Thu, Jul 18, 5:21 PM (4 days ago)

James,

As I have been studying one of my favorite boxers in Thomas Hearns I noted he had a large amount of success with the low lead hand flicking jabs and hooks at different angles. I have been doing this in sparring and have had a lot of success in landing. Now this may be due to my training partners lack of experience which is why I wanted to ask the Patriarch if this is something that I should be training or stick with old school fundamentals?

Marvin Hagler Vs Thomas Hearns: "The War" 1985 (Full Fight). Watch this all-time classic fight between twi of th...

Sean

Sean, the oldest fundamental is to master the fundamentals so that you can walk your opponent into a trap and leave him there with only standard options. Boxing and other forms of combat are broken rhythm contests in which you need to understand rhythm to lure your foe into a rhythmic state and then, after you have recruited him as your rhythm section, you break the rhythm and play lead at his expense.

You need to be able to do the basics in order to trick him and for when you are evenly matched in height and speed.

You need to be able to fight from a shell for when you are overmatched, like I boxed with you last we sparred.

You also need to be able to box from a low lead for when you are faster and/or taller.

Example, peek-a-boo boxing was developed by aging fighters who found themselves short for their weight and slow due to age, and yet it served well fighters in their prime like Frazier and Tyson who were short.

The low lead of Jeet Kune Do is thought to be based on superior understanding of combat but is in fact a legacy of the truth that the man that developed the style was faster than everyone he worked with.

Fighting is interaction and most of us are not so exceptional as to always play the same role. Sometimes we are the small man, some times the fast man, sometimes the tall man and sometimes the old man.

For those times when you find yourself faster and the same height or taller or faster and taller, consider leading with a low hand, guarding with the rear and driving your jab up to lift the chin and then pinning it with the rear hand.

Your lead hand should not just jab, but fake the jab as the weight is shifted to the lead foot and then crank the sneak hook on the half-beat.