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Topic:Tucked Stomach = Maximum Power
Marco S
Posted: 2016-04-09 14:16:12
Tucked Stomach = Maximum power

Whenever I make a game changing discovery for my own training, I have to post it here.
ax sports science forum is like, my own personal blog.

Tucked stomach.

S&C coaches will always say, "tuck your stomach, flex your abs, during lifts, for max power".

Few weeks ago, was boxing sparring.

Normal stance/form.

Took a hefty shot to the body, put me down.
Got back up.
Same shot put me down moments later.

So I'm deliberating over this for several weeks.

Working on my form.
I'm experimenting with my defense.

I try tucking my stomach.
I notice my elbows fall into place much neater around my body, my head comes down more in a defensive posture, and more shoulders round up or "shell up" more.

So I try maintaining this whilst shadow boxing.
I find, due to my shoulder positioning, that I'm getting a lot more leverage on my punches.

I try hitting the bag.
I find, I'm totally fucking smashing it.

All - with a tucked stomach.

Plus - I used to have the issue to my left/lead hand dropping.

With a tucked stomach, I find, like I said, the elbows fall into place neater around the torso, and this seems to facilitate the positioning of my hands also.

i.e. my left hand stays in place now, does not drop.

I'm loving it.

Total game changer for me.
Waaaay more power on my shots.
Hooks, uppercuts, jabs - especially jabs.

Now I'm really WORKING the bag, where as before, I was just hitting it.

Can't wait to get back into sparring with this new tweek.

Hope this helps someone also.

Peace.
Marco S
Posted: 2016-04-09 14:18:12
How did this get posted in the main forum?

Apologies.

Brian Ritchee, would you mind moving this to the sports science sub forum?
Marco S
Posted: 2016-05-01 07:30:47
I haven't got the chance to try this in sparring yet, cause my spar partners were at the nationals over the weekend.

BUT - I was at the gym, and there's another guy that boxes, for fun, mostly, but he's got a good head on his shoulders and he's been at it a while, so he's familiar with the base techniques.

I was watching him hit the bag, and he does a lot of the same things I used to do.

That real "stick and move" approach, which apparently is good for taller guys (like me and him), but not a particularly enjoyable way to box.
He's also letting his left hand drop, like I did also.

So, I'm talking to him, and I explain top to bottom this new approach I'm using, re tucking stomach, flexing abs, the effect it has on overall posture, punching leverage, balance, form, movement etc.

He starts working the bag using it.

I see in him, exactly the same improvements that I noticed in myself.
More power - jab especially.
His center of gravity is better positioned, so his balance and form is much better, he's getting more leverage on his punches.

As he continues to work, due to the improvement in posture, it's taken a lot of the awkwardness out of his movement, and he's bobbing and weaving much more naturally, as well as his circular movement, being just more fluid.

That was last week.

I bump into him leaving the gym yesterday.

Tells me he's been using it in sparring.
Huge improvement.

He says, one of the biggest things for him in sparring, was actually getting a little nervous and the "fuck my life" feeling you get sometimes.
With this approach, he said he feels so much more confident in his defense, cause he knows, even if he doesn't throw a single punch, he's body is well covered due to the positioning I explained above, and he's abdominal muscles are flexed, protecting him against getting winded or damage to his liver etc, plus the "shelled up" posture that comes about as a product of the tucked stomach, his head, everything is better protected.


The main thing, I noticed regarding him, and myself, is, well, vain as it may sound.
He LOOKS so much better when boxing.

Not this long, flopping movement and technique.
More compact, more explosive, better movement etc.

All, as a product of this simple augmentation.

Hopefully will get some spars in next week.
Will report back.
Marco S
Posted: 2016-05-10 15:06:12
finally got to try this in spaarring.

Defense improved 10x

Big shots, but when i cover up using this method, with a little movement, I take very little damage.

Letting go of combinations, just like I had been working on the bagg, super fast, big power.

