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you should go back to your shadow-boxing and
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forward intent at all times, even when moving back.
make noises, pretend to be hit and then come
Don’t stand still; be a constantly moving target. See
back stronger. Pretend to totally dominate your
yourself as a winner at all times.
add what you have learned to the format. Have
opponent. Your mind and body can’t tell the difference between reality and an imagined experience if done with ‘emotional intensity.’ Have fun.
Breaking the mould Finally, break the combinations by only doing them in a partial format. For instance, only strike two and three of a four-count combination and add this to your shadow-boxing, or any two numbers that
a forward to backwards axis, but practise using this great footwork to break in and out, use it during the combination to break ground, and try putting the combination at either end of it. This sort of training can be seen as footwork training, but if you link footwork and solid combinations you are onto a ZLQQLQJ IRUPXOD 0DNH VXUH WKDW \RX GRQ¡W À]]OH RXW at the end of your combination and die on your feet. Keep your feet active and use a jab to get you
Ă€W WRJHWKHU ZHOO 'R WKLV ZKLOH DW WKH VDPH WLPH concentrating on body mechanics, balance and body feel. Change the rhythm of the combinations, sometimes on the beat, sometimes missing a beat. Keep a bounce in the knees and change your body height to mix the height of your blows. Similarly, work both long distance and close work. Make your combinations and your footwork like a dance; enjoy moving through your body.
out of distance so that you can start once more on training your routine.
Free shadow-boxing Thirdly, train the combinations by putting them into free shadow-boxing using slipping and other body evasion and evading footwork. Mix the combinations that you’re drilling with single direct attacks. Shadow-boxing is an excellent way to build skill. You need imagination, but good shadow-boxing will internalise all your techniques and give you warrior skills without being hit. If you don’t know what to do, just concentrate on one or two combinations and intersperse them with a jab or double jab, and use one or two simple ways of moving. To work at different ranges, use elbows and knees in the same format as the punches that you’ve learnt already. Relax and play with the timing and footwork. Once you have some sparring experience then you can bring this experience to bear to update your game. 6KDGRZ ER[LQJ LV D JUHDW ZD\ WR EXLOG FRQÀGHQFH DQG D œFDQ GR¡ PHQWDOLW\ LQ \RXU KHDG EHIRUH JRLQJ
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