I will be fighting in a white collar bout in December. Your videos are invaluable. I am sat here with a notebook full of your advice and am putting it into practice in every training session. Just wanted to say many thanks. Keep up the good work.
I think that youre one of the best coaches taking your time and sharing your experience, knowledge and thoughts on the sweeet science with us all that are interested but might not have the ability to find coaches available for whatever reason. Thank you sir for your contribution.
It has been so long since I boxed (only a cpl amateur fights mind you) and I was so young that I don’t remember learning much of what I knew (dad started teaching me as a small child) nor how to teach it. My grandson turned 8yrs old and my daughter has given consent to get him started. Just the basics and if he likes it and excels I’ll turn him over to a real trainer. I am getting a lot of use out of these videos. Thank you!
Great teaching. If I was young and healthy enough to get back to boxing, these lessons would be gold! I enjoy them, anyway. If one of my grandsons wants to start boxing, I will be sure to make these lessons as the core of his instruction! I wish I had these lessons 30 years ago! Great work, Fran Sands!
Thanks for the vid. The thing I do different though is when I bring my defense up, I don't rest my hands against my head; I keep them out at least a few inches away as a "shock absorber". The reason is, I found that if I rest my hands against my head, it does not seem to be affecting me, but the next day my head will hurt, like a headache. All I can figure is the energy from the blows is transferring into my head through my arms. My blocks have to be pretty solid or else my gloves just get thrown right into my head area. That starts to add up. Like you WISELY stated, no matter what, you HAVE TO keep your focus on your opponent. NEVER look away.
2fast2block Thanks for the comment. Just be careful in terms of keeping your arms slightly away from your head in case incoming straight shots are turned into hooks. Great comment though
I really appreciate all your videos sir I boxed for a year and a half and I was told I was good by everyone but I stopped going and now after 3 years of not training I've lost my form and speed but after watching these videos it motivates me to make myself good again I have s punching bag now to train and I've improved a lot already :) I don't suck I can still win a fight I'm just not as good as I use to be and I want to become even better than that! thanks! oh, and by the way a lot of TH-cam coaches don't have good technique and form and most people think they're good because they're all show but I can see that they're not but you sir are fantastic keep it up!!!
One thing for sure, when used right I manage to block 95 per cent of the punches coming at me. I practice some counters along with this and it's kick ass all the way. Thanks for the tips.
+Fran Sands When you block punches, do you put your hands by your forehead or on your forehead? One effects my head when punches are thrown and I end up hitting myself with the other
+Fran Sands Lately I've been practicing this block along with a right cross left hook counter as a regular part of my repetuar. Like you said, never do this block without retuning fire.
I'm liking how you train. I'm a learning trainer daily. The very basics is I believe the very keys to feeling good about your performance whether win or lose against a opponent in the streets or in organized Sports
thank a lot for the video... i injured myself or at least i think so probably a tendon in my power arm, right arm punching on the bag. when i am back to it in a few month i will post a vid of myself training with the bag.
Is your left uppercut in southpaw more/less/similar in power to your right uppercut in orthodox ... Either way its a great thing to be comfortable in both stances 👍
Sir sorry but I tested the difference between having a glove and bare knuckle. I cover up as you have shown and my companion hit me hard with his gloved hands and my covering arms blocked the punch even with a gap between them. This happens because the fist of my companion became double in size because of the glove he wears that snagged on my arms. I felt the force of the punch pushing my arms towards me. On the other hand, we tried bare knuckles and do the same thing minus making the punch hard but just slightly strong; and the fist can have a possible entry between the arms if the are not tightly close together. But my arms were hit by the knuckles of my companion's fist and it really hurts that i have to waggle it to relieved the pain. So I think covering with arms to block a punch is good and maybe even ideal for a boxing match with gloved hands. I think, parrying with bob and wave is for bare knuckle boxing match. Yes, many times I saw in boxing matches an opponent covering his face with his arms but he is steady and not even moving backward or laterally to get out of the incoming punches and the opponent keep punching him. I guess that such practice evolved and became common in boxing matches because of the glove cushioning the fist against the target that is why their is only impact force on the target with no hard excruciating impact cause by the bare knuckles.
After several lessons in preparing for an amateur, fundraiser fight, no one has taught us this? Sparring against advanced fighters and they were using it on me...thanks for this.
Hi, Fran Sands, I am a foreign students and watching this video in my own country, have you considered add some subtitles, or at least some auto-subtitles, and I very like your boxing lessons, thank you!
First of all a lot of thanks for your excellent teachings. I have to be honest: your channel is unparalleled when it comes to the essentials: the stance,the jab,the straight,the basic block..... I would like to ask a question if you don't mind; when blocking there is a small place in front of the mouth and the tip of the nose that remains uncovered. Should I worry about this?( When I was a kid that I didn't know anything about boxing I ve got a bloody nose in some fights and I remember that I didn't enjoy it, to put it mildly.).
Genuine question but what is the difference between this stance vs peek-a-boo. Asking as a novice boxer, what is the key difference between orthodox vs peekaboo?
That's what I thought knuckles to eyebrows. for blocking a hook if you don't have position to duck it's like answering a phone , is that correct? just checking . most of the time I prefer to use footwork , slips and ducks to avoid the punch entirely ( the best way imo) but there are situations where you have momentarily bad inside position or are against the ropes or get caught off balance and sometimes blocking is a good setup for the counter . Great video , still using your vids for proper reference.
