I Teach a Professional Boxer How to Duck Punches... 

"Learn the rules like a pro so you can break them like an artist" -Pablo Picasso Great video as always Mike

I recall Iron Mike doing something similar. He would do a lot of level changes with his slips. He also was significantly shorter than most heavyweights.

I did something similar to this when I boxed, with a slight variation because I'm 6'2. Typically my plan was to try and get my shoulder/trap area under their jabbing elbow, then jump in with a looping hook. It works really well if you're bigger than a guy or stronger. The hook isn't really intended to land, great if it does, it's more of a reminder to the other guy to keep his hands up so you can safely crash into him and push him back or get off the ropes or something.

I was sparring once with a guy much shorter than me (but way better boxer) who disappeared from my field of view and popped up on my side as he was nailing me. It was like he vanished. He did a deep duck and moved to the side. It only worked once but was awesome.

I teach this to my fighters. We drill the hell out of this motion on the dip line. Then I get them to add in the rear uppercut as they get more comfortable with that motion. Then I have them add a hook after the uppercut. This is very effective against someone that uses a lot of straight punches. The dipping underneath the jab or cross hides the uppercut and the rising up adds more pop to the uppercut. Big downside is that you can get your initial dip countered by an uppercut and it hurts a lot. I know from first hand experience lol.

I would like to add that if you’re a short southpaw this technique works really fuckin good I’m a short southpaw and my coach actually taught me that exact style of duck so I can get that angle/foot to the outside when I go in the pocket

1:25 Boy do I love how just about everything I was taught in wrestling is able to be slightly tuned into a secret black magic weapon. The "not trying to not headbutt" is a classic maneuver to establish good head position and general dominance early.

I really like when you two get together. Do you think Jared could recommend a good trainer in St. Louis? I'm looking to up my striking game from "strip mall TKD" to "good boxing for an old fart."

This can work well against a taller person and is a good move if the practitioner becomes confident to duck, which is a different story. For a taller person, it would be difficult to do so. But there are exceptions as well. Good work as always.

This is actually exactly what I've been wanting the answer to

It makes me think of the difference between training and competing karate. You're tought to stay low and firm, to hit as hard as you can, to bleed your knuckles, to start the fight with all sorts of effective defences, and in kumite( fight competition) you just see some weird fencing.( like two guys trying to defend from one another, which makes no sense). I think training translates better into fighting in boxing. You could very well teach these details or experiences.

I am so glad I found you, my jujitsu is very lazy minimum movement and pain compliance to achieve what I want in less steps. You’re striking fits me so well and makes it so easy for me to adapt. Thanks for keeping it simple icy mike!

I was taught ducking down under when I many many years ago learned boxing, I guess in was popular in eastern Europe amateur boxing then. Although it was taught a bit differently, with less emphasis on going inside, more with being able to move in any direction while ducking under. I remember a guy doing it while moving out of the pocket after realising his shots.

I love this move as I'm a heavy guy with lower back problems so I don't bob and weave. One of my favorite moves I do in MMA sparring is catching the jab when they measuring my range. I haven't seen anyone do it as its a long learning cover and most people just know basics punches.

I just tried that today in light sparring and it really worked for me!

Mike you’re awesome dude! Always have these well thought out lessons that can make folks raise the eyebrow (not like the Rock does) and get an interesting convo going. Also is this best implemented in a boxing rule set or for anything?

This is taught in kung fu. It’s about establishing and maintaining contact with the opponent. Even if you’re not physically contacting them, you’re invading their space and staying on them. But like most kung fu, you’ll never see anyone today actually pull this off. Infighter/swarming boxers use this too.

Mike teaching a thing my Kung fu instructor teaches again. I like Mike. Lol

Boxer by the name of George "El Yuyu" Acosta has taught that in his RU-vid channel. I'm glad to see this being used by other highly skilled trainers.

Also when Holmes did something similar he ducked/bobbed, fired jab at opponents right hand, came up with uppercut simultaneously blocking their left, angled and threw a left hook for good measure. He was the King of Jabs and jab manipulation.

Love the non traditional, thinking out side the box..

This may not be seen often in boxing, but is not uncommon in grappling. The drop step can be used to push straight in or push into a slant off the lead leg.

