You will not hit your opponent with your power punch unless you set it up first. The easiest thing the opponent can do is make you miss your punch. Just by moving his head, he does enough to avoid your isolated power punch.

(OK, perhaps if you sucker punch someone who doesn’t even realize he’s in a fight… But that’s not a fight, that’s an assault, and that’s not what I’m talking about.)

So, to win a boxing or martial arts match, it’s important to know how to set up your power punches.

The way you do it is with speed.

Knowledgeable fighters always call the jab their most important punch. This is because the jab is fast and accurate. Good fighters use the jab like a measuring stick to get their distance. But they also use the jab to set up the powerful straight right hand. Without the lead left, the right hand won’t hit anything but air.

Good boxing trainers teach that it’s worse than useless to throw power punches until your opponent is immobilized. That is, until he’s either already hurt, or up against the ropes, or twisted up in a bad stance. In other words, don’t load up on your punch(es) until your opponent is no longer able to punch back with 100% effectiveness.

Watch some tough-guy contests where two big guys get in a boxing ring and try to knock each other out. If they’re untrained, you see them swinging away with huge haymakers and overhand rights. Invariably, they never seem to connect with any punches. After a minute, they’re so exhausted that they stand there huffing and puffing.

It’s because they didn’t lead with speed. A few jabs from an experienced fighter would render these untrained big guys totally harmless. Jabbing and footwork is how you keep a big guy from rushing you.

Keep a novice at the end of your jab and you will always be safe from his punches.

So you’re not a trained boxer, but you want to work on your punching power? Then allow me to introduce you to a simple series of concepts called SWAMP. The ideas behind SWAMP will focus your mind on the five things that are important when you want to hit with maximum power.

These five things are:

1. Stay relaxed
2. Weapon moves first
3. Accelerate the weapon
4. Move towards the target
5. Penetrate

Use the acronym SWAMP to help you remember these five concepts.

Stay Relaxed

When you’re nervous, you tense up. This nervous tension makes it impossible to move with speed and power. You must stay relaxed.

The best way to remain relaxed in a tense situation is to know exactly what you’re going to do. Have a plan of action. Even the best pro fighters follow a game plan.

Move the weapon first

Don’t telegraph your actions. Instead, move your fist (or whatever you’re striking with) first. The element of surprise is extremely important because the easiest thing an opponent can do is make you miss your punch or strike. Make it difficult for him to dodge your blow by moving your fist before you move the rest of your body.

Accelerate to the target

Start fast, and end up even faster. You want to accelerate your strike towards the target.

This concept is important when you consider that many people practice punching without hitting the pads or the heavy bag. When they do this, they intentionally slow down at the end of their punches to avoid hyperextending the elbow. Some people even “snap back” their punches, either to regain the guard position, or to avoid having an opponent grab their arm.

But for maximum punching power, you have to accelerate to the target and commit fully to the power of the strike.

Move to the target

Once your punch is on its way, you want to move your body weight towards the target. Or, at least, you want to move your body weight in line with the direction of your punch.

Getting your body behind the blow is a simple way to add power to your punch. So don’t be afraid to step in with a punch.

Penetration

As I mentioned in the ‘accelerate‘ section, it’s important not to slow your punch down towards the end of your range of motion. Instead, penetrate the target. You should aim to finish your punches inside your opponent’s body (or inside the heavy bag), rather than on the surface.

For maximum power against resistance, snapping back is the wrong thing to do.

So there you have it, five proven concepts behind increasing your power, and an acronym you can use to remember those concepts.

You want to hit without being hit.  That’s how you win a boxing match.

There is a continuum of defensive strategies, and I’ll list them for you, starting with the absolute worst, and ending with the best.

The worst defensive strategies:

Walking into a power punch

The very worst thing you can do is to move into your opponent’s punch.  If you shift forward just as your opponent’s straight right lands on your jaw, you’re going to get knocked out.

Getting hit square by a punch

You can take a punch as long as its not on your most vulnerable areas.  You never want to get hit in the face, the jaw, the temple, or in certain ‘illegal’ areas, but if you have to take a punch, its not the end of the world as long as it doesn’t hurt you too much.

Rolling with a punch

Sort of the opposite of walking into a punch is rolling with the punch.  When you do this, you markedly decrease the punch’s impact.  Good boxers rarely get hit square.  They’re always moving with their opponent’s power punches.  Why do some fighters – mostly MMA or traditional martial arts practitioners – go down after very few punches, while boxers go many rounds before they fall?  It’s because boxers hardly ever get hit with the full power of a punch.

