Shadowboxing critique?

[Ivan]

Hey guys, it’s been a while since I’ve posted here. I’ve come along far on my journey since, and I’ve been meaning to start posting again. I’ve gained a lot of mass since the last time I posted, I’m weighing at 100kg now. I’ve been focusing exclusively on grappling for a while now, I stopped

striking completely ever since I had really bad experiences trying to join an amateur boxing team and a nasty KO and concussions here and there. I am now coaching the MMA club at my local university and have been looking to sharpen my striking skills again. I still feel comfortable in the stance, as if everything I learnt never left, but I am feeling quite sluggish after gaining this weight. I was shadowboxing here aiming to retract my punches as quickly as possible back to guard to improve my speed.

Any advice, however harsh, is always welcome I would love to hear feedback on my technique and footwork specifically. Please let me know! Thanks.

 

[Holmejr13 12]

Nice
You could add the step out right hook when in left lead. Rotating to your left.

 

[drop bear114 53]

Think about why you are dropping your hands.

 

[isshinryuronin4 4]

Any advice, however harsh, is always welcome

Ready?

Not harsh - just an observation. Your jabs and other lead punches seem nice and crisp, but your right seems a bit lazy - slower, weaker, and sometimes short (but that may be by design?) especially in the 2nd half of the clip.

Putting less effort into the right means your weight will be positioned differently after the punch and that can affect your footwork afterwards. Maybe not an issue when you work the heavy bag. No boxing expert by any means, just looking at it thru the lens of my karate experience. My meager contribution may be off target or maybe alert you to something to be aware of. I have no idea.

Either way, good to see you back. Good luck shedding those pounds and please protect your brain in the future.

 

[Kung Fu Wang114 145]

Any advice, however harsh, is always welcome ...

Can't read your mind. Maybe you are already thinking what I'm trying to suggest.

When you throw a punch, do you expect your opponent to react in a certain way?

For example, when you throw a right jab, your opponent may block your jab to your

- left, you can then change you right jab into a right hook.
- right, you can follow with a left hook (or left cross).
- upward, you can follow a left uppercut at his chin.
- downward, you can follow a left overhand on top of his head.

A right jab is just like the root of a tree. It branches out depending on your opponent's different respond. This way, even when you train solo, since you have imaginary opponent in front of you, you are really train with an imaginary partner.

After you have passed the 1,2 combos, you can get into 1,2,3 combos. Your punching skill will increase big time.

Example of 1,2,3 combos can be:

- right jab, right hook, left cross.
- right jab, right hook, left hook.
- right jab, right hook, left uppercut.
- right jab, right hook, left overhand.

 

[Buka30 4]

Good to see you again, Ivan.
You seem to be lowering your right hand a little more than you used to. That could be from a lot of things. Your moving to the side footwork looks good though. Definitely keep sharpening that. (My opinion)

I’ve been fortunate to train with world champions. What I’ve learned from them, and continually tested, is the jab is the cornerstone on which the church is built. You can neutralize pretty much anything with a superior jab.

But that’s primarily in the use of hands. In what competitive arena are you concentrating on? Boxing, kickboxing, MMA, self defense/street, just in general?

 

[HighKick]

Hey guys, it’s been a while since I’ve posted here. I’ve come along far on my journey since, and I’ve been meaning to start posting again. I’ve gained a lot of mass since the last time I posted, I’m weighing at 100kg now. I’ve been focusing exclusively on grappling for a while now, I stopped

striking completely ever since I had really bad experiences trying to join an amateur boxing team and a nasty KO and concussions here and there. I am now coaching the MMA club at my local university and have been looking to sharpen my striking skills again. I still feel comfortable in the stance, as if everything I learnt never left, but I am feeling quite sluggish after gaining this weight. I was shadowboxing here aiming to retract my punches as quickly as possible back to guard to improve my speed.

Any advice, however harsh, is always welcome I would love to hear feedback on my technique and footwork specifically. Please let me know! Thanks.

We have always called it ‘engage’, ‘contract’ & ‘relax’ when breaking down the lead in/lead out.
It looks like you are relaxing too soon when contracting, dropping your hands too fast. I would like to see you in the ring and watch your hands on the lead out.

 

[Ivan]

We have always called it ‘engage’, ‘contract’ & ‘relax’ when breaking down the lead in/lead out.
It looks like you are relaxing too soon when contracting, dropping your hands too fast. I would like to see you in the ring and watch your hands on the lead out.

I’d love to show you but unfortunately I haven’t stepped foot in a boxing ring in a very long time, and if I did it seems a bit taboo to film myself sparring. I can’t quite understand what you mean by engage contract and relax. Could you elaborate?

