Hi there, I'm Mike Gales for fight your way fit. In this video, I'm going to see a
boxing specialist to fix my jab. I'm basically going to see a jab doctor to
repair my ailing jab. once again I'm at the awesome Grant
Brothers Gym. I'm going to leave a link in the description below.
I'm lucky enough to catch coach Jesse Ross Thompson, right before he leaves for
Germany with one of his pro fighters. Coach Thompson is not only an amateur
and pro boxing coach and a cut man he's also extremely knowledgeable when it
comes to the biomechanics of boxing. He's the type of coach that even pro
fighters, who have been boxing for years, go to to improve their boxing technique.
I'll leave links to his Instagram and his website in the description below.
So why am I looking for help? A few years ago, I tore my lead shoulder.
Since then I've picked up a few bad habits that you can see here.
I am dropping the lead hand right before I throw the punch. There have been a
few comments about this in various videos. I subconsciously picked up
this bad habit as I was compensating for my damaged shoulder. Now I want to
go see a professional boxing technician, like Coach Thompson, to rectify the
problem. Contrary to what some people may think, it's not because my lead hand
is lower, that's not my biggest problem. Some of the greatest boxers of all time
like Carl Froch, Roy Jones, Mayweather or even the greatest of all
time Muhammad Ali for example, all kept their lead jab hand low. Having a low
lead hand is not necessarily the biggest problem. I want to mention that
with all of these great fighters that even though their lead hand is low, their
lead shoulder always comes up high a particular chin as they throw out their
jab. That is the most important thing. I usually do that and so the lead hand
low is not my biggest problem. A few of you have commented on what the big
problem really is. That problem is that I'm telegraphing the jab.
My opponent picks up on a little bit of extra movement before I throw and then
they see it coming. I'm also getting a little older and I'm not the fastest.
That extra movement of lowering my hand and then jabbing, is adding a split
second to my jab. That makes it easy to pick off. That is my big issue.
That's exactly what I'm explaining here to coach Thompson that I drop the shot
right before I throw it. This is why he's such a great boxing coach that
other Pro fighters seek out. Instead of just telling me some generic solution
like keep your hand up, he tells me that there are many different
styles of jabs. He wants to know, what it is specifically that I'm
looking to accomplish with my jab.
That's a great question and every trainer should address that. Are you looking
to have a punishing offensive jab, perhaps like Ike Quartey? Or are you
looking to set up other big punches the way Klitschko or Lennox Lewis would set
their big right hand behind a jab? Perhaps you're looking to create
distance. Are you a defensive or an offensive fighter? There's a lot that the
jab can accomplish. In my case, I'm a shorter guy from my weight. I am just under
six feet tall and I often box guys that are much taller than myself. Like
Tyson, I need to use a jab to get in and close the distance. Once there,
I can land my other punches. As it turns out, the best style of jab for me,
as I'm not super quick and I don't have long arms, and so the best jab
for me, is going to be to keep that lead hand up high, like a shield as I come in
behind my jab. You guys in your comments were absolutely right,
which is pretty cool. First, coach Thompson has me through a few jebs in
place, without any movement. That way he can assess that my hand is staying up
high, like it's supposed to. I know that it should be simple but it's a
tough habit to break and so I'm trying now to be conscious of it. Aside from
having my lead hand up, he informs me that Ishould also angle myself even more
towards my opponent. That will limit my exposure to counter shots, as I
enter. I'm also making a mental note of that as well. He's a great coach
and he notices that aside from the problem I have of telegraphing my jab, by
first lowering my hand, he also sees that I'm telegraphing it by leaning forward
slightly as I throw it. That's also going to limit my power and leave me
vulnerable to counter uppercuts. He's got a great eye and that's why it's
great to have another pair of knowledgeable eyes take a look at you.
They may notice things that you may not. True knowledge begins with
humbleness and sometimes you need to be willing to accept help. I'm really
grateful for this little lesson. Again he reminds me to keep myself angled with my
lead shoulder pointing towards my opponent. It may take a little time to
adjust but I'll get it. As I step forward he reminds me of what I know all too
well, keep that lead shoulder high, as you throw that jab out there. Or else you
might get caught with a big punch over the top of your jab. Again it's
imperative that you keep that shoulder high. I'll put on my gloves and we're
going to continue with the lesson. He first steps forward towards me, so that
way, I don't need to think of any foot movement.
