Video of me doing some boxing mitt work

**calla** · Posted On: 8/27/2009 4:08pm

Hey first all of all this is primarily great work and my critique is super nit-picky and could possibly be based on stylistic differences. That being said here goes:

1. The most glaring stuff (the hands and the feet) you've definitely spotted already and again don't we all start doing this stuff after a long training session.

2. Dealing with the left hook/right cross. As you said you fire the hook low without engaging the shoulder much. You're getting good torque though and it looks good even without those things. Sometimes when you throw the cross you end up on your front foot and I don't see you engaging your back foot to really push off of and get the good torque off the hip. I have seen people teach this but I'm personally not a fan as I feel it creates balance issues if that's the last punch in the combo. This issue is directly related to being flat-footed in my mind. This is on a couple of crosses where I can see your feet. I don't know if you're doing it all of the time.

3. Let's go back to the hands for a moment. They are definitely too low as you said and you drop them more the deeper into the combo you get. You also a couple of times do almost a bow and arrow movement when you throw the left, pulling the right back a pit. You seem to do this throwing the opening jab more than any other time. You also seemed to lean forward a little bit a couple times throwing it as well. This causes you to lose your chin tuck a little which could also lead you to eating some more counter-rights especially leaving your left hand down. This is also directly related to balance and something I know I do when I'm tired and my coach is yelling at me not to get lazy with the jab.

Well that's all for now. Otherwise excellent work. A lot of your issues seem to be directly related to fatigue instead of actual large flaws. I hope this is helpful.

**Torakaka** · Posted On: 8/27/2009 5:22pm

Thanks :)

What you've mentioned are all issues I've noticed with my technique when I'm not really focusing on correcting them. I certainly have a tendency to come off my back foot (sometimes dragging my foot behind) which is a really bad habit I've been trying to correct.

I'll have to take another video at some point of me working mitts to see if I've made some improvements haha.

**calla** · Posted On: 8/28/2009 1:23pm

Oh I know it. I guarantee if I put up a video of me hitting the mitts after a hard workout you'd have the same critiques. I have the same issues which is probably why I see them with your video.

On the issue of the lead foot I've seen Steve Morris discuss it here

YouTube - Steve Morris 'Posting' on lead leg

Although he seems to be talking about a more lateral movement. He also hasn't overextended himself and remains on the ball of his back foot even though it's lightly weighted, which is something I don't do when I'm tired and you appear to not be doing in the video.
I'm at work and I can't watch it with the sound on so I don't know what he says but I find that in boxing it's not a static position at least for me. I have to post quickly, fire a few shots and move, although I think this posting has more utility in MMA or when kicks are allowed, I'm not entirely sure though as I have less experience with those. I'm tall for my weight class too so I'm not an in-fighter which might color my perception of staying forward.

I also think a crucial difference is he has posted and then fired the right as opposed to dragging his body through after the punch.

Anyway I hope this stuff is helpful cos sometimes this stuff just comes down to a matter of style and what works for you.

**calla** · Posted On: 8/28/2009 1:31pm

Just to clarify about dragging the foot. I know I will throw the right cross and leave my right foot behind at times, (or slide it up sheepishly hoping no one noticed), which stretches me out leaving me off balance and taking out some of my power, but more importantly, my mobility. He hasn't left the foot behind and is still very mobile which is probably the primary issue with the "foot drag".

This is just stuff based on my experience so take it all with a grain of salt.

**tideliar** · Posted On: 8/28/2009 1:31pm

Originally Posted by KidSpatula

I certainly have a tendency to come off my back foot (sometimes dragging my foot behind) which is a really bad habit I've been trying to correct...

I have been catching myself doing this recently. I don;t know why I've just started doing it. I've actually caught myself a couple of times dragging the leg almost, and then realising, correcting my footwork ,then eating a punch because my guard has dropped >:(

**tideliar** · Posted On: 8/28/2009 1:39pm

It seems like in that video he is asking his guys to keep their position over their front foot. This keeps them set up rear leg kicks. But doesn't keeping the weight firmly over your lead leg leave you vulnerable too? retreat might be harder because your weight is forward, and if you get kicked in the lead leg you could buckle.

What a I missing here?

**calla** · Posted On: 8/28/2009 4:06pm

Again I can't hear the sound because I'm at work and in my experience it's a place I like to be personally, but I believe he's advocating that position as one of several. It's a place to go and get out. It's been about a year since I watched the clip but I could be wrong. I brought it up however more to show what I like to do if I'm posted up on the front leg since I suffer from the same rear "foot drag" that Kid Spatula does. I definitely think that posting up leaves you vulnerable for the low kick but he can still move pretty quickly. This contrasts with what I do and what I think Kid Spatula is doing in her videos which is punching in a much more splayed out position that compromises balance and mobility primarily.

There are only a few things I would suggest as absolute gospel at a high level since two talented fighters could do things that are "wrong" for the other. I do think at a basic level there are more efficient ways of punching off the front foot and he demonstrates that. Again I can't remember what he says about staying there, but for me it's a mistake to spend any length of time in that stance. Throw a combo and get out. Even more important than leaving yourself open for the kick is that you've moved towards the right if you're only boxing. Again I think this movement is less useful in straight boxing, but I only have about three months of MMA experience and so don't have the experience really needed to make that call. We're getting kind of off-topic but just to explain to the movement, from a self-defense perspective you might not be able to move to right and this is a good way to punch while moving left.