Become Fighter
Head and body combinations: Boxing guide
Switch targets so they cannot guard both.
When a combination goes to the head and then the body, the guard has to move. They lift the elbows to block the head and open the ribs. They drop the hands to cover the ribs and open the chin. The best combinations alternate high and low.
A simple pattern is to double up on one level and then switch. Two to the body, then one to the head. Or one to the head, then two to the body. The switch is what breaks the guard.
Key points
- Alternate levels: high, low, high, or low, low, high.
- Use the cross to the body as a rear-hand body shot, turning the hips and dropping slightly.
- A body shot is also a set-up. After a body punch, the head target opens.
- Do not signal the drop with the head or shoulders.
- Stay balanced. Each punch comes back to guard before the next.
Common mistakes and how to fix them
- Always going head, head, body in the same order. Mix the order. If you are predictable, they will protect the target you are heading for.
- Cross to the body without bending the legs. Drop the hips. A straight-legged body cross leaves your head high and in range.
- Staying in after the third punch. Leave. Three punches in close range invite a return.
Combinations that use it
- 1-2b: Jab, Cross to the body
- bx-1-2b-3: Jab, Cross to the body, Lead hook
- bx-2b-5-2: Cross to the body, Lead uppercut, 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 Body attack and inside fighting module of Boxing fundamentals.
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More from Body attack and inside fighting
- Changing levels to the body: Boxing guide
- Short punches on the inside: Boxing guide
- Clinching and breaking: Boxing guide
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.