From an mma point of view this technique looks great. I could see my self getting a single leg or double leg take downs right after the duck from this technique

Omg he said typing with boxing gloves! Icy Mike is the live action strong bad!

This is taught a bit in BJJ, but usually its not to get in close to box, its more for getting in close to go for something like a double leg... I've never really thought of using it to headbutt or mess up their boxing but I can totally see it working in that sense What they teach you is to slip in and kinda try to post your knee between the person's legs and use your arms to drag them one way while you shove them with your head in the opposite direction It's a pretty fun nasty takedown that usually gets you either straight to side control or full mount if you're lucky... Again I'm not a boxer... done a bit of muay thai to round things up a bit and learn some stand up... but I can definitely see this being viable... especially for people who know how to put in work on the ground like wrestlers, bjj students etc

I think that may be sick uppercut setup if you keep a little bit of distance to your opponent

you are the best icy mike. thanks for sharing your knowledge, it helped a lot in my sparrings. greetings and respect from Medellin Colombia

5:58 "Just keep em away man" Makes me think of "I CANT LET YOU GET CLOSE" if ykyk

Mike is so short I didn't think he would even need to move to duck out of the way. :D

0:07 You can see the moment just before he answers where he releases that's something he never considered to pass on but also released that it might be useful

Exactly how Evander Holyfield sets up his headbutts without making it obvious. Marvelous 😎 👏🏼!

finally, a short person technique

Cus was teaching that to Mike Tyson.

Lethwei. I think is a really good for something like this. Leduc I'd a practitioner. It's basically muy thai with head butts. But I think muythai boxing techniques (no kicks) and lethwei boxing techniques are great for adding to your boxing tool kit. Moving from punching range to inside fighting to clinch and grapple work. Judo for shoring up the infighting game. And a bit of wrestling and boom you've got alot of drills you can utilize or take from these schools to make the duck not only effective but explosive and scary. Hell the gazelle punch and shuffle hooks of old many times came off of a duck or slip as it were anyway.

Really liking this series with Robinson

Jack Dempsey teaches a move like this called the apple bob, but it goes to the outside not the inside. its followed by the uppercut then overhand hook

I love Icy Mike's dirty fighting tactics!😁

Frog punch hajime no ippo style

Great speech

Fran Sands has a video on "how to avoid punches and punch back" where he demonstrates a ducking movement and talks a bit about it. I like the points you make about the incidental impacts it can have in this application. I agree that it is a bit riskier when its a taller person attempting it on someone shorter but when its similar height or shorter vs taller its a little smoother like y'all mentioned. Ive used it incidentally the way you demonstrate here to gain distance but never thought much about it. Thanks for the video and inspiring some creativity.

Hard 2 hurt Fight Science and Fight Tips best self defence channels

Forgot to get back to this video to comment that the ducking worked. I tried it with a friend 2 weeks ago.

Great Vid Mike,I like dude a really good coach

It looks like the Gazelle Punch from Hajime No Ippo.

5:01 It is time for that elbow 😁

I have the bell notification on and I missed this. Dang

Learning with your guys gotta be so fun :D

I'm not a pro but the way it was taught to me (in Arnis) is that you move slightly diagonal and forward. Also, the action relies more on your footwork. The more you distance you step forward, the lower your center of mass goes. Think of it like when your upper body goes down when you do the split.

That’s from Tyson’s playbook right? I’m pretty sure I’ve seen young Tyson do something similar at least. Floyd Patterson (another Cus d’Amato’s protegee) did something similar, but he bent his back (which is ill-advised usually), then he kinda jumped up with a left hook or similar, giving quite a bit of power. But yeah, short guy boxing, me likes. Keep up the good work.

This move would be good for framing off of your opponent for a head kick & we actually do see mma fighters do this to engage in the clinch off of ducking under a punch

I'd totally do that but I'm 2 meters tall and heavy af. But love the lesson here! Good stuff. Especially the insights on reactive, predictive and determining head movement. Beautiful. ❤

Sometimes when people see these drills or examples they react like a fighter would be trying to duck etc 10 times in 1 fight forgetting that if you train to do something you might only use a few times but at least you’re do it with ease and it will make a difference if you already can fight.

Mike Tyson would work his way into his opponent's territory with a similar like approach.

Erik Paulson and Greg Nelson teach this and hit double legs off it. I was taught it at a seminar by Sean Sherk. Good stuff, particularly for short guys.

