Basic Boxing Punches

Boxing requires that you are able to move well, keep your hands up, stay strong throughout the game, and be tougher if your opponent is tough. But most of all, boxing requires you to learn how to thrown a punch properly. Below are the things you must first learn:
Straight - A straight punch is the quickest and most direct way to hit an opponent. Since it can be executed on the traditional stance, a boxer can use a straight punch at his disposal - more often than any other type of heavy punches in his arsenal. A straight punch is also the strongest and the most preferred knockout punch by many boxers.
It usually targets the head of the opponent and provides a fairly good amount of damage when set up by a job or used in combos. A (right/left) straight punch is also known as a (right/left) cross punch since it is thrown from the chin that produces a crossing motion across the body. A straight punch is usually thrown by the rear hand with power. When it follows a jab, this move is called the "one-two" combination.
Hook - There is no exact opposite to straight but hook is probably it. If a straight punch normally goes right in the middle of the face, a hook is usually aimed at the chin. A hook can only be done effectively by swinging the arm in a horizontal arc. It is best when set up by a jab and followed by an uppercut or another hook. It possesses a knockout power.
Uppercut - An uppercut is considered to be the most dangerous punch in boxing since it is the least used punch and thus the least practiced punch to avoid. It is a vertical punch that rises when thrown and usually targets the chin and torso. Uppercuts can be set up with a jab or thrown in combination.
It is the most effective punch to use during "inside fighting" or when boxers are close to one another. When executed properly, an uppercut can severely inflict great damage to your opponent. The manner which an uppercut is done is like curling your arm to pick up a bucket of water.
Jab - I have mentioned this last for a reason. Jab, while it is the least powerful, is the most important punch than any other punches known to boxing world. I didn't make this one up. The great Mohammad Ali used jabs more than 90% of the time. If jabs are the low-power boxing punches, how can it become the most important?
Jab has several purposes: it wears down the opponent gradually, it gives him a little sting, it keeps him away from you, and it can be used to set up stronger punches. In other words, jabs can be used both as an offense and as a defense.
A single punch is not enough to bring your opponent to the canvas. Once you learn the basic punches, you need to learn how to use it properly. Combination is crucial as it allows you to throw several punches, which increases the odds of hitting your opponent.
In theory a boxer should be able to thrown several punches in succession without losing his balance. By learning different combinations, not only you throw punches, you also throw it without making yourself vulnerable by your lack of balance.

Basics Of Professional Boxing

More than anything else, professional boxing was inspired by sheer love for manly fights and the price. Thus, the term "prizefighting".
The popularity of professional boxing begun in 18th century England where the working classes were the first avid fans and participants. It grew on until boxing caught the attention of top-hatted gentlemen and royalty. Today, professional boxing bouts are held around the globe where champions are drafted from various countries.
Scoring system In professional boxing, unlike in amateur boxing, score is awarded based on the 10-point must system. This means that the three ringside judges should award the maximum number of points to the boxer who displayed better exchanges during a round while the loser for each round only gets 9 points. The scores are tallied on score cards which are totaled at the end of the fight. However, this may be skipped in case of a knockout (where one boxer receives a hard blow and is not able to stand up before the count of 10) or when there is a technical knockout (where the game is stopped by the referee due to various reasons).
Scoring Scores are awarded based on the cleanliness of the punches, the defensive tactics the boxer uses and the display of effective aggressiveness. As it is, the scoring system is subject to lack of objectivity which often gives rise to questionable results.
Each knockdown deducts one point from the boxer who fell and penalties are awarded if the rules are infringed. On very serious violations, the game can be stopped and the violator can be disqualified.
As was earlier mentioned, scores are tallied at the end of the fight. If all the scorecards agree, the winner gets a "unanimous decision". It is a "split decision" when the winner only wins two scorecards. If the scores are tied, the decision is draw and it is still a draw if one judge picks a victor and the other two gave tied scores. However this time, it is called a "majority draw".
Rounds Professional boxing fights can last for as long as 12 rounds of 3 minutes each and as short as 4 rounds for less experienced fighters. However, prior to 1982, professional boxing can last for as long as 15 pounds. The accidental death of the boxer Duk Koo Kim during a 15-round fight with Ray Mancini forced professional boxing organizations to trim down the rounds to only 12 rounds.
Weights Weights in professional boxing can sometimes get confusing and for each weight, there could be further subdivisions that add more categories of fighters and champions alike. Below are the more common weight divisions in professional boxing:
Minimumweight Light Flyweight Flyweight Super Flyweight Bantamweight Super Bantamweight Featherweight Super Featherweight Lightweight Light Welterweight Welterweight Light Middleweight Middleweight Super Middleweight Light Heavyweight Cruiserweight Super-cruiserweight, and Heavyweight
Other weight divisions include Strawweight, Jr. Flyweight, Jr. Bantamweight, Jr. Featherweight, Jr. Lightweight, Jr. Welterweight, and Jr. Middleweight.
Champions and Belt Holders Due to the variety of professional boxing organizations like IBF, WBA and WBC and WBO, it is hard to determine which among the top ranking fighter and belt-holders are the champions. Currently though, there is no one governing body that could really produce champions.
There are, however, title holders, titlists and belt-holders and each sanctioning body, as they are often called, have different parameters for determining who the title holders are and who the mandatory challengers are.

