In the simplest of terms, the boxing guard provides the boxer with protection while simultaneously allowing him or her to use all of the offensive and defensive tools at their disposal.

The guard provides adequate visibility without sacrificing exposure that cannot be compensated for by skill and reflexes.

That last statement is important, because no matter what guard you learn, you will eventually default to your own style and that style will depend heavily on your boxing skills – primarily your defensive skills.

For instance - if you are exceptional at slipping punches, you may feel it necessary to hold your hands away from your face and eyes to give you more visibility to react to incoming punches.

If you have a super strong core that can withstand a punch or two, you may opt to hold your forearms higher to protect your head at the expense of exposing your core more.

The point is to start with one of the boxing guards on this page and from there you can develop and adapt to whatever guard works best for you. As everyone is unique in their abilities and skill sets, you should be very wary of the coach or trainer that tells you a technique has to be done a certain way.

Get the fundamentals down - but you are your own guinea pig. Experiment and test things out. Keep what works and discard the rest.

You'll likely end up using all of these guards and their variations at some point depending on your opponent. It's good to mix things up.

When you learned the basic stance, either orthodox or southpaw, you were told to hold your hands up near your cheekbones with elbows tucked in tightly to your sides. This type of guard is known as a peek-a-boo guard and, in my opinion, offers the most protection while still providing access to the full range of offensive and defensive techniques. This is the primary reason it is taught to beginners, who generally have not developed the required reflexes and timing to slip, parry, or counter incoming punches.

To reiterate, once you are in your boxing stance, for orthodox fighters, you bring the left arm up at minimum so that your left fist is resting on your left cheekbone. Some fighters prefer to bring it up even higher – but beware – the higher you go, the more you expose your body. If you can withstand punches to the core, and/or have the reflexes to lower your elbows to block body shots as required, then go for it if it suits you.

The right fist is brought up and rests on the right cheekbone, just slightly lower than the left fist. Your elbows are held tightly against your body. Your head is tilted forward with chin to chest and your forearms are straight up and down providing protection of the lower part of your face, jaw, neck, and upper portion of your chest.

You’re peeking out between the wall you’ve formed with your fists and forearms and the boo comes when you open it up to deliver a punch or two. That is why it is called a peek-a-boo guard.

At the other end of the boxing guard spectrum is the philly shell. This type of guard is only for the advanced, experienced boxer who has developed a lot of coordination and fast reflexes. You completely expose your head to your opponent. Floyd Mayweather Jr likes to use this guard – so that will give you some indication of the caliber of skill you need to employ it properly.

Another drawback or benefit, depending on how you look at it, is the path your jab has to take to it’s target. It has a lot further to travel but it gets there at odd angles. It’s not the most efficient transfer of pivot energy and jabs have the tendency to turn into flicker jabs that don't do a lot of damage.

The upside to the philly shell is that you hold your fists at two different levels (one near your waist, the other near your head) which can cause confusion in your opponent as to exactly where you are launching your attacks from. Another upside is the visibility this guard provides. With only one fist in front of your face, you can see a lot more of what is going on. Your field of vision is not as restricted. This guard also lets you relax your jab arm and shoulder. Instead of holding it up which takes effort, it hangs out in front of you conserving energy.

From the orthodox boxing stance, your right arm is up so your fist is about cheekbone height, but the hand is not resting on the cheekbone. It is slightly more forward and centered on your face as it is the primary fist used for parrying and blocking no matter which side the punch is coming from.

The other hand hangs down near your left leg about waist height. Your head is still tucked down, but you really bury your chin into your left shoulder trying to achieve an added measure of protection that disappeared when you moved your forearm and fist down near your waist. You keep your body tilted back with a little more weight on the rear leg to keep your head out of striking distance.

If you don’t have the skills/reflexes to backup adopting this stance, then don’t. It leaves you far too exposed if you don’t know what you are doing.

Somewhere in between the peek-a-boo and the philly shell is a combination of the two, and is most likely what you are going to end up adopting at some point in your future boxing career.

As you get more comfortable with punches being thrown at you, you’ll probably find it less and less necessary to hold your hands really high against your face. You'll learn to slip and parry and use other defensive techniques.

Unless you like your arms and hands tight against your body face, you’ll probably end up lowering them a bit to aid in your vision and to let you relax a bit.

This more relaxed type of guard is known as a mixed guard.

The left arm (orthodox) is generally a bit further out from the face and lower. The right arm (orthodox) is also a little more relaxed and generally held a bit lower as well. Obviously the combination of both of these exposes your head, so again, this guard is something you work up to, not something to start out with while you are afraid of getting hit in the face.

Try them out - familiarize yourself with each guard. In front of your heavy bag or simply shadowboxing, do a minute of boxing with each guard to get a feel for them. Start with the peek-a-boo guard. Notice what your vision is like and how it tires the arms to hold them high and rigid. Next, relax a bit, opening up the guard and moving around noticing the differences. Last, go to the philly and see what that feels like.

One of these guards is going to feel more natural to you than the others - so use that as your base and branch out from there. No two opponents are the same so different guards may have different levels of effectiveness. You'll quickly find out when you're toe to toe.

I built and run Commando Boxing - so it should be no surprise where I stand on this...

I started boxing when I was 24. At the time, I lived in rural Saskatchewan, Canada and the closest boxing gym was a one and half hour drive to the big city of Saskatoon.

I was married with one young daughter, a son soon to be on the way, and a busy job that required me to work 12hr days on average.

Despite those challenges I still managed to find the energy and gas money to make that one and a half hour drive a couple times a week to train and then drive the one and a half hours home completely exhausted.

I'd like to say that I doggedly overcame the obstacles that stood in my way and that I went on to become the boxing champion of the world - but it didn't quite work out like that at all.

Instead my boxing training came to an abrupt halt a few months later when winter came and I could no longer afford the time, money, or risk to make that stupid drive through blizzards and blowing snow.

With no boxing club or boxing trainer in the place I lived - I did the only thing I could think of and turned to books and DVDs to try and learn how to box at home. Keep in mind that this was long before the internet and Youtube.

If there were any good books or programs back then - I didn't find them.

My story does have a happy ending though, as I eventually moved to a place where I did have access to a club and trainer and, of course, the internet came along and changed everything.

Way back in 2003 during my boxing drought - I figured there had to be others out there stranded like I was. People who wanted to learn how to box but did not have access to a boxing club or trainer for whatever reason. Maybe there simply was no club in their town or maybe they couldn't afford what a trainer costs.

I knew I could put together a better product than a lot of the books on the market - so I did and the first version of the web site that you're looking at now was born (it was called how-to-box.com until recently).

Since 2003 I've seen the debate rage on and offline in boxing circles as to whether someone can actually learn how to box online.

The arguments against online programs almost always center around the risk of the new boxer learning improper techniques that lead to injury or bad habits that a trainer will have to fix someday.

There are some people who say you can learn the fundamentals of boxing online - but that's it.

Some people flat out say that it is impossible to learn how to box online. These people annoy the shit out of me as they seem to believe they were given the authority to dictate how and where someone gets to learn how to box.

Personally I do not think it is so black or white - that you can or cannot learn how to box online. I think the success one can have with an online program varies by person - but I know - and I've proven it repeatedly - that one can develop reasonably good boxing skills with the right online boxing program.

More importantly - I believe that nobody has the right to tell you you can't learn to box online - especially if the alternative is to not box at all.

What if you truly don't have access to a boxing club or boxing trainer?

What if the only boxing instruction you can get is from a site like Commando Boxing, Youtube, a book, or DVD?

Should you just accept that you can't learn how to box and move on to something else?

That's exactly what some people would have you do. They will tell you you're just shit out of luck and that you might as well just give up.

That is bullshit. You do what you have to do.

If you want to learn how to box and you have access and the means to join a boxing club or hire a trainer then that is exactly what you should do. Nothing can take the place of a real-life trainer giving you feedback and coaching tips in real-time or real-life partners that you can practice with.

But when that club or trainer truly is not an option - then what is the alternative? You can either forget about boxing because you might learn bad habits or do what you can with what you can get.

I'd take the second option any day rather than give up on something I really want to do just because some cyberspace shithead who probably grew up with a trainer for a father and a club next door says it can't be done.