Your opponent can take advantage of this by continuing to punch.  Judges often can’t determine if the punch did damage or not.  Even though you rolled with the punch and rendered it harmless, judges might still score it as a landed power punch.

Better defensive strategies:

Block the punch

When you block a punch, you stick something in front of it.  Think of an ancient soldier with a sword and shield: he’s capable of blocking an attack by sticking the shield in the way. A boxer blocks in a similar manner, but he blocks with his gloves, or sometimes his elbows or his shoulders.  Against the jab, this is often called “catching the jab”.  Usually, boxers use the rear hand to block (or catch) punches.  Catching with the front hand is counterproductive.

If you block punches by putting your gloves right in front of your face (called “putting on the earmuffs”), you can get hurt even though the punch impacted your gloves instead of your face.  Your opponent can take advantage of your blocks by increasing the length of his boxing combinations.  While you’re busy putting your hands in front of your face, he’s punching around your block.  So you should only block punches that otherwise will land.

Parry the punch

When you parry a punch, you’re not stopping it dead like when you block.  Instead, you’re deflecting it.  You’re knocking it off line.  The front hand is often used to parry punches.  Successfully parrying a punch leaves your opponent vulnerable to counterpunches.

Your opponent can trick you by feinting.  This may cause you to parry a punch that simply doesn’t exist.  When you do this, you are momentarily vulnerable.  Be sure to only parry enough to deflect the punch; don’t parry with so much intensity that you throw yourself offline.

The best defensive strategies in boxing:

Make him miss

When you make him miss, you are in a perfect position to make him pay.  There are several ways to do this.

You can slip or roll with his punches.  Slipping, especially, is a very effective way to put your opponent totally out of position so you can blast him with a power punch before he’s able to recover.

Sidestepping is useful against fighters with little experience.  If a guy comes rushing in, try a sidestep.

Finally, if you have longer punches than his – especially if he’s an inexperienced fighter who throws nothing but haymakers – you can keep him from ever getting close enough to hit you.  Good jabbers do this instinctively.

Your opponent can take advantage of this if he’s well conditioned.  Often, judges will score an otherwise even fight to the fighter who showed more aggression.  If he’s dictating the pace of the fight, he looks like a winner.

Hit him before he hits you

The very best thing you can do is to hit him before he punches.  Think of the old saying: the best defense is a good offense.  If you seize and maintain the initiative, he won’t hurt you.  Of course, this is easier said than done.  If you’re fighting a good boxer, he’s very dangerous; open up prematurely, and you’ll get the tables turned on you.  So make sure you really can hit him before you commit yourself to a string of power punches.

What do you think?  Do you have any defensive boxing strategies that I neglected to mention?  Let’s hear your thoughts below.

Despite calling itself the Sweet Science, many boxing trainers are less about the science and more about the tradition.

That is, these hidebound trainers do things the way their trainers taught them. They don’t innovate. They don’t advance the state of the art. Their pool of ideas remains stagnant.

Unfortunately, these guys are the ones who make the rules and regulations.

When it comes to wrapping your hands during training, there are several tradition-based rules you should ignore.

And lately, some trainers and boxing regulatory commissions have been revisiting handwrap rules with the aim of protecting fighters’ hands. If the boxing commission doesn’t like to reexamine the rules from time to time, I think it’s a good idea to find a way to get rid of them and put some forward-thinking commissioners in their seats.

By way of example, here is the WBO regulations about handwraps:

In all weight classes hand bandages shall be restricted to twelve (12) yards of soft gauze bandage per hand not more than two (2) inches in width, held in place by not more than eight (8) feet (2.438 m) of surgical tape of One (1) inch (25.4 mm) of width. The surgical tape shall not be applied within one (1) inch (25.4 mm)of the knuckles of the contestant’s hands.

Here is the IBF‘s version of these handwrap rules:

The hand bandage shall be restricted to ten (10) yards of soft gauze bandage not more than two (2) inches wide held in place by not more than six (6) feet of surgeon’s tape, one inch wide for each hand. In the Light Heavyweight, Cruiserweight and Heavyweight classes, bandages may be twelve (13) yards in length and not more than two (2) inches in width held in place by not more than eight (8) feet of surgeon’s tape, one inch in width for each hand. The binding of surgeon’s tape must not be applied within one inch of the knuckles of the contestant’s hands.