Friend, I have a little bit of a problem. When I'm sparring, two things usually happen: 1) I'm guarding at default stance when I see a punch then I blink (fear?) 2) When I see a punch coming, when I try to block, I'm way too slow to raise my hands. Usually the opponents punch will hit me before my hands react to the punch. Please advise, I am getting my nose slightly more broken each time.
Question! How are you holding your hands? when you're in close range with your opponent it's important that you keep your hands up and your chin tucked. Those close clench situations are where you become more susceptible because everything is within range. When you hold your hands in a more compact position there is less distance for your hands to successfully block those punches. Now when you have some distance between you and your opponent than you can drop your hands a little like Ali. Get to know which situation is which and when is the most important to be compact and more relaxed. Hope this helps.
Question! How are you holding your hands? when you're in close range with your opponent it's important that you keep your hands up and your chin tucked. Those close clench situations are where you become more susceptible because everything is within range. When you hold your hands in a more compact position there is less distance for your hands to successfully block those punches. Now when you have some distance between you and your opponent than you can drop your hands a little like Ali. Get to know which situation is which and when is the most important to be compact and more relaxed. Hope this helps.
I've watched a few of your videos and just wanted to say well done. Do you work with many younger boxers ? Seems you'd be very good at it and it'd be great for them as well. Lot of life lessons can be learned in the gym.
Hey there, thanks. I work with lots and lots of youngsters. One of the real pleasures taking the 'raw material' and watching them develop over time into nailed on competitors :-)
I'm too stiff when i'm in double arm defense i can't counter properly maybe i'm bit scared of eating punches but i have trouble being loose with it,any tips Mr.Sands?
Hey man I have a question wat do I recommend for some one who has had a shoulder surgery I had to dislocations on the right shoulder and had to get surgery both time cause I was fighting wat did I do wrong how can I get focused and throw good punches to get a win
Do you always lift the rear foot heal of the ground while doing this? Would this block have made Canelo more elusive when he couldn`t stop GGG walking him down, Canelo blocked well but always left a gap through the middle of his guard Sands?
great video on covering up but by your techniques on double block can someone sneak a punch in because there little gap in between your blocking just asking
Excellent video again Fran. Quick question _ have started boxing iam about 9 stone 11 only 5,3 what weight gloves would you recommend for light sparring? Is there a particular size or brand you'd go for? Thanks
Is there a preferred way to counter after doing this block ? I'm thinking of following the punch back to the opponent, jab for cross and cross for jab.
Just started boxing, learnt this block today, but realised when some on just do a simple jab, my own glove hit my face, if I stick my glove to my face I feel like my face is absorbing the impact of that jab as well, is that suppose to be like this? Have not really gone into sparring yet so when I block the first few punches using this block it kinda stunned me.
I'm a beginner myself with only a few sparring sessions under my belt, so take my words with a grain of salt. In my experience, you still feel impact when you have your glove up against your face, but after sparring a bit, I know it hurts way worse to eat a punch without your glove there taking the initial impact. And if you have your hand up in front of your face but not against it, your opponent's punch is just going to drive your own glove into your face. Not quite as hard as an unblocked shot, but you're still getting smacked and it's disorienting and demoralizing to be hit with your own glove on a failed block. When you put your hand up against your face to block a shot, you're still in control of your level of visibility; when your glove is driven into your face by an opponent's shot, you lose that momentarily.
Great videos coach! Is it ok to keep the guard like this always? And throw your punches from there? When i do this it's hard to hit me but it's a little bit awkward to punch.
First off great video like all your rest! one question. Do you recommend boxers to keep hands up high like that the majority of the time? (not the blocking position but the just lower than blocking position you started at) or only for beginners or defensive fighters? I've heard others say it slows down your offense to much what is your opinion on that? thanks man you've helped me so much!
I like high hands Dillon, especially when moving into range, but not necessarily in the double arm block. Just means that shots that come back are more likely to land on your gloves and coupled with head movement it makes you a much tougher proposition to hit. Not sure high hands can slow down defence though - bit confused on that one. Thanks and hope this helps
+Fran Sands ok great thanks. and I meant offense. I've heard someone put down the Mike Tyson peek a boo stance saying that it can slow down your punches. my intuition says the defense is worth it and I don't feel it would make your punches take that much longer to get to the target but I wondered what your opinion on that was.
Hi Fran, thx for the excellent video. When blocking, should I step backward to mitigate the impact of the punch, or I should rather stand the blow and try to counter? Also, when you show the block it l seems you are moving more weight on the back leg, or is it just my impression?
What you're describing here, is that what Ali did? How was Ali different? He didn't just block a shot, he would cover up and let his opponent hit him for minutes at a time, and yet it never seemed to hurt him much. It's always been frustrating to me watching Ali that no one was ever able to get through that and hurt him. Even body shots in that position didn't seem to hurt him much.
Hi coach0 great video! A couple of questions: what about the weight distribution when using this block? In your demonstration, I have the impression you are shifting the weight on the back leg, is it correct? Also, your torso should maintain a 45 degree angle or should get more squared, so that both arms absorb the impact?
