Shadow Boxing - 7 Tips for Success

 

Shadow boxing seems such a fundamental part of a fighter's life. We see boxers do it all the time. My favourite to watch was the one and only Muhammad Ali. His boxing style for me perfectly captured the essence of what shadow boxing is intended to be. The Greatest incorporated rhythm, fluidity, speed, relaxed power and stunning footwork. He would produce a mesmerising display that would have bystanders staring in amazement.
So what is 'shadow boxing' and how can we maximize the benefits on offer?
In The Mind
Boxers have always used shadow boxing within their training regime. In very basic terms, it is boxing without a physical opponent present. It allows you to try out many of the skills of boxing before deploying those skills on a heavy bag or indeed a real live opponent. As a matter of fact, you could argue that shadow boxing is more a work out for the brain than the body.
As a child I was taught how to play chess. As part of my learning I was provided with a book written by a couple of chess Grandmasters. The authors provided some pictures of chess positions, but a key condition that they laid down was that the reader should not use a chess board to physically work through the moves. The skill was in developing the mind to think 3, 4 or 5 steps ahead. This was the vital point.
Using this chess example to explain why boxers use shadow boxing might seem unusual at first, but the relevance is unmistakeable. It trains the mind and enables free-thinking by enabling the creation of any scenario possible. In fact, the effectiveness of shadow boxing is actually based upon the absence of a physical opponent rather than the presence of one.
Here's my definition:
'Shadow Boxing' (noun) The process by which a boxer uses visualization to develop and enhance boxing skills.
Shadow boxing is more an exercise of the mind than the body. It is the next logical step to boxing drills. Where boxing drills use systematic, methodical repetition, shadow boxing demands flow, speed and pragmatism. It's about placing yourself in a combat situation and planning the required tactics to overcome a particular type of opponent. You picture in your mind the way things need to be done and practice accordingly.
Shadow boxing is generally undertaken towards the start of the session, after the warm-up but before the 'heavier impacts' of sparring, punch pads or heavy bag work. Having said this, most boxers will occupy any spare moments with a burst of shadow boxing.
Some people consider it to be part of a warm-up, but I absolutely do not. For me it's a very important aspect of training in it's own right and should not be sacrificed for the more 'exciting' impact work.
My own approach is to apply a round-based structure just as I would with any other boxing training elements. So, work within the round/rest period structure and we don't just mindlessly go through the motions in order to pass the time!
The Tips...
Here's 7 pointers to get the most out of shadow boxing:

1. Your emphasis should be on movement. Free-flowing, varied and slick bits of footwork and body movement. Whatever floor-space that you have during shadow boxing, make use of it!
2. Visualize an opponent and place a target. Make it your business to put that physical opponent in there. Ensure that you think about your range in relation to the 'opponent' and also that the 'opponent' is a threat. Shadow boxing with an imaginary opponent who is no more dangerous than your average bunny rabbit is not the best use of your time.
3. Accelerate your shots onto a target, snapping back the head of the 'opponent.' By thinking about the speed and acceleration of your punch, then you will both improve your punching speed and punching power.
4. Related to the previous point, do not allow your punches to go through and beyond the target before eventually finding their way back to the guard position. This is a bad habit that needs to be avoided. When your fist hits a solid object it does not continue to travel for 2 feet beyond that object. The fist stops and the force of the punch passes to the object. So train for that situation of hitting the target. If during shadow boxing you don't 'hit a target', then you are effectively training to miss.
5. To improve your punching speed, Grab a 1lb or 2lb weight in each hand. Use the weights for a round then do without them for the next round. You should feel an instant improvement in punching speed.
6. Give your rounds a theme. In round 1 you could visualize an opponent who is putting lots of pressure on you, constantly attacking. Use lots of side-steps,pivots and long range hooks and uppercuts to execute an effective fighting retreat. In the following round, turn the tables and you chase down your opponent.
7. Watch other boxers, both on video and if you are at a gym the boxers working out there. Try to identify the skills that the boxers use. Look for the subtle stuff; pivots, hand-defences and footwork, and look to use some of those for a round. Basically, mimic your favourite boxers.

