Catch Punches And Quickly Counter With Teddy Atlas
Fighting on the inside can be pretty dangerous and nerve wracking. The thing about it is that if you’re fighting on the inside not so intelligently, you will probably just be landing on your opponent’s arms rather than the body or the head.
This is because of the way people tend to position their hands when they fight on the inside, especially in traditional western boxing. For the most part, in boxing, fighters don’t want to clinch up, because it is against the rules and you really can’t land powerful punches from the clinch position.
So most fighters end up taking a low stance with a full high guard. While this means that they are safe, it’s probably the stance your opponent has also taken. This means that likely you and your opponent won't be landing much offense.
That’s why you need to be able to time your shots on the inside well. This can be hard as you’re so close to your opponent it can be hard to see. tHat’s why you need to rely on your other senses.
That’s why we’ve brought in one of the best boxing coaches in the business to show you how it’s done. In this video the legendary coach Teddy Atlas goes over how you can block and counter on the same side while you’re inside fighting.
Who Is Teddy Atlas?
Teddy Atlas is a boxing coach who has been in the boxing game for longer than most modern day fighters have been alive. He’s worked with countless legends of the sport like Mike Tyson, Micheal Moorer and many More. If you’re one of those people who hasn’t heard of him, do yourself a favor and do some film study on his fighters.
How To Catch And Counter On The Inside
The video starts off with coach Atlas going over the basic concept of the catch and counter. Basically what you are doing is when your opponent throws a hook at you, you very quickly block and then immediately throw a punch with the same side that just blocked.
This is what coach Atlas calls the catch and pitch. When your opponent punches you, their hand needs to leave their face, that means that they are exposed, even if for just a moment. This is an opening you can exploit to land your punch, filling the hole as coach Atlas calls it.
If you block a punch on your rear side, you should be able to land a rear uppercut or cross before your opponent can return their hand back to their face.If you block a hit on your lead side, you can quickly respond with a jab or a lead hook.
You can also use the catch and counter to start a combination off. Just remember that your opponent can still exploit your combos to land counters of their own. Remember to add in some head movement between your shots to mess with your opponent’s rhythm as well.
Learn More From Teddy Atlas
If you like this inside fighting breakdown from Teddy Atlas and want to learn more from the legend himself, you can check out his complete inside fighting video series “Trench Warfare: The Art Of Inside Fighting By Teddy Atlas” available exclusively on Dynamic Striking!