I'm going to let you in on a little secret. Even if you have access to a club or trainer - there is no guarantee you are not going to develop those "awful" bad habits or even be taught proper technique. In person, it all depends on the quality of the coach, much like it depends on the quality of instruction you can get online.

Any Tom, Dick, Harry, or Sally can open a boxing gym. Usually the people that do have some boxing background but that is not always the case.

I've been in my share of gyms and the majority of them have apprentice coaches who know jack shit but are left alone to teach the fundamentals to impressionable new boxers while the more experienced and certified coaches and trainers work exclusively with those they feel have the most potential.

Coaches have to coach to become certified club coaches in Canada so I understand why this happens - but if the argument against online programs is the development of bad habits, then I also argue that physical boxing gyms aren't necessarily any better in that regard.

Some gyms are so busy that the one trainer can't possibly ensure everyone is doing things correctly all the time.

There is no boxing standard. Different gyms and different trainers teach differently depending on their own background and how they learned. There is no overarching boxing curriculumn.

Are you starting to see the problem here?

Whether you learn how to box online or walk into a neighborhood gym - you're at the mercy of whomever is imparting their knowledge.

It's up to you, and only you, to decide if the program you are following - offline or online - is good enough for you and your goals.

Let's assume that the online boxing program you plan on using is provided by a boxing coach who knows what he is talking about and in real life is actually good at coaching boxing.

In your online boxing program - that coach demonstrates a movement, breaks it down into parts, and has you perform each part while giving you the things you need to look for to ensure you are doing the technique correctly.

Eventually you put all those parts together to perform the whole movement. If you paid attention to what you're doing and worked on doing the technique exactly as the coach told you - why exactly could you not end up performing it correctly?

I get that there is no immediate feedback from the trainer in the event that you are doing something wrong and aren't self-correcting, but what if you have the opportunity to upload a video where the coach can critique your form. How is that any different than the instruction you are getting from a trainer in a busy boxing gym?

Do you not think that you would be able to pick up and correct the major issues?

And let's be serious about the little issues you might miss...even the best boxers pick up some bad habits along they way. Those little differences are what form individual boxing styles. Very few boxers are technically perfect.

I'm not going to sit here and pretend like I can take you from zero to boxing champion of the world using my online boxing training program. That's simply not realistic and we all need to be very clear about the limitations of online boxing programs.

For starters, you need to be a member of a club in order to compete in the amateurs (at least in Canada).

While I can't claim to make you a champion online, your local boxing club can't claim to do that working with you in person either.

But I can claim a few things that are beneficial about online boxing training:

• You will learn the why. In a gym, you often get told what to do and you do it. Online provides more opportunity and time for a boxer to digest the theory behind a movement or technique in various formats (audio, video, text). So you will at least understand why you are performing a certain movement a certain way.
• The gym is always open. You don't have to wait until your next club lesson to learn something new. You can get on the site and find the next technique or video and work through it whenever you like. We all learn at different rates and an online program lets you extract information from your online coach at will vice being fed it when your physical coach decides to give it to you.
• It's a tutor. When you're taught something in a gym that doesn't make sense - having it explained or seeing it demonstrated another way or by another coach might be what you need to actually understand it. An online program can supplement the skills training you're getting at your club.

With any luck - I've convinced you that online boxing training isn't evil - if not - we'll have to agree to disagree, but I want to share some specific situations where I think online boxing training is beneficial and useful:

1. When there is no other option to learn how to box. I've already covered this - doing what you can with what you have is always superior to saying you can't because of X, Y, or Z. If you think you want to learn how to box but decide not try at all simply because the only method of instruction available is online - then you're not that serious about learning. We all do what we have to do.
2. As a supplement to club training. Becoming good at boxing requires practice and conditioning and some gyms only offer classes a couple times a week. What do you do with other four or five days? An online boxing training plan can supplement skills training by providing you with conditioning workouts that reinforce and supplement what you are learning in the gym.
3. For the White Collar crowd. Charity matches and white collar boxing matches are becoming more and more popular. Maybe someone doesn't want the commitment or expense of a joining a club or hiring a dedicated boxing trainer. Maybe they just want to make it through the boxing match without embarrassing themselves or getting totally destroyed. Knowing a few skills in whatever form can give them a bit of an edge and take away some of the nervousness and anxiety they may have about getting in the ring.
4. As pre-training before joining a club. I know from experience that walking into a boxing club is intimidating. Fear keeps a lot of people from pursuing boxing. They don't like the idea of walking into a gym and being cannon fodder for those that train there. Picking up some skills online can give someone the level of confidence they need to actually go join a club. It's much easier to walk into the unknown if you feel you can protect yourself a little - have an inkling of how to skip so you aren't tripping over yourself - know how to wrap your hands so you aren't forcing the trainer to go over it for the millionth time with the next new guy...Get the picture?
5. To test the waters. It's cheaper and more convenient to give boxing a try from the comfort of your own home. If you're not sure you actually want to learn how to box, then a few online lessons may either ignite or extinguish that nagging little thought in your head.
6. For self-defense or fitness. If you're only learning how to box for fitness or to have a few skills to keep you from getting beat up on the street, then it doesn't matter how many bad habits you pick up (if you pick up any). Some boxing skills, even poorly executed, are fine to add variety and a new dimension to your fitness and conditioning program. As long as you pay attention to the fundamental points about punching correctly and use protective wraps/gloves - you will remain injury free and can enjoy the boxing workouts an online boxing training plan provides.

Absolutely YES, you can learn how to box online - and Commando Boxing will teach you. Start by subscribing to my newsletter to start training with free introductory boxing lessons from the Commando Boxing How to Box System and go from there.

I wish I could tell you that the world you live in is perfectly safe and nothing bad will ever happen to you and you don't need to learn how to fight.

I wish I could tell you that you will never be involved in a situation where you have to defend yourself or a loved one from someone intent on hurting you/them.

Some naive people will tell you that if you're submissive, mind your own business and don't get involved you'll never have a need to defend yourself.

I won't - and that really is no way to live.

I'm probably overly cynical given my occupation and the evil I've seen in the world, but the honest truth is that there are evil people who want to hurt you and your loved ones. Just because you haven't encountered one yet doesn't mean it isn't going to happen.

I believe it is your responsibility to know how to protect yourself and those you care about. Learning to defend yourself is not a nice to have, a hobby, or something you do on Saturdays because your friend enticed you into it.

Learning to defend yourself is an essential aspect of living in the world we live in.

Most people live in their bubble and are content to simply go about their day doing the same thing over and over again. That small bubble generally keeps them in safe places where chances of attack are less.

There are other people who prefer to expand their bubbles and live a more exciting life. They explore new things, go different places and meet different people. Their bubbles are much larger and their view of the world they live in is much different than someone who limits their daily routine to waking up, working and going to sleep.

Whether you decide that you want to live a more fulfilling life full of experience or not is irrelevant. Your bubble, no matter how big or small, does not have impenetrable walls.

At any time - an evil person can walk into your bubble and create havoc with your life. In many instances the evil are actively looking for the timid, shy, and meek - the small bubbled people of the world - to hurt and take advantage of.

This isn't meant to be a philosophical debate about how you should live your life to the fullest, but I am trying to show you that no matter how safe you may think you are - you really aren't. If you don't learn how to defend yourself - when you find yourself in a bad situation - the result is going to be defined by someone else.

You're hinging your future and the future of people you care about on the mercy of the evil person you meet.

I'm not a fan of that idea.

There many self-defense courses and methods available and no one method is 100% effective on its own - but boxing comes damn close.

I can preach about the benefits of boxing all day long - but I think it will be more effective to show you what boxing can do in a street fight.

1. The Unsuspecting Couple Out for a Walk

Do you think for one second the couple walking by the dicks in this video figured they'd be involved in a fight seconds before? Would you be able to defend yourself or your girlfriend/wife like this guy does?

2.  Taking Down a Mob

This man in Turkey shows that boxing can be effective against multiple attackers. Stay on your feet and you're a force to be reckoned with.

3 Stopping Things Before They Start

When you know things are going to go bad - pre-emption is your best tactic. Boxing can help you finish a fight before it starts.

Before I turn you into a bully - I want to stress that I did not create Commando Boxing or share boxing techniques with you to turn you into a street fighting machine. The boxing techniques you learn on Commando Boxing are only for sport, self-defense or the defense of someone who can't defend themselves.

