Boxing Tips – How Versatile Are You?

I recently produced a video detailing my 5 favourite YouTube Boxing Channels, channels where I think that the very best boxing tips are available.

The response was fantastic, people saying that it was a really generous thing for me to do. The thing is that as a boxing coach it was an entirely natural thing for me to do. This is because I want to promote versatility in your boxing style.

When I was a boxer, and as I became more successful representing my city, my region and ultimately my country, I must have been influenced by 100 coaches or more. This mix of boxing coaching influence promoted versatility in my boxing style.

That is s what this boxing tips video is all about, the ability to be versatile.

But what is versatility and why is it important to be versatile in your boxing style, regardless of whether you computer whether you box purely for fitness?

Versatility is the ability to adapt, to respond to your environment, circumstances or opponent.

I watched an interview with Marvelous Marvin Hagler. Marvin was asked what was the was his most important characteristic…he answered with one word – versatility.

Marvin could fight, box, move, plant his feet, go body, go head.  He had a huge array of versatile skills and tactics to call upon and that was central to his success.

It’s true in life too.

On 6th June 1944 when the first wave of US Armed Forces landed on Omaha Beach in Normandy, the senior ranks all the way down to sergeant were killed.

This left corporals and privates to make key battlefield tactical decisions in order to try and achieve their objectives. They did not disappoint. They were versatile, adapting to the situation and using small unit actions to make key gains.

The German defenders on the other hand did not have the structures to take this approach.  Even basic decisions had to be passed up the chain to commanding officers far from the beaches.

This meant that they were unable to adapt, they were unable to be versatile, and that played a major part in them not being able to drive the American forces back into the sea.

It is crucial to be versatile.

Do you know that the Eastern European style of boxing teaches 6 boxing stance variations:

1. Lead Hand High, bodyweight rear – side on – classic – counterpunching
2. Same as stance 1 but with the lead hand low
3. Double cover – bodyweight forward – more offensive posture
4. Lead hand high – bodyweight central
5. Low hands – bodyweight central
6. Frontal – square, body open, power hooks.

In general if your body weight is distributed more to your rear foot you are in a defensive posture, if held central or to the front you are in an offensive posture.

The 6 stances promote versatility, applying subtle alterations to the boxing stance to adapt to an opponent or situation.

Don’t pigeon hole yourself.

Because you are tall, don’t say you must always stay on the outside.  That is a favourable position, but you should still have tactics and effectiveness at close range.

Because you are short you always need to be getting to close range.  Again, favourable, but not vital.  You can do huge damage at your long range.  A reach disadvantage is only a disadvantage if you allow it to be.

Key thing, whatever you think of as your strength, you might be the best infighter this side of Coyote Creek, but you will meet a better one, so you need the ability to have a plan B, C, D…

If you are using boxing training to develop great fitness, then employing the concept of the concept of versatility brings greater interest, greater interest leads to greater motivation, greater motivation leads to greater effort and greater effort ultimately leads to better outcomes.

There you go, some boxing tips on the concept of versatility.  I hope you have enjoyed that and more importantly that it has prompted you to think about your boxing style from a range of viewpoints.

Cheers

Fran

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