Closing In On Your Opponent By Cutting The Ring By Teddy Atlas
When two athletes meet in the middle of the ring it often becomes a game of who can land the more effective strikes. Getting in close to your opponent so you can execute a knockout, can sometimes prove to be a difficult task. Often fighters will play a very cautious and evasive game, and then land counter strikes as their opponent gets frustrated and over reaches.
Typically it is the athlete that does all the pursuing, that gets too impatient and finds themself in hot water. You need to develop an understanding of how to close in on your opponent’s range without copping a barrage of attacks. The best way to achieve this goal is to use great footwork while keeping yourself guarded and ready for your opponent to strike.
In this video Dynamic striking has brought you one of the best in the business in Teddy Atlas to show you the best way to close in on your opponent. Teddy Atlas calls this technique Cutting The Ring, which was made famous by the great Joe Lewis!
Who Is Teddy Atlas?
Teddy Atlas is a former Golden Glove boxer and is a Hall of Fame boxing trainer and sportscaster. Teddy Atlas is highly regarded as one of the smartest boxing trainers that has ever coached. He has trained 18 World Champions in boxing including Michael Moorer, Timothy Bradley and the great Mike Tyson.
So you can rest assured that learning concepts from Teddy Atlas will help your boxing skill improve to the next level.
Watch The Video Below On Cutting The Ring By Teddy Atlas!
This video starts with Teddy Atlas explaining how fighters these days don't know what cutting the ring is. He says he has seen plenty of athletes chase after their opponent’s only to be exposed and shot down by the counter strike.
He talks about the great Joe Lewis and how he used to say “You can run but you can't hide” what Joe meant by this was having the ability to cut the ring, or in better terms being able to close the distance and stop your opponent from circling out of your way.
Firstly the best way to explain this is; don’t follow your opponent, if you chase your opponent around the ring they can easily switch their stance or simply just land counter strikes as you come in. Your opponent will just lead you into a bad situation where you end up having a close look at the canvas.
Teddy says “you have to be like a linebacker in football” you need to watch your opponent and move sideways so they can’t move around you. Utilising side steps will guarantee to trap your opponent in the corner so then you can unleash your arsenal of attacks.
So to cut your opponent down means to move parallel with your side steps. You can always close in a little with forward movement but using sideways movement will ensure your opponent cannot escape. An important tip to remember is that if you close the distance with forward movement, then make sure to be alert because your opponent will often throw strikes at you.
So when you close in on your opponent you must shrink the ring, meaning to lean in on angles and throw jabs but then utilize your sideways movement. This is how you trap your opponent and are able to land your combinations more effectively.
This technique is really important for you to develop, so use the lessons from a certified and combat tested boxing coach like Teddy Atlas and you will be cutting down your opponents with ease!
Learn More About Boxing Fundamentals From Coach Teddy Atlas!
If you enjoyed learning this great boxing fundamental technique from Teddy Atlas and you are determined to improve your boxing skill inside the ring or cage, then check out his highly regarded series Footwork-Boxing's Transit System by Teddy Atlas Available exclusively on Dynamic Striking!