WNY MMA & Fitness- Float Like a Butterfly and Sting like a 20mm round fired from a M61A1!

Float Like a Butterfly and Sting Like a 20mm Round Fired From a M61A1!

Moving In

The mechanics of moving in:

1. From the boxing stance, the first action is a push from the back foot.
2. The front foot lifts very slightly from the floor, allowing the power generated from the push from the back foot to propel the body and therefore the front foot forward.
3. Allow the back foot to follow it’s course, catching up with the front foot.
4. The entire movement should be no more than 6 to 8 centimetres, and the boxer should retain the stance throughout.

Moving Out

The mechanics of moving out (unsurprisingly the exact opposite of moving forward!):

1. From the boxing stance, the first action is a push from the front foot.
2. The back foot lifts very slightly from the floor, allowing the power generated from the push from the front foot to propel the body and therefore the back foot backward.
3. Allow the front foot to follow it’s course, catching up with the back foot.
4. The entire movement should be no more than 6 to 8 centimetres, and the boxer should retain the stance throughout.

Common Faults When Moving In and Out

There are a number of common problems that can occur when developing the boxing footwork skills to move in and out:

1. Often, the boxer will ‘step and drag’.  For example, when moving forward, the front foot will step and the back foot will be dragged forward (vice versa when moving backward).  This method of movement does not allow the speed required for the purposes of not getting beaten up!
2. The distance between the two feet should remain roughly the same during the movement.  This is a further reason why aiming to move only 6 to 8 centimetres is desirable.  When the stance significantly narrows during movement, then the boxer is off-balance and less able to attack effectively or of more concern to defend effectively.
3. The boxer will flatten one or both feet, hindering the freedom of movement required for effective boxing.
4. The front foot will often point toward the opponent rather than retaining the 45 degree angle to the imaginary line, this cause problems with the balance.  This is common but should be identified and resolved without delay!
5. As covered when examining the boxing stance, it is during movement that the boxer may be likely to lose the line from the toe on the front foot to the heel on the back foot.  This again has the effect of taking the boxer off-balance.

As a next step, try mixing this boxing footwork with the jab.