The #1 boxing training website since 2008.

How to Box | ExpertBoxing

10 SIMPLE Fighting Tips

, 169 Comments

fighting-tips

The best advice is often the simplest advice.

Life is complex. So are techniques, skills, instructions, and many other things. After all the training you’ve done (or haven’t done)…the last thing you need is more things to confuse your brain and distract you from using your most natural weapon, INSTINCT.

So here are 10 easy tips to help you focus on the fight (and not the instructions):

 

1. Commit to the fight

You’re there to attack, kill, destroy, win. Commit to having that mentality the whole time. Don’t go in with the “let’s see what happens first”…that’s exactly the kind of thing that makes you second guess yourself and increases your chances of losing. There’s a difference between being smart and being cautious. It’s ok to observe and think, but please—COMMIT!

2. Focus on what you have to do

Land the punch, avoid the counter, move. You should be worrying about what you have to do rather than be worrying about getting hurt or other things. Don’t give yourself too many things to worry about. It’s really a waste of time/energy to worry about things that you cannot affect. Just attack, then move. The moment you stop to worry about getting hit, you’re probably gonna get hit.

3. Exhale sharply with every punch

Every punch should have a breath. This makes you faster and more powerful. It also helps you relax and save energy while also helping you establish a rhythm. Keep in mind this is meant to a be a SMALL BREATH, not a loud huff and puff.

4. Breathe when you defend

Breathe when you block or run away or slip. Breathe every time you’re on the defensive so that your body can take full advantage of this “resting state”. Breathe in a relaxed manner, not a panicky manner.

5. Walk, don’t run

Running and jumping around wastes energy. Walking towards, away, or around your opponent will save lots of energy, exude confidence, and still make it easy for you to move in and out of range. You don’t have to walk, you can use whatever footwork movement you want but do it with the ATTITUDE of walking. No panicking, ok?

6. Drive your elbow (rather than the fist) into each punch

It doesn’t matter whether it’s a jab, right hand, left hook, uppercut, head or body shot. Try to drive your elbow and snap your elbow into the punch. This simple tip makes it easy for your arm to have good punching form with your elbow supporting your wrist and transferring maximum power. Too many people worry about the fist position and launching the fist…but the fist is weakly supported and doesn’t transfer much energy unless the rest of the arm supports it.

7. Never cover your eyes or let your opponent go out of your vision

Avoid ducking your head under him or into his waist in a way where you can’t see his head. If you guys are too close and swinging wildly, try to grab him in order to find him. Some guys use the mentality of always being able to see his chest, this is ok, too.

8. Lean on your opponent

This tactics works well to wear him out and let him waste energy throwing punches with no leverage. He’ll also be wasting energy trying to regain his balance. Of course, you can’t just make it a sumo wrestling contest, you have to actually throw punches here and there when you do this. This tactic works best if you are bigger, taller, have stronger legs, or need a rest.

9. Watch for the opponent’s strong hand

Most fighters are one-handed or have one dominant hand that does all the damage. Pay attention only to that side and you will find that it’s almost impossible for him to hurt you. Quite often your opponent will stop using EITHER of his hands, when you take away his opportunities to use the strong hand.

10. Feint to the head, and then go to the body. (ALSO VICE VERSA)

So simple and effective every time. The more tense and out-of-control the fight, the easier this trick will work.

Boxing eBook
Footwork and Punching Power Techniques
Fighters Diet Guide
Advanced Boxing Footwork Drills

More Boxing Guides

Reader Interactions

169 Comments

  1. Another awesome article.. Thanks coach.!!

    So. In point. No 8 u said that to lean on opponent, does
    It mean only to lean or throw inside punches at his body?

    Reply

  2. About number 9… I would say, watch for the strong hand and leading (front) hook. This punch is sooo sneaky and dangerous.

    Reply

    • I would recommend just keeping your right plastered to your chin and getting back there after you punch also keep it there whenever you punch with your other hand. If he’s head hunting hold it high over your temple but it shouldn’t fall below your cheek bone unless your blocking a body shot. If you follow that religously you should block about 90% of the left hooks that come your way. Another tip is that if you go to parry or block a jab and it turns out to be a hook bring your arm out into the opponents and it should take some of the steam out of the shot.

