[Umy]

I would to, I was watching some fencers on tv and noticed just how similar their straight strikes looked to the jab, also the footwork would work similar to a step in/step out style boxer.

[MrApollinax]

Hello friends! I'm traveling on business right now and I may not be able to check these boards often but I will try.

Boxing vs Fencing footwork:

The one thing that I've noticed with fencing footwork is the emphasis on full extension. Which makes sense in this case since you wish to have a full range of distance to land your point on the target.

in fencing the feet are perpendicular to each other where as in boxing your feet tend to parallel, with the hips squared. Again the idea of extension comes into play, in boxing you want to have TWO weapons equa-distant to your target and have the ability to use the same amount of force from either weapon. In fencing the feet are parallel and your hips are not square to your opponent, they are side ways. This gives you more range with your single weapon.

movement comes in in major categories, linear and circular. linear movement is very similar to boxing. your lead foot comes off of the ground slightly toe first then heel with the heel ending up where the toe wass positioned before. when combining with a strike, the weapon moves first just before the advance is made. Circular movment is also similar (but much more similar to stances that have power-side forward). Rear foot leads movements and the lead foot follows.

Circular movements then lead into attacking angles, which is also done in many other martial arts. Here is an example of The Spanish Circle taken from classicalfencing.com:


Diestros A and B stand at opposite ends of the diameter. To insure a safe position Diestro B responds by moving and maintaining the diameter. Red line is the new diameter.


Diestro A stops at point C while Diestro B continues moving, thus creating the opening for Diestro A to attack at an angle. Diestro A steps in at an acute angle along chord CD. Red lines indicate the acute angle.


Diestro A's rapier travels at an even more acute angle toward Diestro B. A's rapier controls B's blade by opposition as it travels forward to B's face.


Diestro B raises his guard (hilt) and deviates the point of Diestro A's rapier (desvio). At the same instant B steps slightly to his right and lowers his point toward Diestro A's face. Diestro A impales himself by the force of his own attack.

To execute an efficient Desvio the Diestro must place his blade against his adversary's blade in such a manner as to not only deflect the attack but to enable him to counter attack in the same movement. This can only be done correctly if the Diestro has an understanding of angles and the different mechanical advantages achieved by the placement of his blade on the adversary's blade.


Again, i encourage people to read more about fencing to find the concepts in them and see if they can be applied to your own martial training. Had i the time to do so I would gladly take fencing lessons to help gain further insight of my own physical attributes.

[Umy]

Thanks bro, interesting.

Ive had the oppurunity to fence in the past but never took it, now i regret it, if I find the guy who used to teach it I might take it up

[The BadBoy]

Angling is very important in hitting in boxing, and evading. Lets look at evading for a moment and how footworks helps with that. Take the Vitor Belfot/Wanderlie Silva fight as an example. I know it's not a boxing match but it illustrates the point i want to make. The mistake Wanderlie made was to walk straight back after getting tagged. If he hadn't gone straight back then Vitor would not have been able to run him down with his boxing blast.

What should have been done in that scenario was a side step or a quarter turn, or even a clinch.

The quarter turn is an excellent maneouver that will get the boxer out of a lot of sticky situations, It is definately one worthwile spending the tie to perfect. From when you stuck on the ropes, in a corner to when your opponent is stalking you, the quarter turn can aid you in reversing the situation and getting you out of trouble. Also a quarter turn to the left before a left hook will cause you hook to hit your opponent right downthe middle with you being out of teh way of any of his tools. Tricky to do though, I've only pulled it off a handful of times.

[Umy]

Footwork plays a great role in evading your opponent, the art of boxing in cus damato's words: 'its always good to throw the punch where you know you can hit him and he cant hit you, when your able to do this your a fighter'.

Lets look at that defense wise, as I described in my Q&A you must be able to control and keep your opponent at the range that suits you, if your fighting a shorter opponent that may involve keeping him back using your jab and side stepping away from sudden bursts, if our fighting a southpaw and your orthodox that might mean circling away from his power hand, if your a power puncher that may mean getting into a range to fire your power shots.

All this is done with good footwork.

One question im asked a lot it what to do if your in a corner, i like to tie up and spin around my opponent leaving him in the corner, it requires practice but can be great espcecially against aggressive opponents.

[The BadBoy]

Its in the corner that i like ot use the quarter turn most. It kinda helps me to spin the guy and reverse the situation. But you really gotta do it to find out how t do it. Its one of these things you wont get until you feel it.

[The BadBoy]

When practicing footwork, you must pratice in conjunction with your punching. You need to get used to punching and moving in unison. Work it hard until it becomes second nature. Then you can use footwork to your advantage and strategise.

You can get accustomed to your opponents footwork and then adjust your own movement accordingly, either lengthening or shortening them just enough for him to miss or for you to instantiate an attack. You can stalk your opponent by making up a step whenever he moves. Follow him, if he steps back step forward, if he steps forward hold you ground, use your jab in conjunction with your footwork and you will soon have him scrambling or on the ropes.

[cross]

Drills to work on footwork:

skip rope

shadow boxing

slip rope

double end bag

ROAD WORK

[Umy]

whats next on the list badboy?

[The BadBoy]

next topic.

Feinting and Conning

This is a part of the game that is at is very much at the forefront in modern day boxing and a fighter should try to learn this art from the very start and continue to practice it regularly. Feinting and conning can be carried out with the aid of the fighter?s footwork. It can be used by the front hand probing and flicking, drawing attention from the opponent, when suddenly the rear hand comes through either under to the body or straight to the head. There is a variation for scissor feints; feint rear hand, reverse and deliver a hook to the body or head; feint hook, reverse and deliver rear hand; feint jab hand deliver rear hand. All feints need to be emphatic and made to look real otherwise they will not work. Apart from the fact of conning your opponent and scoring a punch, carried out correctly using the mechanics of punching correctly will produce a great deal more power in the punch, plus you have the added advantage of the unexpected and often unseen punch landing on the target.