Boxing is a combat sport in which punches are delivered with fists encased in hand wraps and padded boxing gloves. This protection allows boxers to throw harder punches in some cases than a barehanded fighter could safely throw. Classic boxing punching techniques include variations and combinations of a limited number of punches including the jab, cross, uppercut and hook.
Features of a Boxing Punch
A boxing punch makes contact with the knuckles. This requires training and proper protective equipment to prevent injury to the boxer. Hitting a hard target incorrectly can break the delicate bones in the hand and/or sprain the wrist. The wrists and hands are wrapped and protected with a padded boxing glove. When you throw a punch, take care not to hyperextend your arm. This will avoid injury to your elbow. If you want to try boxing as a sport or exercise, invest in some lessons from a competent teacher, trainer or coach.
The Jab
The jab is delivered with the leading hand. It shoots out to make contact -- usually with the opponents face -- and is quickly retracted. It is used to keep an opponent away, to inflict damage in its own right and to set an opponent up for other punches in a combination. The jab can be delivered while moving forward or backward, or while circling.
The Straight Right Hand Punch
A right-handed boxer will typically stand with his left foot forward and jab with his left hand. The back, right hand is used to deliver a more powerful punch called the straight right. A left-handed boxer typically stands with his right foot forward and would use his left hand to throw a comparable power punch. Power is delivered through the arm and fist but the arm and fist are not the source of the power. The straight right hand punch gets its power from rotating the core of the body and the shoulders while pushing off with the rear foot and leg.
The Hook Punch
The hook punch typically is delivered to an opponent's ribs or to the side of the jaw. The boxer's arm is bent nearly 90 degrees. Power is generated not by swinging the arm but by pivoting the body which drives the fist at the end of the bent arm into its target. One of the most difficult punching techniques to master, the hook traditionally has been one of the most useful close-range punches. It can be difficult to detect because it is thrown from the side.
The Uppercut
Another useful close-range technique is the uppercut. The arm is held in a position similar to the hook except it drives upward in front of the opponent rather than from the side. Therefore, it is delivered with the boxer's palm facing toward her and directed at the opponent's chin, head or torso from the front. Power comes from the body as it drives the bent arm upward through slightly bent knees.
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