Front leg when jabbing

[boxingbantz]

I have just come back from my first coaching session and have just been going through the basics/techniques etc which I have found all well and good.

One thing that has confused me somewhat is the coach has said when jabbing, your front leg (orthodox) DOESN'T bend as you throw the punch - this just doesn't feel comfortable to me. Maybe I am missing the point or doing it wrong but can someone explain to me what your front foot/leg should be doing during this punch?

[boxingbantz]

Just want to add I done martial arts as a lad (ages 6-17) so I probably have a few bad habits and why certain things feel a bit 'uncomfortable' at first.

[badr_hari]

Don't take it as the Ultimate truth, but i think when jabbing: you should be on the balls of your feet and you SHOULD BEND your FRONT KNEE, definitely. It gives BALANCE and sets up perfectly the Right Hand.

Again, see what the other members will say in this forum, some people with more experience in the sweet science.

[Scrap]

Theres an old saying, I heard it 52 years ago. It applies just as much now as it did then. Bend your knees before the other guy bends them for you.

[cambay411]

koppas if you could give us a little more info on the jab technique being taught to you it might help ppl on here help you. For example does he have you on the balls of your feet or does he have you stepping with the jab ect.....

[boxingbantz]

koppas if you could give us a little more info on the jab technique being taught to you it might help ppl on here help you. For example does he have you on the balls of your feet or does he have you stepping with the jab ect.....

Sorry good point.

This is a standing jab, on the ball of my back foot...

[HerbM]

I believe that you (or your coach) means that your front knee should not bend MORE during the jab.

The knees are never locked so in some sense they are always bent slightly when boxing, and from the context it seemed clear to me that your coach was discouraging you from bending your front knee more, especially more than the back leg bends at the same time.

This is generally the way jabs initially are taught: You keep you weight slightly back on the rear foot (maybe 60-40) and throw the punch with no forward lean and without dropping forward. The power comes from the arm, shoulder, the turning of your core (the shoulders move more parallel to the line of the punch), and perhaps a little bit of hip.

Dempsey distinguishes his "left jolt" from the "left jab" in that he does take weight off of his forward leg (transferring it into the hand and perhaps into the non-intuitive rear foot as well).

Almost few (or no) coaches (as far as I can tell) teach the Dempsey method; and in my opinion practically no one really understands what Dempsey was actually recommending. (Of course for that last to be true it requires that *I* actually understand Dempsey's method.)

While it is arguable that Dempey's jolt is better or more powerful, there is nothing "wrong" with the standard jab technique and it should be learned. Even with Dempsey's Jolt in at your disposal you want to develop a full arsenal of quality punches.

Once a boxer can throw a good solid jab with power and without disturbing his own balance, then he learns to move while throwing it.

Of necessity if you are moving toward your front foot (forward or left foot for orthodox boxers) you must of course bend you rknee to move that foot, but it is brief and is immediately followed by the rear foot closing up to maintain the proper stance -- and note, the bending of the knee for movement has little or nothing to do with the PUNCH, but is done for the MOVEMENT.

There are also methods of punching where BOTH knees are bent on impact to add "dropping power" -- as far as I can tell these are not taught (by many) in boxing. Here both knees are bent at the punch is about to contact, but they are both bent approximately equally. This is like a small vertical back "duck" (and it can accomplish that too) where the force of gravity helps drive the punch into your opponent, usually his mid-section.

For now, learn to first jab while adjusting only enough to maintain good rearward balance. BUT do not that rearward does not mean leaning back at all -- you must be up on your rear toes as least some, at least the way that they press on the floor to avoid being driven backwards, so this 'rearward' just means you have a little more weight on the back foot so that your front foot is relatively free.

Of course, I could be full of it. <grin>