Intro
Boxing has developed over the years, and boxers have developed new skills and invented new techniques to conquer the ring. It took them an enormous amount of time to master their techniques and skill. Here we will review advanced techniques used by professional and amateur boxers alike.
Slip and roll
Slip and roll is a defensive technique used in boxing to evade incoming punches.
Slipping is an action when a boxer is able to dodge an incoming punch by moving their hand to either the right or left side and slightly leaning towards the opposite direction of the punch. This puts the boxer in a favorable position for a counterattack. The punch to throw depends on the distance between the opponent. For a close-range hook or uppercut to the body or head, a jab or a cross for long-range.
On the other hand, rolling is when a boxer rotates his shoulders in the opposite direction of a coming punch, moving it away with the shoulder and rolling with the motion. This deflects off the punch with the shoulder using the movement of the punch. Discharging the punch from its power allows the boxer to counter the punch immediately.
Both slip and roll are very highly demanding skills. They are skills that require good timing and boxing IQ to be executed effectively. They are both defensive moves and are combined with other defensive moves such as waving, foot working, ducking, dodging, blocking, etc.
Bolo punch
The bolo punch is unique to the other four formal punches in boxing, jab, hook, cross, and uppercut. The bolo punch is a punch thrown like an uppercut but with a full swing motion and rotate of the body from low-level, making it a very dangerous punch if landed but very risky to do since it creates a massive opening in defense while attempting it (leaving the boxer’s chin wide open).
The punch could also be described as a low-level swing all the way to the body or head area. You can see this punch across many of Sugar Ray Leonard’s fights. Gervonta “Tank” Davis also had a mix of an uppercut and the bolo punch while knocking out Leo Santa Cruz.
Double jab
As the name suggests, the double jab is two constantly attempted jabs. It gives the boxer a way to get closer to the opponent and land a jab since the opponent wouldn’t usually see it coming. This technique is usually not implemented or known for beginners, thus getting to know and being familiar with it is a must for beginner boxers.
This move is an excellent tool to a boxer’s toolbox and should be implemented in the ring. It can create more opportunities in the ring and can be used as a setup for more punches.
The bob and wave
This technique is iconic in boxing and usually seen in many boxing movies. Although commonly seeing it could lead to a mistake, that it is easy to be done correctly. In fact, bobbing and weaving is a highly demanding skill, and it requires good knowledge to be done correctly in the ring and an exceptional understanding of timing, prediction, and speed.
The movement of the bob and weave requires bending the legs and moving the upper body sideways, and then quickly returning to your boxing stance, like doing the letter “U” with your body. This makes the boxer more elusive and a hard target to hit, adding another defensive tool to a boxer’s toolbox.
Many beginners perform this move wrongly and poorly, and fixing it as soon as possible is essential. The movement should start from the legs and not the body or waist, and only while dipping should there be a slight usage of the waist to move the upper body sideways.
Deflection
The deflection technique involves deflecting upcoming punches with the gloves or forearms. Deflecting using the gloves is seen in many amateur and professional boxing alike (In amateur boxing, it is very common among soviet style boxers). A short list of professional boxers that have seen deflect using the gloves are Lennox Lewis, Marvin Hagler, Evander Holyfield, and more.
Deflecting with the gloves requires a boxer to move his glove towards the incoming punch while the glove is wide open and the palm facing the incoming punch direction to deflect it.
Deflecting punches using the forearms is usually less seen overall but mostly seen in professional boxing. A short list of professional boxers that have seen deflect using the forearms are Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, Gervonta “Tank” Davis, and Mike “Iron” Tyson.
Cutting-off the ring
Also known as pressure and positioning in the ring, knowing how to place yourself against the opponent, getting close to him, and forcing him into a close-range fight or a fight against the ropes. It traps the opponent and puts constant pressure on him, leading him to make mistakes or stay static in one position.
This technique requires a good understanding of positioning and distance, getting close to the opponent with speed and timing, and blocking possible exit routes with the body and the legs. Usually, the dominant fighter will do it in the ring while the opponent will back off and keep fighting smart, trying to punch and constantly move and play a hard target to hit.
Summary
Boxing has many more advanced techniques. These techniques create a gap between a beginner and an advanced, experienced boxer. In the higher levels of boxing, learning constantly advanced techniques is inevitable. But this requires a good grasp of the basics of boxing and the fundamentals, and thus the advanced techniques are only practical with a good foundation in boxing.