Boxer Tim Witherspoon has a video on his channel where he talks about uppercutting the elbow when someone has their jabbing arm extended, similar to how you're using your head to move his arm. Dirty but effective.

Okay.. I was about to type about the right but at 6:45 you said what I was about to type. So now I am typing this.

That's pretty dope.

There's a lot of similarity to the fma systems and probably other systems. Mike Tyson was effective at this type of movement. But nothing wrong with sharing and exploring ideas. Not being stuck to traditional stuff that doesn't always work for everyone! Great work!

Just like the seminar!

love these videos

Someone tried to use a part of your video to sell their literal death trap brass knuckles that have that have hinges and are flexible. It was on a TikTok And they only used the part of you hitting the watermelon with actual brass knuckles.

nice wavedash

Wave dashing in real life.....I'ma try this

Reminds me of Earnie Shavers style

I've got a tall guy variant for fighting short people of this, So the set up is more less the same except you lean back and down while simultaneously widening your stance, back foot staying where it is but the front one moving towards the opponent, that way I end up in a pretty good place to throw an unexpected jab, but since you're moving your whole body forward really fast as you're doing it it hits more like a cross, when all is said and done you're further out than mike is but people rarely if ever see this coming when I throw it at least so it's pretty good for counterpunching, God that's an awful explanation but maybe somebody found it useful

Easy to duck punches when you're basically an XL Hasbulla.

I think it’s a short person thing

No different than feinting a double just to go back to punching

*makes note Don’t bend over when sparring mike 😂😂😂

I like ducking straight down simply because when I'm working the speed bag I can realign my punches instantly without skipping a beat. Don't know how good it'd be in sparring though, but I practice rising up with shovel hooks or uppercuts and it seems like it could work.

Variation of an inside slip to the jab at the end of the day

Cool stuff. Would you throw an uppercut while closing in? Being squatted down like that makes me feel like you're ready to throw that super punch from that NES game Mike Tyson Knockout back in the day lol

I like the move. But usually the check hook comes when your opponent does it. But then again I hate when people say " if you do that I'll do this". Uh-huh whatever 🙄 I'll practice this today in the gym. Thanks Mike

great videos!

To counter, would you advise adding a check left hook as an extension drill on the defensive? So the one getting slipped works on retracting hand or doing the hook on the return in some fashion? Vids are fire, hope you have time to upload some more this May 👏🏼

I was taught a variation of that. My teacher was also a wrestler, as well. So that might have influenced him.

The only time you teach someone to duck down like that is when you're throwing a jab or two to the body for the most part.

Counter: right uppercut

I still suck at boxig but what an intresting video 🤔😂

Thats actually a nice little bounce dip i think it would trick me a few times cuz its so quick. Id prolly land my forearms and try to clinch after your free hit.

I was taught this

I like it!

"reacting

Could you say this is an application of a drop step? I normally see drop stepping into a jab to the body, but you could just stand up too. Then you can mix in feints to the body and what not. Though I could be mistaken in my understanding of what a drop step really is.

I think this is one of those higher risk things that can work. Just like with so much else, timing is a key factor and not everyone will be successful with it.

Now mix it up with an uppercut

So I wonder if it's as effective with more than striking or because people worry more any level changes if it negates the advantage...

I'm pushing that right hand off your nose and stepping back lol..It's gonna be awkward and probably make me cross my feet. But if a guy steps into my face with his forehead, he's catching an uppercut elbow on accident

1:55

This seems it would be more situational to a specific stlye/height. Also, on wheather or not the person throwing the jab is a statue or moving in any direction. I'd say keep this one for yourself and dominate your students with it!

I fight southpaw I do that when I counter a jab drop go to the outside with a cross

Wait, some people *don't* like to "slip inside"...?

(7:35) i never knew that

Nice

Would an uppercut-like move be recommended as You lift Yourself back up?

I seem to remember seeing a double upper cut in Muay Thai that'd go good with this move.

Isn't that the set up for the gazelle punch

this is 1 one of those sneaky tricks that you get get away once or twice with. You have to be defensivley responsible with it to not get cought with uppercut . I mean u have to have it in mind that that might happen , then its all ok.

what about the taller guy bopping in and nudging the opponent's jab hand with his shoulder instead of his head?

Kind of like hiw Holyfield headbutts.