Defense in boxing refers to actions taken by a boxer to avoid being hit, redirect an opponent's attack or reduce the impact of punches to vital areas such as the head. Defensive techniques generally fall into four categories of evading, blocking, covering and clinching.
Evading Evading refers to actions a boxer takes to try to avoid strikes entirely by making their opponents miss. File:slip1.jpg|
Slipping File:slip2.jpg|
Bobbing File:pas de retrait.jpg|
Footwork File:retrait2.jpg|
Pulling away File:Hamed0.jpg|
Leaning back File:Bloc épaule1.jpg|
Shoulder roll •
Slipping – involves moving the head slightly offline of an incoming punch, often by leaning and twisting the upper body. •
Bob-and-weave – bobbing moves the head laterally and beneath an incoming punch. As the opponent's punch arrives, the boxer bends the legs quickly and simultaneously shifts the body either slightly right or left. Once the punch has been evaded, the boxer "weaves" back to an upright position, emerging on either the outside or inside of the opponent's still-extended arm. To move outside the opponent's extended arm is called "bobbing to the outside". To move inside the opponent's extended arm is called "bobbing to the inside". •
Footwork – involves moving the feet to create angles, create distance, or get out of the way of punches, including linear and circular movements. •
Pulling – Moving the body backward to create distance and avoid punches. •
Leaning back – moving the upper body backward to evade punches, often combined with shifting weight onto the back leg. •
Sway / fade – To anticipate a punch and move the upper body or head back so that it misses or has its force appreciably lessened. Also called "rolling with the punch" or "riding the punch". •
Shoulder roll – To execute the shoulder roll a fighter rotates and ducks (to the right for orthodox fighters and to the left for southpaws) when their opponent's punch is coming towards them and then rotates back towards their opponent while their opponent is bringing their hand back. As the opponent's punch arrives, the boxer delivers a sharp, lateral, open-handed blow to the opponent's wrist or forearm, redirecting the punch. This is generally used against uppercuts to the head. In general when boxers are in a closed stance the boxer uses their rear hand to catch a lead uppercut and their lead hand to catch a rear uppercut. In an open stance the boxer generally uses their lead hand to catch a lead uppercut and their rear hand to catch a rear uppercut. •
Cross block – is often done with the rear arm (right for an orthodox fighter and left for a
southpaw) but can also be done with the lead arm (left for an orthodox fighter and right for a southpaw). In a cross block position with the rear hand, the glove is over the lead shoulder with the palm facing towards the opponent. It can be used against hooks by moving the arm up and outwards towards the incoming hook, or outwards to jam
uppercuts in boxing. (straight punch to the body with the forearms)'' •
Forearm body blocks – Boxers, especially classic guard fighters, will often turn their body towards straight strikes and uppercuts to the midsection using their vertical forearms to block. •
Elbow body blocks – Boxers often use their elbows to block hooks to the liver and kidneys by moving their elbows or leaning their bodies so the elbow connects with their opponent's fists. •
Reverse elbow block – Crab Style fighters are unique as the low lead allows them to use the reverse elbows to block their heads. The reverse elbow block can be used from a shoulder roll position. The reverse elbow block also functions as an intermediating position between a wedge block and a shoulder roll, allowing a boxer to move from a reverse elbow block to a wedge block or shoulder roll. •
Shoulder block – a defensive technique where a fighter uses their shoulder to deflect or block punches, particularly the opponent's lead hand punch like a right cross or a southpaw jab. The fighter positions their lead shoulder high, tucking their chin behind it. The chin is also tucked while covering. If the crab style boxer does not turn their waist the hook will pin the boxer's glove to their head making them unable to turn their waist to shoulder block, shoulder roll or reverse elbow block a follow up cross, with the low lead this will leave them open to being hit by the cross.
Clinching Clinching refers to grappling techniques a boxer uses to tie up an opponent's arms to prevent them from striking, or lessen the impact of strikes. Clinching techniques can also be used to move an opponent to a position where they are unable to effectively strike from. Clinching also includes framing, pinning, posting and trapping an opponent's hand or arm to prevent them from punching. •
Underhook is a position that a boxer may use in a clinch. The boxer's arm is placed under their opponent's arm or armpit. Their hand can be placed on their upper arm, shoulder or back. It is often used in combination with other arm positions such as an
overhook which is called an
over-under position. When a boxer secures one underhook it is called a single underhook and when using both underhooks it is called double underhooks. An underhook can be used to push the opponent's arm down or lift the opponent up and destabilize them, breaking their balance and getting them off their base. From a closed stance the boxer uses the lead hand to grab the opponent's rear side collar or the back of their neck and their forearm presses against the opponent's collarbone or the back of their neck to control their posture and head movement. If the boxer uses their rear hand in a closed stance they would grab their opponents lead side. The goal is to control the opponent's head by bending it down. The cross collar tie is often used with an elbow tie on the same side to keep an opponent from punching and allowing the boxer to circle outside of their opponent. •
Front headlock or chancery, is when a fighter secures a clinch, then uses their shoulder and arm to lock the opponent's head under their armpit. An opponent will often go for a headlock to get out of a defensive body lock that has been applied. To defend against this headlock, one should walk their hips under for a straighter posture and use their legs to lift up. This action will either force the opponent to release the grip or lift them off their feet. •
Framing is a defensive technique where a boxer uses their hand, forearm, or body to control an opponent's position, create distance, or disrupt their balance. By establishing a physical barrier, framing can prevent punches, set up counters, manipulate an opponent's guard, or create openings for a boxer's own attacks. Boxing utilizes different frames, including entrance frames for closing distance and exit frames for creating space after an attack. ==Guards==