“James, the lace technique sounds like British goon surfing. What do you think?”

- Ronald

By Jack Slack on Jul 10, 2012, 9:00a

Before encouraging our readers to read Jack Slack’s excellent piece of boxing scholarship, I must answer, yes, that the lace check is a way to use the tricep and lats—much bigger muscles than those usually used to clinch [the bicep and chest] to keep a man at bay. If he is too strong than you push off of him instead of pushing him down and away or keeping him at bay. It adds up to the same thing.

What is specifically good about using that portion of the glove that is traditionally laced, is that we are talking about employing the wrist bones, which limits the hand and finger sprains that plague bare-knuckle conversions from gloved fighting. It also permits a sweeping motion as you step away, the opposite of the turning wing block. The taller you are and the stronger and heavier your side and rear deltoids, lat and triceps are, the better this works.

Use of the laces and the heel of the glove were common in old time boxing and are neglected today largely due to over officiating.

I do not know anything about this Jack Slack, but the third champion of the London Prize Ring was a man named Jack Slack—a butcher I think—who butchered old Broughton terribly, using his “chopper,” a hammer fist, which is another effective use of the heel of the hand at resolving close-in boxing dilemmas.

Thanks, Ronald.