This is Boxing For Beginners episode 4. Today we’re gonna go over the jab and its importance. The jab may not be the most glorious punch, but, if done properly, it can do some real damage.
For the most part, the jab is used as an antenna to measure your opponent. Just like I taught you in Boxing For Beginners Episode 1, if you can just touch your opponent with your jab, you know you’re the right distance away to really hurt him with your 2.
Now, for those of you who don’t box, you can still get a lot out of learning the fundamentals. Look, you gotta be well-rounded. It won’t hurt you to learn a little bit of a combat sport. I mean, you gotta be able to defend yourself and not just be another muscular dude that can’t do anything with all his muscle.
Do Yourself This Favor
Oftentimes people seem intimidating because they are muscular. But, I’ve been around bodybuilders for so long, and let me tell you: no one should be intimidated being around somebody just because they have muscles. Chances are, they aren’t that good at moving properly.
If I’ve learned something after lifting and boxing for so long is that you can still move well and also build lots of muscle if you continue to train for strength and mobility instead of just training to look big. So fellas, do yourself a favor and pick up some kind of combat sport.
The Jab
I’ve said this before, but just in case you don’t know, I don’t keep my hands up like you probably think boxers are “supposed” to do. This is more comfortable, and it lets me see better, whereas my vision is limited with my hands up.
Another advantage of having your left hand (right hand if you’re a lefty) lower than where it’s supposed to be is that your opponent may have more trouble with your jab.
The reason for this is that when you keep your hands up, your hands will be in front of your opponent’s vision. On the other hand, if your hands are lower, your hand won’t get into his radar until a little after you’ve thrown the punch, see what I’m saying?
Floyd Mayweather’s Jab To The Body
Something that Floyd Mayweather does very well is throwing the jab to the body. This is usually not expected by anyone, and so he has been able to have a lot of success with this punch.
The purpose of throwing this shot to the body is to take the wind out of your opponent. Usually, with headshots, when you’re getting into it, and you’ve taken a few, you start to roll them off (unless they hit you good, of course). But with body shots, you’ll feel the entire thing, and it might take you several seconds to get back to normal.
Combination: Jab To The Body/Overhand Right
This is one of the first combinations that my father taught me. Its purpose is to get your opponent to lower his hands to avoid being hit by your jab. Then, you hit them with your overhand right.
Your jab may not hurt them here, but it’s in a fighter’s nature to try to block any shot. So, when you throw the jab to the body, your opponent will lower his hands, which will make room for you to throw your overhand right and cause some serious damage. You gotta set them up first, though. Take a look.
Combination: Jab To The Head/Stiff Right To The Body
Floyd Mayweather does this very well too. He uses his jab as a measuring stick, just to make sure he’s the right distance away. And, once he gets you used to what he’s doing, he’ll throw a low right hand to the body and cause some serious damage.
Combination: 3 Off A 1
I showed you this combination in Boxing For Beginners Episode 3. It’s very unexpected because it’s not natural to throw a hook off your jab. But, it’s for this reason that it can be so effective.
Once again, you may not intend to hurt your opponent with your jab. Perhaps you may not even want to really hurt him with your left hook, either. But, it’s all about strategy. This is a thinking sport. And, that combo may leave you in a prime position to knock someone out with your 2.
Go try this today and let me know how it goes in the comments!