Hello martial artists, posting 2 clips - one shadowbox and one bagwork. I am looking for critique here.My home technique workout with my home made bag, I sticked to 3-4 combos and tried to do good upercuts , but don’t know how correct they are.I will be grateful.
i watched your bag video i dont box so all i can say you look like a boxer
however at about 1 minute mark you appear to have big energy drop
from street fighting view you look like your left knee is just begging to get hit
I’m not sure what you’re looking for here mate. With the best will in the world, you look like a bloke who taught himself to hit a sack in his back garden.
Your technique is hopeless from head to toe from a boxing point of view. Your footwork is all over the place, leaving you off balance, and putting you at random distances from the bag, from where you invariably pick the wrong punches which are thrown with zero power. I didn’t make it very far through, but if you did have an energy drop, I’m not surprised, you’re bouncing around like a frightened rabbit. It looks like you copied what you think a boxer should do, without actually understanding why boxers do these things (every movement a good boxer makes is calculated - these are not random movements (unless they are deliberately random :p)). At all times during that video (as far as I watched it) you are exposed and would be knocked out very quickly by a guy with a few months training. Your right hand is wrong, your left hand is wrong, what you do with each when you throw the other is wrong and dangerous to your health and consciousness.
I respect your endeavour, and would suggest if you are serious that you should go to a boxing gym and learn to fight properly. No amount of internet critique can help you here if your goal is to be a credible fighter.
It’s always good to include what you were working on when you post critique vids so we have more specific criteria to go by. For instance, were you working on speed, power, rhythm, deception, maintaining balance, specific combos, dealing with a specific type of opponent, pure conditioning, etc…? Without knowing this we may give you advice that is not relevant/not constructive towards your aim.
I’m not qualified to critique your boxing.
However, as has been said, you cannot learn to box over the internet. If you’re serious, I would strongly encourage you to get some real coaching at a reputable gym. Practice doesn’t make perfect, practice makes permanent. No amount of practicing bad habits will create good habits. It will only engrain bad habits that you will need to unlearn later before you can move forward.
All the best in your efforts and welcome to the Forum.
[quote]Sentoguy wrote:
It’s always good to include what you were working on when you post critique vids so we have more specific criteria to go by. For instance, were you working on speed, power, rhythm, deception, maintaining balance, specific combos, dealing with a specific type of opponent, pure conditioning, etc…? Without knowing this we may give you advice that is not relevant/not constructive towards your aim.[/quote]
I understand.I was working on a few combos which I want to teach well, but as I was thinking they aren’t correct.
I have been training kickbox for 1 year(7 or 8 years ago).Now 1 week I train box at “box” gym but the trainer is on vacation and there is replacement…and I decided to ask more exprerienced guys.
Thanks to LondonBoxer123 , exactly critique what I want, but can you explain what’s so wrong as you mentioned with right hand and left hand.
[quote]batman730 wrote:
I’m not qualified to critique your boxing.
However, as has been said, you cannot learn to box over the internet. If you’re serious, I would strongly encourage you to get some real coaching at a reputable gym. Practice doesn’t make perfect, practice makes permanent. No amount of practicing bad habits will create good habits. It will only engrain bad habits that you will need to unlearn later before you can move forward.
All the best in your efforts and welcome to the Forum.[/quote]
Thanks. Yes, excatly what I am going to do next 2-3 weeks.
Thanks for taking the criticism constructively, and in the spirit it was intended.
I can offer a few pointers, but honestly there is an awful lot that needs to be worked on, so what I say is not comprehensive or particularly useful without correcting the whole thing.
But, to address your question:
You carry you right hand too low and too far forwards. It should be up against your cheekbone anytime you aren’t smashing someone with it. You should not drop it or move it when you throw the left hand, currently you appear to do both.
You drop your left hand very often when you throw your right hand, and even when you don’t it does not come far enough back to offer you proper protection.
