If you thought slipping was only about moving your head, you were wrong.
Slipping isn’t limited to just straight punches or head punches. Advanced slipping techniques allow you to slip hooks, uppercuts, body punches, ANYTHING! I’m talking about a crazy James Toney level of slickness where opponents can’t even lay a finger on you. The masters of slipping are untouchable!
Reach the next level of defensive slickness by learning how to slip USING BODY MOVEMENT!
How to Slip By Moving Your Body
I hope you guys enjoyed my first advanced slipping guide on head movement.
Today you’ll learn to slip with body movement. Slipping with the body makes you infinitely more elusive by giving your opponent the slimmest target possible.
Making yourself a slimmer target is many ways more effective than trying to outmove your opponent’s punch. It great increases your chances of evading the punch and relies on much less energy and reaction time. Using body movement is also a safer way of evading punches because you’re in position to roll or block landed punches. Slipping with only head movement can be risky and quite dangerous if you get caught.
Benefits of Slipping with Body Movement
- increased defensive effectiveness against all punches
- less energy and less reaction time needed than head movement
- can slip punches entirely (head movement alone cannot slip body punches)
- decreased damage even if the punch connects
- positions body to counter
To help teach body movment, I made up this technique called “turn the blade”.
Turn the Blade
The principle behind this defensive technique is to imagine your body as a blade. It works like this:
- bait the punch by showing your opponent the FAT side
- turn your body (the blade) to the SKINNY side when he punches
- repeat!
Turning your body constantly makes you far more elusive because it gives your opponent the slimmest target possible. The act of rotating your upper body also serves as a deflection to roll off any landed punches. This “turn the blade” technique does rely on skills that are similar to the shoulder roll.
This technique is used more often than you think especially at the advanced levels. You never realize how elusive somebody is until you fight him yourself. To the casual spectator, it looks like one fighter keeps missing a guy that is standing right in front of him. To the opponent it looks like a guy who is right in front of you but spins when you try to hit him.
Common Punching Angles of Attack
First we learn the 6 common angles of attack. Just about every conceivable punch your opponent throws will originate from one of these 6 common angles. This isn’t so much because of the boxing style but because of the way the body is made. It is more natural for punches to come from these angles.
- Common Punching Angle #1 – straight left
- Common Punching Angle #2 – hooking left
- Common Punching Angle #3 – upwards left
- Common Punching Angle #4 – straight right
- Common Punching Angle #5 – overhand right
- Common Punching Angle #6 – upwards right
Turn the Body to Slip All Punch Angles
Slipping the Straight left
- Position #1 slips outside the jab and sets up counters from the outside. Also for getting into range and or smothering the opponent afterwards.
- Position #2 slips inside the jab and sets up counters from the inside. Also useful for using this as part of your in & out movement. Slip inside with some counters and then pull out.
- I can also alternate between these 2 positions if the opponent attacks with multiple jabs.
Slipping the Hooking Left
- Position #1 turns your body sideways and sometimes leans away from the hook. This movement easily slips or rolls off the left hook from your boxing stance.
- Position #2 is useful after throwing a right hand. Sometimes my right hand can’t recover in time so I use the left glove to block high and drop my right glove to block low. I leave the body sideways instead of recovering to neutral position to avoid the chance of turning into a counter left hook.
- Position #3 is a great way to slip body hooks by turning sideways and pulling the body back just a bit. I lift the elbows to let the body hook pass and I counter over the top.
Slipping the Upwards Left
- Position #1 avoids the left uppercut easily by rotating the body slightly and leaning away.
- Position #2, I extend my left arm to push opponent back while leaning away from him.
Slipping the Straight Right
- Position #1 slips the right hand by standing high to let the right pass.
- Position #2 slips the right hand by going under. This can be a good position if you want to get closer to your opponent or push him back. It’s probably a good idea not to stand up right away if you sense a left hook coming afterwards.
- Position #3 slips the right hand by using an over-rotation to the left. This is an easy way to slip if you just threw a right hand and feel the counter coming before you’re able to pull your hand back.
- Position #4 can also be used after throwing your own right hand. It’s easier to rotate to the left if you step your left foot out.
Slipping the Overhand Right
- Position #1 avoids the wide right by turning your body sideways and leaning back. If your opponent swings the punch more sideways, this position will let the punch miss right past you.
- Position #2 is a good option if your opponent is swinging over at you. It’s a great way to make your opponent miss by going under his punch — please excuse the bad photo, it doesn’t clearly show that I went under the punch and not outside the punch. Going under the punch allows you to escape out behind him and land counters while he turns around. (Also useful for escaping when you’re cornered.)
- There is a TIP to Position #2. Instead of trying to duck under his punch, dip forward as if you want to catch his punch on your forehead but then bend your knees just a little. This is all you need to make his punch sail over your head.
Slipping the Upwards Right
- The easiest way to avoid uppercuts is to lean away. Too easy.
Body Movement Instructional Video
Watch my video for a much clearer demonstration of slipping with body movement!
Favorite Examples of Body Movement:
The one thing all these guys have in common is that they slip punches entirely. Not just straight punches but wild swinging ones and even body shots.
- James Toney – old school skills! This guy slips EVERYTHING. He keeps pivoting and angling from the waist in all sorts of creative ways. Watch this beast in sparring.
- Prince Naseem – one of my all-time favorite unorthodox fighters. Great punch awareness and always has his body at the right angle. Have you ever seen anybody move like this?
- Pernell Whitaker – another crafty defensive technician. He loves to get so low that his body isn’t in harm’s way. Mike Tyson was somewhat similar to Pernell Whitaker in squatting super low. Can you ever get tired of this defensive wizardry?
Final Tips on Slipping with Body Movement
Optimum Defensive Angle
Body movement is about changing the body’s angle,
not about moving the body out of the way.
The main purpose of body movement is to place your body in the optimum defensive position. Although the ultimate goal is to slip the punch entirely, it’s also ok if it becomes a roll or a block. Focusing too hard on slipping every single punch will exhaust your energy quickly. It’s better to focus on placing your body at the optimum angle and then letting the position naturally slip or roll or block. You’re not trying to swing your body out of the way but rather to make slight shifts in the body angle making it easier to defend.
The better you are at finding the right body angle, the less movement you have to make in your body. This is why it is ADVANCED SLIPPING TECHNIQUE. Any beginner trying this will probably find it to be too hard, too slow, and too much movement.
Different Positions for Different Purposes
I demonstrated several ways to slip certain punches because your body is always moving during the fight. Different positions will be easier to reach in different situations. Different positions also allow you to respond differently to your opponent’s next move. Always angle yourself in a position that feels most natural for you and puts you in position to counter or slip the next punch.
Waist Movement
Many of these movements require strong core and back muscles. If you don’t have the body for this, don’t wreck your back by yanking your torso all over the place. Make slight movements and slight angles at first. It also helps to support your upper body by moving your feet to keep the upperbody balanced. (For example: step back with the back foot when you lean back.)
Throw a Counter
Don’t just slip–counter back. Many of these positions give you great angles to fire back. Once you master the body movement, try doing them with a counter. Eventually you will be able to incorporate these body angles while trading punches. Your opponents will be completely confused when they keep missing and you keep landing!
Last reminder: this is an ADVANCED defensive technique!
- Don’t forget to check out Advanced Slipping Technique, PART 1 – Head Movement
Great article is it somewhat of a shoulder roll tho?
it’s actually called defense..read article one before you read article two and compare bro
The movement may look similar but it’s different purpose and intention.
nice
great job with the informative article…now you got me watching Oscar and Sweat Pea box it out
Good read, but isn’t slipping INSIDE a punch and leaning back to avoid a punch bad? For example, in that first picture, wouldn’t you just get hit with a cross while you’re in that “lean back” position if your opponent is fast enough?
theboxingarchive.com
Dropping your hands like Ali is “bad”. Leaning back like Floyd Mayweather’s pull counter is “bad”. Sure… it’s bad if you’re a beginner and still limited by beginner rules.
This is advanced technique and not meant for beginners. Rules must be broken so that you can do what others can’t.
I see…good point.
is their going to be one on foot movement/ so we cover head movement from head to toe?
No no. Footwork is footwork, definitely not slipping. But the next part of this series will definitely be enlightening.
thank you very much johnny. article is great, just need to practice it 🙂
How about to practice these movements with a double-end bag?