4 Secret Steps For Increasing Motivation While Training On The Punch Bags

Training on the punch bags for fitness training, health, weight loss, and boxing has very astounding effects on one's body. You can reduce your chance of getting cancer, lose weight which helps you to look good, feel good, and reduce your chance of heart disease, as well as fighter training to defend yourself and/or perform in an upcoming match.
However, if you're like me, you purchased a heavy bag and a 3-arm powerstation and put it in your basement. Even if you go to the gym, you train on the boxing bag alone.
After doing this for months, years, you might find that training is boring. Of course, if you're so passionate about boxing and training for a fight, this won't be the case. However, for most of us, we're using the punch bags to lose weight, fitness training, strength training, and endurance. In this case, training on the punching bag in your basement or even at the gym can be very difficult due to boredom.
4 secret steps for increasing motivation while working out, losing weight, or training on the boxer bag all revolve around making fitness training and boxing training fun!
The first key is to always feel energized. You can do this by listening to music. Play your favorite songs while training. Just get an ipod or similar device and take it with you to the gym or in your personal dungeon.
The second secret for increasing motivation is to write down your goals. When you train on the punch bags for fitness purposes or for boxing training, ask yourself: why am I doing this? What is my goal? If your goal is to get a killer body, write down smaller mini-goals and treat yourself say, once every 2 weeks when you make progress. Always look at yourself in the mirror and flex! This will help keep you motivated.
The third secret step for increasing motivation while working out, losing weight or training on the punching bag is to change it up. Changing it up is very important for many aspects of life because we are not machines as we like to think. Whether this be for university exams, dieting, weight loss, boxing training, heavy bag tactics, etc, changing it up is important. This will keep you from getting bored. If you train at home all the time, try going to the gym twice or three times a week. You'll get out of your house, see people at the gym, and be in a different environment. This is very important for keeping your motivation and fun level high.
The fourth and last secret step for having fun and keeping your motivation high while you're doing some boxing bag training is to find someone who has a similar interest in you to speak with. Having a friend that you can share goals, interests and research with is very important to keep your motivation high. For instance, if you meet someone at the boxing gym who is also training on the punch bags, go and talk to him or her! It's likely he or she is training for a similar reason you are. By having a buddy, this will definitely help you to stay on track and stay motivated. Social support is all important, you don't want to be a hermit.
I hope my 4 secret steps for increasing motivation while working out, losing weight, or training on the heavy bag make fitness training, weight loss, and boxing training fun, motivational and enjoyable for you.

Are You Ready To Start Vertical Jump Training

When you reach the point when you decide to try to increase your vertical jump, you will need to determine how you stand physically. This is so you will know what you need to be doing when you start your program. There is a correct starting point for your level of fitness and you do not want to be spinning your wheels doing the wrong things.
Have you already been doing dead lifts and squats to build up a good base of strength? Can you squat at least 1½ times your body weight? If you want to make some really good improvements, those would be good starting points. If someone is not able to squat 1½ times their body weight they will make some progress when they go into explosive strength training but they will not reach their full potential.
Your weight can have a significant impact on your jumping ability. If you have too much excess weight, you will need to reduce your body fat level. Reducing your body fat level to below 10% or more and increasing the muscle mass will make a big difference. Adding aerobic exercises can help reduce the excess fat and improve your cardiovascular system.
When you start doing plyometric exercises for the legs, realize that this will be a new shock to the system. Plyometrics will be stressful to the joints and to the body in general and having done your squats and dead lifts will have prepared you for this. It is better that these exercises not be done more than a couple times per week at first, this will give the body time to recover between workouts. For someone that is injury prone, extra care needs to be taken. After you have been doing plyometrics for awhile, you can add another day.
Following a good vertical training program would be the best thing for anyone who desires to jump higher. You just need to be aware of where you are in the beginning so you can start your program correctly.