When you go to throw a power punch with one hand, your other hand invariably goes flying in random directions. Always remember, the non-punching hand should be roughly against the cheekbone of the face on that side. Eg, if I throw my right hand, my left hand is back against the left side cheekbone on my face.
You don’t set your feet at all when you punch. Because you’re bouncing around like a mad thing, you get very little power or snap in your punches. You have to provide your punches with a solid base, so that you can screw your feet into the ground and generate power right the way through your body. As you get better, this will be the work of an instant, before you’re back up on your toes again.
It is good that you are mobile, but move less and focus on moving effectively and with purpose. Every movement should put you a deliberate distance from the bag/opponent, that allows you to throw the shot or combination you want to use. It’s no good bouncing into range and then deciding. Do that against a decent opponent and that split second of hesitation will get you eating some big shots.
Another problem you have is the height of your bag, as you seem to be either hunched up or punching down very often. This will be a bad habit that will invariably put you inside your opponents range before you are in a position to hit him with your own shots - never a good thing.
But again, all of the above will not be much use to you without a coach to drill you effectively, and partners to practice on.
^^^Great critique by London.
To add to what he posted:
You need to realize that how you practice is what you are teaching your body to do when it counts. A thinking breathing opponent is going to be hitting you back (or at least attempting to), controlling range, and attempting to defend against your punches. This means that you need to work:
-
Maintaining a solid defensive position at all possible times- London’s point about pulling your guard hand out of position when you throw a hook or right hand is an example of not doing this. Maintaining a solid base of support when you punch is also crucial as this is the only thing bracing you against the equal and opposite force that you will encounter when you attempt to hit a massive target (like an opponent’s body or guard) and keep you from getting pushed off balance and unable to attack or defend effectively
-
Controlling distance better-like London said, the other person is going to hit you if you step into range without doing anything. In Boxing they call being in range “the pocket”. You need to build into your practice an awareness of distance so you know when you are “in” and when you are “out”. This also mandates that you learn how to use your footwork to “penetrate”/close the distance to the opponent to get in, and to use your footwork to “clear”/get back out of harm’s way after your combination is finished (you actually did this ok a few times, but it could still use some work)
-
Controlling angles-along the lines of #2 above, if you always come straight in, then you are going to be in trouble against an opponent with an advantage over you (speed, reach, experience, power, etc…); you are going to walk into something or get countered hard. By changing your angle right before you are about to attack (or fake an attack, which you did none of, but see below) you buy yourself a moment where the opponent must react to your new position and give you a split second where you can more safely close the distance. This also makes it more difficult to walk you into a corner or overwhelm you with forward pressure.
-
Be more decisive in your combination selections-realize that not every punch you throw will land (or is even supposed to land); many will be blocked or may simply be thrown to distract, obstruct, or temporarily blind so you can hit something else. Many of the classic combinations (like a 1,1,2 or 1,2,3) are examples of this. Experience working with live opponents is really the only way to figure them out for yourself though, so definitely find a gym nearby and train at it.
-
Use more Rhythm (or Broken Rhythm)-you bounce around on your feet a lot (so you have got some rhythm going there), but you had very little head rhythm (movement), and very little body rhythm. You also never once threw a fake or feint, changed speeds, changed essence, or entered deceptively). All of this means that you are a very predictable opponent (bad against a good opponent), will be unable to deal with someone who has a physical advantage over you, and will be easy pickings for a good counter fighter.
Hope this helps.
[quote]Sentoguy wrote:
^^^Great critique by London.
