How to not get hit in boxing

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Boxing is called the sweet science for a reason – the best are experts at hitting others and not getting hit themselves. The art of defense is incredibly difficult to learn as it requires reconditioning innate reflexes to do something that seems completely unnatural.

When someone tries to hit you in the face, our natural instinct is to pull backwards away from the punch. But in boxing, every defensive move must set up a counter attack, so the body must be conditioned to move laterally instead, creating an angle so that a counter punch can be landed. At its highest level, this can mean using the shoulders to deflect punches and set up counters, or even parrying and counter attacking at the same time. Also, if you must take a punch full on, the best way to absorb a blow is to lean head first into the punch with your chin down so that the power is absorbed into your back and legs rather than your neck. These movements take years of conditioning, but once ingrained, they can separate good boxers from great ones.

The best defensive fighters are an absolute joy to watch for boxing purists. Their ability to effortlessly navigate their way around trained athletes trying to take their heads off is a sight to behold, and the combination of nerve and physical geometry is nothing short of amazing. Here’s a brilliant highlight of some of boxing’s finest defensive specialists: