Boxing Masterclass - Boxing Foundation

Once you're happy in your stance and can form your guard, the next step is to be able to move. It's of paramount importance to retain your stance structure as you move. This is because it's much easier to attack and defend at any given moment if you have a good solid base. A common mistake is to bring your feet together, but in my eyes this is a big no no. If you get hit with your feet together, you'll lose your base and your balance, and you will get knocked down.

Follow this simple lesson and learn how to move in your stance, and be sure to join in with the little drill at the end.

Lots of beginners rely on power and focus mostly on their punching. Of course these are important, but footwork is a huge part of successful boxing. Next time you watch a fight on TV, watch the boxer's feet instead of their hands. 9 times out of 10 it's the boxer who's most in control of their footwork that will win the bout.

Learning to move with fluidity in your stance isn't just a means of getting away from danger. It's about learning to move, plant your feet, hit hard and move away with perfect ease.

In this lesson I will show you a few fun ways to practise these skills.

Learning your basic boxing guard is an important part of boxing training. But, once you've mastered the basic guard you'll definitely need to learn these more advanced guards.  These extra skills will help you to become  an all-round boxer. Three advanced guards are demonstrated in this 5 minute lesson.

By learning these guards, this will enable you to adapt and change to the different styles of your opponents. The more you change and the more awkward you are, the more you can keep your opponent guessing.

This quick lesson puts the advanced guards into practice and will give you some ideas about how to train the guards in your own training sessions.

The jab is a fundamental part of your boxing artillery. One of my old amateur trainers would always say "if your jab is good, you can beat your opponent with one hand"... that's how important it is to get your jab right.

As you advance you may well be throwing lead back hands and lead hooks, but at base level most combinations begin with your jab.

In this lesson I will show you how to throw your jab correctly...  remember - always tuck your chin down into your shoulder as you throw your jab.

In this lesson I will go through three simple jab methods that you can try out in your pad work training. I'll demonstrate these methods with both Orthodox and Southpaw boxers.

In this lesson I will show you different jab techniques in more detail. These have been included for you to learn and use in your own sparing sessions. They're simple, yet effective ways to get in-close to your opponent, and create openings for your all important power shots.

A continuation of jab combination entries that you can use in your own sparring sessions. Remember to mix these up and not use the same entries again and again, this way you'll always keep your opponent on their toes :-).

In this session I will show you how to train the jab to the body using the body shield. Using the pads and body shield is a great way to learn correct distance, timing and precision. This is something you can't always get from bag training, and is a safe way to perfect your technique before using it for real in the ring.

During this lesson I will be talking mostly about the cross. It's a simple yet effective technique that comes from your back power hand. To get full power you need to make sure you push up from the floor and twist from your back foot simultaneously twisting your hips into the shot.

We're just practising solo in this video, so if you're joining in, make sure there's no power and you don't fully extend your arms, just concentrate on your technique.

If you ask any of my students I'm always banging on about hitting to the body. The thing is, if you attack all parts of the body and constantly change from upstairs to downstairs (as I like to call it) it makes it so hard to defend against - at least one attack will get through - I guarantee it!

So, with that in mind, in this lesson I will show you the simple cross to the body. Promise me you'll try it next time you spar, you may well be surprised at how effective it is :-).

The jab, cross is a simple combination and one of the first you'll learn in boxing, but please, please don't overlook training it or underestimate it as a quality attack. It really is a bread and butter technique for boxers and there's a good reason why - it really does work. So practise as much as you can on the pads, shadow boxing and on the bag. Alternate your speed and power, learn to perform it stepping forward and back, it needs to become second nature.

Make sure you stand tall, tuck the chin down and don't lean :-).

In this session I will be using multiple attacks using the cross. I'll be showing you how to defend, then how to implement this into safe, live training. By restricting techniques in light sparring, everyone benefits without any injuries.  These methods are a great pre-cursor to full out sparring.

This session is a continuation of your last lesson, with demonstrations of more combinations that you can utilise in your sparring when using the cross.

The hook can be a tricky technique to master, but once you can perform it correctly it can be a real asset to your power punch arsenal. In this lesson I will take you through throwing a boxing left hook (lead hook) step-by- step. I will show you arm and fist shapes, as well as foot and hip twists to get the most out of your hook.

Following on from learning the basics of throwing the boxing left hook (lead hook). In this session I'll be showing you how to train the hook on the focus pads, plus how to get optimum power in your punch.

In this lesson I will introduce you to a few different lead hook combos that you can try out with a partner. I'll also teach you how to defend against these with high and low blocks. At the end of the session I've included a nice little exercise that you can try out safely with a partner,  where we use just these combos in a light sparring situation. I recommend trying this out in 3 x 2 minute rounds with a training partner, so you can get used to throwing and defending against the lead hook.

Just like in the left hook (lead hook) lesson, I will be taking you through step-by-step - how to throw your right hook (rear hook). Body and footwork positioning is important when throwing the right hook. Be sure to join in with the quick drill at the end in order to perfect your technique.

The right boxing hook (rear hook) when thrown correctly can be the perfect knock-out punch! In this session I will show you how to generate maximum power in your hook.