Unfortunately, got a little carried away and swung a bit carelessly, breaking my fucking hand on dudes skull, so I'm going into surgery on thurs... bummer.
:)

typed with 1 hand - few errors
Marco S
Posted: 2016-05-10 15:06:59
:( i meant
Marco S
Posted: 2016-06-11 05:04:09
Cast off - typing again.

lol - is this forum gone so quiet that the administrator doesn't even log on anymore??

Any chance of moving this to sports science sub-forum??


A lot of older boxers at the gym have been disputing this approach cause they favor the "stand up straight and use your length" type of approach.

But my reach advantage is not negated here (I'm 6'3 btw)

Then length of my arms isn't reduced just cause I'm more, "hunched over".
I may reduce my height, but that lowers my center of gravity and reinforces my stability.
It doesn't detract from my range with my arms or legs.

I've also find taking a wider stance with more of a bend in my knees, again lowering my overall height, facilitates with movement, having a lower center of gravity, and vastly increases reaction time.


I'm thinking a lot of the old school approaches toward boxing are becoming outdated.
Guys seems to overlook taking a more insightful and mindful approach, and styles and boxing development are stagnating.

But hey - that's just my opinion man, but it's gotta be said cause, the older dudes at the gym, it would seem to me, are really set in their thought processes of how one should or should not box.


Translated into thai boxing, the wider stance definitely assists me with throwing and checking leg kicks, cause I never favored them previously.
Marco S
Posted: 2016-06-29 15:35:41
A crunched stomach.

I have since modified this, doing what my coach was saying, and standing up straighter, using my reach more, but maintaining a crunched stomach.

Having a tighter tensed core, vastly improves my reaction times and movement in general, side to side, footwork - everything.

I don't know how this went over my head for so long - or why boxing coaches don't preach this more regularly.
I think guys that are shorter and stockier may do this naturally, or their movement would certainly allude to the fact that they do.

But most notably - just like a tensed stomach when weight lifting, power is way way up.

Anyways, I've said all this already.

The point I'm making.
Further modification to my stance maintaining pinches abs, up straighter, arms out - my style has basically evolved into this:


youtu.be/P5x6gqwVlsg



God dammit I still can't embed that shit.
But a seriously fun and effective way to box.
Super effective.

And that dude, that's a gloved fight, but he's actually a bare knuckle boxing champion, and he's knocked out everything single opponent in under 3 min.
Marco S
Posted: 2016-06-29 15:37:10
Not to mention, a super flashy way to box.

And chicks love that....
Marco S
Posted: 2016-08-08 13:49:46
I have found the medium.

It's a mix of keeping the abs mildly tensed whilst in the side ways stance, and when throwing full power shots, mostly circular punches with the abs fully tensed, the posture becomes more square on.

It appeared to me, that this is what Mike Tyson did also.

Often times - I mean, what was most profound to me was, for his height, he'd oftentimes beat the bigger guys to the punch, whilst jabbing, like Larry Holmes - who has maybe one of the best jabs of any heavy weight.

People talk about how cause he was stocky, that lent itself to his power and style.
I sas that's a total crock.
I think he developed a style which allowed him to hang with and overwhelm guys so much bigger than him.
An enigma of sorts.
A guy, effectively that small, that could compete with guys that big, as a product of stylistic insight and application.

Tyson seemed to find his way in with a jab, right cross, then on the inside, switch to the square on stance when throwing the power circular punches.
Sometimes even switching to southpaw when throwing power shots off his lead hand - or what would be his lead hand.
This is something I also find myself doing when applying this approach.

I think - I speculate that - as a heavy weight, he was able to apply this for longer periods than fighters at lower weight would be able to, given the slower reaction periods of bigger lumbering heavyweights.

Against a Floyd Mayweather shoulder rolling and in and out style, that approach may have to be applied with greater discretion.

But, again - for myself - it's taken my boxing to the next level.

And boxing, being the base for the stand up movement, has concurrently taken my kickboxing to the next level.