Bad rule #1: Limited handwrap lengths

Why do boxing commissions enforce these arbitrary lengths?

The old-school dinosaurs who make these rules think that the more you wrap your hands, the more danger there is to your opponent’s face. By limiting the handwrap length, they try to strike a happy medium between protecting your hands and protecting your opponent’s face.

But I’m not convinced that longer handwraps, on their own, let you do excessive damage to your opponent.

What I am sure of is that many boxers — even top-level professionals with earning potentials in the hundreds of millions of dollars — regularly break their hands during boxing matches.

Some forward-looking boxing commissions are changing the traditions. They say it’s OK to use as much handwrap material (gauze bandage) as you can fit inside the boxing gloves. This is a huge step in the right direction.

Obviously, when you train, you should use as much handwrap as you can. The more the better. Don’t let these outdated ‘rules’ dictate how long your training wraps should be. The health of your hand is of primary importance. If your sparring partner complains, find a new partner.

Bad rule #2: Handwrap placement

It’s always been illegal to put handwraps over the knuckles during a boxing match. Many people believe the wraps get hard over your knuckles and they’ll add to the impact of a punch. Roger Mayweather once said that gauze bandages over the knuckles turned into “brass knuckles” as a fight wears on.

But Roger Mayweather doesn’t know what he’s talking about.

When you train on the heavybag, you must put padding over your knuckles. Either use the handwrap material, or use a pair of knuckle guards.

During sparring (and during boxing matches), it’s rude and/or illegal to use knuckle guards. But again, some progressive boxing commissions are examining and altering the rules which prohibit using handwrap gauze over the knuckles.

So don’t let the old tradition of not wrapping your knuckles lead you to damage your hands on the heavybag. When you train the bags, wrap your knuckles in addition to your hands. If you don’t have enough material, then get some longer handwraps.

In boxing or fist fighting, there are 3 pillars of defense you can use to keep yourself safe.  All the defensive moves boxers learn and practice fall into one of these three foundational parts of the sport or fighting system.

1 – Move your head

This is the easiest way to protect yourself in a fight.

No matter how good your opponent or attacker is, you can make him miss his punch by moving your head.  Your head should never remain in the same spot long enough for him to target you and get off a clean punch.  Especially if you’re a short guy or if you like to fight on the inside, good head movement is what makes the difference between getting hit or not.

Remember: it doesn’t matter how tired you are, you can always keep your head moving. Even if you’re up against the ropes, with wobbly legs, and so fatigued you can barely hold your hands up, you can still keep your head moving and make it to the end of the round.

2 – Block a punch

The word “Blocking” can be deceptive.  Lots of non-fighters think of blocking as the thing kids learn in Karate class where they go through a big, impressive ‘block’ against a punch that probably wouldn’t have landed anyway.  Although those techniques are called blocks, they really aren’t.  They’re really joint-locking techniques or breaking techniques.

Nevertheless, boxers and full-contact fighters do block.  They just don’t do it with as much fanfare as Karate guys.  Lots of guys ‘catch’ punches with the rear hand, or ‘deflect’ them with the front hand.  Even if you only alter the angle of the punch by an inch, it’s still an effective block.

Blocking is very useful in a boxing match where the fighters are wearing big gloves.  It’s less useful in a bare-knuckle fight.  Without gloves, it’s harder (but not impossible) to block a punch.  Blocks are still useful in street fights, but the techniques are somewhat different.

Keeping your hands up is the first and most important part of blocking a punch.  Some expert boxers fight with their lead hand down, but they’re still capable of blocking with the lead shoulder or with the rear hand.

3 – Defensive footwork

Footwork – or moving your feet (as opposed to moving your head) – is the experts’ way of making an opponent miss his punch.

With subtle adjustments of stance and footwork, an expert fighter can make his opponent punch air.  And when he hits back, he’s in range to land damaging counterpunches.

Pick one technique and work on it

So if you’re getting hit too much in sparring, make the decision to practice one of these three aspects of fighting defense.  Learn all you can about it and work on it until you feel like you’re surrounded by an impenetrable shield.

If you’re a big, tough guy, you might decide to get good at blocking punches.  If you’re small and agile, footwork might be your friend.  And no matter who you are, you have to learn how to move your head.

Have fun with your training and remember to always keep your chin down!