      Reply

        • try to move back until you can see an open opportunity to actually get a dangerous hit in preferably to the head. Even a little punch can make your opponent shook to the point where they back away and then you do what you can to get him on the floor

          Reply

      • All good advice. Tip #1 is #1 for a reason!! I’d like to add something to it: dont hesitate to throw the first punch. Most street fights start out as verbal altercations. If the person begins to approach you, it would be wise to just assume they are going to make a move. If you’re inexperienced, that first punch will at the very least stun you into inaction, if it doesnt finish you outright. Most of the time, the person who throws the first punch immediately has the upper hand and psychological edge. Throw the first punch, and dont stop. If you only feel confident in your dominate hand, throw the other one anyway. Throw it as hard as you can. If you land it, you will still cause pain and damage to your opponent. Also, its harder to defend against two alternating fists than one fist. They call it “the ol’ one-two” for a reason. And dont stop. Even if it looks like you’re winning. Keep throwing those punches and dont stop until your opponent is either on the ground or turning his back to run. If he tries backing up, stay on him and keep punching. Dont let him back away long enough to regain his composure. Assume he isnt done fighting until he turns to run away. Some people have a good ground fight, or will just try to stomp kick you in the nuts if they are on the ground and scared/desperate enough, so if your opponent falls, guard your nuts and move away from him as quickly as possible. At this point, any legal self-defense justification you may have had (depending on what state you live in) is expired and anything else you do is considered a deliberate assault.

        Reply

          • 🤭😓. Why would u literally say you killed a man. Thats childish and Straight up disrespectful.

          • who cares about trouble if your gonna fight your gonna fight be a man or women and own up too your punishment and the first hit will just make you more ready its like football when your in a game at first your jittery nervous till you lay a hit or take a hit your like fuck yeah lets do that again your ready you know how it feels and you wanna keep doing that

  3. Hi Johnny
    Is the straight right the basic punch in boxing and right cross is used in advanced fighting.

    You said to use jab in the beginning of every combinations but I use don’t use jab after I stunned my opponent and it works.
    Johnny
    Is there any kinds of advantages or disadvantages in this style?
    Please reply?

    Reply

    • Both the straight right and right cross are used at all levels of boxing. Haha…if anything, I’d say the right cross is more common among beginners since they haven’t yet practiced the technique to throw really straight punches.

      You don’t always have to jab. Don’t worry about that. Do what works.

      Reply

  4. Love the article per usual. There’s just so many things a boxer has to take account of. Simplification of the task at hand is key. I just printed the article off and will bring it to class tonight.

    Reply

  5. Hey Johnny, should i choose a boxing gym that is registered with USA Boxing or not? I figured a gym that competes would be a better choice but i am just begining so i don’t know. Thank you

    Reply

    • Typically, the one that is registered and has competing fighters will be the gym with the better learning environment. But it’s important that you find a place that makes you feel comfortable while challenging you. Try out different places and see. It’s not a crime to go to 2 gyms at the same time.

      Reply

  7. Hi Johnny ,
    How to exhale without making any sound, when I exhale with my mouth I don’t get tired easily and punch is stronger.
    but if I have to exhale and inhale only with my nose, its very difficult to breathe and my punch is weak.

    is it a good practice to make that hissing sound while punching?
    my coach says no to that sound.

    Reply

    • I can say from experience that different types of exhaling definitely effects the punch. I think that if you want to get out a really fast combo, like a quick jab-jab-cross for example, you should breathe the way that Johnny recommends as it allows you to finish a whole combo on one breath. However if you are going for a power punch i recommend breathing very explosively from your nose it adds more power. At first it will be like breathing though a straw and not very powerful but with time and if you practice breathing out your nose as hard as you can, then it will definitely help.

      That’s just the way I do it and it works.
      I wander if Johnny agrees?

      Reply

      • I agree with the logic, I’m not sure I agree with the statement. My breathing has evolved a bit over the years and I’m not sure that I know what the final answer is. I used to believe in exhaling from the nose because you push out the air more powerfully. But after doing some thinking, I felt that the “explosiveness” in the breathing comes from the STOPPING of the air rather than the pushing of the air. And therefore, I went back to exhaling from the mouth because that stops the air more explosively than the nose does. Either way, it’s up to you.

