closing the distance!!

[danfaggella]

I've been sparring allot, kick boxing mainly, but since i'm short i feel as though i should have good technique for closing the distance. i want to know how to get past these longer arms, and what to do when i'm inside.

this is what i know:

-to get inside, slide/bob/duck the lead and step in

-once inside, pop the solar plexus and wait for an opening to hit the head with a hook.

is this wrong? is this right? either way, what are some drills or strategies i should be using?!!

thanks allot

[JkD187]

you could stay in the pocket and close the distance after u blocked the tool and counter struck.

[EmptyneSs]

parry punches, and get past the arm, driving into the body with fast, hard uppercuts to the body. deliver as many hard uppercuts u can, slamming them up into his ribs. if u are fighting someone taller u need to get to his body as fast as possible, or his reach will rape u.

another thing u can do is wait for them to come for your head, and then duck under the punch/punches by squating and delivering a hard jab, cross or combo into their ribs, using their own attacking momemntum to add to the impact of your strike to his solar plexus, liver, or ribs. let him walk into it. the shots need to be very hard and comitted though, so u can stop him right there or at least slow him down. if u dont strike hard and he has very strong abbs he may be able to walk through ur attack.

when i fight taller people i usually dont even bother trying for head shots. it only exposes me, while his body is much easier to get to and is just as effective to strike at.

[danfaggella]

THANKS!

I really want to learn how to "duck" and "parry" and most of all.... "slip".

1>how can I learn these skills? (what drills can i do?)

2>i love the low jab-cross combo, but i'm not sure on how my stance needs to be. Should i bend mostly just by the waist and a litle on the front and back legs?

[JkD187]

find someone who knows how to work pads and have them drill u on working on ur bobs and weaves slips ducks and parries....also try to stay in the pocket and block shots.Let these things flow from one thing to another and pay attention to the pad combo he throws out.always work outta motion this will work on ur timing and alot of sparring.I wouldnt bob and weave if your going more toward mma or self defense it leaves you extremely open to knees to the face, downward elbows and chokes and face locks id just go wit the slips and dips and staying in the pocket.

[EmptyneSs]

Originally Posted by danfaggella

THANKS!

I really want to learn how to "duck" and "parry" and most of all.... "slip".

1>how can I learn these skills? (what drills can i do?)

2>i love the low jab-cross combo, but i'm not sure on how my stance needs to be. Should i bend mostly just by the waist and a litle on the front and back legs?

u need to train with a partner. have him throw slow combos at u and get used to ducking under them and parrying and countering and whatnot. the better u get, the faster he can go. doing drills like these will get u used to slipping and ducking attacks and countering them.

when u duck under punches and deliver strikes and combos, dont ever bend at the waist. just bend at the legs only, like you are squating. just drop down enough to get under the punches and deliver the combo. the only thing changing in your stance is your legs, everything else is the same as before.

[danfaggella]

this is opposite to what i read in boxing books as well as bruce lee's "the tao of JKD", they tell people to bend at the waist, over a slightly bent front leg, while the back leg (usually right) is more bent.

[EmptyneSs]

u may wanna bend a little at the waste in your general stance, but not when u are ducking punches and countering.

[Tant01]

Originally Posted by danfaggella

I've been sparring allot, kick boxing mainly, but since i'm short i feel as though i should have good technique for closing the distance. i want to know how to get past these longer arms, and what to do when i'm inside.

this is what i know:

-to get inside, slide/bob/duck the lead and step in

-once inside, pop the solar plexus and wait for an opening to hit the head with a hook.

is this wrong? is this right? either way, what are some drills or strategies i should be using?!!

thanks allot

Mike B and others have provided a good bit of useful technical advice that you might be able to put to use. Check out boxing tips and other related threads on fighting inside! Here is a small sample of one post:

"Over the weekend, I did a seminar in Arkansas. Among our topics was timing and footwork as it relates to setting up the attack. What everyone seems to agree on is that leading is preferable to reacting outright, but countering makes big things possible. So to work our countering skills, we first started with some footwork drills designed to apply pressure from nothing more than position. Try this:

When you begin sparring/bxing with someone, move to their lead side, keeping your foot outside theirs. Then change up, moving to their rear side (watch out for that power hand), constantly trying to control the inside. Try moving straight away, followed by moving away on angles. Finally, move inward and on the angles. Each time, take note of how the guy responds or adjusts his footwork. Most often, people simply use footwork to maintain their interval. They simply want the distance to sty the same, closing when they choose or backing off when they choose. More sophisticated fighters will sometimes try to dissuade you from moving a particular direction by attacking when you do, for instance, throwing a lead hook to your head as you move to his lead side. If you can establish these kinds of patterns, you've set up some brilliant opportunities to counter him."....


Mr. B

It's worth a search!

[jukado1]

Dan: One thing you might try to add to your footwork is "set point control" SPC is using movement to unbalance and slow down your opponent's reactions. While facing an opponent start moving in an oval/egg shape direction, as your opponent moves to adjust, move back and in, all in one move, If this is done correctly you can sometimes catch them off balance and slow to react.

[ddrive]

Originally Posted by danfaggella

THANKS!

I really want to learn how to "duck" and "parry" and most of all.... "slip".

1>how can I learn these skills? (what drills can i do?)

2>i love the low jab-cross combo, but i'm not sure on how my stance needs to be. Should i bend mostly just by the waist and a litle on the front and back legs?

I can help you with number one a little bit.
To get used to ducking, tie a 10- 15 ft string to two elevated points in or out of your house (it's like setting up a clothesline). Make sure the clothesline is at the height of your neck. Then start at one side of the line, try a boxing combo (jab, cross), duck underneath the line, and as you come up to the other side try another boxing combo. As your moving from one side to the other you should be moving forward. Dan Inosanto has a clip of this on his website, if you'd like to check it out.

To get used to the "bob and weave", you need to purchase a double end ball. Once it's setup, punch it, and as it comes back to you move out of the way. It's pretty simple.

[danfaggella]

thanks!

double end ball?

[HtTKar]

If you are shorter, you are going to have to be faster, and be in better shape. Know that you can throw more punches and you can outlast your opponent. You will have to work harder to win that fight and will need to use more energy. So practice harder than the rest of them. Get used to running backwards and in, and forward and in; in circular motions toward their lead hand or leg. use lowline attacks to keep their legs in check, just stomping on their legs works nicely. And once your inside make them pay for the punishment you had to take getting in there. One of the best things you can do is just start jumproping until you cant jumprope anymore, jog, and start hitting your bags until you know that you can thow 1000 solid punches everyday whether you are feeling great, or sick as hell. Closing the distance is a heck of a lot easier when your feeling great while your opponent is trying to catch his breath.