Breaking the Surface with the Uppercut (diary entry)

English: Line art drawing of an uppercut (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

07.05.14

This was my client’s fourth boxing session. We began with some sparring exercises. My client warmed up by mirroring my footwork - looking at cutting off the ring, moving out of corners and switching stances. Then we began coordinating hand movements by exchanging jabs/parries. We then revised slipping the jab and slipping jab/cross.

After a confirmation on hook punches taught in the previous lesson I introduced rolling (bobbing and weaving). This raised the topic of using efficient movement before learning an actual technique. Rolling encourages the fighter to think about engaging his legs to drive up when fighting, as well as explosive actions. From here the fighter can not only fire off a hook, but it is a great way to learn the upper cut. Previously we discussed how students often look to the surface or final extremity of a technique rather than what is driving the action. This is where many crucial points often go missing and bad habits can set in early. The uppercut works great from rolling, teaching the student to only extend the punch as he rises up into the target. A common error many do when trying to throw an uppercut is to perform a scooping action, which compromises the guard unnecessarily and telegraphs the punch. This action helps prevent this habit from forming.

Next I built a series of combinations to help my client coordinate all his four basic punches. Finally we did some flash-pad drilling to develop better reactions and speed.  

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