So you want a good heavy bag workout?  Here are our recommendations for beginners.  This workout plan is simple and to the point: it uses the heavy bag to give you the foundations for fighting fitness.

I’m starting with the assumption that you don’t know how to throw effective combinations on the punching bag.  If you know how to put punches together and incorporate defense into your offense, you don’t need this sort of step-by-step exercise plan.

However, if you are experienced with the heavy bag but think there’s something you’re missing, it is a good idea to take a step back and give this plan a shot.  Perhaps your skill set has holes that need to be filled.

A round-based plan

Don’t just hit the bag until you can’t hold your arms up anymore.  I want you to follow an interval training plan.

And guess what?  Boxing  already encourages interval-based workouts.  And so do other combat sports like MMA or Muay Thai. That’s right: the rounds used in fighting and training are timed intervals.

Interval training is superior because you work out at a higher level of intensity.  Straight-line workouts have no built-in recovery time, and you end up working out at a lower overall level of intensity.  This may seem counter-intuitive, but if you measure the work performed, interval training is more intense.

Most people have no plans to fight in an organized boxing or martial arts competition.  They just want fitness and casual self-defense training.  Nevertheless, these folks are better off using round-based interval training rather than a less-structured approach to working out.

And of course, if you think you might spar or fight in a gym, you need to train the way you plan to fight.  And that means using rounds.

I suggest you use 3-minute rounds and 1-minute rest periods between rounds.  Feel free to modify things if you fight or spar in an organized setting where they pick the round length for you.  Either way, keep the intensity level fairly high during rounds and train your recovery ability in the rest interval.

Basic punches on the heavy bag

The way to get good is to prioritize during your training sessions.  Going into things without a plan is futile.  You need to know what to do, and when to do it.  And I’m going to tell you how to go about it.

You’re going to devote one round to each punch.  To increase training and recovery, divide your techniques into two or three variations per round.

Start with one round each of the jab, straight right, left hook, and uppercuts.  This gives you a good, 15-minute workout.  As you get fitter, add rounds and increase the punch rate.

If you’re already in great shape and this workout is easy, add some calisthenics or GPP exercises during the one-minute ‘rest’ periods between rounds.  Or use your jump rope.

Do this sort of workout two or three times per week.  Bag work is hard on the body, so pace yourself and make sure to get your rest days.

Jabs

Jabs are important.  Practice your jabs on the heavy bag until it feels like the front of your shoulder is on fire.  Shoulder fatigue limits your ability to train, so it’s important that you get your lead shoulder in tip-top shape.

Unfortunately, there’s no real secret to getting your shoulders in shape.  Basically, it just comes down to working it hard and often.  Eventually, you’ll get in shape.

1. Start with one minute of basic, eye-level jabs with footwork circling left around the heavy bag.  Throw in some double-jabs or jab on the fly.
2. Continue with a minute of jabs and double-jabs circling right.
3. Finish with a minute of double jabs with random footwork.
4. Optional: Throw some jabs to the body with good technique.

Straight right (or right cross)

I prefer the term straight right hand over the term right cross, but many people use the two expressions interchangeably.  Whatever you call it, this is your most important power punch.  It’s a straight punch without any swinging or hooking component.

Your straight right should make the heavy bag jump.  This is your fast, accurate, knockout punch and it lands with a lot of pop.

1. Start with one minute of eye-level straight rights, with maximum power and perfect technique.
2. Spend the second minute alternating between straight rights to the head and to the body, always with perfect technique.  Remember to bend the knees and drop down for the body punches; don’t just punch downwards.
3. Double up on the straight right.
4. Optional: Throw the 1-1-2 combination, consisting of a double-jab followed by the right hand.

With all these variations, feel free to lead with a jab, especially when your fitness levels allow you to increase the intensity.

Left Hook

The left hook isn’t easy.  I suggest taking it slow at first.  Don’t try to throw your left hooks with full power.  Work on technique first, and when you get your technique dialed in, the power will be there.

1. In the first minute of the round, throw isolated left hooks.  Concentrate on technique and proper footwork.  Pretend you’re slipping a straight punch, and counter with a perfect left hook to the head.
2. During minute 2, throw from close, clinching range.  Press your right shoulder against the bag and lean in.  Push the bag like you’d push an opponent.  Then, step back and land the left hook before the bag swings forward towards you.  As the swinging bag slows, clinch with it and push it forward again.  This is a good self-defense move.
3. In the 3rd minute, lead with the straight right then finish with the left hook.  You’ll need to concentrate on your footwork because these punches have different ranges.  The right is a short right hand; it’s just there to set up your left hook.
4. Optional: Use the 1-2-3 combination if you are comfortable with the technique.

