boozeboxer]

The Saddo Tex Cobb

[donnydarkoIRL]

HaHa.....You're all crazy

[Sharla]

HaHa.....You're all crazy

You forgotten what it feels like to be an unco ditz now then?!

[iceman]

well if you can master ths natural ability you will have yet one more sought after skill ...lol

[Sharla]

Well since some people who won't be mentioned here think me and my fellow into-punch-slippers (hitman -cough - donny cough ) are crazy I've come up with a preliminary theory.

Some more experienced / boxing educated people might comment as to whether I might be on the right track or not. That'd be great thanks

So I think my sparring partners often wind up and signal their punches.

I favour being a counter fighter since I'm small. Often if I throw a punch slightly before my opponents since my arms are slightly shorter and I'm light they are still able to punch me anyway and put me off balance before my punch has delivered much force.

I get hooked on the idea of slipping or countering off of their punches so if they signal sometimes I slip before I need to.

That lets them redirect their punch when they throw it or as they throw it to land where my head is at the end of my premature slip.

Basically I'm impatient and it comes back and bites me in the arse!

Haven't thought of many ways to remedy this habit.

Surely if my opponent signals a punch I should be using it to my advantage.

Maybe I hesitate too long to take advantage of them winding up. Maybe I need to punch just before I usually react. i'm reacting too early to slip and too late to catch them at their most vulnerable point early in their wind up for the punch.

If I hit them before they began to unwind their wound up punch I'd mess with their momentum enough to neutralize the weight disadvantage I have. Once they've started to even only just throw the punch it's too late.

The slip is too early because they've still got plenty of time to redirect their punch - especially if it's sort of a big slow pushing kinda punch rather than a fast snappy one.

OK enough babble from me - opinions?

[Sharla]

Right to make this even more geeky I've come up with a couple of diagrams of 2 different counters that I guess might be used against someone who winds up their punch before throwing it. I'm assuming that the long wind up actually makes it a bit sort of loopy rather than direct.

I would have thought a simple straight direct punch counter like below would work well. However I don't think this is as effective if your sparring partner (S.P.) is heavier with slightly longer arms than you. It can mean that they end up deflecting your punch and making it weaker even if their punch is launched a little later than yours.



Now in sparring recently I've found it's a little easier to use a long hook (small angle at elbow) against a heavier sparring partner. Maybe because the elbow being out a little deflects their punch a little and makes it even less direct. Perhaps if their arm does knock your hook from the outside it's more likely to be knocked towards the target (to the right) anyway? Also since their punch is a little loopy anyway it's not too hard to use your hook/elbow to partially knock it further off track in a similar way that their punch would knock your straight counter (in first diagram) off track?



Ok. This may be daft. If so tell me. I'll get over it!

[donnydarkoIRL]

Ha Ha my bad,
What I was actually refering to was the fact that you guys get hit and still Love it! You get hit, slip into punches and it only makes you hungrier,. I find that really admirable, crazy but admirable.

I also can identify this trait in myself and it's funny how I read your comments in surprise and later it dawns on me I've got an identical menatlity.

So I guess I'll actually contribute something now:
If your slipping into the punches, you've actually got the technique half way down!
I find that every fighter has one side that they favour when slipping. For me I predominantly slip to the right. However I find if I go into spar saying "I'm not going to slip right" and concentrate on slipping left (which for me actually works like a lean) I'll evade a number of punches.
Inevitably I will slip right a number of times out of habbit, but thats perfectly ok as long as you remain focused on reacting rather than robotically slipping.

A round of rep to all