To add to what he posted:
You need to realize that how you practice is what you are teaching your body to do when it counts. A thinking breathing opponent is going to be hitting you back (or at least attempting to), controlling range, and attempting to defend against your punches. This means that you need to work:
-
Maintaining a solid defensive position at all possible times- London’s point about pulling your guard hand out of position when you throw a hook or right hand is an example of not doing this. Maintaining a solid base of support when you punch is also crucial as this is the only thing bracing you against the equal and opposite force that you will encounter when you attempt to hit a massive target (like an opponent’s body or guard) and keep you from getting pushed off balance and unable to attack or defend effectively
-
Controlling distance better-like London said, the other person is going to hit you if you step into range without doing anything. In Boxing they call being in range “the pocket”. You need to build into your practice an awareness of distance so you know when you are “in” and when you are “out”. This also mandates that you learn how to use your footwork to “penetrate”/close the distance to the opponent to get in, and to use your footwork to “clear”/get back out of harm’s way after your combination is finished (you actually did this ok a few times, but it could still use some work)
-
Controlling angles-along the lines of #2 above, if you always come straight in, then you are going to be in trouble against an opponent with an advantage over you (speed, reach, experience, power, etc…); you are going to walk into something or get countered hard. By changing your angle right before you are about to attack (or fake an attack, which you did none of, but see below) you buy yourself a moment where the opponent must react to your new position and give you a split second where you can more safely close the distance. This also makes it more difficult to walk you into a corner or overwhelm you with forward pressure.
-
Be more decisive in your combination selections-realize that not every punch you throw will land (or is even supposed to land); many will be blocked or may simply be thrown to distract, obstruct, or temporarily blind so you can hit something else. Many of the classic combinations (like a 1,1,2 or 1,2,3) are examples of this. Experience working with live opponents is really the only way to figure them out for yourself though, so definitely find a gym nearby and train at it.
-
Use more Rhythm (or Broken Rhythm)-you bounce around on your feet a lot (so you have got some rhythm going there), but you had very little head rhythm (movement), and very little body rhythm. You also never once threw a fake or feint, changed speeds, changed essence, or entered deceptively). All of this means that you are a very predictable opponent (bad against a good opponent), will be unable to deal with someone who has a physical advantage over you, and will be easy pickings for a good counter fighter.
Hope this helps.[/quote]
You guys are great , thank you a lot.I have been sparring with a experienced guy long time ago and now I realize why he beat me so badly.I watched a few vids of mine sparring with friends and I saw exact mistakes which you guys said - no rythm, no feints, awful defensive moves with hands, no using of angles.Now with your help guys I will keep these things in mind and will work on them when join in boxing/kickboxing gym.I am going to spar with my brother this weekend and I will make a new vids and post later here.
Pivot more.
The reason you don’t have much power is because (as London said) your feet are all the place and you aren’t pivoting your hips.
Slow things down when shadow boxing and focus on doing everything with perfect technique (you won’t be perfect but you should always strive for it).
As the saying goes, sit on your punches. Plant your feet, punch, and then move. Always be balanced is the easiest way to think of it. If someone were to shove you in the above videos, you would go flying. When punching, you shouldn’t be able to be moved.
But yeah, anything London and Sento say would be about as good advice as you can get.
[quote]Kirks wrote:
Pivot more.
The reason you don’t have much power is because (as London said) your feet are all the place and you aren’t pivoting your hips.
Slow things down when shadow boxing and focus on doing everything with perfect technique (you won’t be perfect but you should always strive for it).
As the saying goes, sit on your punches. Plant your feet, punch, and then move. Always be balanced is the easiest way to think of it. If someone were to shove you in the above videos, you would go flying. When punching, you shouldn’t be able to be moved.
But yeah, anything London and Sento say would be about as good advice as you can get.[/quote]
All that is right, and I will work hard to fix it.
I also noticed the hands dropping as that’s something I work on, particularly when throwing a left hook.
I’m also learning how to box and had this idea for the range thing. Say I put a ring of tape or chalk around my heavy bag on the floor and that’s the “pocket”, and the only time my lead foot can be inside it is to throw a punch or combo then step back out. Does that seem like a good idea to train that sort of “awareness” so to speak? I’m not learning entirely on my own I work with a fella that boxed professionally I just don’t get out to his gym as often as I would like due to family responsibilities.