Fran Sands Well, yes, it is good for some things including having a defense as you're closing the distance in your boxing for some good in-fighting. Smothering is called what it is because the hands and forearms as well as elbows absorb the impact of the opponent's punches effectively smothering the blow. Look at the Textbook of Boxing by Jim Driscoli as Jim Driscoli discusses it and deals with it in detail. Many boxers take up smothering as a general defense mechanism to have the hands in a higher location making it easier to defend against head blows(I.g preventing a KO by that very absorption). Covering, on the other hand, is a horizontal blocking motion similar to the blocks in karate. To do one effective means of it, from orthodox, you take your right hand and cover your head and your left to cover your body. Your forearms will cross the body like a shield giving a very hard to conquer defense. applying a head cover allows for really good in-fighting through allowing upper cuts and shovel hooks. The body cover does not open things up as easily,but you do have a solid defense there. Although back on smothering, if you become good enough at the rolling technique, that is to travel in the direction of the punch in order to absorb the blow through lessening the impact, you have similar the smother yet done differently. Here are the different rolls(not to be confused with the shoulder roll, which has its uses as the philly shell and even in bobbing and weaving) 1. Move the body backward on straight punches. 2.Move the body to the left or right responding to hooks. 3. Move the body to the right on right hooks. 4. Move the body backward to uppercuts. My biggest problem with smothering is that it tends to limit your vision. However, I do not call it a manner of defense that lacks validity.
God is real and God is love. We are created to love God, trust God, and glorify God no matter what. We can't truly love God unless we trust Him and if you can't find God it's because you are not looking for Him. God knows our hearts and will allow anyone to be deceived who wishes to be. What we call life is just a test an illusion to see who loves God and how much. Anyone who truly loves God will keep God first, keep His 10 commandments, love their neighbors as themselves and do their best not to sin. We all sin and have fallen short of the glory of God. This is why God sent His only begotten son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for our sins so that all those who believe in Him and do their best to live a life that is pleasing to God will not perish but have everlasting life. Heaven and hell exist and the things we say and do in this lifetime will testify for us or against us and determine where we spend eternity. I was born in a Christian home and went looking for The Truth because I could see lies and deception in religion and wanted to know why there are so many different beliefs and religions. God gives us choices but wants us to choose Him. God allowed satan and his demons to test my faith with a demonic attack while He taught me a lesson about patience, holding my peace, and trusting Him no matter what. The Bible is true and this world is a lie. Spiritual warfare is going on right now and demons are fallen angels that work thru all people tempting us to sin and trying to win souls because it hurts God. God has given me spiritual discernment wich is the ability to detect these spirits. God wants me to help wake up the walking dead. The walking dead are people who don't know God are what He expects from us. God want us to love Him above everyone and everything. He also wants us to love everyone else like we love ourselves, to study His Word, and pray daily. Always remember our enemies are demons not the people they work thru. If we can't forgive others God won't forgive us on judgement day. God is love and love is the fulfillment of Gods law. This world rejects God because it is ruled by satan but God is always in control. God expects everyone who knows the truth to tell everyone who has been deceived. The only way to be saved from our sins is by repenting and excepting God 's only begotten son Jesus Christ because He paid the price for all sin when He died on the cross and rose again. Freedom is free and Jesus is the key. God is love and love is the fufillment of Gods law+++
That's what I thought knuckles to eyebrows. for blocking a hook if you don't have position to duck it's like answering a phone , is that correct? just checking . most of the time I prefer to use footwork , slips and ducks to avoid the punch entirely ( the best way imo) but there are situations where you have momentarily bad inside position or are against the ropes or get caught off balance and sometimes blocking is a good setup for the counter . Great video , still using your vids for proper reference.
Had a training question if you don't mind answering it for me , I was wondering how much roadwork/running is best for boxing conditioning, I fell like the 4 km medium pace and 1.5 km interval sprint is good for me 3 times a week but someone told me different . I was hoping to get some input from a pro trainer/coach like yourself . I know you don't pull punches , (pun intended) 😁 . I searched your channel and found some other cool content regarding drills and technique i found amazing , but nothing about roadwork , I may have missed something .
Train the way you fight. That includes conditioning. I would suggest putting some five pound (2 kilo) ankle weights ON YOUR WRISTS and, keeping a boxer's guard while you run (elbows above your navel), do interval sprints of 10-15 seconds with rest periods of 5-15 seconds, for three minutes, then walk one minute. That's one set (equivalent to one round). Do three to six sets if you're an amateur, six to twelve sets if you're going pro, 3-5 days per week, and do the final set each day as fast as you can, without the weights. In addition, for leg work, you need to do ballistics, plyometrics (I'm one of the few people who actually knows what plyometrics are), quick feet, and agility drills, which involve a lot of motion specific drills, plus skill drills (sport specific drills) like double end bag, heavy bag, focus mitts, sparring, footwork drills, etc. For quick feet, just find a line on a basketball court, a playing field, whatever, as long as it's not more than a couple of inches or so (five centimeters) wide. You can lay down a rope or string if you need to. Standing, feet together, to the left of the line as close as you can without touching it, jump as lightning fast as you can, side to side, back and forth completely over the line without moving forward or backward. Do this for ten seconds, then stop. Rest for 30-60 seconds, that's one set. Do 6-10 sets, 2-3 days per week. Make sure your feet are together as you do this for maximum explosive speed. Do the same exercise except that instead of jumping side to side over the line, you're jumping forward and backward