Could I get the same results?
Thanks!
No it’s definitely not the same Everton. You need a human partner so that you learn how to react to the way a person moves. A double-end bag is probably the next best substitute though.
i practiced these movements using the double end bag, and it seems i can get it down with something coming back at me i just imagine it being a punch whether its a straight jab cross etc
Great article as usual Johnny, I never had thought to think of my body as a blade when it came to defensive maneuvers. It makes allot of sense.
how can i stop flinching..like i got good form, power everything i just keep flinching when ever i see a punch coming and i can’t react on time…its really annoying
More focus mitt drills and also slow sparring. You have to give your eyes a chance to see the movement before you can train yourself to react to the movements. It also helps to go at a lighter pace so you don’t have panic reflexes.
jason tran!! watch this – http://rosstraining.com/blog/2012/01/11/tennis-ball-reaction-training/
you`ll never flinch again 😉
this is really advanced defense, but many are using/used it. floyd,jones jr., locche 🙂 but brutal reflexes are needed
Quick question: most of my sparring comes from pros or high level amateurs;when slipping the right hand,I am only able to use position #2. Whenever i use position #1 I usually get crushed,but do you have any tips to help me get into a better position to slip outside on high level fighters right hands? Great article by the way.
You have to work on getting outside the punch. If you try to go under the punch, you will get crushed. Please read my guide on how to set up body shots…it will teach you how to slip around the right hands a little easier.
Hey Jhonny,
To train on the same while sparring do we let one boxer hit and the other miss or both ways.
Gerald, for drills: let them go slow and take turns slipping then try it in slow sparring.
http://m.youtube.com/index?desktop_uri=%2F&gl=US#/watch?v=gIo19sqqejI Johnny this is a video of James kirkland sparring. This is basically what happened to me. I need to know what to do in this situation. How do you handle a brawler like that. I’ll appreciate whatever response you give. I just don’t know what to do against these guys. When I try to brawl them I end up getting rocked and none of my punches land
There you go, the link corrected:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIo19sqqejI
Ahhh… thanks Everton.
Ok John. The easy answer is to outbox the brawler. The video in the link shows one guy who seems faster and more powerful than the other. Also throws more punches and comes with relentless aggression. If you tried to be aggressive and it didn’t work, you’ll have to go the other route which is to outbox him. Start with the jab. Try some uppercuts when he comes in like that. I have to see the fight to really say anything. But either way…even if you lose to him, keep improving yourself in whatever way that you can.
Have some nice body/head movement in this sparring session, they go light and slow so it is pretty easy to see their movement
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGlae3BaHLk&feature=relmfu
Hey johny! My slippin technique is
when he throws a jab i slip outside, he comes with a right cross and i duck under it.but leaves me off balance doing the ducking under his cross.
So what i do is,after that slip i take an extra step with my front foot quickly and pivot in it, taking me to the position where his punches wont reach me but mine will. I want your suggestions on it.
Hi Dayne, please check out my guide called “How to Set Up Hooks to the Body”. It will address the issues you are having.
A crucial thing to know about slipping is you have to know WHY you are trying to slip inside. If you don’t have a counter in mind, you can avoid punches easily by stepping back.
Is this the idea of the body slipping i know it with swords but im pointing out the concept, starting at :16 ending at :25 (and please excuse the profanity at the beginning)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pCN_JEKiJk
Lol, you sent me a sword fight but yes, it’s definitely an example of body slipping.
may i know is boxing slipping style similar as mike tyson peekaboo style? it is hard to learn mike tyson peekaboo style
This style is different from Mike Tyson’s peek-a-boo style. That will have to be another post.
can you please put up a guide on how to properly throw an overhand right or tell me if you have already put one up, ive been reading these articles for ages and they have helped me so much. thanks
That’s in the works, PK! For now, throw a normal right hand but release the elbow out a tiny bit and there’s your overhand!
Torso agility right? What about the Dempsey roll moving in a eight shape or bobbing and weaving as a southpaw. or moving in a unusual rythem left right to right left right. where does this all fit in?
Yes, it will require some torso agility. All the other movements will have to be explained in a seperate guide.
