Great article on fighting stance from Jack Slack

[Tony Dismukes105]

This should be interesting to strikers of all persuasions ...

Punching with the Toes The Secrets of Hitting Hard FIGHTLAND

 

[Danny T]

A good wing chun foot placement as well.

 

[Buka22]

I'm going to have to read that again, I found it a little hard to follow. Enjoyed it, though, as well as the related articles at the bottom.

Footwork is difficult enough in it's various milieus (boxing as opposed to whatever form of Karate fighting you do, or MMA or whatever) but writing about it is a chore, even with good graphics and video examples. I liken it to writing about position in Jiu-jitsu, or Kata in Karate, or batting in baseball. There's just so much to discuss and it doesn't always work on paper.

Also - the examples are sport orientated, which is fine, but boxing is a broad sport with a lot of levels and weight divisions, there's lots of differences in the lower weights compared to the higher weights.

Recently, the last month or so, there was a thread about where you look when you spar, or maybe when you fight. I always watch the feet. To me, it's like reading a menu.

 

[Kung Fu Wang107]

I don't like the inward stance. You may protect your groin well but you ask for "foot sweep".

When your toes is pointing

- forward, your opponent has to turn 60 degree in order to sweep your leg.
- inward, your opponent only need to turn 15 degree to sweep your leg. Your 45 degree inward turning just reduce your opponent's extra 45 degree turning.

Of course you can turn your shin into your opponent's sweep (or lift your foot), but you just make easier for your opponent's sweep. If you are just a boxer, you don't have to worry about this. If you are more than just a boxer, you may have to consider the trade off.

To use "foot sweep" to deal with boxers is always the best strategy.

 

[ShotoNoob]

I don't like the inward stance. You may protect your groin well but you ask for "foot sweep".

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I'm not really up on boxing stances. Don't like 'em myself because they are vulnerable in a number of ways....
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Boxer's though, can create great & efficient power from their body mechanics, including how they utilize stance...
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Boxing is a martial system I myself don't endorse. Yet I respect it.
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BTW: a particular karate stance is never applied in isolation... or as an absolute....

 

[Danny T]

I don't like the inward stance. You may protect your groin well but you ask for "foot sweep".

Interesting take.
We utilize the inward turned foot to also prevent the foot sweep.

 

[Touch Of Death]

I'm going to have to read that again, I found it a little hard to follow. Enjoyed it, though, as well as the related articles at the bottom.

Footwork is difficult enough in it's various milieus (boxing as opposed to whatever form of Karate fighting you do, or MMA or whatever) but writing about it is a chore, even with good graphics and video examples. I liken it to writing about position in Jiu-jitsu, or Kata in Karate, or batting in baseball. There's just so much to discuss and it doesn't always work on paper.

Also - the examples are sport orientated, which is fine, but boxing is a broad sport with a lot of levels and weight divisions, there's lots of differences in the lower weights compared to the higher weights.

Recently, the last month or so, there was a thread about where you look when you spar, or maybe when you fight. I always watch the feet. To me, it's like reading a menu.

You stare at the ground?

 

[Kung Fu Wang107]

Interesting take.
We utilize the inward turned foot to also prevent the foot sweep.

How?

The best angle for foot sweep is to line up your foot along with your opponent's ankle and his toes. Your opponent's "inward foot" will make your foot much easier to line up with his ankle and his toes because your body doesn't have to turn that much.

On the other extreme, the "outward foot" will "hide" your ankle nicely (hard for your opponent to reach from outside). This will make it hard for your opponent to sweep.

When your opponent stands like in the following picture, it will be very difficult for you to "sweep his right foot with your left leg" because his right ankle is completely "hidden". Of course you can still reach to his right ankle with your right foot but that depends on which forward leg that you have.

 

[Danny T]

How?

Of course you can still reach to his right ankle with your right foot but that depends on which forward leg that you have.

You answered one way.
Only need slight pressure forward on the shin and the leg sweep is simple.

 

[Buka22]

You stare at the ground?

I watch the feet, always have. (except in police work I watch the hands)

I don't teach to watch the feet, I teach that wherever you look, don't change the level of your vision and look someplace else.

If I'm in a situation with multiple people, I do look at the ground, usually a foot or so in front of where the person most in front of me is.