 

[Ivan]

Good to see you again, Ivan.
You seem to be lowering your right hand a little more than you used to. That could be from a lot of things. Your moving to the side footwork looks good though. Definitely keep sharpening that. (My opinion)

I’ve been fortunate to train with world champions. What I’ve learned from them, and continually tested, is the jab is the cornerstone on which the church is built. You can neutralize pretty much anything with a superior jab.

But that’s primarily in the use of hands. In what competitive arena are you concentrating on? Boxing, kickboxing, MMA, self defense/street, just in general?

I guess I am focusing on boxing and just general striking that is applicable in all scenarios, but I find boxing particularly beautiful. I really wish to have the technique of top level boxers, it’s just a shame I didn’t continue polishing myself up a bit during the years I focused on BJJ.

Does my jab look good in that case? Also, I feel like I am dropping my hand because I am keeping my right hand to high up relative to my face, so I need to drop it for a good cross. I cannot tell if this is the case, but when I try to focus on throwing a right cross without dropping the hand it feels like it lacks power and is unnatural. I can’t tell if this is because I am simply not used to it and I have bad habits, or because it truly is unnatural.

 

[Ivan]

Can't read your mind. Maybe you are already thinking what I'm trying to suggest.

When you throw a punch, do you expect your opponent to react in a certain way?

For example, when you throw a right jab, your opponent may block your jab to your

- left, you can then change you right jab into a right hook.
- right, you can follow with a left hook (or left cross).
- upward, you can follow a left uppercut at his chin.
- downward, you can follow a left overhand on top of his head.

A right jab is just like the root of a tree. It branches out depending on your opponent's different respond. This way, even when you train solo, since you have imaginary opponent in front of you, you are really train with an imaginary partner.

After you have passed the 1,2 combos, you can get into 1,2,3 combos. Your punching skill will increase big time.

Example of 1,2,3 combos can be:

- right jab, right hook, left cross.
- right jab, right hook, left hook.
- right jab, right hook, left uppercut.
- right jab, right hook, left overhand.

A lot of the time I am focusing on the specific drill I am doing rather than imagining my opponent. In the video I am focusing on bringing my hands back to guard as much as possible, so I am not thinking about an opponent. I’ll definitely be working on 3 punch combos now though.

 

[Buka30 4]

I guess I am focusing on boxing and just general striking that is applicable in all scenarios, but I find boxing particularly beautiful. I really wish to have the technique of top level boxers, it’s just a shame I didn’t continue polishing myself up a bit during the years I focused on BJJ.

Does my jab look good in that case? Also, I feel like I am dropping my hand because I am keeping my right hand to high up relative to my face, so I need to drop it for a good cross. I cannot tell if this is the case, but when I try to focus on throwing a right cross without dropping the hand it feels like it lacks power and is unnatural. I can’t tell if this is because I am simply not used to it and I have bad habits, or because it truly is unnatural.

https://share.google/QwLhqoHyAk9UuGhij

I hope the above actually comes out, I have trouble posting YouTube videos for some reason.

Keep doing what you’re doing, but you should add something to it. I don’t know many with the speed and talent of Manny, who you’ll watch above. But a good part of boxing is “fighting in the kitchen” which is in close.
Not all punches in boxing are power punches, some are really quick short punches that not only have a cumulative effect, but they open up things for…other things.

When adding something like this, be careful of not just moving your hands just for the sake of moving your hands faster, but to really concentrate on throwing an actual short punch to where you want to throw it.

And keep doing your footwork where you’re moving outside to another angle and throwing a flurry of those in-the-kitchen short punches.

Take your time and have fun with it. It can help a lot.

Short flurries of punches can teach your body to throw punches faster, which can translate into your jabs getting faster.

 

[HighKick]

I’d love to show you but unfortunately I haven’t stepped foot in a boxing ring in a very long time, and if I did it seems a bit taboo to film myself sparring. I can’t quite understand what you mean by engage contract and relax. Could you elaborate?

The step/move in for the jab, the step back, at the point at which you ‘relax’.
On the bag, the relax is less important but it can set bad habits that transfer to the ring.
Great to see you still working.

 

[wab25]

Two things I see....

1. You tend to pull straight back after your combination. That makes you predictable. If you combine that with dropping your hands a little early, like other pointed out, that could be really bad for you. You do have good side to side movement.... after your combo, pivot, go to the side... something bedsides pulling straight back.... and keep your guard up.

2. When you are punching or moving forward, you are up on the balls of your feet. After you pull back, you settle, put your heels down. This makes you much slower, until you get back on the balls of your feet. Its also a tell.... when you are flat footed, nothing is coming my way... when you get on the balls of your feet it says "get ready, here I come."

Stay on the balls of your feet, use an angle on the exit instead of pulling straight back. Overall, good work.