Heavy Bag Drill For In Close Boxing

There is a good reason why some boxers don't like to fight on the inside of an opponent; it's brutal. A hard shot to the midsection will rip the life and soul out of your body. Besides the imminent threat of getting punched hard at close range, you often get one fighter draped over the shoulder or back of another during in fighting. It's very tiresome having to support your body weight in addition to partially supporting your opponent's body weight as well.

However, these are largely the concerns of pro-boxers; not amateurs. The international sanctioned rules of amateur boxing discourages inside boxing, because of how contests are scored at this level of the sport. Three judges sitting ringside have to simultaneously agree to award a point to a competitor. It is difficult for judges to see the action when fighters are in close. For this reason, amateur boxers are coached to punch at a distance and from a position in the ring that gives all the judges the best chance to see him/her land a shot. Regardless of the scoring rules, amateur boxers should still prepare for in fighting. Whether a hard body blow scores or not, it can still inflect major damage and grossly deflate an opponent's fortitude. Plus it is a valuable skill to carry over into the professional ranks, where fighting in close is prevalent.

Practicing on the heavy bag is a good way to prepare for dueling up close while working on other facets of your training such as core strength, strength endurance and upper body agility. The exercises I am doing in the video is not a fixed routine. I'm merely combining various Swiss ball exercises while punching in close proximity to the heavy bag. Halfway through the 3-minute round I stand up, and then I start simulating close range punching and defending. Unpredictable situations come up in the ring all the time. So I sometimes do a drill(s) with minimal structure. But you can progress this exercise as you like. I'm just the finger pointing the way.