question about body head combo

[gabbah]

I have a question about the body-head combo (the one where you first hit his ribcage with a hook and then follow up with the same hand with a hook to the head):
Can you make both shots hit with full power or do you need to choose one of them to hit hard (if you want to keep the combo fast)?

meaning I would either:
Throw a fast but weak hook to the body to lower his guard, and then the hook to the head with full power,

or:
throw full power to the body, then light hook to the head, and then follow up with some other punch with the other hand.

Any comments would be appreciated. Basically I'm looking for the "textbook" way to do this

[Gard]

Some people can throw both with allot of power. However the time that you take to recuperate with influence the force. Taking too long can cause the opponent to move or cover the target. I would say that the other hand has to at least throw a quick fake in between punches to prevent that from happening.

[EmptyneSs]

speed is most important. in the ring and with gloves yeah u may need more power, but if your looking at it at a pratival self defense point of view then speed is what u need. when u are hitting people with bare nuckles u dont need that much power to do some damage. u just wanna be very fast and relaxed. speed kills.

u can do em anyway u want i guess, whatever works for for u.

[Mike Brewer]

Since this is the boxing forum, I'll answer as though your question only relates to boxing.

The "textbook" answer is, the low hook should be thrown sneaky and fast, with enough power to stop the guy's feet and at the same time get him to "flinch" his guard down to cover just a bit. The follow-up hook to the head should be throw with "put-away" power, followed by a pivot or some other footwork that takes you off line and out of the way of potential counters. In a nutshell, the last blow is the knockout punch. If the first one did it, he'd crumple and fall down, and your follow-up would whiz over his head as he hit the deck.

For a variation on the technique, try following the body hook up with a same-side uppercut to the chin. A lot of people shift their guard outward to cover their ribs after a body shot, but they stay hidden behind their glove. Chucking the uppercut up the middle a la Mike Tyson in his prime is a great way to deceive the opponent as to your intent and catch him with the same theory on a slightly less conventional line.

[gabbah]

Thanks Mike, and yes I meant it purely as a boxing question. If I was forced to hit someone in the head barehanded, I would probably want to use elbows instead. DAMN those elbows are sharp!

Yeah I like to move away to my right after I have thrown my (last) left hook, leaving my shoulder up for protection of my chin, and using my right arm to deflect or cover the head from punches in case he really tries to hit me after. But most of the time they can't because I'm already at their side.

But do people crumple that fast after body shots? In my experience it takes at least half a second before you actually feel the pain of a bodyshot?
That would leave enough time to follow up with the hook even if the body shot was a knock down punch, wouldn't it? What's your experience with this?

About the variation, the thought had occured to me, and I have been training that combo a little... but now I will train it a lot more.

[Mike Brewer]

Even if they don't crumple right away, they generally don't stand still. They fold or rock back or drop to a knee, making it a somewhat awkward line to go for the head with a hook. Overhands and uppercuts work great if you really nail the body - just keep them short!

[TerryV]

Its pretty hard to do, Jerry Coney had one of the best triple hooks in the game. I forget who he was fighting but he was some top 10 guy and Jerry throw a triple hook like that and they say each hit broke something, he would throw low boby, mid body and then head. I use to have a fast hook off the jab, but could never get power off it, It was just enough to score.

[Mike Brewer]

Terry,
Try this next time you spar:
Most people throw the hook off the jab while stepping or pivoting off to the hooking side. If you change your footwork a little and throw the jab, then step toward your right side (in a left lead) as you throw the hook, the simple movement of your body weight adds a boatload of power to the hook. In other words, instead of stepping to the same side that the hook is coming from, step in the same direction that it's going. That will drag your weight into the punch without taking away from the speed with which you throw it. In fact, for a lot of guys I train, that footwork actually speeds up the transition between the two punches, making it feel even faster. I've bounced a few guys right into the ropes, and taken a couple more right off their feet doing it that way, since the hook has so much more power. Be careful and set it up well though, or you risk stepping into his counter hook. The good news is, it keeps you totally clear of his counter right!

[TerryV]

Originally Posted by Mike Brewer

Be careful and set it up well though, or you risk stepping into his counter hook. The good news is, it keeps you totally clear of his counter right!

Had that happen at 1984 Louisiana Golden Gloves, and let me tell ya, his hook had a LOT more on it than mine. I stuck to just jabs the rest of the fight and won on points.