To Keeping Your Mental Focus

Tell me if this has ever happened to you...You've prepared and practiced for hours before game day. You've done all the exercises and training you know how to do. This game is the most important one of the season. You're ready to roll.You arrive on the court...and suddenly you break out in a sweat. Nothing in your life has ever been so important as THIS GAME.But the more you think about it, the more you realize that there's so much riding on this that you don't know if you've practiced enough after all. If only there was one more day to put in some time and effort.As the game starts, you miss shot after shot. You trip on your shoelaces. You fumble the ball. No matter what you try, you just can't get into the zone.The coach shakes his head at you in disgust, and by the time the game is over, you're banging your head with frustration. What went wrong?Unfortunately, this is all too common on the performance field. Learning to keep a cool head and a collected game may be the most important skill you develop for game day.And there are actually professionals who have studied this very field-the field of sports psychology-extensively. No other experts know better what to do to address those issues-game day issues.Here's one tip...Never forget that practicing and performing are two different things. On game day, forget about judging how it's going. Technical judgements are over by this time-it's time to keep your focus on what's important, and that's the game. If you're having trouble focusing, look at something that has no judgment associated with it: the spin of the basketball, the color of your jersey; until you're able to get back into the flow.The Jump Manual just came out with some awesome interviews, including Patrick Cohn's expert advice after being 20 years in the field, and (sh, it's a secret) just recently, the great Timothy Gallwey's advice on playing the Inner Game. These folks will let YOU know how to overcome the most challenging frontier we as athletes have to face, our own brain.

How to Improve My Vertical - 4 Important Factors to Jumping Higher

Has this been on your mind lately? "I want to know how to improve my vertical." Performing jumping exercises is a key element to learn how to jump higher, but it is not everything. There is more to learn to really improve your vertical.
Strength - You probably already guessed this one. To be able to propel yourself into the air, you need strong muscles. Many do not realize that strength is measured by how rapidly the muscle strands react when used and how many muscle fibers are actually used during a muscle contraction. To react with the force your muscles need to jump higher, they need to be trained that way.
Quickness - To get major air, you need to be quick. Strength and quickness combined is what causes the explosiveness you need to force your body up. To fulfill your mission of how to improve my vertical you have to have both. A great type of jumping exercise that uses both quickness and strength is plyometrics. Using plyometric exercises correctly will help increase vertical by training your muscles to use the built up elasticity to speed up and reinforce the muscle contraction.
Flexibility - Flexibility is a must if you want to jump higher. Flexibility allows greater muscle contraction by reducing resistance from opposing muscles. It also reduces the chance for injury which is very important. Flexibility allows for greater range of motion.
Energy - Your body needs fuel to perform. Jumping exercises are great at strengthening your muscles, but it takes energy to make them perform properly. Chances are you probably already eat OK if you are an athlete. You don't have to completely change your diet. Make sure you get plenty of protein and complex carbohydrates. Your muscles need protein to grow. As far as carbs are concerned, they are used by the body to create energy. If you don't have enough in your diet, your body will find other sources, such as muscle mass. You certainly don't want that.
These are only four aspects of several that can help you reach your full potential. If you are telling yourself, "I still want to know more about how to increase my vertical," you can.

The World of Formula 1

Formula One is one of the world's widest sports. The F1 circuit takes F1 drivers to literally every continent, and F1 results are followed in virtually every tongue. Still based largely in Europe, Asia and Latin America have discovered the sport in recent years. Yet even while countries like Bahrain and Malaysia have picked up the event, F1 Grand Prix tickets and F1 merchandise items are hardly the money makers they once were in the United States. Here's an introduction to the world of Formula One racing. The F1 circuit is typically eighteen races, with about half the races in Europe. In the sport's early years almost all the events were in the UK or on the Continent, with a single event typically reserved for the US' legendary Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the State of Indiana. As the major centers for both F1 drivers and constructors, the UK, Germany and Italy are regular European hosts. In recent years the sport has grown in popularity in the Middle East and much of Asia-India has a constructor team and is regularly on the circuit, so too Abu Dhabi and especially Turkey. In East Asia, the peninsula home to Malaysia and Singapore is to be found on the F1 results sheet more than other countries in the region, though South Korea and Japan have also hosted events. Even still, the Americas-for many other sports a major market and source of talent-have been a mixed bag for Formula One. F1 Grand Prix tickets used to be hot items in the States, but while US dates were a regular fixture on the F1 circuit, they are now sporadic. Indeed, the Americas are one of the few places F1 merchandise isn't readily recognized. The exceptions to this might be Canada-which hosts a regular Grand Prix event-as well as Brazil, one of the sports newest and most intense fan bases. Because of its international status, Formula One is an elite sport with F1 tickets and F1 merchandise valued at hundreds of millions of pounds every year. F1 drivers know that the F1 circuit is a grueling affair, taking them to time zones far from home, their F1 results being scrutinized on the opposite side of the world. Wherever you live-the UK or Kathmandu-check out Formula One today!