Shadow punches at the air
Ready when: Stance and footwork (b1) done.
What you are learning
The two straight punches, thrown at the air: the jab with the front hand and the cross with the back hand. The power comes from the back foot and a turn of the hip; the shoulder covers the chin and the other fist stays at the cheek. Control, not power: the elbow never snaps straight.
Words on this card Guard, Jab, Cross, Round
- Guard
- The ready stance: feet apart, one foot a little ahead, knees soft, hands up by the chin.
- Jab
- A straight punch with the front hand.
- Cross
- A straight punch with the back hand, with a turn of the hip.
- Round
- A set time of boxing, followed by a rest.
Set up
An empty space and a mirror if available.
Weather: any weather indoors
Show it first for the one teaching
- Take the guard stance.
- Jab: the front hand reaches straight out at the air at shoulder height and comes straight back to the cheek.
- Cross: push off the back foot, turn the back hip forward, and the back hand reaches straight out; the shoulder rises to cover the chin.
- The other fist stays at the cheek. The elbow stays a little soft at full reach.
Your part while they practise
Stand to the side, never in front, and count the rounds.
Step by step
- Guard stance, facing the mirror or a wall.
- One or two straight punches at a time, at the air.
- Each fist goes straight back to the cheek.
- 1-minute rounds with 30 seconds of rest.
How much: 4 rounds of 1 minute with 30 seconds rest 8 min a session 3 days a week
Say one thing Pick one line from "What you will see" for today and say only that.
The game: Call two punches
The caller names a pair and the child throws it at the air in time.
Who plays: the child against you as the caller; then swap.
How to play, turn by turn
- Turns
- The child stands in the guard facing a mirror or a wall; you stand to the side
- Call a pair, such as "jab, jab" or "jab, cross", and clap two beats
- The child throws both punches on the beats and returns to the guard
- 10 calls, a little faster each time
- Fair play
- A slower beat for a younger child.
- Points
- 1 point for each pair thrown right, in time, back to the guard.
- Fouls
- No point for that pair
- The wrong punch
- The hands do not come back to the chin
- The elbow snaps straight
- A punch aimed at a person
- Winning
- More points after 10 calls each.
- 5 points for 1 star
- 7 points for 2 stars
- 9 points for 3 stars
Easier or harder
Slow, one punch.
Two-punch sets at a faster pace.
What you will see, and what to say
- the elbow snaps straight
Reach, do not snap
Stop just short of a straight arm. - the hands drop
Hands back to the chin
Every punch ends back at the face.
Self-check
10 jab-cross pairs in a row with the hands returning to the chin each time.
Stop and get a coach when
Pain in the shoulder or elbow after shadow work.
Fitness for this
Warm up first: how to warm up, at workonfitness.com. For strength and stretching, its exercise library shows each exercise step by step, with an easier version.
This card trains punch technique with no target.
awiseathlete.com/sports/boxing/boxing-b2