I'm getting used to throwing the jab without dropping my hand too much. Keep in mind
here that were only working the mechanics of my jab. In this video,
I'm not using any head movement or other stuff that I would normally use. Right
now, the entire focus is on my jab only. I'm a short guy from my weight and
coach Thompson suggests that an up jab may be a good option.
Mike Tyson would often do that to break through an opponent's high guard. It's a slightly
different movement than I'm used to, where you really need to rotate those
hips but it's definitely a good option. I will definitely practice it.
I will add that step forward, as I jab, to close the distance.
He reminds me not to hesitate but to commit and explode when I throw the jab.
I try to not telegraph it by leaning too far forward or by dropping that lead hand.
Next, coach Thompson is explaining how my jab is just a little
bit predictable. I should consider mixing up my jab, by going to
the body now and then, to throw off my opponent. It's not necessarily that a
jab to the body is going to hurt my opponent, but it's a distraction that can
set up other punches. As I close that distance and I try mixing it up, he
notices that my rear elbow is flaring out a little bit more than it should.
Not only do I need to keep that rear hand up high, it's also a good idea to
keep that rear elbow in close as well, to protect my ribs. As I drop down, my
lead me should never pass my lead foot or else my balance and power are really
going to suffer. It's all well and good to get close but I need to be on
balance when I get there. I'm used to going straight in there and coach
Thompson is helping me up my jab game by helping me be a little more deceptive.
A feint low and jab high, a feint high and the jab low. Is a low shots of the body
gonna hurt my opponent? Probably not but it's gonna get me in range for something
else that might. Now that we have been addressing a few kinks that I have in my
jab, we're gonna get to the way that I need to throw it, to be effective.
I want to close the distance and then throw my power shots
after the jab. Yet I don't necessarily want to be standing right in front of a
bigger man. As soon as I use my jab to get within range, I should switch
angles off to the side, where I'm no longer in the direct path of his power
hand. I will also have a better angle to land the shots that I
want to land. Maybe you're having some of the same problems as myself or
perhaps you're just trying to develop a good jab. Regardless of your boxing
style, there are some things that are universal, that you can use
an implement from this free lesson. First, try your best to make sure that your jab
is thrown in a straight line. You don't want to have your elbow kicked out to
the side like this, as your jabs not gonna be all that fast or powerful.
Your head will also be wide open. Make sure that as you throw your jab, that your
fist, elbow and shoulder are straight and in line with each other, as they impact
the target. Next, make sure that as you throw your jab, that the lead shoulder
comes up high to protect your chin. That is extremely important. Also try and
keep that rear hand up nice and high for defense. Try and keep that rear elbow
in close to protect your ribs and cover up as much as possible. Exhale when you
jab, to keep your breathing regular. This will also ensure that your core muscles
are contracted and solid, just in case you get a counter shot to the body.
I'm going to remember not to lean too far forward because I don't want to
Telegraph my shots. That also limits my balance and leaves me vulnerable to
counter uppercuts. I will also make sure that as I get close, that I keep my
balance and that my lead knee never passes my lead foot. I'm also gonna try
and keep in mind that boxing could be like a game of chess and I should be
using more tactics, like misdirection and feints a little more often, to keep my
opponent on his toes. Most importantly I'm gonna try not Telegraph my jab, by
not hesitating and keeping my movements fluid and direct. In my case, I'm
going to really focus on making sure that my lead hand stays up high, as I shoot my
jab or my double jab and close the distance. I say it all the time, but
boxing is the support of repetition, and I'm gonna add these tips to my training
and keep practicing. Change is not going to happen overnight, but the
more I practice these things, the more they're gonna become second nature to me.
After a while my brain and my muscle memory will be so used to doing things
correctly, that I'm no longer gonna even have to think about it. I just want to
thank coach Jesse Ross Thompson for his time, and I also want to thank all of you
guys for taking the time to watch these videos. This has been Mike Gales for
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