Basic Boxing Stance
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| This is how a basic boxing stance should look like |
There are lot to learn in boxing training if you want to take this as a form of martial art or just for fitness. The best way to start to become skilled at boxing is to know the fundamentals. One aspect of boxing that a person should need to study if he or she is willing to take boxing is the basic boxing stance.
What is the importance of a proper boxing stance? Like other sports, proper stance is very important. This is what technique is all about. When you have learned the proper stance, moving to one place to another properly will be easy without affecting your performance in the sport you are in.
In boxing, proper stance help maintains your power, agility and defence. Power punches doesn’t start in your arms but in your legs and gluts. With proper form, power is fully utilized in its maximum potential when proper form is established.
One important reminder: In boxing, when you hit, your goal is not to be hit back. Once you throw your punches, your mindset is to avoid counter punches. This is where the importance of proper form equals fast and swift movements.
Two types of stances
Orthodox: This is the stance of a right hander which means left foot forward and right foot backward
Southpaw: This is for a person who is a left hander. Right foot forward and left foot backward.
The proper boxing form
The instructions are for right hander. Just reverse if you are a left hander.
Imagine that you on top and standing on a clock face. Your right foot on 12’o clock and your left foot on 20 past twelve. Your goal is to maintain this posture for most of the time in boxing and make sure you don’t cross your feet. Make sure that you are always balance and never cross your both feet.
Ideally your body weight should be distributed 60% on the back foot and 40% on the front foot. However, there are times that you need to bounce, in that situation distribution of body weight will come back and forth with your front foot and back foot.
Your body posture should not be standing straight but you should crouch. Your chin must be a little tucked and imagine that there is tennis ball place between your chin and upper chest. Eyes should be straight on your target.
Tucking your chin is a defensive move for your chin not to be a hitting target. When you are hit on your chin with a good punch its lights out for you. In boxing, the chin is the target because when you are hit at this area on your face, it will shake your brain. Always make sure to tuck your chin and protect it to get hit with a good shot from your opponent. This is the principle in boxing regarding protecting and tucking the chin.
In addition, your elbows should also be tucked comfortably against your ribs. This is to protect you from body shots. Hitting the opponent with a great punch at the rib cage or a liver shot, there is no other place that your opponent will go but to drop down. This part of the body is very vulnerable. This is the reason behind why you should protect your rib and elbows should always be down.
Furthermore, your right hand should be near your chin, ready to block counter punches on your face. It is very important to always put your hands up especially your right hand. On the other hand, your left hand should at same height of your right but should be 12 inches afar from your left hand.
You should relax your shoulders, both arms and your legs. It is said in boxing that the more relax you are, the more accurate and powerful the punches are. Boxers are more dangerous when they are relaxed. As the great Muhammad Ali has said, “Fly like a butterfly, sting like a bee”.
In boxing training, proper form and stance is usually emphasized. With proper form and stance, boxers can perform to the best of their abilities. When you do your first boxing training, master first all the fundamentals before you advance. There is a science in every sport, to perform well never forget the basics and one important aspect of boxing you need to learn is the boxing stance.
