“Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee!”, one of if not the most recognizable and iconic phrases in the history of boxing. Muhammad Ali (or maybe Drew ‘Bundini’ Brown, who knows) coined this phrase to describe the unique brand of boxing employed by Ali. During his amateur and the early phase of his professional career, Ali was incredibly mobile for a flyweight, let alone a heavyweight! After his 3-year exile from the sport, he was less mobile, but still relied on hovering on the edge of range, ready to pounce with slamming jabs and right crosses.
As with everything on this site, I like to try and de-mystify the sport and represent a boxer’s style and skills in basic elements. If I were to represent Ali’s ‘float like a butterfly’ style in skill elements (a boxing combination) found on our site, here’s how it would look:
OK, the absolute key to successfully using this combination are steps 2 and 3, moving out and moving back in. At full competition speed, these 2 moves combine to form a killer passage. Oh, and by the way, look at the article on the footwork drill – tag boxing. That drill is a great representation of this combination and in particular the footwork elements of it. The key things to consider when working on this combination are:
- The first jab draws a response from the opponent.
- The move out and move back in should be practised so much that it becomes a single, fluid action. Just as a guide, the head should move the same distance during this move as it does when executing a lay back. We are talking quite small distances here, from long range to the edge of range and back again (check out the article on Range Finding in Boxing.)
- The final jab and right cross are the ‘sting like a bee’ bit of the saying, the whole reason for the combination.
As mentioned previously, later in his career, Ali would have dispensed with the footwork of moving out and in and replaced this with a lay back. Both methods are equally effective, but I always felt that the ‘float like a butterfly’ was far more pleasing to the eye! Check out the article on boxing combinations to get more of an understanding of the technical theory behind building effective combinations. In the meantime, leave a question or comment below.
Cheers
Fran
by 
Been looking for something like this Fran.Ive noted this as a weakness in my technique -and Im working on a circuit to build my legs up so I can get in and out quicker-I actually think working on this combo. without an opponent will help as well.
cheers
Dave
Great input. The trick is to ensure economy as you do the move, literally from the edge of range to long range and back again and it’s a matter of inches. I’m about to put together a series of 12 video drills that you can work on as an individual and I’m sure these will help. I’ll be getting them out by email and the real benefit is that they combine at least 2 of the individual skills (although no punching!) They’re great to get the muscle memory developed and with a bit of perseverance they’ll really pay off!
Thanks again Dave.
A lot of the time I feel like I’m ‘floating like an anvil’. It really takes a lot of work to build up to that light bouncing in and out of range. Experienced people are always saying boxing is all about the legs, and moving in and out really demonstrates that. In the beginning I couldn’t do this with any speed at all. I felt like I was pushing a large weight forward, having it all land on one leg and then straining to overcome that forward momentum to push the ‘large weight’ back again. Until you’ve mastered it, ring movement feels like you’re fighting your own body sometimes, and you are! Until you get the proper level of fitness and conditioning.
Luckily, nothing sheds extra weight like boxing does, so it’s getting easier and easier for me. But you still have to build up strong strong legs. You must begin to feel like your lower body can really throw around our upper body and almost jolt it in any direction quickly. That’s how I visualize it anyway when I’m training.
Our coach has us regularly running flights of stairs, doing squat jumps and split jumps, with and without medicine balls, etc. All in an effort to build up those legs so you can start to feel like your floating around in the ring without much effort.
I wonder Fran, if you have any particular routines for legs training?
Your coach has it about right Karl, there are plenty of leg exercises to build in with circuit training and these sound good (he’s conscious that legs have to work hard, and that’s a major point.) Running’s a major part of it also. I’ll be shooting some more vids towards the end of this week, some of which will include some decent ground exercises that we do with the boxers in our gym. You remember the footwork drill that you liked (the tag boxing one), that’ll help with the legs. Amateur boxing though puts a hell of a lot of work through the legs, just keep on keepin’ on and they will get stronger.
Take it easy Karl