[quote]StevenF wrote:
I also noticed the hands dropping as that’s something I work on, particularly when throwing a left hook.
I’m also learning how to box and had this idea for the range thing. Say I put a ring of tape or chalk around my heavy bag on the floor and that’s the “pocket”, and the only time my lead foot can be inside it is to throw a punch or combo then step back out. Does that seem like a good idea to train that sort of “awareness” so to speak? I’m not learning entirely on my own I work with a fella that boxed professionally I just don’t get out to his gym as often as I would like due to family responsibilities. [/quote]
I think this could be very effective - a lot of gyms use lines on the floor done with tape, or whatever, to drill specific aspects of footwork. If you’ve got a lighter bag, the swinging could be an issue that complicates use of the line, but in principle it is a good idea.
Good things to practise are getting in and out across that line with small foot movements, really being in control of going a few inches in and out of range. If your bag is heavy enough, you could have another line in hook and uppercut range, so that you can practise the transition between long and short range.
[quote]StevenF wrote:
I also noticed the hands dropping as that’s something I work on, particularly when throwing a left hook.
I’m also learning how to box and had this idea for the range thing. Say I put a ring of tape or chalk around my heavy bag on the floor and that’s the “pocket”, and the only time my lead foot can be inside it is to throw a punch or combo then step back out. Does that seem like a good idea to train that sort of “awareness” so to speak? I’m not learning entirely on my own I work with a fella that boxed professionally I just don’t get out to his gym as often as I would like due to family responsibilities. [/quote]
I agree with London, initially this could be a decent learning aid. What you really need to do though is to develop the ability to gauge the distance between you and your target using your depth perception. This is crucial because as London pointed out, a swinging bag (or moving target/opponent) is going to be constantly fluctuating the range to you.
What I would suggest is to start at arm’s length (in a 85-90% extended jab), and then take a small step (6-12 inches depending on your height) backwards. That puts you at the correct distance to throw a jab. Then:
- just drill your footwork and jab to enter into the pocket, then re-measure the distance and repeat
- once you’ve got that down, then work on jabbing back out to distance
- once you have that down, then work on double jabbing in where the first jab falls a little short (would the the guard, or the chest of a taller leaning away fighter), and the second jab lands and puts you into the pocket
- once you have that practice “probing” in and out with your jab (only the front foot moves forward as you land the jab, then you immediately push back off the front foot to pull you back out of range (this can be used as a taller fighter/against a shorter fighter to actually land, as an obstruction or attack to a taller opponent’s guard/arms, to give a false sense of distance/set a rhythm where the opponent gets used to seeing you come in and out but be out of range to hit their head/body thus allowing you to lull them into not reacting fast enough when you step straight in to jab them, or double/triple up the jab to enter the pocket, etc…)
- once you’ve got those down you should have a pretty good feel for when you are in the pocket and when you are not. Then just play with your angle changes, knowing when you are in range to fire your jab and when you are too far away, using angle changes/pivots to put you into range before immediately jabbing (could be a probe, a double, a more committed step in jab, a power jab of you know how to throw one) or faking your jab and then following up or repositioning, etc… Basically at that point you can actually start to work on strategic concepts and “spar” the bag.
Steps 1-4 constitute the “mechanical” stage of learning where you are teaching your body how to correctly execute the techniques. As such it is imperative that you learn and practice the techniques correctly, otherwise you will I grain incorrect movements into your neuromuscular system that you will have to unlearn later (thus making learning the correct way more difficult). Only a qualified coach (or maybe video instruction from a qualified coach if you are somewhat naturally athletic and hyper vigilant about filming yourself and getting critique from a qualified source) is going to give you the proper instruction and constant guiding direction on how to do this though. So get to a trainer/gym ASAP! Hope this helps.
Great post Sento - where were you when I was starting out!
Wow really in depth going to have to read that a couple times. I’ll try to take some video tomorrow for a critique.