over it. Note: the quick feet jumps above are very small jumps, about six inches, and jump as low as you can over the line without touching it, just an inch or two. Pre-plyometrics: Leg press machine: adjust so that your knees come up to your chin for FROM (full range of motion). Set weights so that you can do 18-22 of these ballistically on the eccentric (extending) motion, stop and rest for a second, then at a moderate speed, do the concentric (return or negative or coming back) motion. Repeat 18-22 times at ten percent above your bodyweight, nothing huge. Do three sets of these three times per week, with at least one rest day between. Plyometrics (for boxing): get two hurdles (or even cones, anything to jump over) and set one at a low level, the second at higher level. Put them in an "L" configuration with the base of the L being the shorter hurdle. Standing to the left of the shorter hurdle, and facing so the stem of the L is to your right and in front of you (not behind), jump over the hurdle to your right and without resting at all and as quickly as possible (less than 2/10ths of a second) jump over the higher hurdle in front of you and stop immediately in a boxer's stance for two seconds, then explode into a sprint to your left for ten yards/meters. Repeat three times, then repeat except that you'll run to your right for ten meters after stopping after the second hurdle. Then move the lower hurdle to the right side and start by jumping over the low hurdle to your left, then forward over the higher hurdle into a boxer's stance for two seconds, then explode into your sprint. This is one set. Do three sets with a few minutes rest between each set, and only do this 2 times per week with at least two days rest between these sessions. DO NOT DO THESE ON CONCRETE OR ASPHALT, DO THEM ON TURF or at worst on a basketball court (better would be a weight lifting floor or fitness center floor with some rubberized padding). Note: start with low hurdles, just six inches (15 cm) for the lower one, 12 inches (30 cm) for the higher one. The main point is to hop up INSTANTANEOUSLY on that first hop without resting (to be plyometric, the landing phase, or amortization phase of the stretch shorten cycle needs to be less than 2/10ths of a second) while keeping good form, using your arms to help you with the jump, landing in proper boxer's stance after each second hurdle, and exploding into a full out sprint for ten yards or ten meters. Agility ladder: Ali shuffle, Ickey Shuffle, Hop Scotch, and 180's and 360's (multiple cells on these last two); Keep your arms up in a boxer's guard as you do all of these except the 180's and 360's. Do six sets back and forth, as quickly as possible, three days per week. As someone beginning this program, you can do this for 3-5 weeks, then we can change things for you, including some appropriate weight training and tons of other exercises for explosive trunk rotation (I've actually developed some quasi-plyometrics for this, but you'll need a partner and a good leather medicine ball), neck strengthening to absorb blows to the head, hand speed, more leg plyos, agility, and quick feet, etc. Hope this helps. For athletic strength and conditioning here on TH-cam, I would suggest looking at Jack Cascio's vids on his TwiceTheSpeedTV channel, and also Matt Wichlinski's channel. They know what they're doing and they're amazing. The above are just strength and conditioning and some motion specific exercises. Sports specific exercises are best left to skills coaches working closely with trainers.
I will be fighting in a white collar bout in December. Your videos are invaluable. I am sat here with a notebook full of your advice and am putting it into practice in every training session. Just wanted to say many thanks. Keep up the good work.
Thanks so much and my very best wishes for your bout.
So.... How did that fight go.?
@@anupamkanojia5485 Hahahaha. If you respond to this message then it means your account is still active if not it means its not after 2 years
@@peterteba3891 .... How Did it really go... 🤣
Short
Sweet
Simple
Effective
Practical
I think that youre one of the best coaches taking your time and sharing your experience, knowledge and thoughts on the sweeet science with us all that are interested but might not have the ability to find coaches available for whatever reason. Thank you sir for your contribution.
Seems obvious but Fran pointing out that if you've blocked you are in range to counter is very good.
Simple stuff and solid principles. thanks
But what if the guy on the other side has huge reach aka Liston,mine is normal!?
@@zorz7730 Look up "splitting the jab"
perfect explanation. amazing tips
It has been so long since I boxed (only a cpl amateur fights mind you) and I was so young that I don’t remember learning much of what I knew (dad started teaching me as a small child) nor how to teach it. My grandson turned 8yrs old and my daughter has given consent to get him started. Just the basics and if he likes it and excels I’ll turn him over to a real trainer. I am getting a lot of use out of these videos. Thank you!
You're welcome Ian, it will come back to you as you work through it mate.
Please fran do more of these lessons videos, i often watch them and i think you're a really great coach...i'm learning a lot thanks to these videos!
Thanks Gianluca, more planned real soon
thanks to you fran for sharing your knoledge!
Quite mesmerizing videos. Awesome explanations with no attitude.
Excellent teaching, Fran Sands! You are the real deal!
Great teaching. If I was young and healthy enough to get back to boxing, these lessons would be gold! I enjoy them, anyway. If one of my grandsons wants to start boxing, I will be sure to make these lessons as the core of his instruction! I wish I had these lessons 30 years ago! Great work, Fran Sands!
It's never late. How old can you possibly be?
Best boxing channel on youtube. Period
Thank you Jeff, that's very kind.
Simple but informative the best type of content.
Thanks for the vid. The thing I do different though is when I bring my defense up, I don't rest my hands against my head; I keep them out at least a few inches away as a "shock absorber". The reason is, I found that if I rest my hands against my head, it does not seem to be affecting me, but the next day my head will hurt, like a headache. All I can figure is the energy from the blows is transferring into my head through my arms. My blocks have to be pretty solid or else my gloves just get thrown right into my head area. That starts to add up.
Like you WISELY stated, no matter what, you HAVE TO keep your focus on your opponent. NEVER look away.
2fast2block Thanks for the comment. Just be careful in terms of keeping your arms slightly away from your head in case incoming straight shots are turned into hooks. Great comment though
Fran Sands Fran, you're very insightful to catch that. Yes, I keep my shoulders up and my chin tucked at all times to protect from hooks.