        Reply

    • I don’t have any plans for the moment…I suppose I could put one together in August if enough people demanded it. There have been several others asking me the same thing lately.

      Reply

  10. When I started focussing my punches on my hips and elbows my punches got so much better. I also found myself relaxing more when driving the elbow instead of the fist. Funny what small stuff makes a huge difference just with a different outlook.

    Reply

  11. hi johnny, i started boxing a year and a half ago had 4 fights 4 wins, and i have to say your tips are game changers , my coach has always said my straight punches are brilliant but my hooks are a weakness and no matter how i tried to train i just couldn’t perfect the hook, but i read that tip to throw the elbow and not the hand and in 1 training session bang my hooks are perfect and take a lot less energy to throw, all your tips are fantastic its the subtle things that make all the difference, you’ve helped me and i appreciate you sharing your knowledge my friend.

    Reply

  12. Hi I’m from England and been reading your page and found if quite useful so thanks! I’ve only been boxing for 5 months and have fought twice and won both was wondering if I put the links to both videos here maybe any of you could give me some advice and tell what I have done wrong and need to improve on? It’s harder to see when your blinded by your victory lol
    I feel I made significant improvement from the first fight to the second personally especially as the first guy threw with no real skill.

    Here is the link to the first fight

    https://youtu.be/dSnm_p6x9Xg

    And this to the second

    https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1136886903006174&id=100000546252464

    Any comments welcome, both positive and negative as I really want to push on and improve next year so I will take everything on board.

    Thanks for your time guys.

    Reply

    • Your opponent is a good fighter, he’s smaller than you and he knows he has to get inside. You allow him to get inside too often. You have reach over him and that’s a huge advantage but only if you use it. You have to remain conscious and not allow him to get inside. When he moves in and you move back, he gets inside. When he begins to move forward that’s when you need to Jab to control his distance. He should only be close to you when you are advancing on him.

      Reply

  14. hey Jonny , great article … im still training for my amatuers .. im 20 .. and i think this tips are just perfect to execute 🙂

    Reply

  15. I tried several times to buy your product . I shows ‘unable to verify’ kind of information. Pls guide me to buy.

    Thank you

    Reply

  16. Hey Johnny this probably isn’t the right place for this BUT do you have any articles about the mental side of boxing ie maybe mental preparation

    I find on nights, after hard sparring I suffer anxiety and panic (adrenaline rushes) sometimes. If I have hard sparring(usually body) the next day the night before my nerves are all over also sometimes.am I out of my depth? I’m a beginner/amateur at Best but I do hold my own movement thinking have other guys on the back foot etc but sometimes I dunno…am I getting too competitive for my own good? Boxing is just a competitive hobby for me.

    I read about Ricky Hatton winning a fight that was tough , but he says later that night after the win he was in a bad way shaking and what not. I think maybe the pro’s go through this but it’s all kept quiet? Fear, body in fight or flight mode etc panic , all this stuff do you have any articles about this?

    I thought it might just me be but after I saw Ricky Hatton mention I thought maybe it not??

    Hopefully you can provide some insight.

    Thanks
    Aj

    Reply

  17. Your mental state is Profound, in summary, embrace the fact that you can learn from winning and loosing. ..the old adage that we are all both Teachers and Students. ..listen, practice and teach / embrace both mental & physical training. .yes training both body and mind. .discipline within (thinking, thoughts) and without, body care/ training. .In conclusion and summary. .Think, with a positive vision and focus, and never give up on hope, moreover your dreams and aspirations. .THINK, CHAMP,..sincerely wishing you all the very best during your life’s journey, keep moving forward,enjoyyour journeys folks.

    Reply

  18. Sir I m Anupam Choudhary aged 15 , from India. I m in class 10 but I have some bullies who r taller than me. They hit me and run away. One day I caught one of them, and tried 1-2-3-2 on him. His nose and mouth starred bleeding. So how can I deal with taller ones? Plz help.me.

    Reply

  19. Sir I m Anupam Choudhary aged 15 , from India. I m in class 10 but I have some bullies who r taller than me. They hit me and run away. One day I caught one of them, and tried 1-2-3-2 on him. His nose and mouth starred bleeding. So how can I deal with taller ones? Plz help.me.

