Oldschool Briliance

**nikola_ganchev** · 01-31-2011 02:52 PM

Let's start with some basic ideas about laverage... So everything starts with the stance. For simlicity i am going to take here the sideways stance(feeds are on the center line) and the squere stance (with the feeds diagonal to the center line). With this stances we have 3 lines on which we generate maximum impact force... In the sideways stance this is the centerline itself. About the square stance if we imagine that our feeds are the end ponts of the hypotenuse of a right angled triangle with equal sides than the oder to lines of fire are the axis with go through the sides of the triangle (i hope this makes sance). So if we want to hit some one the best way to do it is to put the target area on this lines of fire. Why?

First lets take the sideways stance. If we are so sideways we can ram the oder guy with our jab. This means we can put all our weight behind the jab. Some example watch some Sonny Liston fights. He stays on distance sideways and rams with his long hands or George Forman in his comeback.
In the square stance we use our body like a fast rotating cylinder. At the moment of the impact its best to have the hand and the vector of the force generated from the leg to be not only in the same direction, but in the same plane. In this situation there are no sideways resulting forces... All the force goes in the target and we have optimal balace! For the square stance i am going to use Forman again as a model for leverage. I think that the best way is to watch some fights and see it for yourself... Just some fotos for more understanding:

So what is all about? The idea is very simple. We wish that our oponent is on our lines of fire and we are not on his! So lets watch some fights to see how we can use all this.

Lets start easy. Obsurve how Walcott retreats. His head is of the line of fire from Rocky. But as he hits the ropes he has only one choice. He can go only to his left because Rocky has cut the ring... Joe makes his step to the left and his head goes exacty on the line of fire from Marciano. So lets wrap up the situation. Rocky was sideways to Walcott pressuring him. And Joe moved to his left becouse he was cut off, but this made Rocky squared relative to Walcot without to move and in purfect position to punch!(If rocky was jabing moving forward would have sayed "Rocky set him up with the jab". I mean with this that he gained the position with the jab and that he must not jab before every punch he throws...)

Lets move to something more complex. Joe Louis vs Max Schmeling I. This is typicat example of positioning and defence...

On the distance they both stayed sideways and jabed each oder. Why?

Because of the leverage. In order Louis to punch with his right he must go to his left to square himself with Schmeling. And here all problems for Louis begin. And a second later we land in this position :

Joe has punched with his jab moving to his left. His goal was to square himself with Schmeling to unload, but Joe has squared Max with this movement and has placed his head on the line of fire of Schmeling. Here comes the next mistace. Joe drops his left hand, opening him self for right counters... THat the briliance of the oldtimers. To be able to punch someone, who is boxing so sideways, with the right or non flying left hook you must put your self on his lines of fire first!

Lets see now an oder briliant fight. The first fight between Joe Louis and Joe Walcott. This is the fight where Walcott brings Louis to school. I think that some history is necessery about the fight to be understand better. First let us talk about Joe Walcott. He was gut athlet, really gifted mentally, but no one expected from him to win. He was there to perform, to give some chalenge to Louis but at the end only to show how good Louis was. From his stand point of view he has his kids who don't have anything to eat! He must win no metter what! On oder hand we have Louis. The super star. With him the question was not how, but when he will end the fight! He has the pressure of the wight and black communitys on his sholders. And that was really unfortunate for him in this fight. He was forced in the trap of Walcott. Watch the fight. How it begins they are on the distance than Walcott faints and walks away. He make this move consistantly. The publick starts to boooing. But he doesn't give a crap, he must feed his family. He makes it again and again and again. On oder hand Louis is pressured. He must perform and he starts to make something that he never do. He starts to rush his punches, lunging in. That's what make Walcott so great! He make his oponent to play his game! To make someone like Louis to make it is really a masterpiece. Watch the fight and enjoy the game! Watch how Walcott moves his head away from Louises lines of fire while menawhile setting Louis on his big guns! Knowing where Louis is and how he is oriented to him, Walcott can make his oponent so easy to miss, becouse he knows what is comming! Simple leverage and controlling it!

**greynotsoold** · 01-31-2011 04:58 PM

Good stuff! Louis/Schmeling I is one of my favorite tactical fights of all time. Schmeling's positioning made it hard for Louis to throw combinations and enabled Schmeling to keep the fight between his greatest strength (his excellant right hand) and the biggest weakness of Louis (a tendency to drop his jab).

**donnydarkoIRL** · 02-01-2011 02:33 AM

My favourite recent piece of positioning was martinez vs. williams 2.
Martinez had been giving ground. He did something I like- he took one step back from the centre of the ring and then moved laterally, so as not to sacrifice too much ground.
Williams changed direction when Martinez took a lateral and allowed his back to face the ropes. This allowed Martinez a direct root to the centre of the ring, across the face of Williams. Martinez threw the overhand left moving across Williams and a wonderful KO was the result. I believe this was a purposeful move and I enjoyed the ring awareness.