Btw Curtis, you don’t have to enter “gmail.com” into the URL box when you leave a comment. You can leave that box empty. 🙂
How much experience should someone have before trying to learn this?
Get comfortable with the more basic slipping techniques first and then try this.
Hey Johnny huge fan of every article so thank you but ive read this several times my question is how does this movement prepare you to counter like regular head movement in the video it seems you’re turnin the legs with you’re waist so that might be my answer but just want a clearer answer I consider you my boxing coach btw youre awesome thank you again
Hi Randy, this video is very conceptual more so than actual slipping technique. These movements are to help you visualize slipping in another way and to incorporate that visualization into your regular slipping technique. You don’t have to slip the way I show in the pictures and videos. Simply understand the technique and apply it where you can.
Ok Johnny thank you for the response more if the clearer answer I was lookin for have any more fighters in mind that I could watch that are still active besides the ones listed above
There are so many fighters you could be watching. All experienced pros will utilize different variations of the concepts I share here in this article. You could watch videos of any pro or go to the gym to see this, you don’t need to ask for more big name fighters. The best footage to watch is sparring footage where they’re more relaxed and loose.
Understood thank you Johnny
Johnny, when your on the ropes and your opponent is throwing shots at your chest and solar plexus, is it a good technique to duck real low slipping the punch and pivoting to the outside? I seen louche do this once in a match and i believe it’s a great technique to use.
It’s a great technique. Learn how to do it and when to use it and then let it happen naturally.
I see many problems with these techniques. First of all your stance is very sqaure on and I know your making yourself a big target to then slip but this type of extremely risky defense is only suited to naturally gifted fighters with great reflexes. Not everyone can do this type of defence in a real boxing match where its intense and fast paced. Also your not taking into account combonations. The slipping your using is leaving you open for the next punch because your leaving yourself in an unnatural postion and like I said very few are blessed with james toney reflexes haha. The way you step to the side outside the punch is so so risky haha. You should only use movements like these when your 100 percent sure you know what’s coming because its a disaster waiting to happen.
Everything you mentioned is a perfect example of why this guide is titled ADVANCED SLIPPING TECHNIQUE. It’s “hard”, it’s “dangerous”….but if you’re skilled and able to do it comfortably…it offers a whole new world of benefits.
First and foremost I would like to say thank you so much for everything you do.
I don’t know if such article exist, but can you consider doing an article on body movement but solely for BODY PUNCHES? I realize some, if not most, of these movements are already on this article (Advanced Slipping Part 2)… But, for example, slipping a jab to the body is not covered. Even an article covering just these missing movements is great, no overlapping necessary with this article, to make it easier lol. If I was rich I would handsomely pay everyone that helps me in my boxing journey haha
I’m just getting back in the saddle after a long bout with trying to deal and finally coming to a happy (I don’t want to jinx myself) medium I was in the Marine Corp and the Coast Guard and was in special opps during this time I became a close quarter combat instructor and an edged weapons defense instructor I just got a heavy bag for my birthday it has been nine years since I broke out my old manuals and it was driving me crazy I thought there was a heavy bag training regiment well I looked through everything and didn’t find anything. Surprisingly with in 10 days ive built up to 2.5 minute rounds interval with approximetly 100 seconds of rest in between well I did that 4 times today I’m looking for some really basic and really extreme heavy bag work outs or programs if there is such a thing wasn’t wording what I wanted right in search any ideas in this strange quest. -100lb bag, just hand strikes, familiar with combos, looking for the basic to get in shape and the extreme to relieve stress with out VA medication Thank you either way I appreciate it
Hey Johnny , what exercises, boxing related or otherwise, would you recommend to build up the core and lower back muscles necessary for James Toney-esque waist dipping and movement? Having a more mobile upper body in general seems helpful ( kinda like Roberto Duran in his prime ) but my problem is I’m too stiff and upright and just can’t seem to get comfortable or dynamic when utilising my waist.
Hi Noah, check out my guide called “Boxing Head Movement”. It will help you develop the proper technique. Slipping is more about finesse than muscle conditioning.
How to slip body punches? what elements does it require?do i need to get out of his range quickly to the opposite side?
Body punches are hard to slip. Either you lean out of the way, or jump back and/or pull your hips back (like Mayweather does).