Boxing Basics
How is stance important in boxing?
Your stance is very important in boxing because I come from the martial arts where I like to be on the back of my legs and in boxing you have to be forwards. So it is a completely different stance. Your weight has to be forward and unless you are able to do you cannot really put any power into your punches. So your stance is really important.
What is the difference between a 'boxer' and a 'brawler'?
A 'boxer' is someone who's more technical, who works more on skill, technique, where as a 'brawler' is more of a fighter--just likes to get in there and 'slug it out'. Even if they have to take three of your punches just to give you one punch, they don't care--they'll do it.
What are the major types of punches and combinations in boxing?
You have the jab, the hook, the straight right, the over hand right, the uppercut. Some of the best combinations are jab right, obviously. Jab right hook, jab right uppercut hook. God there are so many of them. Jab right jab which is my favorite. Or you can do a lead right jab, another right. Yes there are tons of them.
What is the role of defense in boxing?
I'm very defensive. I love using defense in Boxing because for me it is all about not getting hit and there are lots of fighters who have little defense or all offense and do not mind getting hit in Boxing. Which I used to be that way and now that I am older, I am wiser and I like to save my brain cells & be more defensive in Boxing.
What is a 'technical knockout' TKO?
A technical knockout is if you get stopped; you don't go down. A KO is when you go down and you're out, you're out cold, you can't get up. And a TKO is when the ref jumps in and stops the fight. Either you're getting your ass beat, and he needs to stop it, or you go down and you get back up, and the ref doesn't think you can continue so it's a technical knockout.
How does it feel to step into the ring before a fight?
Every time you walk into the ring you're risking your life. You're risking never seeing your family again. I know in boxing, I think in most states they have you sign, if you should die. And that's just a weird thing to have to sign before you walk out into the ring. If you should not make it out, this is where your money goes. It's tough for fighters to have to face that. First of all, you're scared to death to begin with, and then to have to go through that is even scarier, because it is so real.
How do pro boxers cope with fear of injury?
I think I could be fighting for 20 years and every fight I go into--I've had over 50 professional fights and tons and tons of amateur fights. I can't even count the times I've gone into the ring to spar--thousands. Each and every time I'm so nervous and scared. You never go in there saying, "Oh! Piece of cake! This is nothing." Twenty years from now, if I'm still fighting, which hopefully I won't be. Hopefully, I won't be fighting next year. But I'd still go in there scared to death, scared out of mind. It never goes away.
