What are the basics & fundamentals of boxing?

Boxing has been around for many years and although it’s old, it certainly works. In short, although there’s a lot of fancy looking martial arts out there, the fact is that boxing is an excellent form of fighting and self defense. Basically, if you’re armed with the fundamentals then you will always have a good chance of winning a fight because there’s very little out there that works like punching someone in the head. Whilst this may sound blunt, you get the point.

Because of this, it’s important to focus on the basics when it comes to boxing and there’s no point in running before you can walk. In fact, you can use the basics all the way to the top. Combined with boxing being relatively quick to learn compared to other disciplines, it’s no wonder that it’s still massively popular. So, what are the most basic and important moves and techniques when it comes to boxing?

Footwork

The first rule of boxing is to not get hit. You may associate boxing with dealing out damaging punches, but without sounding too obvious – if you can avoid getting hit then you will always come out unhurt and have a great chance of winning. Remember, boxing was originally billed as self defense before it became a popular sport. Therefore, solid footwork is imperative. One way of improving this is by practicing jump rope which will make you lighter on your toes.

The point of good footwork in boxing is to avoid getting hit. If you can move on your toes quickly, then the chance is you simply won’t get hit much. There are all sorts of footwork combinations to learn, but being able to go back and forth quickly, as well as to the sides will set you on your way. This may not be the most enjoyable part of boxing, but if you can learn this then it will help you massively. Not only this but it will also put you in good stead for learning other martial arts due to the practice of quick feet.

Headwork

Following on from the idea of avoiding strikes is headwork. If your feet can’t move quickly enough, then hopefully your head will. If ever you’ve seen showboating Cuban boxers pleasing the crowd, they will often do so by flaunting their superior headwork. This relies on dodging and ducking against strikes by moving your neck.

Of course, getting a good feel for this takes years to learn and you can never really perfect something like this and it relies a lot on feel. Similar to footwork, headwork can also feel quite monotonous. Nonetheless, if it’s something that you persist at then you will eventually reap the dividends, and being hard to hit is an effective way of winning fights. Ask Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Jab

The jab is perhaps the most famous move throughout boxing and is both a mixture of attack and defense. It is offensive in that it literally punches the opponent and is defensive in that it can stop them from rushing you or bombarding you with punches. The jab is done by punching your arm in a straight, forwards motion – as if trying to prod or poke the opponent.

Whilst jabs often won’t cause significant damage in isolation like an uppercut, they can be very useful in wearing down an opponent and you’re much more likely to land large numbers of jabs compared to the odd punch here and there. They can also be aimed towards the body if so desired. Having said this, if an opponent is already damaged then jabs can and will finish people and knock them out. Generally, though, they’re used to probe your opponent and are stronger by numbers rather than expecting to knock someone out with a singular jab.

Hook

One of the more aggressive punches in boxing is the hook which can easily lead to a knockout if hit with enough power. This is done by swinging your arm from the side which usually connects with the side of the opponent’s head or ribs. Due to the curve of your arm, it creates a lot of force and power during the swing, which is why it’s so powerful and effective. Overall, many people consider the hook as the most dangerous punches in boxing and MMA.

The hook is often used in combination with the jab. For instance, if you throw a jab with your right hand, then your left hand will stay back in reserve. If the opponent defends the jab by over-reacting, then they may create an opening for you to hit a hook which can knock them out. Because of this, it’s good to learn jabs and hooks in unison as they compliment each other very well. On their own, they will certainly do damage, but if used together then they can easily win fights which shows the importance of learning combination moves.

Uppercut

As the name suggests, the uppercut is done by placing your palm upwards and then swinging up to connect with the chin of the opponent. As you can imagine, with enough power this can easily knock someone out, and if not then it will certainly rock them and test their jaw. Generally speaking, the uppercut is probably a lower percentage move compared to hooks and jabs as it’s arguably more predictable and harder to do as a result. Nonetheless, landing an uppercut can be a real game changer and can turn the fate of any fight.

It should also be noted that whilst the uppercut can be used in combination with other moves, generally the hook and jab combo is a more commonly used pair. Still, the uppercut is a fundamentally sound weapon that all boxers new or old should learn due to its explosive power. The likes of Roy Jones Jr. and Mike Tyson are both great examples of having very effective uppercuts, as they often found ways to land uppercuts whilst in the boxing ring.

Conclusion

If you learn these boxing moves then they will work at any level of boxing and fights in general. By learning the correct footwork and headwork, you will be able to form a solid defensive base. If you add jabs to this then you will also be able to defend by using offense. Lastly, if you start using hooks and uppercuts with all of the above then you will easily improve your boxing skills. Of course, there are other basic moves to also focus on such as ducks, slips and blocks which are all very important too. For the sake of time though, we have not gone over them in this article.

Remember, just because it’s basic, it doesn’t mean it’s beneath you and even the greats will have all practiced and perfected the fundamental moves time and time again over the years. On a similar note, training these moves can’t just be done for a couple of months and then you’re good for life. Like all martial arts, you should constantly be looking to refine and improve your technique to make your moves work as smoothly as possible.

If you want to learn more about the basics of boxing, then check out this book which is literally written on the subject.