You are a first class boxer and teacher
I really appreciate all your videos sir I boxed for a year and a half and I was told I was good by everyone but I stopped going and now after 3 years of not training I've lost my form and speed but after watching these videos it motivates me to make myself good again I have s punching bag now to train and I've improved a lot already :) I don't suck I can still win a fight I'm just not as good as I use to be and I want to become even better than that! thanks! oh, and by the way a lot of TH-cam coaches don't have good technique and form and most people think they're good because they're all show but I can see that they're not but you sir are fantastic keep it up!!!
Excellent, thanks Jason, glad you are inspired. Really appreciate you taking the time to comment
This was one of many defences azumah Nelson used and countered of. Its great and very effective.
One thing for sure, when used right I manage to block 95 per cent of the punches coming at me. I practice some counters along with this and it's kick ass all the way. Thanks for the tips.
+queensgambit Welcome, those stats sound solid :-)
+Fran Sands When you block punches, do you put your hands by your forehead or on your forehead? One effects my head when punches are thrown and I end up hitting myself with the other
+Fran Sands Lately I've been practicing this block along with a right cross left hook counter as a regular part of my repetuar. Like you said, never do this block without retuning fire.
Great to hear from such a knowledgeable coach. Keep sharing the knowledge Fran!
+Jayesh V Cheers Jayesh
An excellent teacher. Best on TH-cam
Very useful defense. Especially in combination with good footwork and constantly moving around the ring. The staple of my defense.
I'm liking how you train. I'm a learning trainer daily. The very basics is I believe the very keys to feeling good about your performance whether win or lose against a opponent in the streets or in organized Sports
Enjoyable and instructively simple.. Cheers Coach
one thing that has helped me with countering is when they do a combo whatever of your gloves/arm got hit last should be the glove you fire back with.
Nice tip Nick
I love you Fran Sands. Very simple easy to follow right to the point at all times .
Thank you for teaching me 🙏🏻
You are very welcome, thank you for your kind comment
Awsome boxing channel,one of the best on youtube i've seen.
SeekerofTruth29 Thank you for the feedback :-)
Excellent instruction, as always
Rob Donker Thanks Rob
Love your videos!!! Very helpful, thank you !
Loving your videos, Fran. Excellent stuff. Much appreciated. Top man.
Quality video, thank you! 👊🥊
thank a lot for the video... i injured myself or at least i think so probably a tendon in my power arm, right arm punching on the bag. when i am back to it in a few month i will post a vid of myself training with the bag.
China Non-Stop Look forward to it!
Good stuff. Brilliant advice for novices to martial arts.
One question coach. Im a natural right handler but i feel much comfy on my southpaw stance. Is it good to change stance?
+Kevin Delacruz If you can, then do Kevin. As long as you are not making yourself vulnerable then you'll be good.
Fran Sands thank you coach!
Is your left uppercut in southpaw more/less/similar in power to your right uppercut in orthodox ... Either way its a great thing to be comfortable in both stances 👍
Such great videos thanks for taking the time to make them
Sir sorry but I tested the difference between having a glove and bare knuckle. I cover up as you have shown and my companion hit me hard with his gloved hands and my covering arms blocked the punch even with a gap between them. This happens because the fist of my companion became double in size because of the glove he wears that snagged on my arms. I felt the force of the punch pushing my arms towards me. On the other hand, we tried bare knuckles and do the same thing minus making the punch hard but just slightly strong; and the fist can have a possible entry between the arms if the are not tightly close together. But my arms were hit by the knuckles of my companion's fist and it really hurts that i have to waggle it to relieved the pain. So I think covering with arms to block a punch is good and maybe even ideal for a boxing match with gloved hands. I think, parrying with bob and wave is for bare knuckle boxing match. Yes, many times I saw in boxing matches an opponent covering his face with his arms but he is steady and not even moving backward or laterally to get out of the incoming punches and the opponent keep punching him. I guess that such practice evolved and became common in boxing matches because of the glove cushioning the fist against the target that is why their is only impact force on the target with no hard excruciating impact cause by the bare knuckles.
After several lessons in preparing for an amateur, fundraiser fight, no one has taught us this? Sparring against advanced fighters and they were using it on me...thanks for this.
Thanks Mitch, and best wishes for your bout.
This is amazing thanks Fran
very clear video, thanks very much for this, very helpful
+Paul Armitage Thanks
Great video thank you🥊🔥
Only comment is appreciation for your time to explain good points thx.
+carl goodrum Thanks Carl
2:25 Nick/Nate Diaz!!!
lol exactly what I was thinking
What if they throw more than one punch, do you keep blocking until they finish to punch back?
I love you coach and when I finally get to meet you I’ll tell you in person how much you mean to me an the sport of boxing 🥊❤️❤️❤️😁
Hi, Fran Sands, I am a foreign students and watching this video in my own country, have you considered add some subtitles, or at least some auto-subtitles, and I very like your boxing lessons, thank you!
Thank you for the suggestion and for the comment.
First of all a lot of thanks for your excellent teachings. I have to be honest: your channel is unparalleled when it comes to the essentials: the stance,the jab,the straight,the basic block..... I would like to ask a question if you don't mind; when blocking there is a small place in front of the mouth and the tip of the nose that remains uncovered. Should I worry about this?( When I was a kid that I didn't know anything about boxing I ve got a bloody nose in some fights and I remember that I didn't enjoy it, to put it mildly.).
- maintain vision, keep eyes on opponent
- block and fire back
- do not block and do nothing
hi frans great vid,
would this work against barefist aswell. i mean would the smaller fist vs big glove punch get through the centre of the arms.
