Dissecting Roberto Duran

[StrictlySP]

Hi Everyone,
Here's an excellent breakdown of all-time great Roberto Duran's multi-faceted mastery of "old-school" boxing. Check it out and enjoy...



Take Care,
Lito

[Chris Nagel]

Nice find, Lito. Thanks!

The in-fighting analysis is fascinating. How many trainers today can teach a guy how to cope in close quarters? Checking the opponent's arms, especially the further arm, using your shoulder and arm to wedge an opening, it's become rare boxing lesson, or at least an incomplete one. Recently I keyed in on Sam Soliman's pet right-uppercut that he loves to throw out of a clinch. He 'negotiates' those couple inches and then WHOP, gets his uppercut in. He does it all the time.

Duran had a much better scope for in-fighting, very good touch-and-feel awareness. For instance it's remarkable how he senses a left hook coming, something that most of us would eat.

I believe that fighters today would benefit from developing touch-and-feel awareness in a controlled exercise similar in a sense to Wing Chun's 'Chi Sao' (i.e. Sticky-hands: ). More specific to boxing would be a starting-position of having both guys press their head against each others lead shoulder. The focus should be feeling where your opponents arms are, and then sensing the pressure that precipitates a certain punch. It can be further broken down into drills in that you'd feel the direction of their pressure, and then check/stop a specific punch. As the participants gain competence with the specific drills, they can graduate into doing a free exercise in where they can mix up their punches. Afterward you can add some variation such as stepping to change the angle.
@Andre @StrictlySP

[Manos de Piedra]

Great find. Thanks for sharing.

[Andre]

I agree mate, be great to design sets for only boxers taking into consideration the larger gloves etc.
For boxing when in close in a hold or smothered on the ropes there are so many exercises you can do to get the other guy blindsided, off balance or wondering where the hell you just went to; all on and around the control of their lead elbow which has so much effect on their balance.

You cant throw a rear shot and land it with any power if someone pushes your lead elbow in even slightly, the whole body mechanic changes. If you are smart in close and make them react adversely they will bring an opening to you in reaction.

[greynotsoold]

What you are talking about is something that used to be taught. Between seeing his feet and feeling his body you know what is coming. Especially if you are using your body to influence his position and direction. Pushing him around in other words.

@Andre watch Chavez. He used to take his left glove and bump his opponents right elbow.

[Andre]

Those guys there are on agreement to only use three deflective moves each by the way which allows for the exercise to become a learning curve.

Like everything there are limits, the best Ive seen was one guy blindfolded, still with these three set amount of agreed attacks allowed though.

Advanced to this is when that folding of the arm becomes an elbow strike and trapping the arm with a pull towards you also has a knee coming up into you with it.

Its an add to exercise by agreement and skill level.

In old times when swords and weapons were outlawed in China by the norths take over of the south. The monks used to learn this chi sao, then extend their arm length with two knives one in each hand 12 inches long with sword guards like a bend sai section on the top of the hilt. The length exact so that you cant cut your own elbow joint when rotating around a sword from inside to outside and the guard like hook out the back of the knives to protect the wrist and also to trap like a hand can. That way all the skills learnt open hand could be transformed to warfare against the sword that only the goverment men were allowed to have.

[Andre]

Hi Everyone,
Here's an excellent breakdown of all-time great Roberto Duran's multi-faceted mastery of "old-school" boxing. Check it out and enjoy...



Take Care,
Lito

That is so cool,love the break down.

Hows the way Duran uses his left forearm glove down elbow up a lot as a feeler to the guys right and Durans elbow is always the point his oppositions right glove has to get around all the time. At the same time, with his head on the guys left shoulder he has the monopoly over the guys right hand that way then just uses the spaces to vary all his attacks. Brilliant stuff.

Cheers Lito.

[Scrap]

Never overreaches, because of his head stability and coxxys wont let him giving good posture, and vision to react.

[Xwetie]

"old school boxing" I like this kinda stuff its way before my time and i appreciate it! I kinda wish photos were taken in black and white, instead of colours!