Uppercuts

You can isolate the right and left uppercuts if you’d like.  But I think it’s better to use them together in the same round.  For the most part, you’ll throw flurries on the heavy bag.

It’s counterproductive to throw head-level uppercuts on a typical punching bag.  Instead, throw body shots because they’re great for conditioning.

When you feel like your uppercuts are effective, get right up next to the bag and get physical with it.  Push it around like it’s an opponent on the ropes.

• In the first minute use the left uppercut, working on technique.
• Then, in the 2nd, throw the right uppercut.
• Finally, use both uppercuts together in combinations.  Start with the left uppercut, follow with the right, and end your combinations with a left hook.  Increase the number of uppercuts in multiples of two, always ending with the left hook.  For example, throw four uppercuts followed by a left hook for a total of 5 punches in the combo.
• Optional: Throw a 2-punch combo consisting of the right uppercut followed by the left hook to the head.

Remember to MOVE after your punches

Don’t just finish a combination then stand there huffing and puffing.  Always move after you finish your punches or combinations.

You should practice 4 things after landing a combo on the bag:

1. Step to the left
2. Step to the right
3. Step back
4. Duck

You will feel awkward at first — especially if you don’t have training in how to move effectively during a fight.  But you have to keep moving to avoid getting hit.

Make your own round-based training drills

Don’t limit yourself to the drills I suggest above.  Now that you get the picture, design your own training round.  Incorporate the punches, combinations, and skills that you want to work on.

Other punches and strikes isolated on the heavy bag

The right hook and the overhand right are  powerful punches that work well during conditioning workouts.  They are less valuable if you practice punching for sparring or self-defense.

Open-hand strikes are also valuable, especially if you want to work the bag without wrapping your hands and wearing padded gloves.  Be sure to start at half-power when striking the bag without hand-wraps.  Injuries take only a moment to occur, but they can literally set you back for a month or more.

Turn a jab or a straight right into a palm-heel strike.  This variation is effective, but you lose a bit of range.  This is useful for self-defense, but it’s dangerous and not recommended during sparring or competition (because of the risk of poking your partner’s eyes).

The left hook also works well as a palm-heel strike.  It almost becomes a slap.

You can also throw groin-level uppercuts with an open hand.

Finally, try throwing elbow strikes for self-defense training.  Remember to push against and ‘clinch’ the bag first.  Always wear elbow pads so you don’t get abrasions and bruises.

The heavy bag is heavy

That sounds obvious, doesn’t it?  The reason we use the heavy bag (rather than the punch mitts) is to punch against resistance.  The heavy bag is for conditioning and toughening yourself up.  Shadow boxing and mitt work is where you learn perfect technique and fancy combinations.

When you work the bag, don’t be afraid to get right up in its face and muscle it around:

• Push it with your shoulder, take a step back, and unload a short combination with power.
• Set it swinging, then whack it so hard it stops in its tracks.
• Pick it up and throw it over your shoulder for squats or lunges during GPP workouts.
• Slam it, jump on it, and ground and pound until it begs for mercy.

There is no subtlety to heavy bag training.

Think of a punching bag workout as a long-term addition to your fitness regimen. You can’t throw all you have at the heavy bag the very first time, that’s a recipe for injury.  Commit yourself to working up to full intensity over a period of months.

For fighting and self-defense, or if you just want to work out as efficiently as possible, make sure you learn proper punching technique.

Above all, have fun, burn off some aggression in a socially-acceptable way, and condition your body so you can face unpredictable situations with confidence.

Coach Kenny Weldon has been teaching amateur boxing for around 40 years. And if you’re looking for boxing knowledge, you couldn’t ask for a better teacher. If there’s something Kenny Weldon doesn’t know about the fight game, you don’t need to know it either.

This is my review of Kenny Weldon’s three-volume series of boxing instructional DVDs called Becoming a Better Boxer. I found tons of great ideas in these videos and if you’re in the market to learn boxing from the ground up, this is the place to start.

Whether you’re a novice or an experienced boxing coach, here’s how Coach Weldon’s latest videos can help you.