I'd probably opt for avoiding the shot with a bare fist rather than blocking it in this way.
What are your thoughts on winky Wright using this as his primary defense and mastering it along with his southpaws jab being his main weapon
Do you have any tips for covering up with mma gloves? Great video!
Great tutorials coach
+ABDI HEYRU Thank you
Genuine question but what is the difference between this stance vs peek-a-boo. Asking as a novice boxer, what is the key difference between orthodox vs peekaboo?
Hahahaha, "the floor is not going to punch me in the face..." classic!
:-)
That's what I thought knuckles to eyebrows. for blocking a hook if you don't have position to duck it's like answering a phone , is that correct? just checking . most of the time I prefer to use footwork , slips and ducks to avoid the punch entirely ( the best way imo) but there are situations where you have momentarily bad inside position or are against the ropes or get caught off balance and sometimes blocking is a good setup for the counter . Great video , still using your vids for proper reference.
subbed! great stuff
Cheers, appreciate the sub
Damn! Great information coach. Thank u!
Thanks mate, glad it helps👍
Do u teach in Liverpool??
Friend, I have a little bit of a problem. When I'm sparring, two things usually happen:
1) I'm guarding at default stance when I see a punch then I blink (fear?)
2) When I see a punch coming, when I try to block, I'm way too slow to raise my hands. Usually the opponents punch will hit me before my hands react to the punch.
Please advise, I am getting my nose slightly more broken each time.
On a side note : you did mention the key points to punch to the body, where abouts are those places? Thanks :]
Question! How are you holding your hands? when you're in close range with your opponent it's important that you keep your hands up and your chin tucked. Those close clench situations are where you become more susceptible because everything is within range. When you hold your hands in a more compact position there is less distance for your hands to successfully block those punches. Now when you have some distance between you and your opponent than you can drop your hands a little like Ali. Get to know which situation is which and when is the most important to be compact and more relaxed. Hope this helps.
Question! How are you holding your hands? when you're in close range with your opponent it's important that you keep your hands up and your chin tucked. Those close clench situations are where you become more susceptible because everything is within range. When you hold your hands in a more compact position there is less distance for your hands to successfully block those punches. Now when you have some distance between you and your opponent than you can drop your hands a little like Ali. Get to know which situation is which and when is the most important to be compact and more relaxed. Hope this helps.
I've watched a few of your videos and just wanted to say well done.
Do you work with many younger boxers ? Seems you'd be very good at it and it'd be great for them as well. Lot of life lessons can be learned in the gym.
Hey there, thanks. I work with lots and lots of youngsters. One of the real pleasures taking the 'raw material' and watching them develop over time into nailed on competitors :-)
I'm too stiff when i'm in double arm defense i can't counter properly maybe i'm bit scared of eating punches but i have trouble being loose with it,any tips Mr.Sands?
Hey man I have a question wat do I recommend for some one who has had a shoulder surgery I had to dislocations on the right shoulder and had to get surgery both time cause I was fighting wat did I do wrong how can I get focused and throw good punches to get a win
You got a nice stance.
dragonfist25 Thanks
Do you always lift the rear foot heal of the ground while doing this? Would this block have made Canelo more elusive when he couldn`t stop GGG walking him down, Canelo blocked well but always left a gap through the middle of his guard Sands?
Two questions. Do you touch your head when covering up? and what types of punches would you use this against?
VampireHiryu Yes to the first part, long range shots to the second part (mostly straight shots).
great video on covering up but by your techniques on double block can someone sneak a punch in because there little gap in between your blocking just asking
Yes, so always good to keep your head moving off the centreline - slips etc.
Excellent video again Fran. Quick question _ have started boxing iam about 9 stone 11 only 5,3 what weight gloves would you recommend for light sparring? Is there a particular size or brand you'd go for? Thanks
Is there a preferred way to counter after doing this block ?
I'm thinking of following the punch back to the opponent, jab for cross and cross for jab.
Rene .Lem Try them out Rene. Your observation seems perfectly smart to me
I always think without gloves on the fist will get between forearms
Hey great vid I appreciate them all
MILEHIGHTREETOPZ Thank you.
Good explained but you shouldn't cover vision, always keep your eye at the opponent
Just started boxing, learnt this block today, but realised when some on just do a simple jab, my own glove hit my face, if I stick my glove to my face I feel like my face is absorbing the impact of that jab as well, is that suppose to be like this? Have not really gone into sparring yet so when I block the first few punches using this block it kinda stunned me.
I'm a beginner myself with only a few sparring sessions under my belt, so take my words with a grain of salt. In my experience, you still feel impact when you have your glove up against your face, but after sparring a bit, I know it hurts way worse to eat a punch without your glove there taking the initial impact. And if you have your hand up in front of your face but not against it, your opponent's punch is just going to drive your own glove into your face. Not quite as hard as an unblocked shot, but you're still getting smacked and it's disorienting and demoralizing to be hit with your own glove on a failed block. When you put your hand up against your face to block a shot, you're still in control of your level of visibility; when your glove is driven into your face by an opponent's shot, you lose that momentarily.
Michael Watson used to bring his guard high up and open his hands so they covered his head
Great videos coach! Is it ok to keep the guard like this always? And throw your punches from there? When i do this it's hard to hit me but it's a little bit awkward to punch.
+Gonzalo Lerner When up close Gonzalo absolutely. You do want to vary the guard at long/edge of range.