    Reply

  21. As always, I love your post. This, especially for Amateur Boxers, is so important. An Amateur Bout, if you try to think too much, is over before you know it. 3 Rounds can be strategically made to seem longer (but you have to know what you’re doing and have the endurance); or, on the other hand, if you think too much and just try to play it safe, you may finish on your feet and it will be over before you know it, but you will never win this way!
    But back to this article. There are very simple things he mentions that will help in your success. Basically, use the proper technique that you’ve trained for (fight and throw punches w confidence and good defense, breath, don’t waste energy, circle and use feints). In a nutshell, if you have been trained properly and have the endurance, you don’t have to over think your way to a loss. If you have trained and practiced the things that you may have thought we boring or unnecessary at the time, you won’t have to think. Your mind and body come together and you will react off instinct. I remember the first fight I entered. I was scared as hell! But I simply fought! And won! All the thinking from all of the training was turned into instinct and reaction. I fell in love. Boxing gave me a place to forget about all of my problems (bc if you are dwelling on outside issues, you might get laid out while thinking).
    Again, great post!!

    Reply

  23. im 15 and iv never lost a fight but recently iv been aksed for a fight by another 15 year old who is pretty strong and used to do mma not saying im going to take up on his offer but how sould I go about it if I was to fight him

    Reply

  24. this wasn’t helpful i still get beat up everyday by that kid with the hedgehog on his head does anyone else have advice

    Reply

  26. Great artical cause i get bullied at school and i read through this page before a fight and now i have confidence

    Thanks Johnny

    Reply

    • Get trained and don’t go in fight gust because you are confident. A good fight is when opponents have ability. Confidence is 10 percent of victory.

      Reply

    • yo dont say that about yourself ik theres something in their in you the same thing happen to me like yesterday i got fucked up by a 12 year old and im 13

      Reply

  29. what if you are shorter than your opponent and they put you into a head lock (only asking because it happened before and i ended up blacking out boys are vicious even if youre a girl apparently) but they are also easier to hit bc of size (under lower rib)

    Reply

  32. I am just 14 I get into fights at least 20 fights a week and win but everyone knows my moves I need new ones and u tell me some

    Reply

  37. I’m not a boxer. My brother is fat and thinks he’s strong. I’m a girl, and I guess I’m strong…when I first wanted to fight it was because I felt insecure with my brother I still do. I’m at the age of 10 , my brother always likes starting fights with me because he thinks I’m “weak”. I know how to fight. I don’t like hurting him. I’m not into violence that much, but at this point I don’t care if I hurt him because he has already made my nose bleed, made me get a purple eye, and hit me hard in the ear which made me get a ear injury. Just recently I got in a fight with him. He also has anger issues which makes it hard to not start a fight. To be honest I hate him , I don’t think of him as brother. I also wanted to learn how to fight because he is a pervert around girls and I’m just not comfortable around him.

    Reply

  38. I’m a 10 year old and a girl because I want to be a fighter so I can be the best bodyguard in the world.

    Reply

  39. i fought a kid today at football practice cause he suckered punch me in my balls so i kicked at his head missed and dove onto him and gave him 1 2s

    Reply

  42. when i fight this guy he gets if he starts to lose he gets one of his friends i just want him to leave me alone i could take one of them but to that’s much harder i need help

    Reply

    • I would say don’t let him get someone to help him you need to end the fight with him fast and if someone still do the same to him do you agree Johnny

      Reply

  46. Nice methods. But something threw me off, when you said breathe every punch I got thrown off. Im mainly used to boxing without breathing. Only breathe at the end. Is that a good method?

    Reply

  47. I REALLY want to a good fighter no one thinks ima going be a good one but I need some tips an I’m just a 11 girl hopefully I get better

    Reply

  48. Am a new here so i wanted to teach how to fight someone easy what you must do is to focus on him and make sure that your legs is stronger and beat him on the face and on the stomach that what i watend to tell be safe

    Reply

  62. I’m going to fight someone on Friday. No explanation, it’s a long ass story. Thanks for the tips!

    Reply

Leave a Comment

Want your own comment image? Get a Gravatar!