Finally, don't take shadow boxing for granted. It is one of the most helpful aspects of the boxing training session. Enjoy and use it to become the boxer that you deserve to be. Shadow boxing will never be as effective as sparring or fighting, but it should always be seen as a fundamental part of your boxing training session.

"I'm not known as a hard puncher, I'm known as a consistent puncher. If the first one don't getcha, the next one will!" - Sugar Ray Leonard

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Fran_Sands

Shadowboxing for Beginners

 

 

There are many different ways to shadowbox, and in this article I'd like to share some of the most effective ways to use this aspect of your training. At the amateur levels, shadowboxing is often overlooked, which is surprising because next to sparring and good padwork shadowboxing is the closest thing to simulating a fight.
When considering how you want to train any aspect of your boxing you must take into account what stage you are at in your boxing program, and in this article I mean that on a mini-scale. For example, are you months out from a fight, are you weeks or days out from a fight, or are you just coming off a fight etc... this is going to impact how you focus your efforts and what part of your game you need to work on. But before we get into these aspects, I recommend that you wear very light hand weights during your shadowboxing, nothing too heavy, something around the weight of a boxing glove (which is 1lb. for sparring gloves, 12 oz for bag and 8-10 oz for fight gloves). You don't have to wear them all the time, but at least half the time to get a feel for carrying the weight of a glove during shadowboxing.
Having said that, there are five major ways to utilize shadowboxing:
1) Repetitive Drilling - This is the simplest form of shadowboxing. Basically, you pick a single technique and you repeat it over and over to improve this technique. A lot of amateur boxers have a left hook that is not up to par with their right hand, so you may want to take a round or two each workout and just work on left hooks until it becomes a 'money' punch. As well, you can always add a second component to drilling, you may want to work on your jab and add a step back by pushing back off your front foot after throwing the jab, sort of popping in and out. The main component with drilling is to keep it simple and focus on your technique
2) Freestyle (single aspect) - With this type of shadowboxing you are moving freestyle (moving around and going by what you feel and whatever comes to your head), however you are only working on one aspect of your game. For example, you can take a round and just work on head movement, or blocking and parrying, or footwork, or straight punches. With this type of training you can add in other components, but the focus is on what you are working on. If you take a round and focus on head movement, you can still add the odd punch and you can still add footwork, but make sure that 80% of your effort is focused on head movement.
3) Sequencing - This is when you work on a specific sequence of moves that you have set up between you and your imaginary opponent. For example:
You - throw the jab
Opponent - slips jab and throws jab
You - catch jab and counter with left hook, duck after the hook and throw another left hook
Opponent - blocks both left hooks in sequence and quarter turns out to your right to get away
etc...
You can make this sequences as long or as short as you want. The key is to treat it like a chess match so you can deal with different scenarios. Try to imagine problems an opponent has given you and create solutions for these problems. Play them out in shadowboxing and then test them out in sparring.
4) Scenario - This is similar to sequencing, but the specifics are taken out. In scenario based training you adopt a certain mindset and you shadowbox based on this. One of my favorites in the last 30 seconds of a training round is to imagine that I have my opponent hurt and I'm going after him. I'm laying on the heat, but still cautious of any wild counter punches from my opponent. I'm trying to put him away but he just won't go down, I'm landing but he's fighting to stay alive.
You can also imagine yourself as the counter puncher, or that you are down on the scorecards and you need the round to win. Imagine you are the against the ropes and picking your shots. The key is to create a mindset based on the situation you've created, and shadowbox to win.
5) Freestyle - This is where you work your complete game, from offense to defense to head movement to footwork. When you do this you want to simulate the fight as much as possible. Imagine your toughest sparring or a recent fight. At the end of each shadowboxing round you should feel as though you just emerged from one of these rounds. Shadowbox fast, at fight pace. Anything slower just won't do.

http://www.precisionstriking.ca is where you can find more boxing tips and videos to help you train for a long career in boxing.

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