First off great video like all your rest! one question. Do you recommend boxers to keep hands up high like that the majority of the time? (not the blocking position but the just lower than blocking position you started at) or only for beginners or defensive fighters? I've heard others say it slows down your offense to much what is your opinion on that? thanks man you've helped me so much!
I like high hands Dillon, especially when moving into range, but not necessarily in the double arm block. Just means that shots that come back are more likely to land on your gloves and coupled with head movement it makes you a much tougher proposition to hit. Not sure high hands can slow down defence though - bit confused on that one. Thanks and hope this helps
+Fran Sands ok great thanks. and I meant offense. I've heard someone put down the Mike Tyson peek a boo stance saying that it can slow down your punches. my intuition says the defense is worth it and I don't feel it would make your punches take that much longer to get to the target but I wondered what your opinion on that was.
Hi Fran, thx for the excellent video. When blocking, should I step backward to mitigate the impact of the punch, or I should rather stand the blow and try to counter? Also, when you show the block it l seems you are moving more weight on the back leg, or is it just my impression?
Absorb the power with the back leg. You can retreat too, but this defence is best used static.
If you cover like that your body is exposed to shots. So bring ur arms both back towards face and body.
Thanks
T Ken You are welcome :-)
👍👍👍👍👍👍❤thanks mennn bravoooo
I find this very effective in amateur boxing because if you block part of the shot and it isn't a clean shot then it doesn't get scored
Indeed William
GOOD STUFF TO KNOW😁👀👍👊
REAL-TALK!!!!
What you're describing here, is that what Ali did? How was Ali different? He didn't just block a shot, he would cover up and let his opponent hit him for minutes at a time, and yet it never seemed to hurt him much. It's always been frustrating to me watching Ali that no one was ever able to get through that and hurt him. Even body shots in that position didn't seem to hurt him much.
Yes, amongst a ton of other brilliant things that Ali did! He watched the shots coming and blocked them - the smartest and bravest of fighters.
Mexican street fighter using this cover method!
Hi coach0 great video! A couple of questions: what about the weight distribution when using this block? In your demonstration, I have the impression you are shifting the weight on the back leg, is it correct? Also, your torso should maintain a 45 degree angle or should get more squared, so that both arms absorb the impact?
Top Bloke would love a 1 on 1 session one day soon with him
primal dna fitness Who knows what the future might bring :-) Thanks by the way.
Sharawt sa blk 2 miss ko na kayo :
👍
Frans reminds me of a hitman lol
hello coach!! Hope u doing fine :)
I'm all good - thanks for asking :-)
thats smothering ,not covering.
+Thesocraticbreed Don't worry so much about what it's called, do you see value in it?
+Fran Sands yes we do sir.. thank you for the knowledge
+Max Payne haha. Nail on the head Max ;-)
Fran Sands Well, yes, it is good for some things including having a defense as you're closing the distance in your boxing for some good in-fighting.
Smothering is called what it is because the hands and forearms as well as elbows absorb the impact of the opponent's punches effectively smothering the blow. Look at the Textbook of Boxing by Jim Driscoli as Jim Driscoli discusses it and deals with it in detail. Many boxers take up smothering as a general defense mechanism to have the hands in a higher location making it easier to defend against head blows(I.g preventing a KO by that very absorption).
Covering, on the other hand, is a horizontal blocking motion similar to the blocks in karate. To do one effective means of it, from orthodox, you take your right hand and cover your head and your left to cover your body. Your forearms will cross the body like a shield giving a very hard to conquer defense. applying a head cover allows for really good in-fighting through allowing upper cuts and shovel hooks. The body cover does not open things up as easily,but you do have a solid defense there.
Although back on smothering, if you become good enough at the rolling technique, that is to travel in the direction of the punch in order to absorb the blow through lessening the impact, you have similar the smother yet done differently. Here are the different rolls(not to be confused with the shoulder roll, which has its uses as the philly shell and even in bobbing and weaving)
1. Move the body backward on straight punches.
2.Move the body to the left or right responding to hooks.
3. Move the body to the right on right hooks.
4. Move the body backward to uppercuts.
My biggest problem with smothering is that it tends to limit your vision. However, I do not call it a manner of defense that lacks validity.
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and do their best not to sin. We all sin and have fallen short of the glory of God. This is why God sent His only begotten son Jesus Christ
to die on the cross for our sins so that all those who believe in Him and do their best to live a life that is pleasing to God will not perish but have everlasting life. Heaven and hell exist and the things we say and do in this lifetime will testify for us or against us and determine where we spend eternity. I was born in a Christian home and went looking for The Truth because I could see lies and deception in religion and wanted to know why there are so many different beliefs and religions. God gives us choices but wants us to choose Him.
God allowed satan and his demons to test my faith with a demonic attack while He taught me a lesson about patience, holding my peace, and trusting Him no matter what. The Bible is true and this world is a lie.
Spiritual warfare is going on right now and demons are fallen angels that work thru all people tempting us to sin and trying to win souls because it hurts God. God has given me spiritual discernment wich is the ability to detect these spirits. God wants me to help wake up the walking dead. The walking dead are people who don't know God are what He expects from us. God want us to love Him above everyone and everything. He also wants us to love everyone else like we love ourselves, to study His Word, and pray daily. Always remember our enemies are demons not the people they work thru. If we can't forgive others God won't forgive us on judgement day. God is love and love is the fulfillment of Gods law. This world rejects God because it is ruled by satan but God is always in control. God expects everyone who knows the truth to tell everyone who has been deceived. The only way to be saved from our sins is by repenting and excepting God 's only begotten son Jesus Christ because He paid the price for all sin when He died on the cross and rose again.