I really do recommend that you practise these body hooks. They're a great technique to throw in from a slip and they're incredibly painful when they land. It's important to get the slip right and to make sure you're completely balanced and grounded before you throw your shot.

In this session I want you to bring everything you've learnt from the previous hook lessons, attack and defence, and use multiple combinations in your training.

Make sure you stay close to your opponent and keep your power down. The idea is to learn these techniques correctly, but safely.

The uppercut can be a devastating punch. It's perfect for powering up through your opponents guard - targeting their chin. Follow me through this lesson as I walk you through both the left and right uppercuts, showing you correct body and foot positioning.

A quick demonstration of how and when to use different uppercuts.  I'll also go through how you can use them in close range / on the ropes, and bring your opponent onto the uppercut.

The overhand right (backhand) is a superb knockout punch. It's a punch very much favoured in MMA fights and brings an early end to contests, time and time again. Learning how to throw this technique is just the first step. Making it work for you is the next. It's best to read your opponent first and get used to their rhythm and tactics.  This way you can work out where you can see the opportunity / opening to use it. Then it's all about timing.

In this lecture I will show you how to throw the overhand. Be sure to follow along with me and give it a go. Remember to keep grounded and don't lean too far forward, the last thing you want is your back foot to leave the ground otherwise you will lose power.

The sneak punch or screw shot is a great way to gain an opening on your opponent. You really want to set this punch up from a slip, and I'll be showing you how to do this in this lesson.

Remember - when you're fighting don't overuse this technique.  You don't want to become predictable. But, if you time it right and use the correct technique, you can knock your opponents head up and set yourself up for the perfect power cross.

In this lesson I will demonstrate the flick lead hook and the looping body hook. Both are excellent techniques to mix up your tactics in sparring and fighting in the ring.

The flick hook is a fast accurate technique to attack your opponents guard from their blindside, allowing you to disrupt their defence and set you up for the power cross.

The looping body hook can be a devastating punch if timed correctly. If you can encourage your opponent to side step into this punch at the same time, the damage / power can be doubled.

In this lesson I will teach you how to train the flick hook and looping body hook using the focus pads. You'll see that It's great to use focus pads in training, as they really help with your targeting and technique.

If you're thinking about adding sparring to your training, I highly recommend you learn how to defend yourself first. You can know all the punches in the book, but if you don't know what to do when someone starts punching back, it can lead to the old rabbit in the headlights syndrome and you can literally freeze.

Being able to relax in the ring stems from being able to evade, block and counter with confidence. I always make sure my students can do this with ease before full sparring. The parry counter carried me through both my amateur and pro careers.  It's an absolute must-have skill.

Boxers at the top of their game use the parry counter - just take a look at some of Pacquiao's latest fights. He still uses this technique to great effect.

So - in this video I will run through parry and counter, and high and low guard blocks. Be sure to try them out whilst you're watching!

In this session I will show you a quick demo of the parry, high block and slip, along with a little exercise that you can train with a partner to maximise your defence.

Using the slip and the sit down is an important aspect to evading punches. They're quick and simple to learn, but are so beneficial when you're fighting.  You'll definitely need to incorporate these techniques in your training.

Make sure you join in with the mini drill at the end - this will help to lock the technique into your skill set.

In this lesson I'll run through a quick demonstration of how to train the high and low blocks and the sit down on the pads. It's a nice and easy exercise to do, but can really help with your defence.

This video has been added specifically to give you a quick guide on how to use the pads. When training with someone else never be afraid to tell them where you need the pads positioned. If they're holding the pads out wide for instance for a jab, cross, it's not realistic.  So you'll need to get them to hold them closer - otherwise it will hinder your training. You'll see what I mean in this session. 

There are plenty of different pads available for boxing training. In this session I will demonstrate with three of the most popular pads, which will hopefully help you decide what you need for your training.

If you're new to boxing pad work training I've created this quick video to show you a basic combo that you can use straight away. As soon as you get the technique down, be sure to start adding in movement to make it harder.

In this video I'll be demonstrating basic body punching on the pads, that you can add to your own training combinations.

In this session I'll run through uppercut punching on the pads, including close up uppercuts in the clinch.

I love the body shield, but my students love to hate it. It makes them work hard! At the start of this lesson I'll go through a few basic punch combinations that you can use with the body shield for technical pad work. Later on I've got a great little exercise for you that I like to do with my students - with non-stop punching. I've let Rachel and Steve off lightly in this video as I normally make it last 2 to 3 minutes. It's an absolute killer.

This video is just a quick demonstration using the body shield. Each combination starts with a cross to the body.

Another quick video, but this time you've got me running through a few different combinations that you can try out for yourself using the body shield.

This is a great training method if you've got a spare tyre or a hoop handy! If not, simply draw a chalk circle on the floor (depending on where you are of course!). Using the tyre prevents you retreating, and makes you use pivoting footwork and slips to avoid any incoming attacks. It's a fun and effective boxing training technique. 

This is the next level up.. using the big tyre! A great way to force fighting in the pocket. This encourages you to pivot, slip, lean, parry and block. There's nowhere to run so you have to stand and fight. It's a great way to speed up your reaction time and most of all, it's great fun.