WELCOME back. As part of our ongoing series on boxing fundamentals, this week we’re going to take a look at the most important punch a boxer will ever learn to throw – the jab. Ask any fighter that has ever amounted to anything, which punch they rely on the most, and they will all without exception tell you that it is the jab. In fact, if you are a novice boxer, just beginning to learn your trade and your coach has not yet drilled into you the importance of mastering this one (seemingly) simple punch – go find a new coach immediately.
Why then, is the jab such an important punch? Simple – delivering and establishing a hard, stepping, jolting jab against your opponent will go a very long way to taking the wind out his sails and will allow you to establish the pace and rhythm of the fight. If you can keep your opponent on the end of your jab it is you that controls the fight and thus it is you who will, in all likelihood, win the fight. Establishing your jab also sets up (and when needed disguise) all your other punches, it allows you to find and establish your range and keeps your opponent where you want him – all very handy things to do if you’re a boxer.
Learning to throw the jab from the proper stance, with the proper leverage and balance should be repeated endlessly by every boxer that is serious about their craft. On the bags, on the floor to ceiling ball, shadow boxing, on the focus mitts, in your sleep – every opportunity you get, you should be practicing the delivery of this punch until you have completely mastered it, in all its forms. Once you have mastered it? Practice it some more. From the very first time you step foot in a boxing gym, to the very last time you take off a pair of gloves, you should always drill this punch.
For all the fighters out there that think I’m overdoing the importance of the jab – next time you go into your gym, I want you to conduct a little experiment. You’ll require the services of your coach, to make sure things don’t get out of hand, and another boxer to act as your partner, preferably someone that has a good jab on them. You’ll then square off with each other and your jobs will be simple, with the only guideline being that you are controlling your punches so as not to cause each other harm. Your job will be to throw any one of the following punches at your partner: right cross, left hook, right hook, left uppercut, right uppercut, over hand right. You can throw to any scoring spot on your partners head or torso. Your partners job is simply to reach out and touch your forehead, as if he were throwing a jab but, your partner may not do so until you have commenced the delivery of the punch you have selected. I guarantee that, even though your partner is waiting for you to throw first, he will be able to touch you on the forehead (or any other part of your face or torso) before your punch even comes close to connecting.
That’s it for this week. As always, be sure to visit our Facebook site at: https://www.facebook.com/Boxing-Fiji or, if you have any questions, simply send them to timessports@fijitimes.com.fj.