Freedom is free and Jesus is the key. God is love and love is the fufillment of Gods law+++
That's what I thought knuckles to eyebrows. for blocking a hook if you don't have position to duck it's like answering a phone , is that correct? just checking . most of the time I prefer to use footwork , slips and ducks to avoid the punch entirely ( the best way imo) but there are situations where you have momentarily bad inside position or are against the ropes or get caught off balance and sometimes blocking is a good setup for the counter . Great video , still using your vids for proper reference.
You are right, I like the phone-answering analogy. Thank you for your comment.
Had a training question if you don't mind answering it for me , I was wondering how much roadwork/running is best for boxing conditioning, I fell like the 4 km medium pace and 1.5 km interval sprint is good for me 3 times a week but someone told me different . I was hoping to get some input from a pro trainer/coach like yourself . I know you don't pull punches , (pun intended) 😁 . I searched your channel and found some other cool content regarding drills and technique i found amazing , but nothing about roadwork , I may have missed something .
Train the way you fight. That includes conditioning.
I would suggest putting some five pound (2 kilo) ankle weights ON YOUR WRISTS and, keeping a boxer's guard while you run (elbows above your navel), do interval sprints of 10-15 seconds with rest periods of 5-15 seconds, for three minutes, then walk one minute. That's one set (equivalent to one round). Do three to six sets if you're an amateur, six to twelve sets if you're going pro, 3-5 days per week, and do the final set each day as fast as you can, without the weights.
In addition, for leg work, you need to do ballistics, plyometrics (I'm one of the few people who actually knows what plyometrics are), quick feet, and agility drills, which involve a lot of motion specific drills, plus skill drills (sport specific drills) like double end bag, heavy bag, focus mitts, sparring, footwork drills, etc.
For quick feet, just find a line on a basketball court, a playing field, whatever, as long as it's not more than a couple of inches or so (five centimeters) wide. You can lay down a rope or string if you need to. Standing, feet together, to the left of the line as close as you can without touching it, jump as lightning fast as you can, side to side, back and forth completely over the line without moving forward or backward. Do this for ten seconds, then stop. Rest for 30-60 seconds, that's one set. Do 6-10 sets, 2-3 days per week. Make sure your feet are together as you do this for maximum explosive speed. Do the same exercise except that instead of jumping side to side over the line, you're jumping forward and backward over it.
Note: the quick feet jumps above are very small jumps, about six inches, and jump as low as you can over the line without touching it, just an inch or two.
Pre-plyometrics: Leg press machine: adjust so that your knees come up to your chin for FROM (full range of motion). Set weights so that you can do 18-22 of these ballistically on the eccentric (extending) motion, stop and rest for a second, then at a moderate speed, do the concentric (return or negative or coming back) motion. Repeat 18-22 times at ten percent above your bodyweight, nothing huge. Do three sets of these three times per week, with at least one rest day between.
Plyometrics (for boxing): get two hurdles (or even cones, anything to jump over) and set one at a low level, the second at higher level. Put them in an "L" configuration with the base of the L being the shorter hurdle. Standing to the left of the shorter hurdle, and facing so the stem of the L is to your right and in front of you (not behind), jump over the hurdle to your right and without resting at all and as quickly as possible (less than 2/10ths of a second) jump over the higher hurdle in front of you and stop immediately in a boxer's stance for two seconds, then explode into a sprint to your left for ten yards/meters. Repeat three times, then repeat except that you'll run to your right for ten meters after stopping after the second hurdle. Then move the lower hurdle to the right side and start by jumping over the low hurdle to your left, then forward over the higher hurdle into a boxer's stance for two seconds, then explode into your sprint. This is one set.
Do three sets with a few minutes rest between each set, and only do this 2 times per week with at least two days rest between these sessions. DO NOT DO THESE ON CONCRETE OR ASPHALT, DO THEM ON TURF or at worst on a basketball court (better would be a weight lifting floor or fitness center floor with some rubberized padding).
Note: start with low hurdles, just six inches (15 cm) for the lower one, 12 inches (30 cm) for the higher one. The main point is to hop up INSTANTANEOUSLY on that first hop without resting (to be plyometric, the landing phase, or amortization phase of the stretch shorten cycle needs to be less than 2/10ths of a second) while keeping good form, using your arms to help you with the jump, landing in proper boxer's stance after each second hurdle, and exploding into a full out sprint for ten yards or ten meters.
Agility ladder: Ali shuffle, Ickey Shuffle, Hop Scotch, and 180's and 360's (multiple cells on these last two); Keep your arms up in a boxer's guard as you do all of these except the 180's and 360's. Do six sets back and forth, as quickly as possible, three days per week.
As someone beginning this program, you can do this for 3-5 weeks, then we can change things for you, including some appropriate weight training and tons of other exercises for explosive trunk rotation (I've actually developed some quasi-plyometrics for this, but you'll need a partner and a good leather medicine ball), neck strengthening to absorb blows to the head, hand speed, more leg plyos, agility, and quick feet, etc.
Hope this helps. For athletic strength and conditioning here on TH-cam, I would suggest looking at Jack Cascio's vids on his TwiceTheSpeedTV channel, and also Matt Wichlinski's channel. They know what they're doing and they're amazing.
The above are just strength and conditioning and some motion specific exercises. Sports specific exercises are best left to skills coaches working closely with trainers.