Learn without an in-person coach

Odds are, you want to learn proper punching technique so you can defend yourself, win fights, and stay in shape.

Or maybe you’re a boxing coach and you’re looking for new ways to train your fighters so they learn proper fundamentals. Those are all good motivators.

As a student of boxing, you quickly find out there’s so much more to learning how to punch than simply whacking a heavybag and throwing punches in front of a mirror.

And without a deep knowledge of the fundamentally correct way of fighting – techniques that have been developed of the course of more than a century – you will develop bad habits that limit your ability to ever become a really good boxer.

You won’t make progress without good coaching.

Boxing — Does it take two to tango?

Lots of people will tell you can’t learn to fight from reading articles on the internet or watching instructional videos. While they’re essentially correct, they’re not telling you the whole story.

Yes, it’s true that you need to spar with a partner if you really want to be a well-rounded fighter.

Here’s why. Unless you have a sparring partner:

• You won’t learn bulletproof defense unless you have someone throwing punches at you
• You won’t learn to easily break down an opponent’s defense simply by shadow-boxing
• It is hard to learn how to fight moving backwards
• You’ll have a hard time pushing yourself past your point of exhaustion if you rely only on self-training

So, does all this mean that you should give up your dreams of being tough and in shape, simply because you’re not lucky enough to work with an experienced boxing trainer every day?

I hope you didn’t expect me to answer “yes” to that question.

The truth is, while you’ll be limited in your ability to progress past a certain point, when you get the fundamental knowledge of the “how” and the “why”, you are more than capable of self-coaching all the basic punches and punching combinations.

Plus, you’ll be able to design your own workouts, get yourself in tip-top shape, and condition your body so you’re tougher than you ever were before.

Practice versus self-coaching

There’s a huge difference between practicing by yourself and self-coaching.

Practice is going over things you already know. It’s repetition designed to develop ‘muscle memory‘. And the problem is: if you learn wrong, practice only reinforces your mistakes. Practicing incorrect technique creates more problems than it solves.

But self-coaching is another thing altogether.

With self-coaching:

• You’ll have the knowledge you need to step outside your body and, in essence, view yourself from afar
• You’ll fix problems before they become habits
• Your progress will keep coming until you’re as good in reality as in your mind’s eye.

Boxing knowledge on video

Some boxing trainers are good, and some are lucky. But lots of them simply repeat what they learned long ago when they were young.

Good trainers need a ton of boxing knowledge, and they have to get it somewhere. It’s not enough to just watch boxing on TV, or hang around a boxing gym. There are plenty of tricks, tips, and techniques that some boxing trainers never learn, simply because they’ve never been exposed to a wide variety of styles and training methods.

Kenny Weldon’s Becoming a Better Boxer DVDs are more than just another ‘intro to boxing’ video. They’re the collected wisdom of a man who has trained many thousands of amateur boxers (and some notable professionals too).

In these videos, Coach Weldon doesn’t just teach you the moves. He teaches you the reasons behind the fundamentals. He has a deep understanding of why some styles work better than others, and unlike many boxing trainers, he’s articulate enough to pass this knowledge on to anyone who wants to learn what he calls ‘fundamental boxing correctness’.

Kenny Weldon’s system works

Coach Weldon isn’t just some guy who got lucky and ended up riding the coattails of a world-class athlete. Some boxing coaches are one hit wonders, but not Kenny Weldon. Here are his bona fides:

• Trainer of 26 national amateur boxing champions (14 from scratch)
• Technique coach for Evander Holyfield
• Part of Mike McCallum’s training team under head trainer Lou Duva
• Coached Vinny Pazienza along with Lou Duva
• Coached Sergei Liacholvich
• Trained 3 USA Olympians
• Coaches committee chairman for USA boxing
• Has given numerous sold-out ‘coach’s clinics’ in the US, Canada, and Central America
• Along with his staff, has provided free or low-cost boxing instruction for many thousands of kids in and around Houston, TX.

So if you have a bit of boxing knowledge under your belt, but you really want to dig deeper and learn all about the sweet science, click here to go to Amazon and buy Kenny Weldon’s ‘Becoming a Better Boxer’.

Often, we hear the words knockout and concussion used improperly.

They are not the same, and — as a fighter — it is important for you to understand what these words mean. Your continued good health may depend upon it.

Please don’t try to diagnose your head injury by reading articles on the internet. If you get rocked by a punch, see a doctor immediately. Just because you didn’t get knocked unconscious doesn’t mean you are not injured.

