Steve's Boxing Progress Report No. 9: "Lightbulbs in the ring"

A cerebral lightbulb went off during sparring yesterday. One of the guys in Clever’s Army has a pretty damn good left jab. He also has a pretty damn good left hook… which often follows the jab. It’s a lefty double-up. Jab-hook. Bam-bam. Very quick. I’d been “catching” the jab with my right glove as one should, then bringing said right glove back to my head to protect against the hook. Sometimes I’m quick enough. Sometimes I’m not. It’s not so much sore, as it is bladdy annoying.

Clever takes me aside.

“When he throws the jab, don’t just block it, knock it away with your right. It’s not just a block or a deflection, but you actually hit it down with your glove and forearm. As you do this, counter with your own left jab. As his left arm is now down in front of him, there’s no way he can throw the left hook and you can throw you own counter without worrying about it.”

Jab-Hook Guy kindly throws a few slowish jabs that allow me to get the hang of it. I do. It works. Now I’m not just blocking his jab, I’m telling it it’s no longer welcome ‘round these parts.

Lightbulbs ping on like the end of an Eskom power-failure.