You also have to be careful of what learning some boxing skills will do to your level of confidence. You will carry yourself differently and it will send a clear signal to people that you are not someone to be messed with.

At the same time - it will entice others to try and take a shot at you. It's a double-edged sword - but use your new found confidence with some common sense and it's a blessing - not a curse. Even when it invites a challenge - you'll know how to take care of yourself.

If you consider that most street fights start with a punch you will instantly recognize the advantage that a trained boxer has in dealing with an aggressor.

You should prepare to defend against take downs and have at least a minimal skill set for fighting from the ground. Boxing in itself can prevent a fight from going to the ground, but if your opponent manages to put you down then you're suddenly going to be at a disadvantage if you don't know what to do when you get there. If you're learning to box to defend yourself then you should also spend some time learning a system that caters to all situations. 

Knowing how to box or having the physical skills to defend yourself in a bad situation is only half the battle. When we train as boxers or MMA fighters - it is for a situation that involves rules and there is usually a third man in the ring who is ready to stop the fight if things get out of hand.

While we like to think of ourselves as warriors - in reality we are athletes at that stage. You become a warrior when you hoist aboard the fact that fighting on the street is real life combat. There is no referee. It is a fight for survival - you or your opponent.

The fight ends when you incapacitate your opponent permanently or long enough to exit the situation.

Prepare both body and mind for combat (in the ring and out of it). Boxon.

I recently got a question from Joe in Atlanta:

As I have not addressed the steamy controversy surrounding right hooks on the site yet other than to include it in the training I figured now is as good a time as any to get into the debate.

For some reason the right hook is a punch that divides trainers with some in support of it and some that will vehemently deny its existence. I believe the latter is because a right hook can, and in less experienced boxers usually does, turn into a looping haymaker which isn't much of a punch at all as shown in this video:

Haymakers: How NOT to throw Left and Right Hooks

I'm on the side of the fence that says there is such a thing as a right hook and there is a use for it and I base my use of it on teachings by old school trainers. You can find reference to it in publications such as the Naval Aviation Physical Training Manuals.

The right hook is primarily a counter blow but is useful when going into or coming out of a clinch. Joe's trainers are correct in stating that it has limited application unless you're a vicious infighter. In close, it is a valuable infighting aid and naturally follows all other curved arm blows. At distance it is very difficult to use and is a relatively slow blow. The defender will usually have time to a1djust defenses unless you use it as a counter.

You really should not get hit by many right hooks unless you are in close exchanging blows.

Force is obtained in the same manner as a left hook. The left side of the body is hinged and force is generated by piv1oting around that hinge.

You probably see more right hooks than you think in your training and sparring sessions. What many people mistakenly refer to as a right cross is actually a right hook. If your opponent jabs at you and you cross over it with a right - the blow itself is a right hook. The act of countering the jab with the cross is where the right cross reference comes into play.

The right hook is a power shot just like its left hook brother and is delivered in much the same manner. Using the front left leg as the pivot point you turn the right shoulder and hip through to the center line while raising the right elbow to form a 90 degree bend in the arm and whip it around to the left shoulder.

It turns into a looping, ugly, haymaker when people straighten the arm. At that point it becomes useless. Power is dissipated, there is no follow through, it's super easy to see coming and defend against and its impossible to take advantage of the weight shift that occurs onto the left side of the body.

To recap how to throw the right hook (or left hook for southpaws):

• shift weight over a straight lead leg - it's your pivot point
• Torque your right shoulder/right hip towards the center line (left shoulder/left hip for southpaws)
• raise right elbow (left for southpaws) and bend arm to 90 degrees - whip it in an arc towards left shoulder as natural extension of the hip torque
• At impact - knuckles should be turned outwards, thumb up, wrist straight
• Keep your left arm in the guard position

The right hook is a natural, but slow counter for the left jab and a potential knock out punch. You can parry, cross parry or slip to the inside or outside position and then deliver the right hook.

Remember that a right cross not a punch - it is a counter using the right to cross over whatever punch is incoming. Here are a couple of scenarios:

1. Your opponent leads a straight left jab. As one complete motion, you slip to the inside by stepping forward and sideways with your left foot while shifting your weight over the left leg. Keep your right hand to the outside of your opponent's guard. As their jab goes over your right shoulder your weight transfer is already in motion and you've bent your right arm which now comes over your opponent's extended lead and hooked to their chin. You keep your left hand high and after you connect you're i1n position to come back with a left hook to the body or head.
2. Hybrid right hook/straight right. A variation on the same scenario - you can slip the incoming left lead with a slight rock to the left while driving a right from the outside to your opponent's head/jaw. However instead of bending the1 arm, straighten it before impact. It's more of a straight right cross and doesn't carry as much power but requires your opponent to have a greater slipping ability to get out of the way.
3. Another variation. This one isn't actually a cross as your right never crosses over the left lead of your opponent, but it sometimes gets lumped into the same category. Instead of slipping left to the inside - slip to the outside by bending the body slightly to the right/forward then send the right hook to the chin.
4. Inside guard and right hook. On your opponent's lead, lean slightly left raising your right forearm on the inside and block the lead out to the right. Bring your right elbow up until it's inline with your opponent's chin then drop a short right hook as you step forward and left shifting the weight and generating the torque.
5. Cross parry and right hook. Against the lead left, come across your body with your open left glove forcing their left off to your right while you come back with a hard right hook to your opponent's chin.

It's evident there's a use for it and as part of a combination can be a devastating finishing blow. Consider using it in the following combinations but watch your technique. Keep it tight and do not devolve into haymakers:

• 3-4 (and multiple 3-4-3-4-3-4)
• 1-3-4
• 1B-4
• 5-4
• 3-5-4
• 5-4-3

Just in case you still doubt the right hooks existence or usefulness - it took me about 1 minute to find a video of Tyson using a right hook to knock out opponents. I did a little video editing to give you a slow motion look at one that took out Berbick.

• The right hook is a punch in boxing.
• The right hook is an effective power punch used at the right time.
• The right hook best used as a counter or in a close in exchange of left-right blows.
• The right hook is difficult to throw from the outside without giving your opponent ample time to adjust defences.

That about sums it up. Any questions? Boxon.

You hear the clang of the bell and you move out of your corner towards your opponent.

Peering through your guard you inch closer to striking range as you reach the center of the ring.

Your muscles are tense and you're ready to strike like a snake at the first sign of an opening. You're intent on finding the opportunity to start the six punch combination you've been working on in the gym over the last few weeks.

Finally your mind registers a weakness in your opponent's defense and before you can think about it your jab fires out triggering the start of your combination.

Your jab strikes out with blistering speed but you're not even thinking about it anymore - you've already moved onto punch two in the combination - the straight right.

Your weight begins to shift and then....whack... you get smoked up side the head with your opponent's right as it crossed over your jab. Before you can figure out what's going on....whack....your head is snapped to your left as your opponent lands a left hook....whack....a straight right sends you reeling backwards.

Wait a second weren't you the one with the initiative. Weren't you the aggressor - the attacker - in control of the fight?

In the first part of this two part boxing combinations series I did a lot of talking about throwing boxing combinations.

Review Boxing Combinations: Part One (Including Four Combos You Must Learn)

Ask a boxer to describe boxing combinations and most will start listing the offensive combinations he or she likes to use in a fight. Rarely, if ever, will the boxer start listing a series of defensive moves, blocks, slips and parries used to nullify an attacker's offense.

This aspect of defensive combinations is equally as important unless you enjoy getting hit in the head.

Save what brain cells you have left and listen up...

The concepts of offensive boxing combinations apply to defensive combinations as well. Let's quickly review them:

1. Combinations flow. Each punch sets up the next one with the correct transfer of weight.
2. Combinations are stable. You keep it tight and should not have to move your feet (much) - everything is in perfect balance.

• Focus on technique
• Attach the combination to a trigger
• Drill it till you're sick of it - then drill it a little more

But there is one concept that changes and it's related to flow. With an offensive combination - once you initiate the combo you follow through to completion. If one punch doesn't land there's still hope for the remaining punches in the combination.

A defensive combination is used only to the point where you nullify the attack. At any point in the combination - if there is an opportunity to go back onto the offense - you take it.