What causes a knockout?

The brainstem joins the spinal cord at the base of the skull.

We all know what a knockout is in the context of a boxing match: it’s when a fighter falls, then fails to beat the ref’s count.

But this doesn’t tell us why some people get knocked out cold — unconscious — and other don’t.

When someone is hit in a way that causes knockout, their skull is violently jerked around by the blow. The brain’s inertia causes it to smash against the inside of the skull, near the base of the skull.

Areas of the brain — usually the brainstem or cerebellum — bang against the skull resulting in a loss of consciousness and/or motor control.

Although this can be a serious injury, other times it seems fairly benign. Some people liken it to getting hit in the elbow’s funny bone. That is, it’s a temporary trauma to the nerves near the base of the skull.

In how to take a punch, I describe how some folks believe that there are several ways you can increase your ability to resist knockout.

Nevertheless, if you’re not knocked out by a blow, that doesn’t mean you haven’t suffered a brain injury or a concussion.

What is a concussion?

Concussion is different from a cerebral contusion (a bruise on the brain).

Concussion is distinct from knockout in that it’s not necessarily associated with loss of consciousness. And it can involve parts of the brain other than those near the top of the spinal cord.

Simply put, a concussion is damage to the wires that connect different parts of the brain. It reduced the efficiency with which signals travel to affected parts of the brain. Our understanding of the exact mechanism(s) is still in its infancy.

The dangerous thing about concussion is that you can suffer this injury without suffering a knockout. This is especially bad for boxers because it makes it difficult to detect brain injury unless you’re familiar with the symptoms of concussion.

Most boxers are required to abstain from boxing for a minimum of 30 days after suffering a knockout. But since concussion doesn’t always involve loss of consciousness, boxers might not adhere to this mandatory recovery period.

Hockey players hit harder than players in any other contact sport. Consequently, they suffer some of the worst concussions.

Many of the deaths associated with brain concussions happen after second concussions suffered by someone who is still not fully recovered from a previous concussion.  In recent years, professional sports teams have focused on the concussion recovery process.  Sometimes, pro players can miss an entire season because of concussion-like symptoms.  But because second concussions are so dangerous, this is a prudent, if frustrating, approach to long-term health.

Pro boxers — at least at the highest levels of the sport — often have many months between bouts.  The same can’t be said of pros in third-world countries who fight week after week just to earn a modest living.  It is these folks who often suffer undiagnosed concussions.

If you think you had a concussion in the past, you have to be especially careful about avoiding additional head trauma.  Check out second impact syndrome for more details.

Symptoms of concussion

According to the Mayo clinic, symptoms of concussion can be divided into two groups: those that appear immediately after trauma, and those that may appear days after the injury.

Symptoms that may appear quickly after injury:

• Confusion
• Amnesia
• Headache
• Dizziness
• Ringing in the ears
• Nausea or vomiting
• Slurred speech
• Fatigue

Symptoms that may appear later:

• Memory or concentration problems
• Sensitivity to light and noise
• Sleep disturbances
• Irritability
• Depression

Learn how to use protective equipment when you spar and fight. It doesn’t make you a tough guy to take blows to the head, it just puts you at risk of a life-altering injury.

Learn more about concussion symptoms, and facts about traumatic brain injury from the US Centers for Disease Control: Concussion Discussion.

So you think boxers just stand there and punch, right? Wrong.

A good fighting stance gives maximum mobility while offering protection to the vital areas.

1. Relax

   Don’t be nervous and tense. Be loose, supple, and relaxed. Conserve your energy. Many fights are won by the man who can keep going longer. So, don’t burn off energy in nervous tension.

2. Feet in the proper positions

   Never get your feet crossed, proper balance is critical to being able to deliver punches or to subtly shift your body so your opponent misses. During training, think about your footwork first; without good footwork, nothing else will work right.

3. Knees slightly bent

   Never lock the knees. If your knees are locked, the only way you can move is by flexing your ankles. But when the knees are slightly flexed, the entire leg is involved in stepping. Mobility demands loose knees.

4. Hips and shoulders parallel to the ground

   Keep the hips and shoulders level. If they’re not level, your center of gravity will be skewed off to one side, making it difficult to move fluidly and quickly.

   Obviously, if you’re slipping a punch or otherwise engaged in the execution of a technique, your shoulders might momentarily be tilted. But when you’re in your basic fighting stance, keep them level.

