Taller Fighters.

**donnydarkoIRL** · 12-20-2007 03:09 PM

Being 6'1'' and under 71kg (Light Midlle.) I rarely come across a taller opponent.
As i chronicled in my other thread I last night sparred a 6'5'' guy for practise and I had difficulties and I had succeses only using sheer physicality.
How should I approach my next spar with him?

**Trainer Monkey** · 12-20-2007 04:09 PM

Weave in,and ride his jab

**Sharla** · 12-21-2007 07:15 AM

I won't try to give you too much advice since you'd know more than me. I always have to deal with taller people though and what sucks is that they're usually heavier too.

If he's your weight you've got more options otherwise you just have to be very patient and throw a lot of jabs which you said in your other post you did.

You can go in off of his jab as TM says (CC TM)- either following it back in while throwing your own punch, slipping it and stepping to the side as you go in so you're using angles.

My coaches always tell me to use my guard - but I usually feel like a punching bag if i try to go in with it or use it to defend against more than one or two punches at a time. Perhaps if you have a better guard than me that'll suit you though.

I'm guessing throwing punches like overhand rights and still going to the body sometimes is something you'd do anyway. I always try to remember to do that when I have problems with taller people because I don't have much luck throwing straights to their head. It's too easy for them to see that coming.

I've been told not to expect to win much off of my first attack with a taller, stronger person. I am taught to attack - expecting it to not amount to much - defend and then attack again immediately several times. The idea being that most people will be put off balance most easily after they have just attacked, the more you pressure them to attack without letting them reset the more chance you have of taking advantage of that. I guess in this case it's especially important to use your angles rather than standing right in front of them. I'd usually try to step sideways while defending before going in for the second or third attack.

Another one I have been told by a coach in the gym who is stocky is to 'make traffic'. Use punches to hit their punches or just hit their front glove to mess up their jab, get your own timing on and sort of clear the air in front of your head a bit.

Sorry if this is sub-standard advice or a lot of stuff you already knew. I'm obviously still trying to make these things habitual. At the moment it's more advice that I'm passing on from coaches who've been in this longer than me rather than advice from myself. There's a chance my understanding is not perfect but hopefully I've relayed it accurately enough.

**Trainer Monkey** · 12-21-2007 07:33 AM

That was kinda curt on my part,I can be that way
You make contact on his jab one of two way
Outside,now if you go outside your going to have to hook your armaround it,have a good defense with the other hand and hang on for dear life,because now your going in for a Philly street brawl
Make sure you maintain head to head,or head to shoulder contact,so you can feel when you should break off your own offense to block,and walk the arm you have trapped away from the ref,your looking at a fast break otherwise
Now inside,get your power hand up and ride in maintaining contact with the jab hand the whole way,you can even cheat it a little to get a hook off,by pressing on it and cocking as you come.you have to pay major attention to the right cross as you do this though,and if you get too spread open the uppercut

**donnydarkoIRL** · 12-21-2007 09:33 AM

Sharla thats brilliant! CC in 24.
Was really just appealing for confirmation of what I thought was the right thing to do.

Like you, I feel the hands up style is a bad idea and I actually kept them quite low to implement a slipping ansd weaving defence.

Hey TM, What i was trying was to keep my left and right foot either side of his lead foot. Typically this would mean moving to the left, playiong into his longer jab, however, I kept my feet as described and moved close, I found this neutralised the jabe and allowed me to work the body and his chest at head height as long as I kepth the left glove up to avoid the straight right or Right hook, good idea?

Also, when we went to the ropes, I'm proud to say he held on for dear life.... so i pinned him went right and left hooked. Good to score one, but then it's a matter of hunting him down again as although the score is there you make room for him to get out.

**Trainer Monkey** · 12-21-2007 03:03 PM

The downside of keeping your head that low,and this is why I highly recomend knowing who your fighting,if he has a quick hard uppercut he's taking your head clean off
Try to get in to a little arm dance when he tries to hold,little circles while maintaining contact if you dont want to hold with him.If he is holding you can still get shots off tot he back and to the back of his head.They arent legal and they wont have that much on them but it may make him regret holding so damned much.Another thing you can do,is when you have him there is lean,hard on the shoulder with your chin,find his collar bone and grind hard on it with your chin.

ICB · 12-21-2007 04:15 PM

Originally Posted by hitmandonny

Being 6'1'' and under 71kg (Light Midlle.) I rarely come across a taller opponent.
As i chronicled in my other thread I last night sparred a 6'5'' guy for practise and I had difficulties and I had succeses only using sheer physicality.
How should I approach my next spar with him?

How should I approach my next spar with him?

Get a ladder.

**KoPunch** · 12-23-2007 04:18 AM

Lol I'm 6'5 , 190 i just started in a club a week ago and i love having the reach

**greynotsoold** · 12-26-2007 10:14 PM

Fight out of a bit of a crouch and circle to your right. Make him turn and reach with his jab while you bring your jab from under and then up. Look to turn the corner on him and bring youre right over the top. Be a bit deceptive and I can almost guarantee you that he'll reach with the jab and open himself to some nice right hand counters.

**Chris Nagel** · 12-28-2007 01:35 AM

Originally Posted by greynotsoold

Fight out of a bit of a crouch and circle to your right. Make him turn and reach with his jab while you bring your jab from under and then up. Look to turn the corner on him and bring youre right over the top. Be a bit deceptive and I can almost guarantee you that he'll reach with the jab and open himself to some nice right hand counters.

That's a good tactic, it saves you the work by using your defense to set up some openings. Circling to your right will also help incase he's decides to reach with his right which gives you another counter to throw.

I remember Thomas saying that an important part of countering is to get your opponent to commit/lead. Now if your opponent is taller, generally speaking shouldn't mean that they're going to use that reach and give you an opportunity to counter. I'd check out grey's posts on counters off slipping the jab again for a recap.

**donnydarkoIRL** · 12-31-2007 02:07 PM

Thanks all.
Been sparring him a lot since. Aswell as a lot of short stocky guys, fast guys and strong guys.

Been watching a lot of Hagler for the taller guy. I've all but abandoned head puinching unless he attempts to slip me. Instead I'm punching at my optimum level (= his chest!) This really takes the wind out of his sails and he's not completing spars with me now.