Some basics
Unless you're counterpunching, don't lead with the rear.
Unless you're counterpunching, don't lead with a lead hook.
Don't let your last punch in a combination be to the body, throw at his face before backing out.
Train for excellence in covering first, then train your bob and weave and slip. When covering, you'll learn when the punches are going to arrive by feeling them, somatically, on your forearms/hands. So after you are great at covering, and no one is easily hitting you anymore, beging getting your head out of the way.
Keep your rear heel off the ground, about sa high as if a pack of cigs were laying under it flat.
Keep your lead heel off the ground, about as high as if you had a tack in it.
Old school boxing instructors would literally put a tack in some of their boxers shoes to teach them not to put their heels down. I'm sure that worked quickly!
The reason is because all your ability to move quickly and all your ability to hit powerfully lie in your raised heels. Put your heels down, and you are rooted to the earth and have to lift your weight to get out of the way of the incoming. Likewise, if your rear heel is down, where is your pivot on your powerful rear hand shots?? You don't have one, and hence much less power.
Learn to get your ass back to the center of the ring.
Put a bean bag chair out on your fighting floor and practice trying to make the other boxer fall over the chair - get it behind him and make him back pedal, after he can't be made to do that anymore, learn more complex tricks (like making him circle over it) May not be the best idea if your fighters don't know how to breakfall. Great for self defense training as ther eis most always a curb, ottoman, trash can, chair to make someone fall over and most people have no environmental awareness.
If your a little guy, make the heavy bag your best damned friend. Work out only on the proper sized heavy bag (60-80 pounds for a smaller guy) but also have a really heavy, really soft heavy bag available too. Mostly work on the one sized for you (to protect your wrists) but get at least a weekly workout on the 110+ pound bag. Work on your power, all the time. Especially your lead - work that jab for power. A boxing coach had me throw nothing but jabs for two months until I had a jab. And now my left pectoral is larger and I'm a freak - thanks Rick!
Don't workout on any bag that is hard. If you are working on a hard bag, you must hate yourself. Ringside has great 2-layer foam bags. You owe it to yourself. In our computer age, you are going to need your fingers and wrists to type. At least, for a decade or so more, I'm guessing.
Work focus mitts sparingly and work with a real partner as often as possible.
Don't beat the hell out of each other. Only crappy boxing gyms teach that way - because they don't know much about coaching. Fight "pat-a-cake" style like the old school boxing coaches called it. Keep perfect boxing speed and form, but keep the fists from being completely closed as you hit your opponent's face. Spar hard once a week when you have the skill to do it - but this will take it easy on your body and you'll find you learn faster that way as well. And you'll get to enjoy your combat sports into a much older age than you otherwise would. Be the guy still training at 50. It was actually really high level Judo players that told me that last part.
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