How to punch more effectively ?

[Azulx]

So if you have been following my posts then you know that I have been struggling to not only incorporate punches into my sparring game, but to use those punches effectively.

Here are some issues that I see myself consistently having.

In this video I am sparring one of our Green Belts, I haven't sparred him much this summer ( maybe 4 times). So I am not use to him at all (this is a good thing). He has no style yet he usually experiments with different techniques so I haven't really seen any pattern that he does. One thing I do know is that his sparring strategy consists of 99% kicks.

So here is my issue:
I threw approx. 8 punches and 16 kicks this match.

I find myself punching with no purpose or effectiveness, I notice that my punches have 3 goals in mind.
1. Punch so I know I am punching during Sparring
2. Punch to fill space between my opponent and I
3. Punch to distract my opponent from the barrage of kicks I am about to throw.

How do I get close enough to effectively punch someone who is throwing nonstop kicks at you?

In this video I am sparring my instructor again. Sorry I know watching me spar my instructor so much probably gets really boring :/. In this match I was able to throw about 15 punches and 15-18 kicks. So my technique volume was right at about 50/50. With that being said, I don't think my punches were effective, but they do seem to be more effectively thrown than my match against our green belt. I feel that the majority of the time I punch, my instructor jams my arm with swats.

how do I close the distance on people that have quick counter kicks?

Any feedback/help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Kickboxer101]

I think the best thing to do is ask your instructor. He knows your style he knows how you learn and he can give you drills that he can watch you do and give improvements toto

 

[Azulx]

I think the best thing to do is ask your instructor. He knows your style he knows how you learn and he can give you drills that he can watch you do and give improvements toto

I am going to do this Monday, but he has been asked by students who have a boxing background before. His response is usually something along the line of "our style is built to not let people get close enough to punch us." So if that is the answer I get then I am back at square 1 lol.

 

[MAfreak]

how do I close the distance on people that have quick counter kicks?

do you know how to block kicks? raising knee, forearm sweep, boxing guard - depending on kick height. only straight kicks can stop you, round kicks shouldn't keep you from coming close (at least when they don't knock you out).
example: straight front kick at waist height, sweep it away with one forearm, close the distance and punch.

 

[Azulx]

We rarely practice the the raising knee check. I don't have the proper timing for it. Forearm sweep? Is that when you redirect the kick with your arm? I am not familiar with the boxing guard.

 

[MAfreak]

in karate its called gedan barai, dunno how its in korean:

this works well against straight kicks. i don't like that the guard is down then, but there's always an disadvantage in everything.
boxing guard is simple: protect your jaw (hands up to it).

 

[Kickboxer101]

I am going to do this Monday, but he has been asked by students who have a boxing background before. His response is usually something along the line of "our style is built to not let people get close enough to punch us." So if that is the answer I get then I am back at square 1 lol.

Hmm well shame it doesn't work that way in a real fight lol

 

[MAfreak]

another idea i had for you is trying the "superman punch". at first you raise your knee, so when he stop kicks then, you have your knee check. also the opponent might think you wanna kick and takes down his guard. from there you shoot this leg back and jump forward with the other one and straight punch.

 

[Azulx]

Hmm well shame it doesn't work that way in a real fight lol

Well yes of course. By real fight I'm assuming you mean a self-defense situation were you are being attacked. Leading to having to fight to defend yourself. That is a completely different context then the little sport TKD sparring we do in class. I'm sure my instructor know that if his life is in danger he has to actually fight guy and not sport spar like he does with his students.

 

[Kickboxer101]

Well yes of course. By real fight I'm assuming you mean a self-defense situation were you are being attacked. Leading to having to fight to defend yourself. That is a completely different context then the little sport TKD sparring we do in class. I'm sure my instructor know that if his life is in danger he has to actually fight guy and not sport spar like he does with his students.

Well even in sparring it's very difficult to keep out of punching range the whole time

 

[Azulx]

Well even in sparring it's very difficult to keep out of punching range the whole time

Hopefully our club will get lucky and someone who is skilled with their hands will join, and show us how vulnerable we are. Until then I am left with just getting kicked repeatedly lol.

 

[MAfreak]

or you give techniques a try you got suggested here.

 

[Azulx]

or you give techniques a try you got suggested here.

That too, we also didn't kick hard enough to where I can't take a few kicks trying to get closer to my opponent and get hurt.

 

[Th0mas]

Just a quick one, having watched the videos what I noticed is you are throwing out, mostly, single techniques.

Try stringing together a few combinations. This is very effective with a punching surge, lead with a high punch to draw up the guard and follow with a low punch.. And then follow with a high if the situation warrants it.