In reality you'll find it nearly impossible to disrupt a defensive combination once you start it. If it's instinct you'll likely finish the entire combination before your mind has a chance to stop it - but in an ideal world - you will instantly seize the initiative when the opportunity presents itself.

In combat the person who controls the battle has the initiative. He or she is free to make decisions on how the battle will proceed and forces adversaries into a defensive, reactionary posture.

You want the initiative and you want to maintain it for the duration of the fight.

There are sometimes points in the battle where neither you nor your opponent has the initiative or it is traded back and forth with lightning speed.

In the ring, one of those times is at the start of the bell. At that point initiative is sitting in the middle of the ring between you and your opponent. It's a race to get there and grab it. Once you have it you hold onto it with everything you've got.

You want to be in control.

You want to be making the decisions as to how the battle will proceed.

Being at the whim of your opponent and reacting to what they are doing is no way to win a fight. In fact you can't win from a defensive, reactionary posture. You have to have an offense.

The triggers I talked about in part one are even more important when you're on the defense. Every incoming punch requires an instant defensive combination response and every defensive combination is followed by an offensive combination to help you re-take the initiative.

If you get hit with a jab your reaction should be instant and immediate to nullify the remainder of your opponent's combination.

You must remember to expect to get hit with a flurry of punches - never just one - so if you just got hit with a jab, something else is already following it and you need to do something about that. Ideally, you're going to counter the jab before it hits you and maintain the initiative, but if you give the initiative to your opponent you have to defend until you can take it back.

At the point where you do take it back, you enter a transitional stage of the battle - where you aim to change from defense back to offense - and hopefully remain in that state as long as possible.

If you've been around a boxing ring long enough you'll see times where one of the boxers gets hit, covers up, and continues to get hit. They simply do not know what to do. They are frozen in a state of indecision and are paying the price because they have not drilled a defensive combination response to what is happening.

By contrast you'll see some boxers that get hit and immediately they are bobbing and weaving, ducking, slipping, moving regardless of whether punches are being thrown at them or not. Those boxers are running through a defensive combination designed for that situation.

Now this whole concept of defensive boxing combinations is not as intuitive as being told to throw a 1-2-3 combination so let's run through a simple example.

Consider that you're an orthodox fighter fighting and orthodox fighter. If your opponent leads with a jab you can be fairly certain that the next punch is going to be another jab or a straight right. If they connect with that first punch they are expecting your head to come back to a certain position. Instead, you rock to the left (inside) and let the straight right or second jab fly over your right shoulder. Without thinking you now bob and weave back to the right as their next punch (likely a left hook) flies harmlessly over your head. As you come up you throw your own jab which connects and triggers the start of your own combination. You're back in control.

So that defensive combination is a Left Slip, Bob and Weave Right followed by a 1 to transition back to the offense.

What would have happened if you did not immediately initiate the left slip off the trigger of getting hit by the jab? Your head would have remained in the same place and eaten the straight right followed by the left hook. I hope you're hungry.

We just covered this one. Getting hit with a straight punch from your opponent's lead hand is the trigger to slip left, bob and weave right and throw a 1 to transition back to the offense.

Getting hit with your opponent's rear hand is the trigger to immediately cover the right side of your body/head (expect the 3), duck and pivot right to nullify any power in the 3 and come up with a 4 to body or head to transition back to offense.

Getting hit with a left hook means a straight right (or right hook) is incoming. Step and pivot forward left (yes - towards the punch) and immediately throw your own left hook as you pivot, bob and weave right, 1 to transition back to offense.

A word of caution - these aren't always going to work as planned or look pretty. Timing may be off slightly or you may receive glancing blows - but the key is to do something on the first punch that connects to limit any damage the rest of the combination can inflict.

It would not hurt to add additional generic defensive movement to any of these defensive combinations to keep your head moving and confuse your opponent. Putting a couple extra left, right slips or bobs and weaves, blocks, parries, etc... onto any defensive combination or using them as your go to response to any hit won't hurt and is better than freezing and doing nothing.

Like him or hate him - Floyd Mayweather Jr is one hell of a defensive fighter. Have a look at this video and see if you can pick out some more defensive combinations to add to your game.

• Use defensive boxing combinations to nullify your opponent's offensive boxing combinations
• Always follow a defensive combination with a transition back to an offensive combination
• Drill some type of response to any hit - even one defensive combination is better than none
• Understand punch mechanics to make your defensive combinations as effective as possible

Now get in the gym and practice. Boxon.

As an attacker, throwing one perfect punch by itself can be effective but punches delivered in vollies of two, three, four, five, six or more become totally devastating.

As a defender, you can block, duck, or slip one punch fairly easily, but you'll have problems getting out of the way of five incoming, well thrown punches in sequence.

That specific sequence of punches forms a boxing combination. Boxers start by learning to throw individual punches but quickly progress to training that incorporates boxing combinations instead of single shots. Boxing combinations become the default attack and counter attack response and many trainers go as far as reprimanding their boxers for throwing a single jab in a fight or sparring situation.

Combinations take skill, stamina, and discipline to defend against and deliver. Just as you will train and prepare to throw combinations at your opponents, your opponents are training to throw them right back at you. Always expect a flurry of punches and when your opponent is unleashing combinations on you, you have to find the opportunity early to disrupt their flow and counter attack with a combination of your own.

You cannot possibly hope to slip or block every incoming punch and the more punches you let your opponent throw in the combination, the more likely one or more of them will connect. And when one does connect it raises the likelihood that the remaining punches in the combination will connect as well.

Once your opponent defeats your defense he or she seizes the initiative and can use the remaining punches in that combination to wreak havoc.

Let's consider the well-known 1-2 (jab, straight right). If your opponent lands a jab on you you are likely going to be momentarily stunned and your head may even get knocked back exposing your chin. The straight right immediately follows the jab and if it's timed correctly it's hitting that exposed chin or at very least connect somewhere as it follows the opening provided by the jab.

That's why it's important to nullify or counter attack as early into a combination as possible.

You can theoretically throw hundred punch boxing combinations over and over if you had perfect form and unlimited energy.

The next punch in a combination launches from the end position of the punch that happens before it requiring that you throw each punch, including recovery, correctly. Your technical form from beginning to end of your punch has to be perfect so that you are never off balance and your weight is positioned to allow for the next punch in the sequence.

This takes practice and attention to detail and your level of conditioning becomes very important. Boxing combinations require you to expend tremendous amounts of energy as you move through the sequence. You should be doing the proper boxing training to ensure you can last a whole fight whether it is one round or twelve.

Boxing combinations flow. They are never awkward to perform as long as all the punches are performed in sequence and with technical precision.

Boxing combinations feel right when you deliver them correctly, and it is because your weight is shifting and setting you up for every punch in the combination.

Going back to the 1-2 combination - imagine throwing a jab. You throw out the jab and your left hand is far forward hitting your target. When throwing the jab you torqued your left hip clockwise (for orthodox fighters) to give your jab a little extra power. The position you are in at that moment of impact sets you up perfectly to throw a hard straight right because as you recover your hips and jab arm back into your guard, you've already started the counter-clockwise torque of your hips required to throw the straight right.

From there, let the momentum carry you and you start to transfer weight to your left leg, continue the torque of your hips and thrust your right fist to the same location your left was just at to complete the straight right motion and impacting on target milliseconds after the jab.

Taking that further - notice how your weight and body is now setup and in perfect position to throw a left hook to bring your weight back to the right.

When throwing combinations you shouldn't have to move your feet. Maintain a grounded base to generate the power needed to control the weight transfer that is happening throughout the combination. Your choice of punches will allow you to shift your weight and maintain balance until you choose to end the combination and move to a new attack position.

If you have to take a step, you did something wrong, because your weight ended up shifting too far or not far enough to allow you to deliver the next punch.

That's not to say you will never have to adjust your position while delivering combinations. It is highly unlikely your opponent will just stand there and let you beat on him. If he does - take advantage of it and consider yourself lucky.

In boxing - amateur and professional - the more punches you throw, the more will connect, the more damage will be done to your opponent, the more points you will score, and the more matches you will win. Obviously throwing combinations will help out in that goal.

There are potentially hundreds and thousands of combinations depending on how well conditioned you are and once you understand how they work you can come up with your own. But in the beginning you must master the basics.