5. Bend slightly at the waist

   To avoid getting hit, bend slightly forward at the waist. You’ll still have maximum power on your punches, but your range will be greater and you’ll have a safety margin so you can pull back slightly when your opponent tries to hit you.

6. Power hand back

   Unless you have a very good reason not to do so, keep your strong side to the rear. This gives you maximum distance to generate and deliver a power shot.

   There are some boxers who switch it up and fight ambidextrously, but this is usually seen as a sign of desperation rather than sound strategy.

7. Chin down

   Keep your chin down, tucked against the top of your chest. There is never any reason to lift your chin up when you are in the boxing ring. It’s your most vulnerable spot, so protect it at all times.

8. Look from the top of your eyes

   Learn how to watch your opponent from the top of your eyes. Never lift your chin up to see what’s going on. You have to get in the habit of looking out from just under your brows.

9. Lead hand guards in front

   Your lead hand should be up and out in front, approximately level with the eyes. The farther out you carry your lead hand, the quicker you’ll be able to jab your opponent. If you carry it low, your jab will have more power but it will be slower.

10. Rear hand guards the chin

    Your rear hand must be in place to guard your chin. It guard the side of your chin when your opponent throws a hook, and it moves in front to block your opponent’s straight punches.

11. Elbows in

    The elbows guard your sides. There’s no reason to carry them out, away from the body. Always keep them tucked in for safety and to ensure power on your punches.

What’s your favorite footwork tip? We need a 12th tip, so share your advice in the comments section below!

There’s always a temptation to use bare knuckles on the heavybag. After all, it seems more natural than punching the bag while wearing wraps, knuckle guards, and gloves.

Plus, lots of guys start training so they can win a bare knuckle street fight.

These guys reason that hitting the punching bag bare-handed is more realistic. After all, they’re training for a real fight, not a sporting event. The reasoning is: if I ever get attacked on the street, I won’t be wearing gloves, so why should I wear them when I punch the heavybag?

This reasoning is fallacious. Let me explain why.

You need to protect your hands and wrists

Hands are delicate. You can’t bash them against something over and over again without causing problems:

• Punching without padded gloves causes sore knuckles and bone bruises.
• Avoiding the use of hand wraps leads to sore wrists, inflammation, and repetitive-stress injuries to the delicate bones and connective tissue of the hands and wrists.
• The heavybag will scrape up your knuckles. If you work out in a gym with others, this can cause a serious skin infection.

If you practice bare-handed punches, your technique will suffer

Once your knuckles start hurting, you’ll try to reduce the pain by altering your punching technique. This just leads to stress and eventual pain in some other part of your hand.

The ultimate in stupidity: This poor fellow will be lucky to avoid long-term damage to his hands, and ironically he can't train anywhere near as hard as someone who wears proper hand protection. All that pain and damage for what? To prove he's a tough guy?

• You won’t punch as hard as you are capable of.
• Your progress will stall.
• Without realizing it, you will alter your technique to accomodate the pain instead of using the good form which maximizes power, speed, and precision.

The bottom line is: hitting the heavybag barehanded means you’ll never be able to work out as effectively as you can when you’re wearing wraps and gloves.

Martial artists punch bare handed, so why can’t I?

Yes, you’ll find karate guys who have practiced bareknuckle fighting for many years, and they’re still OK.

But consider what they’re actually doing. Most of their workouts consist of punching nothing but air. And when they work with a partner, they are very careful to let the partner know exactly what target area they’re attacking. There are few surprises in traditional martial arts training.

Most importantly, they are very careful to always punch safely in a controlled manner, with the knuckles landing first. You’ll never find a martial artist swinging away with an overhand right, for instance, because although it’s a very powerful punch, it’s difficult to control how the punch lands. And when it lands wrong the result is injury or broken bones.

You have a choice, you can work out like a traditional martial artist — by limiting yourself to a select number of relatively “safe”, straight punches, or you can wear wraps and gloves and work out at full intensity, with a full range of punches and maximum power. Even karate experts wear gloves and wraps when they practice non-traditional punches like hooks and uppercuts on the bag.

So sure, you can play around with the punching bag and whack it barehanded a few times. But if you want a serious workout that is sustainable, do what all the professionals — boxers, bouncers, security guys, mma athletes, etc. — do: wrap your hands and wear padded gloves.