Become Fighter
How to block punches with a high guard
Catch punches on your gloves and forearms while keeping your eyes open.
The high block is the simplest defence. Your guard is already up, so you let the punch land on the gloves and forearms instead of your face. It costs almost no movement.
You will shadowbox the motion here. Defence is best tested later with a coach or partner who throws slow, light punches at you. Alone, you train the shape and the habit.
Key points
- Keep both gloves high, touching your cheeks, with elbows close to your ribs.
- Tuck the chin down and look over the top of your gloves.
- Absorb the punch with the glove and forearm, not the top of the head.
- Stay compact. Do not reach out to meet the punch.
- Return fire or move right after the punch lands. Do not stay frozen in a shell.
Common mistakes and how to fix them
- Closing the eyes when the punch arrives. Practise in front of a mirror and keep looking at your own eyes over the gloves.
- Letting the elbows flare out. Think of holding a book under each armpit. Elbows stay close, ribs stay covered.
- Reaching out to hit the punch away. The guard stays home. If you reach, you open a path to your chin.
- Hiding behind the guard for the whole round. Pair every block with a return punch or a step. Count one block, then act.
Combinations that use it
- block-2: High block, Cross
Related techniques
The rest is in the app
The step-by-step breakdown, the timed drill with the coach calling the shots and the quiz are part of Become Fighter Pro, where this lesson sits in the Basic defence module of Boxing fundamentals.
Coming soon to the App Store and Google Play.
More from Basic defence
Combat sports training is hard on the body. Warm up, stay within your limits and check with a doctor first if you have a health condition. Practise in a clear space and stop if you feel pain or dizziness. Learn partner work only under a qualified coach.