Start with the four fundamental boxing combinations below and then move on from there. At some point, the essence behind boxing combinations will click in your head and you will understand why one punch follows the one before it. At that point you should be able to make up your own combinations.

Attach combination use to a trigger. You have to visualize when and how you would use this combination in a fight so you can train your mind to subconsciously recognize when the conditions are right to use it. If you have to think about when to use it - you've already missed your opportunity.

Visualizing triggers is harder to do on the offence than the defense. On the defense, your trigger is usually your response to a punch from from your opponent. For example - if you elbow block a body shot to your right side (orthodox boxers), that is your trigger to immediately throw a 6-3-2. Elbow block on the left side of your body = 5-2-3.

Once you identify a combination you want to learn, you have to drill it until you no longer have to think about it to throw it. It's all fine and good to start off thinking to yourself - 1-2, 1-2-3, 2-3-2 - but every time you think about what punch comes next you lose that split second and your timing gets messed up. Once you start a combination you throw it to completion and it eventually becomes a punch of its own. You can even name them if you like.

If you've taken the time to drill these boxing combinations to the point of perfection, then when a target opens up, the combination will instantly flow out when you need it.

When trying to learn new combinations - do one at a time.

Why you ask?

Because if you don't you will end up with a bunch of imperfect combinations and none that really work well. They won't turn into punches of their own and they'll never really do what they are designed to do.

When learning a boxing combination, learn it in this sequence for the best results:

1. Focus on the technique of the combination. Don't start drilling it and throwing for speed until you have the technique and transition between each punch relatively perfect. Pay attention to everything - position, hand position, weight distribution, head position, and so on. This is where bad habits will creep in and bad habits form flaws in your combination that your opponent can use to disrupt your flow.

2. On the offense you have to visualize how your opponent might be setup that would make your combination effective. It might be that their front hand falls to shoulder height resulting in a 1-2. Maybe you visualize the front hand rising up as a trigger to go 3B-3H-2.

3. Drill it till you're sick of it. Dedicate entire rounds to one combination. Throw it over and over and over and over and over and over again. Get the picture? Do not mix other combinations in with it. You have to teach your muscles to work in a certain order for each combination and it has to come out as a reflexive action. Visualize the trigger - throw the combination - recover and move. Visualize the trigger - throw the combination - recover and move.

Once you've learned a combination to the point of it being instinctual you won't have to drill it as much but you can't forget it either. From time to time it should be a part of your training plan so you can prevent skill fade and keep the instinct alive and well.

So, a 1-1 is two jabs, a 1-1-1 is three jabs.

These combinations are an effective way to throw a bunch of punches from a distance. It is imperative you recover completely after each jab so subsequent jabs are delivered effectively and accurately.

One of the most important and famous of all combinations, the mighty 1-2. In this, you throw a jab which closes the distance and sets up the head for the power punch of the straight right delivered right after.

The objective with the jab is to snap your opponent's head back with your jab which exposes his chin. You then nail him with a right sending him to the mat. Throughout the whole sequence, you should feel firm on your feet, never off balance. If you do, you're not doing something right. It's one of two things, you are either reaching for the opponent or not recovering completely from your punches.

The other most important combination (good english eh), jab/straight right/left hook. This basically completes the 1-2.

Same objective for the first two punches, jab the head to expose the chin, nail the chin with the straight right. This creates a weight transfer to the left side which automatically sets you up to land a devastating left hook. Your target for the left hook is the right temple of your opponent - clobber it.

The right-left-right and the opposite left-right-left. The goal here is to time the weight shifts correctly. With every punch you throw, it should set you up nicely for the subsequent punch. The right shifts the weight over the left which is perfect for the left hook which subsequently puts the weight back over the right which naturally makes you want to throw the right again.

The challenge here is to ensure you are not just throwing a flurry of arm punches. You must get your body involved because that is where the power comes from. You'll devastate your opponent as you attack from two different angles (side/front).

That's part of the beauty of combinations. Delivered correctly, punches start hitting you from all different angles. It makes defense that much harder.

Perfecting these combinations will take some time but make sure you do, they are all natural and like all combinations must flow. You'll have a pretty good indication when you are doing them right because it will simply feel right, not to mention the power of your punches will increase.

The use of combinations while extremely effective, also requires extreme caution. It is easy to forget to recover after each punch or get sloppy in your technique. If you over expose yourself you can expect your opponent to disrupt your flow and you can kiss a few more brain cells bye bye.

You can use the boxing combination system taught in the Commando Boxing online boxing club to amass a virtually unlimited number of combinations and learn how to form your own.

The system is based on the number of types of punches used in a combination. They form the basis of a series of boxing combinations, there are seven series in total, and you can daisy chain them together:

A 1 Series combination is one that uses one type of punch (1-1, 1-1-1 for example). 2 Series = two types of punches (1-2, 1-2-1-2, 2-3, 3-2, for example). 3 Series = three types of punches and so on.

Personally I learn better when I understand the reasoning behind why something is done which is why I took the time to explain the theory behind boxing combinations rather than just give you a list of combinations to go learn. Maybe you don't care and just want the list - that's fine - whatever works for you. At any rate you should have a little more insight into how boxing combinations will make you a more effective boxer (or burn more calories if you're just using boxing workouts for fitness reasons).

That's the end of part one of this boxing combination series and focused primarily on how to throw boxing combinations. Part two will take a look at how to defend against boxing combinations to disrupt attacks early and take the initiative from your opponent. Until next time - Boxon.

P.S. Do you have a favorite boxing combination? Take a second a share it as a comment.

You might think of boxing as an individual sport and that is true to some extent. A lot of what you will go through to be a great boxer is individual effort.

You aim to better every aspect of your physical and mental conditioning so when you climb up those three or four steps to the ring, bend over and squeeze through the ropes and stand staring at an opponent across the ring who is there to hurt you - you have the confidence and skill to fight and win.

When that bell rings - there is no team. There is no backup. There is nowhere to hide. You fight or you don't and the results of any preparation or lack thereof are quickly apparent.

Even though everything you're going to go through as a boxer leads to an individual effort in the ring - boxing is not just an individual sport.

A boxing team may not have the same team dynamic as say a football or basketball team, but boxers don't get to the top of their sport by themselves. I know of no boxers that are self-taught and trained alone in a garage somewhere before emerging from obscurity fighting for a championship in a big pay per view event in Vegas.

No matter how much training you do by yourself, how much you visualize and react to those visualizations, practice punching and blocking and moving against an invisible opponent - you will never become a high level competition boxer on your own.

You have to train with real, unpredictable, thinking people who will adapt to your actions and fight back in order to seriously prepare to do it for real in or out of the ring.

The next time you are training alone, remember that the heavy bag hanging in front of you is the perfect opponent. You can do no wrong in front of it. It's your admirer quietly reinforcing that you are the best. It is never critical of your form or technique. Every punch you throw lands. It never capitalizes on the moment you drop your hands or are slow to slip.

That's great for confidence but quickly leads to over-confidence or put another way - the "I'm the biggest bad ass on the planet" syndrome.

Especially in the beginning, the techniques you pick up will make you believe you're invincible and compared to what the normal population knows - you'll be miles ahead.

As your level of conditioning and skill starts to surpass those of the non-boxers around you - it's easy to lose perspective and start believing that you are superior in some way. Left unchecked it's a dangerous condition that breeds unsportsmanlike behavior and will generally just turn you into a major ass. Sometimes it's helpful to literally have someone knock some sense into you.

Don't get me wrong - confidence is good. It is absolutely necessary in the ring and it makes for a more fulfilling life - but there is a line that shouldn't be crossed. Most people can not see that line by themselves and even though they've never stood toe to toe across the ring from someone they believe that what they've learned and trained on their own has prepared them for that moment. That's a dangerous state of mind.

Before you turn into that major ass - you need to start training with other people. While you may not have access to a trainer or coach, you most certainly have access to someone - a friend or family member - that you can train with. Find someone, anyone, that is willing. At some point - you must stop being a hermit boxer.

We all have the instinctual mechanism for self-preservation. It keeps us alive - but it also keeps us from reaching our true potential.

It requires an immense level of self discipline to commit to boxing or any fitness program and consistently train yourself at or beyond your limits for any length of time. With nobody but yourself to be accountable to, you simply will not make the sacrifices or experience the hardship and sometimes short-term pain necessary to bring out higher levels of performance.