And - curiously enough - also wrestling.
Guys just can't get my legs given my increased reaction times.


Have a look at what I'm talking about with Tyson...

www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjbaoQ-P8ww

That upper torso side to side and perfect bobbing technique being applied - in my case - correctly, due to the greater level of upper body control, whilst the abdominal muscles are taught.
Marco S
Posted: 2016-10-26 10:37:33
Slight modification regarding the squared stance vs side on stance.

I had a fight last week (boxing), and used the squared stance for most of the bout, as that is the position where I do damage.
The big punches are thrown from etc.

When I get tired, and want a "recovery position" of sorts, I go side on, still keeping the abs tensed, but from this side on position, I can really only work the jab effectively (but with more range due to the body position), or the right uppercut (orthodox) if the opponent gets too close.

However, the shoulder roll position using the lead shoulder to defend punches, the right hand to parry - can only be implemented from a more side on position - which again makes the side stance a very effective "recovery position", to catch your breath, yet with very effective defense.
I find again, I can only really use the shoulder roll position effectively, when my abs are tensed nicely - so really a necessity for it in all stances.

Then when I want to be offensive and score points and make it look like an actual "fight", not an evasive contest, I square off again, both hands up, and regain use of all punches, not just the jab.


And finally, when I'm having difficultly finding my range or with reaction time etc - I find, going from tensed abs, to even more tensed abs, and allowing the body to form a natural curvature that goes along with a tensed front mid section.

It kind of rounds off the shoulders and takes an almost "hunch" position - but that is one that allows from much better punching leverage (even excluding the additional power from the tensed abdominal muscle group) - as oppose to a more "straight" stance.

That "curved" posture, lends itself to more powerful punches from every angle - and when coupled with a push off the back foot whilst jabbing - the jab becomes truly powerful - where's previously I would often arm-throw it, and then after a while my arm gets tired, and my corner shouting out, "jab jab jab" - very frustrating.

Being somewhat taller also - you would imagine it would not be wise to get in the pocket with shorter stockier guys - which typically has been true.

But in that contest last week, applying the tensed abs approach, I actually had more leverage, more power, and did far more damage from the pocket position - as my circular punches were that much stronger - the reason outlined previously.
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Marco S
Posted: 2016-12-04 07:17:26
There seemed to have been one missing element to the completion of this style.

In terms of assisting the active/reactive nature of it.

One very small simple change, has made it exponentially more effective.
I actually, for the first time, legitimately stopped a sparring partner last week using this.

Pinched abs - the benefits as previous, still stand.

I did find however, that landing those bombs with the power gleaned from this approach, could be elusive.
Also - reasonably vulnerable to getting tagged.
So, like I said, increase in the active/reactive timing.

The further modification, very simply:

Both feet are planted on the ground.

The rear foot, raising the heal from the ground, and remaining on the ball of the REAR FOOT ONLY.
With the lead foot planted, for stability.
It appears that most of the weight is transferred through the lead foot also, where we "load up" on the shots, so that must be square.

This also increases side to side mobility, which, in sparring has massively facilitated the transitioning to and from the shoulder roll position - which adds a huge defensive dimension to the style.


Pinched abs, lead foot flat, rear foot - on the ball of this foot.
Pushing off the rear foot when jabbing.


That's about it.

I looked for confirmation of this in other boxers style, and sure enough, with Tyson, it's clear he also maintains a flat lead foot, and stays on the ball of his rear foot - and of course his active/reactive times are breath taking.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=-22RvoxJU_I

3:03 - the shadow boxing sequence demonstrates this clearly if one keeps there eyes on his feet during that clip, and there are other examples further throughout that training vid compilation.


The way Tyson holds his hands, with his palms facing his body, as oppose to each other as is the conventional approach, would indicated to me that he incorporates the pinched-abs approach, as I have found this is the natural hand posture for myself that has developed, using this approach also.


Next contest on Saturday - so hopefully I'll be reporting back with a stoppage win.

Thanks for reading ;)
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