Learn The Secret of Boxing

With Bhanji Mahida & Lalit Dengda

About the Jab

After learning the stance and on-guard, the very first punch that a boxer is taught is the jab. Ask any practicing boxer, if they were restricted to using only one shot, then that shot would be the jab. There is a myth that needs to be dispelled here also; the jab is not only for tall boxers! I regularly used to watch Mike Tyson give away a significant reach advantage and still beat his opponent to the jab. If a boxer combines the jab with effective feints, footwork and body movement, then it is a shot that literally wins fights single-handed! The jab allows you as a boxer to control an opponent, be it on the attack or on the defensive. The jab provides a main method of commencing an attack and is consistently proven as a fight winner. Few things are more demoralizing to an opponent as being continually popped in the face with a fast, accurate and well-timed jab.

All of this said, whilst we can talk about a fast and accurate jab, it is surprising how many boxers allow bad habits to creep in when using the jab. As mentioned, if the jab is thrown correctly it’s a winner. On the other hand, if the jab isn’t deployed appropriately then an opponent will punish you badly over and over again!

The Mechanics of the Jab

The key requirement of a jab is that the opponent does not see it coming. Remember that the human eye is much better at identifying lateral (side-to side) movement than it is at identifying straight-line movement (forwards and back). For this reason, it is critical that you take notice of step 2 (below) in that the elbow follows the same line as the fist i.e. a vertical plane should be drawn from the left fist. The left elbow should not deviate at all from this plane at any point during the execution of the shot. Achieving this will ensure that the opponent has little or no warning of the impending shot because the elbow does not ‘flare’ to the left before the shot lands (a common fault).

So, the basic steps of delivering a precision jab are:

1. From the stance and on-guard position, the first action is a push from the front foot which in turn rotates the upper-body slightly (in a clockwise direction) so that the hips and shoulders will align with the opponent.

2. As the rotation is taking place, the lead arm is thrust out, ensuring that the lead arm elbow follows the same line as the fist i.e. there is no lateral movement of the elbow at all, whatsoever! As the lead arm is moving towards the target it accelerates.

3. As the fist accelerates towards the target (having covered about 75% of the distance), it rotates inwards so that the palm is facing down towards the floor.

4. At the last moment, the fist clenches and ‘snaps’ on to the target.

5. The fist returns along the same line as before, returning to the ‘home’ position as per the stance.

Common Faults with the Jab

There are a number of common problems that can occur when throwing a jab:

1. There is an urge to try and hit too hard. The desire to throw the punch hard often results in the boxer’s weight transferring to the front leg. This has the effect of impairing the balance and making the boxer very vulnerable to counter-attack. Remember, the jab will often be thrown as you move forward, so throwing the weight onto the front leg is very high risk. If a shot comes back towards you, then your momentum will increase the impact of that shot!

2. The punch is ‘telegraphed’, or tell-tale movement takes place as the punch begins it’s journey. These movements are often the elbow lifting to the side or the fist dropping slightly, both of which are dead giveaways.

3. The boxer allows the punch to become an upper-body movement. Ensure that the rotation of the upper-body is generated by the push from the front leg.

And that’s about it really. A good, reliable jab is worth it’s weight in gold. I think that the trick is not to take the jab for granted. Use a mirror to ensure that none of the common faults are creeping into the shot. Once an opponent ‘makes’ your jab, then the chances of coming out in top at the end of the fight are minimal! As a basic next step, follow the jab up with straight right hands as both shots combined form the ‘meat and drink’ of the competing boxer.