Also against Mr Green belt you front stopping kick was quite effective.. Perform that as a single technique a few times, until your opponent reads it, then on the next attempt use your momentum to throw out a head punch after leading with the front kick.

Combinations need to be practiced until they become natural.

Are you allowed to throw when sparring? Because there is nothing more unsettling for a head-kicker than an opponent who can catch and dump..

 

[Azulx]

Just a quick one, having watched the videos what I noticed is you are throwing out, mostly, single techniques.

Try stringing together a few combinations. This is very effective with a punching surge, lead with a high punch to draw up the guard and follow with a low punch.. And then follow with a high if the situation warrants it.

Also against Mr Green belt you front stopping kick was quite effective.. Perform that as a single technique a few times, until your opponent reads it, then on the next attempt use your momentum to throw out a head punch after leading with the front kick.

Combinations need to be practiced until they become natural.

Are you allowed to throw when sparring? Because there is nothing more unsettling for a head-kicker than an opponent who can catch and dump..

We are not allowed to catch or sweep. Long story short someone did that to my instructor a long time ago while they were sparring and he seriously injured his shoulder, so he doesn't allow it.

 

[Kickboxer101]

Maybe you should try and branch out and train at different places I mean if your instructors refusing to teach you how to punch I mean that's a big area your missing out on for self defence and competition

 

[drop bear]

You are setting the distance and timing.

So you allow him to throw unanswered combinations and then reset. Break that pattern a bit and you will find yourself in range for punching a bit more.

And your footwork. You retreat after each kick. So there is no way you can close the gap to punch.

 

[Buka]

Easy fix. You are giving away free kicks. As are both of your sparring partners. If you're going to give out free kicks, you should at least include a nice card.

Yes, I'm purposely being a smarty pants. Want you to think about what I might mean, then ask.

 

[JP3]

One word you didn't use in your O/P was "combination." Are you using any? Do you know any? Not trying to be insulting here, either. Lots of kick-heavy styles don't bother talking about set-ups and hand combinations at the beginning because learning kicking techniques, the set-up movements and the kicking combinations that the hand stuff gets pushed to the side for a while.

Personally, beging a bigger, taller guy, I found it initially difficult to deal witht he small, fast counter-kick guys too. Most of the time, they are so fast that that is their "Go To" method, to fire off a kick in order to keep me, now you, away. What I personally learned to do was two-fold: 1) to disguise when I was coming in by learning better footwork (Olympic taekwondo footage is fantastic for this, other than professional boxing, it's hard to find a better teaching example in my opinion); and 2) to learn to bait-step, sort of a feint with the body, to lure them into firing out that kick to where they "think" you are, or where you're going to be. But when you're not there, usually you are in close enough to loose a.... combination.

Feel how you move, and how you like to move. Some folks like to step and turn, rotating into the opponent, so for them, if I was their instructor I'd start them out with drilling a simple jab, cross, roundhouse kick (same side as the cross) and then into a spin kick if that's your bag. L-R-R-L.

If your body feels better sort of switching back and forth, you could try backfist, straight punch, hook, upper cut -- each hand strike coming out from the opposite hand L-R-L-R.

On another topic, your statement about "filling up the space" with the punches is another conceptual thing -- maybe this might help you. Rather than trying to think about the punch "filling the space" maybe consider it as "leading you into the space." Another way to think about a block is that it is a strike that counters a strike. Unless you've got a rules system constraining you from doing so, most sparring styles allow you to hand-strike the leg when it's coming in, so start doing that to the flash-kickers. A quick hammer fist or backfist strike to an exposed lower leg sort of... changes opinions I noticed. Sort of curtails their engagement level too. So, just use the punch you were going to use on their body to be a block/strike to the counter-kick when it comes in.

All of this stuff is designed to get you inside the kicker's range to allow the punches to start to get home. But, don't ever expect to ever land that many good, solid blows. I bet you've seen MMA fights, and most of those guys are quite good strikers. Do the same punch count regimen on one of the better matches, and compare punches thrown, to punches landed, to punches with physical effect. You'll find the latter category is WAY down the percentage line. A strong, power-puncher is only looking to land One, just one, and he thinks he's going to win (ala Mike Tyson back in the day).
Hope some of this helps you out.

 

[Azulx]

Easy fix. You are giving away free kicks. As are both of your sparring partners. If you're going to give out free kicks, you should at least include a nice card.

Yes, I'm purposely being a smarty pants. Want you to think about what I might mean, then ask.

Mr. Buka, I apologize, but i do not understand the reference.