Even if you believe you are special and can push yourself harder than anyone you know, a point will come that you will consider your training good-enough and you may not even consciously make that decision. You'll just plateau - reach equilibrium - and train to that level because there is no stimulus to push harder. There is no obstacle to overcome or reason to reach further into yourself to see where your limits actually are.

You may think that that doesn't apply to you - that you can push yourself harder than other people. I thought that too. In fact I knew it to be true but I still had no idea that I wasn't training even close to my limits until I was pushed so hard that I nearly died.

In one instance - the environmental conditions, conditions in my body, and extreme effort combined and resulted in me laying in a hospital having my clothes cut off me with doctors and nurses furiously working to pump fluids back into my body. While I do not recommend you ever push yourself anywhere close to that hard, it made me keenly aware of what my limits actually are and not just what I thought they were.

But I did not push myself to that limit on my own. I, and 99% of the population, would have stopped long before my body began shutting down like it did had I been alone.

A partner is absolutely essential if you want to learn boxing for anything more than fitness and here are the reasons why:

1. Accountability - We all have good and bad days. On the good days - training and getting to the gym is effortless. On the bad days - the last thing you want to do is go get punched in the head. That's when a friend or training partner is worth their weight in gold.

   The biggest battle to reaching peak performance is maintaining consistency. A good training partner will hold you accountable and make sure you show up to train even when you don't want to and he or she will make sure your training is as effective as it can be.

   A word of warning though - find a training partner who shares your goals and work ethic. The wrong training partner could be more of a hindrance than a help and actually sabotage your efforts. Sometimes it's better to pick a training partner that you are not too close to. If they care about you too much they may hold back.

2. Introduces Chaos - There is a randomness and chaos to boxing that cannot be replicated in front of a heavy bag or by yourself in a front of a mirror shadowboxing. A sparring or training partner introduces that bit of randomness into the training session.

   You can pretend to slip punches all you want, but the reality is that you know when you are going to throw them at yourself Only another human being can help you perfect your timing, improve your reflexes and fine tune your ability to pick out the subtle cues that precede an onslaught.

   A training partner will give you a much better idea of how good your defensive and offensive techniques are when it really matters.

3. Opens up new ways to train - A partner allows you to do focus mitt drills, technical sparring, and work out techniques and combinations in real time so you truly understand the mechanics involved in a situation. All of these things only require a willing participant - your partner does not need to be a world-class trainer or boxer if they are simply willing to go through the motions to help you train. Teach them the absolute basics - jab, straight right, hook, uppercuts and they will know everything they need to to help you train.

4. Where one partner is good - many are better - That way you pit yourself against different styles and introduce more variables of randomness into your training.

   You also benefit from belonging to a group and experience a sense of competition. The social aspect of the group is going to help you stick to your training and push you to excel.

   Boxing naturally attracts competitive people so a group of boxers intent on learning and improving will naturally push each other harder than you ever could alone.

   It's also more fun - you can only talk to a heavy bag for so long no matter what kind of relationship you develop with it.

Ideally you want to find a training partner that wants to learn how to box as well (or already knows). In that way you can both be teachers which helps to reinforce things you learn. But even if they do not want to learn how to box, there are five areas where a partner can really help a boxer excel. Use these techniques with your training partner and your skills, reflexes, and level of conditioning are going to improve dramatically.

Focus pad drills are extremely useful for developing accuracy, speed, and instinctive movements. Focus pads are basically targets that a partner presents to the boxer along with some type of instruction. For instance, you can call out jab, present the target and the boxer will jab. You then hide the target or move it to a new location in preparation for the next set of instructions.

Focus pads are held in one of three basic ways (relative to who is holding them):

• Target to the Front (facing the boxer) - for jabs and straights;
• Target at 90 degrees - for hooks; and
• Target flat (facing the floor) - for uppercuts.

Focus pad drills can be instinctive or planned. With instinctive focus pad training, the boxer doesn't know what he is going to be doing before the target is thrown. Your partner will call out the instruction as he or she presents the target.

Planned focus pad training is when the boxer and trainer are working a certain combination. The video above is an example of planned focus pad combination training. Both boxer and trainer knows the drill. There is no need for an audible.

As a training partner, when presenting the targets, it is not enough to just limply hold them out there to be hit. You should present them crisply and move slightly into the punch - kind of like you are swatting at it, but only a very little bit. That provides some resistance to the boxer which is necessary to prevent injury to both the boxer and trainer (but more the boxer). If the targets are limp the boxer will just knock your arm backwards and can potentially hyperextend the punching arm. They need that bit of resistance and the training partner will maintain better control of the focus pads.

The following video shows focus pad drills as they apply to some MMA techniques but it's useful to get an idea of what can be accomplished between boxer and trainer with the focus pads. Notice how both boxer and trainer know what is happening (or rather just instinctually know) - no thinking - just reaction.

One last tip - if you are the training partner - when showing the target - don't hold it directly in front of your own head. A good hit will send your own hand into your own face and that is never a good thing.

Boxing chain drills or boxing flow drills resemble sparring but are highly controlled. Both training partner and the boxer are going to respond in a very choreographed fashion. They are used much like focus pads to drill responses to certain situations. The key to these is to start very slowly and make the boxer understand why he is blocking something or slipping a certain way. Eventually these flow drills will look really awesome and develop instinctual responses to some type of stimulus. Here's an example (can be done with focus pads as well):

The Elbow Block - 6-3-2

1. Both boxer and training partner are in boxing stances facing each other.
2. Trainer throws left hook to body (orthodox fighters).
3. Boxer elbow blocks the body shot and immediately brings up a right uppercut (6) followed by a left hook (3) and straight right (2) to finish the combination.
4. Trainer catches the uppercut, ducks the left hook and slips (or catches) the straight right
5. Then boxer initiates and sequence repeats.

The initial block is the trigger for the combination.

There are different types of boxing sparring. Technical sparring is similar to flow drills but introduces some randomness into the equation. With flow drills, trainer and boxer both know what the other is going to do, but with technical sparring, the boxer is in the dark. Not completely though. You both know which drill you are going to work on, but you initiate the drill without warning. Once it is complete, you pause and then do it again. The randomness occurs with the boxer not knowing when you are going to start the drill. It's useful for perfecting timing and recognition of initiation sequences.

Start with one drill and increase the intensity and challenge by combining different flow drills. Trainer doesn't tell the boxer which one is coming so he/she has to recognize the drill and react accordingly. Technical sparring is the perfect lead up to full out sparring.

Boxing sparring seems like it is all out boxing, but in reality, both people sparring are there to learn. If the training partner has no interest in boxing the boxer should now go out and find a sparring partner.

Sparring is not an all out boxing match, but rather it can be done at half speed or three quarter speed, or even full speed, but the goal is not to knock each other out. You just want to train as if you were in a boxing match and try to prevent any injuries from occurring in the process.

Obviously it's important to use all the right protective equipment including headgear, mouth guard, and groin protector (and chest protector for the women out there).

In addition to all the skill development a training partner can be tremendously beneficial in the gym. In the boxing gym or weight room itself the partner can:

• offer motivation and encouragement;
• hold the heavy bag, especially for punch out drills;
• time the rounds in the absence of a round timer;
• be a waterboy;
• assist with gloves on and off for various drills;
• select appropriate training music;
• coordinate equipment for circuit training;
• act as spotter; and
• prepare weights and monitor intensity and form.

Although it looks a lot like the training partner is the boxer's slave - ideally the trainer is training as well, in which case everything is reciprocated.

A symbiotic relationship develops and both trainer/boxer share the same goals - trying to become as conditioned as possible, as fast as possible, as powerful as possible, and as skilled as possible.

You may find that you get more enjoyment out of teaching and training other boxers than you will in training yourself.

Those of you training away in your home gyms and garages may not have easy access to sparring partners and training partners. That's one area where boxing clubs are far superior to learning on your own - everyone is right there training together. You have a steady supply of sparring partners when you're ready to work against a real-life opponent.

For anyone that has ever gone shopping for a heavy bag, the vast selection can be very confusing. You will quickly find that there are a vast array of weights, fills, and coverings.

What is the difference between a 70lb heavy bag and a 100lb heavy bag? Does it matter what kind of fill it has? How about the covering? Is leather better than canvas?

