Boxing is one of the oldest and most respected fighting styles that will teach you all about fighting. One of the most important and often overlooked boxing skills one can learn is head movement. This specific skill plays a huge role in any type of fighting, not just boxing. Have you ever wondered why this is so?
Head movement is a defensive skill used by senior boxers to get out of trouble. The key is to move your head from side to side or back and forth to keep it off the centerline. This is crucial for defense as a moving target is much harder to hit. And, it allows you to avoid the strike and position yourself to throw a counter punch. Head movement is truly one of those skills that separate great boxers from the average ones.
However, head movement is a small science in some way. Be sure to keep reading this article as we are going deep into how boxers use head movement and why.
How do boxers use head movement?
The way boxers use head movement may look simple at first sight. But, this is an advanced skill not all boxers know how to do. The key is to always keep your head off the centerline using your footwork, upper body movement, and actual head movement. Yes, you read that right. Head movement in boxing is not just about moving your head as you need to put your entire body into it.
Most of the time, boxers do it by moving their upper body left and right which keeps their head off the centerline. The other way is to move your head only in a circular motion called a “circular slip”. There is also a variation in which they move their head in an angular motion.
While doing so, some boxers like Mike Tyson preferred to keep their arms up in the guard, while the others hold them down below the chin. This really depends on the stance or whether you are into range to throw a counter combo or not.
Head movement falls into the group of advanced boxing skills which you won’t spend time learning as a beginner. It takes time to learn the head positioning, how that affects your balance, and the opponent’s reactions. But once you learn how to do it, the head movement will elevate your boxing game to another level.
have you ever thought : What happens if a boxer gets in a street fight? and if Is it illegal?
Why do boxers use head movement?
Boxers use head movement for both defensive and offensive actions. Keeping their head off the center makes them a smaller target to hit. Your opponent would have a much harder time hitting the moving target that goes in all directions than if you keep it stationary. But, there is a lot more to it.
Having good head movement allows you to be a step ahead in the fight. Slipping a punch, for instance, forces the opponent to overshoot with the punch which leaves them wide open for a counter in most cases. This is a famous “make them miss than make them pay” tactic in boxing. Even if you don’t counter the attack, missing punches drains the energy levels much faster. You would be surprised how missing a couple of punches can make your opponent tired.
And let’s not forget that head movement teaches you all about balance, shifting weight, and overall spatial awareness. You must maintain a high focus because in a split of a second it can all turn against you. One miscalculation and the opponent might catch you clean.
What are the best boxing head movement techniques?
There are many techniques you can train to learn or get better at head movement. If you are a beginner, be sure to take your time and learn at a steady pace as this is an advanced technique. Here are some of the most popular head movement techniques used in boxing.
Duck and Pivot
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QbYIX86ESN8
When a straight punch is coming at you, one of the best things to do is to bend your knees and duck underneath the punch. A jab or straight are the punches most boxers use to attack or to set up something behind. Instead of taking the strike on the guard, the most effective way is to duck under and let the strike pass over your head. Then you can pivot inwards and blast them with the counter.
Pull Counter
Pull counter is a great technique to defend against a single jab. The key is to move your head backward to make the opponent miss the punch before you come back at them with a straight counter punch. At times and depending on the situation, you can also move your entire torso along with the head back to get even more space.
Even though pull counter may sound simple, it’s not. It takes years of practice to get the timing right. And be careful not to lean too far back as you will lose your balance. Also, boxers do not use a pull counter against the ropes as there is not enough space.
Slip counter
Slip counter is very similar to the “Pull counter”. But this time, you need to move your head to the side of the opponent’s jab instead of backward. When the opponent throws a jab or straight, you should move your head left or right and counter with the straight. Slip counter is one of the basics and the first head movement technique most boxers learn.
Bob and Weave
Bobbing and weaving is another great technique to defend against punches coming down the middle and set up a counter. Once the opponent attacks, the key is to change your levels to duck underneath the strike and then quickly shift your body to weave left or right. But you must be careful not to duck too low or to move in the wrong direction. Notable boxers who used this type of technique are Mike Tyson and Joe Frazier.
Who are the boxers with the best head movement?
In boxing history, there have been many fighters who had an amazing head movement. In fact, head movement played a big role in the careers of many iconic boxers. Here are some of the most famous ones.
Mike Tyson – even though most fans know him for his insane power, Tyson was a very technical boxer who had great head movement. In his fights, he was often undersized and needed to fight under the reach disadvantage. He would use head movement to slip/dodge a couple of punches to close the distance first. Once inside the range, he would explode with a vicious counter that would often put his opponent to sleep.
Roy Jones Jr. – in some way, Roy Jones is synonymous with head movement in boxing and how effective it could be. In his prime, he would often drop his hands low and use a head movement to make a fool of his opponent. His incredible awareness and timing allowed him to score many great KOs.
Floyd Maywheather Jr. – Floyd is perhaps the best defensive boxer in sports history. He built his entire success on amazing footwork and head movement. It always amazes us to see him rolling with the punches against the ropes while his opponent is unloading with the barrage of punches.
Final Thoughts
Head movement is a very important skill in boxing. In some way, you can’t expect to fight and succeed in pro matches without this skill. However, head movement is not a skill you should drill every day and focus on learning it as fast as you can. As said earlier, this is an advanced technique boxers learn only when they become proficient in the other aspects.
If you are a beginner, focus on learning the basics and how to block punches first ( remember do wear your head gear protection ). As time goes by and you gain some ring experience, you will start trying new things like head movement to improve your game. If you do it the other way around, it could end really bad for you.
