When to step with a punch

wstewart

White Belt
@White
Joined
Apr 1, 2013
Messages
119
Reaction score
1
I started taking boxing and I'm learning to step with every punch including hooks and uppercuts. I'm trying to understand when you would want to step with a punch and when not to as it pertains to sparring and the double end bag. Obviously you'd want to step to close distance and possibly to generate power so I'd imaging, in a combo, you may not want to step with every punch. (e.g., jab(step), cross(Don't step) hook(step or don't step). Not sure if I'm way off here but if someone could enlighten me. What I gathered from my gym without pressuring the question too much was that it's ok not to step with every punch. Just wondering what gets factored into the decision to step or not to step.
 
Awesome that you started training! I hope you keep up with it!

Striking is very complicated - something you don't really ' know about ' until you start training it. Something as simple as a jab can become supremely complicated at first.

I would just do what your gym and coach has shown you. Spend 20-40 bucks for some private instruction in the beginning. Use that time to ask a bunch of questions, make sure you write them down before.

The question you're asking is hard to explain over the internet and it won't translate well to what you need.
 
I was hoping it wouldn't be that complicated. My coach did demonstrate a 1-2 combination where you don't do a full two steps on the straight right and instead you step with the front foot on the jab and move the back foot forward on the cross. He also taught me to step with the hook. I moved with another guy yesterday who's getting ready to go pro and he went over the basics with me like a beginner but didn't have me stepping with the punches. I'm mostly curious because I've trained at muay thai and mma gyms before and they didn't realize emphasize stepping with punches as much. I guess I'm just wondering how important it is to step with all of your punches since it seems to slow combinations down and makes it harder to hit the double end bag but maybe I just need to jump rope more to improve my footwork.
 
Its not that complicated.

If the opponent is too far away, or if you want an angle, you step either in or diagonally towards them.

If they are within hitting distance and you do not want to fight inside, you do not step.

If they are too close, you step back.

Basic stuff. Everything else is just the fluff of what you do with correct distance.
 
Thanks. Makes sense and I was probably over thinking it. Doing a shuffle step with every punch was kind of new to me and it was probably more to drill footwork than anything.
 
I've been in the same position you were in. I started learning to punch standing still, then another coach had me moving with every punch. I realised as you did it was meant to help me drill the footwork while you punch. In the beginning while you shadowbox step with every punch. A good drill is move across the room punching (emphasise technique) then do the same backwards (practice punching moving backwards). After a while you can try to make it more fight like, let's say you double jab to close the distance, then a right going forward, left hook with a pivot to create an angle, right hand not moving and counter left hook moving back. This is just an example, I hope it seems a little clearer. I know it can feel very complicated at the beginnin, but pick small parts of the game to learn and understand and it will make more sense as you go.
 
Back
Top