All are valid questions and questions I myself had when I was looking for a bag to hang in my garage. In the end, I seriously asked myself exactly what I was going to use it for and went from there. So you can learn from my experience, here is what I found out.

If you ask a sporting goods salesman this question - you'll get a wide variety of answers depending on how knowledgeable he or she is. Most of the ones I talked to had no clue and some even tried to feed me a line of bullshit saying the heavier bags are for pros because they hit a lot harder. In the end, I analyzed what everyone said, cut through the crap, used some common sense and came up with an answer.

Basically - the difference is the amount of resistance the bag is going to give. This is obvious. A heavier bag will put up more of a fight. It will take a lot more force to move it. Not that a swinging bag is bad thing as it ensures you aren't stationary while you are hitting it. The added resistance will be beneficial in the development of stronger punches and more overall power.

I cringe as I type that; however, as power punching is more technique than raw strength. Like weight training, though, you have to continually increase the resistance to experience gains in strength. I believe the same goes for a heavy bag.

I eventually settled on a 100lb bag for my garage. I weigh about 170lb and have a pretty good swing and I find the bag puts up a pretty good fight. It does feel different from the full length 150lb+ bags hanging in my boxing gym though. They move a lot less and I find myself using a more power when I'm hitting them.

But, that brings me to my next point about buying a heavy bag:

Absolutely. A 100lb bag filled with cement is going to feel a lot different than one filled with feathers. There are 3 general types of filling and which one is used also helps determine the weight of the bag. First, there is hard fill. It is a shredded fiber fill enclosed in a 1" closed cell foam liner. Second, there are soft fill bags that have slightly more give as they are enclosed in a 2" liner. Third, there are water filled bags which are in a class all their own.

The differences between the types of fill can be measured in the stiffness of the bag, how well it holds its shape, and the effects on your body. A hard fill bag will hold its shape well and is very solid. There will not be much give, so it is going to be the hardest on your body. Your joints and bones will get a workout from this kind of fill.

A soft fill bag, is a lighter version of the hard fill. A little bit of give was introduced to lessen the impact on the bones and joints and make it easier on your hands.

Water filled bags give a unique workout. There is lots of give which makes them easy on your joints, but they also hold their shape. If you think about it, these are most like hitting a human body which is mostly water anyways. Not to mention all the organs splashing around in there...

Which fill you choose is a matter of personal preference and your physical limitations. If you want to really strengthen your bones/joints (or break them), the harder the fill the better. In fact, why don't you forgo the heavy bag and hit brick walls 🙂 No matter which one you choose though, you will still get a great workout.

You can find nevatear (composite material) heavy bags, canvas bags, and leather bags (of varying qualities of leather). A good quality leather bag will outlast you. It will not tear or crack and will be around long after your hands have shriveled up into little arthritic claws.

Canvas bags are just as good. They will last a long time as well and are extremely durable. I'd tend to stay away from the super cheap vinyl bags. Remember, you are punching and/or kicking this thing. It has to stand up to a bit of a beating or you're going to be wasting some more money on another one in the near future.

The points above are the main considerations, but here are a bunch of others you may want to think about:

If not, you may want to consider a free standing bag or a heavy bag stand. They offer the convenience of not having to find a way to anchor a 100lb weight that is going to get the crap kicked out of it everyday from that load bearing rafter in your house. More than one person has knocked the bag off the roof leaving a nasty hole in the ceiling.

You can properly anchor a heavy bag to your ceiling or wall if you have a space for it in your garage or basement. A heavy bag spring placed between the chain and the mount will reduce some of the vibrations and noise that comes with attaching it to your structure.

I weigh 170lb and I work out on both 100lb and 150lb bags. If you weigh 90lbs, will a 100lb bag be of more benefit to you than a 70lb bag? Maybe, maybe not. I'm guessing the added resistance of a bigger heavy bag is not really going to be that big of a deal. You probably get plenty of resistance from a 70lb bag.

If so - remember that a filled heavy bag weighs a lot and that increases shipping prices and the overall cost of the bag. Depending on where you order it from - the cost could double. One option is to buy an unfilled bag which will ship at a much more affordable cost.

If you buy one unfilled, you'll need to fill it obviously. Different filler materials have different pros and cons:

• Don't use sand. It compresses and will be like hitting cement. If it ever gets wet it will be hard as rock. You might as well just hit the side of your house.
• Better fills - Rubber mulch inside about 2" of foam, wood pellets, rice, rags pushed in loosely around a pvc pipe filled with sand (for weight), maple peas, dry peas or beans, or water (if you buy one designed for it)

It only matters if you are buying it unfilled. If so - you need an easy way to open it and fill it - thus a zipper is the way to go. If you are buying it already filled - go for the stitching. It will be more durable and there is really no reason to need to get into the bag once it is filled. Even if you do buy one with a zipper - most reputable companies use such a heavy duty zipper that you shouldn't have any problems with it.

Sure - but it will obviously be subjected to the weather. If you live in a humid climate you can expect it to get wet and rot eventually. Same thing if it is subjected to direct sunlight - the leather or canvas will eventually dry out and deteriorate. You can avoid this by treating the leather occasionally or prolong the inevitable by covering it with some type of cover. Ideally, if you want to use it outside - hang it up when you are using it and then put it under cover when you are not.

You can, but over time the fill will settle in the bag and your bag will be harder at the bottom than it is at the top. You should occasionally take it down and roll it to even out its contents. If you are taking a prolonged break from training, it's a good idea to take it down and lay it flat.

In my opinion the best option is always to mount it - preferably from the ceiling. Doing so gives you the ability to move around it 360 degrees which is beneficial for your footwork, practicing pivots, movement, and so on. That takes room obviously so it's not for everyone. You won't get quite the same range of motion by using a heavy bag stand, but it's better than not hanging one up at all.

Honestly, it doesn't matter a whole lot as long as they are both heavy duty enough to hold the bag and not break. Chains are often attached to a swivel before being attached to the mount which allows the bag to spin without having to eventually spin back the other way to untangle the straps. Pretty much all of the higher quality bags use chains and they are what I've always used - so I'd recommend them over straps.

The ideal amount of space around the bag is enough that you can have the bag swing back and forth and still be able to move around it at a distance just out of punching range. What that ideal amount of space is is going to vary depending on how high your ceiling is. A longer chain is going to require more distance because the bag can swing in a wider arc.

Of all the heavy bags I've tried - the Aqua Punching Bag stands out far above the crowd (use discount code Commando at checkout for 10% off). You can read my full Aqua Punching Bag review to find out why.

Take a good, hard look at what you are actually going to be using the bag for and how often you are going to use it, before wasting your money on a top of the line model. For myself, I needed a bag that I could hang in my garage and use when I couldn't make it to the boxing gym - I have a wife and 2 kids, so even though I'd love to hang out at the gym 7 days a week, my family is never too thrilled about it. However, if I am in the garage, they feel so much closer. I currently have an Aqua Punching Bag and a regular 100lb heavy bag hanging in my garage and they are working perfectly for the perfectly for the job I had in mind for them.

Ideally, find different weighted bags and try them out. Most sports stores have them hanging up. If not, stop by a boxing gym and try them out there. You will quickly find out the differences in "feel". When you hit it and find it is moving too much or has too much give, then maybe you need a heavier bag. It's all quite a personal decision.

If you're looking for a good dealer, check out the Commando Boxing Store with a huge selection at discount prices. Feel free to comment on this article and add your thoughts, especially if you disagree with something I've written...

Does it make you anxious when you think about walking into or joining a boxing gym or club?

I get emails all the time from people who want to learn to box but are terrified of walking into a gym or talking to a trainer - and I get it - not only do you have to deal with the unknown and being the new guy or gal in class, but with boxing all that fear is magnified when you think that someone is going to want to punch you in the face.

Most of us aren't bred for combat.

I want you to be comfortable walking into a boxing gym and talking to a trainer because I want to get more emails like this one from Alexandra:

"Thanks for all the interesting boxing articles you've written over the years! I started reading your page just over four years ago and learning the basics gave me that tiny boost of confidence I needed to go to a boxing gym and start training. Four years later I've had six Muay Thai fights in Canada and the U.S. as well as spending a month in Thailand for training. I'm up for the BC ISKA Women's Welterweight title hopefully within the next year. Thanks again for giving me that nudge I needed to get started!"

So, to try and boost your confidence - I'm going to give you a good idea of what you can expect when you walk into a boxing gym for the first time and then give you some tips for making it an enjoyable experience rather than a traumatic one.

There are basically three kinds of boxing clubs.

1. The hardcore fight club.  This is the kind of gym you join if you want to learn how to fight and compete.  If becoming a boxing champion is your goal then you need a place like this.  These gyms are also the most intimidating kinds of gyms to walk into.  Competition among club members can be fierce and all are vying for the trainer's attention with the hopes of showing enough potential to become the club's golden child.
2. The fitness club.  These kinds of clubs don't breed fighters.  They use boxing as a means to help you get in shape.  The trainers/coaches are far less concerned with technique and more concerned with keeping you moving to burn calories.  Highly doubtful you'd ever actually spar with anyone in a place like this.
3. The hybrid club.  This is usually the kind of club you'll actually join.  Whether they want to or not - the coach runs fitness classes and trains fighters.  It's a matter of profits and viability.  There are far more people interested in getting shape than there are in learning how to box and compete.  Often the fitness classes fund the fighters (travel, hotel, food, tournament fees) when they have to travel for a fight.

Walking into a fitness club with the intent of just using boxing to get in shape is straight forward.  There is nothing to be anxious about there.  They see lots of new people all the time and will integrate you into the classes.  You'll get an orientation session - first class is usually free - and you'll probably feel welcome pretty quickly.  If that's all you want out of boxing, then don't think about it for another second - there is nothing to worry about joining a fitness type club - other than the outrageous fees you'll pay... 🙂

Walking into a club where they train fighters - either hardcore or as a hybrid is a bit of a different story...

You will likely walk in and down some steps into the basement of some building.  If I surveyed all the gyms out there - I bet at least 50-60% go for the hardcore, dark, dirty, warehouse type look.  These buildings are probably the cheapest to lease or buy and exposed beams make it easier to hang heavybags and that sort of thing.  Anyways, it's not all clubs - but chances are you'll enter this kind of atmosphere.

Nobody will greet you at the door.  You'll see a boxing ring and people will be hitting bags, skipping, and generally looking all mean and  nasty.  At this point, a lot of people turn around leave - don't.  Never mind what is going on.  Just go find whoever is the coach or trainer that day and introduce yourself.  Like fitness clubs - your first class will usually be free so you can try it out.  That's important because not every club or trainer is going to be a good fit for you.  There are definitely some things to look for in a good trainer.

Once you find someone willing to talk to you (and some coaches are much better than others) they will likely get you (or your parent) to sign in and sign a waiver releasing them of liability in the case that you get hurt.  The coach will usually ask if you want to fight.  If you say yes (and you should if you're in a place like this), they will give you some more paperwork to take home with you including a medical release form that a doctor will have to fill out and an application to join the boxing association in whatever state/province/country you are in.  Paperwork will vary by location - but you need to join the amateur boxing association in your location to compete.

Next, the class will get going.  Typically the classes will consist of three minute rounds of work followed by a minute of rest.  A typical class might resemble:

1. 3 rounds of skipping (jump rope)
2. Wrap up (put on your handwraps)
3. 3 rounds of shadowboxing
4. Glove up (put on your bag gloves)
5. 6-12 rounds of heavybag work (some people will be pulled into the ring to work with the coach on target mitts or to spar)
6. 2-3 rounds of bodyweight exercises
7. Cooldown (including some ab work)

You'll quickly find out how people in the club interact - but generally:

• nobody is going to talk while working.  The minutes of rest will give you a little time to socialize while you catch your breath.
• there will typically be a head coach who will be in the ring and pull in certain people to work certain skills while another coach supervises the conditioning work everyone else is doing
• coaches will walk around and correct faults or teach some skills as they deem necessary

If you're new and know nothing - you might get pulled off to the side to be quickly shown some basics.  More than likely, you'll be expected to flounder around with everyone for awhile and pick up what you can on your own.  The amount of help you'll get from other people will vary.  Ask questions but remember that people are there to train.  Some may have fights coming up and will be completely focused on that.  Some may be helpful but some will also ignore you completely.

It may seem all unorganized and disjointed, but if you stick with it you'll start to see how it really works.

If I can offer any advice - don't walk into a boxing club or gym until you are ready.  To help you get ready, consider the following 10 tips:

1. Understand that you're not going to fight on day one.  It will usually take a few weeks or even months before the coach will put you in the ring to spar or fight.  The coach will watch you develop and won't put you in that situation until you can actually defend yourself.  If a coach or trainer puts you in the ring your first day - you should walk out of the club and never go back.  So stop worrying that you'll get beat up on your first day.
2. Learn how to wrap your hands.  As a coach/trainer it is totally frustrating to teach new boxers how to wrap their hands at the beginning of every session.  It's easy to learn this at home.  Buy some handwraps and learn how to put them on so you don't have to waste someone's time at the gym asking how to do it or worse - making them do it for you.
3. Learn some of the basics at home.  Use this site and at least get an idea of how to stand, guard, move, punch, and defend.  You don't have to be perfect at it, but a coach or trainer will have more time for you if you show them you've done some research ahead of time.   Note:  some coaches/trainers would rather you not know anything so they can teach you their way and not have to deal with bad habits you might have picked up.  I prefer that people have a base of knowledge to fine tune.  Either way, learning the basics will give you a lot more confidence to walk into a gym with.  Just don't go in pretending like you know everything no matter how confident you are.  You're there to learn.
4. Do something about your fitness level.  Boxing training is hard work.  It's intense. If you are fat and lazy - you are going to get your ass handed to you on your first day and you'll make a terrible impression on everyone there.  Before walking into a place where you will train to fight - walk into a place where you will do something about your level of fitness/health first (or try my online Commando Boxing Body Transformation (CBBT) Program for Men or Women).
5. Learn to jump rope/skip.  Not totally necessary - but if you've never jumped rope before - you'll spend what seems like an eternity whipping yourself and tripping over the rope.  Take some time alone to figure out how to skip - even at a basic level so you aren't a total freak show at the gym.
6. Buy your own equipment.  You can use equipment that has been sweated in and maybe washed or you could show the coaches that you are serious enough about learning boxing that you've gone out and purchased some equipment.  All you need is a skipping rope ($3), handwraps ($4-$8), and bag gloves ($20-$50), and water bottle ($1).  Shorts, T-Shirt and running shoes work fine.  Put it all in a gym bag and show up looking the part (fake it till you make it...). Check out the Commando Boxing Store for your boxing equipment.
7. Take a friend.  It does help if you go with someone else who is in the same boat as you are.  At least you'll have someone to talk to in-between rounds.  Try not to pair up with them though when it comes time to do partner skill training.  You'll learn more from someone who knows something.
8. Go with the right attitude.  Don't walk into the club until you know you want to fight someday.  Get yourself mentally prepared for how challenging and intense the training will be.  If you go in thinking that you'll just try it and see how it works out - then there is a good chance you will never go back.  The first day in the gym is rarely a super positive experience.  You'll feel somewhat ignored and inadequate.  Push through that though and there are rewards on the other side.
9. Be consistent.  If you're going to join - commit and join.  Show up no matter what.  Never miss a class.  The trainer will have zero time for you if you are sporadic.  Boxing skills take time and repetition to become second nature.  If you aren't consistent it's a sure sign to a trainer that you aren't really committed to becoming great in the sport.
10. Ease into fighting.  If you are joining a hybrid club - it is not a bad idea to join the fitness classes first.  They are often taught by the same coaches who train the fighters so you'll learn the techniques correctly, develop some rapport, and it will give you some time to adjust to how the club works and get yourself into fighting shape.  Then - when you are ready - you can ease into the hardcore fight training.

On a final note - remember that the coaches and trainers in the fight clubs are looking for boxers who have the potential to win fights.  

The harder you work, the more dedicated you are, the quicker you learn, and the more heart you show - the more time the coaches/trainers are going to have for you.  

You have to prove yourself worthy in a boxing club - no coach or trainer is going to waste their time with someone who doesn't put in 100% effort at every training session.  If you prove to them you are willing to do the work and show them you have the potential to learn the skills necessary to be successful in the ring, they will focus their efforts on you.

They are always on the lookout for the next champ - so prove to them you have what it takes.  Boxon.