Shadow Boxing

How to do it

1. Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart, one foot slightly back, and your weight balanced.
2. Raise both fists to chin height with the elbows tucked in to hold your guard.
3. Throw a straight lead punch, turning the shoulder over and keeping the other hand up.
4. Drive off the rear foot and rotate the waist to deliver the rear-hand punch through the same line.
5. Snap each hand straight back to the guard rather than letting it drift down.
6. Keep the feet moving and repeat combinations for the length of the round, then rest and go again.

Common mistakes

• Punching with the arm only, which skips the leg drive and waist rotation that start the force.
• Letting the guard drop as the round goes on, so the hands are low exactly when fatigue is already cutting output.
• Locking the elbows out hard at full extension, which puts the joint under repeated snap with no target.
• Standing flat-footed, which removes the rear-leg drive that produces the peak ground force.