Escape The Inside Fight With Teddy Atlas
Whether or not you like fighting on the inside, you are probably going to end up there, even if you don’t try to. If you're a taller fighter, most of the people you either spar or compete against are going to want to close the gap and force you to fight on their terms.
If you're a shorter, stockier fighter then getting in close to neutralize your partner or opponent’s reach is probably going to be a big part of your fighting style. Maybe in-fighting isn’t a big part of your fighting style or your opponent’s but you both just end up there because it’s a fight and therefore, always somewhat chaotic.
However you probably don’t want to spend the entire fight in an in-fighting scenario, even in sports like boxing. Not only is it dangerous to be so close to someone one is trying to knock you out, especially if they have more power than you but it is also very taxing on your stamina.
That’s why you need to know how to properly escape those situations. You usually can’t just walk out of an in-fighting situation. That’s why you need to know the finer points to get you out of there and stay safe at the same time. That’s why we’ve brought in one of the most legendary boxing coaches to talk about this very concept.
In this video, coach Teddy Atlas goes over how you can safely escape an infighting situation in boxing.
Who Is Teddy Atlas?
If you're a striker and haven’t ever heard of Teddy Atlas before, then you really need to fix that! Teddy Atlas is a boxing coach, analyst and commentator who has been around for decades. 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 Escape The Pocket
The video starts with coach Atlas saying that if you want to exit the inside fight, then stepping straight out isn’t the best option, especially if you’re the taller fighter. If you step straight out then you are leaving yourself exposed to your opponent. Not to mention that it is easy to follow an opponent who is stepping backwards, meaning that your attempts to escape your opponent might just be a waste of energy.
What coach Atlas says that you need to do is get low first. Now that your level is lower, you are harder to hit, both to the body and to the head. From here you still don’t want to just step backwards. What you want to do is roll to the outside, specifically to the side that gets you to your opponent’s back.
Now you aren’t only safe and out of the pocket, you are in a better position on your opponent.
Learn More From Teddy Atlas
If you like this breakdown from Teddy Atlas and want to learn more from the legend himself, you can check out his complete video series covering the peekaboo style “The Peakaboo Style Of Boxing By Teddy Atlas' ' available exclusively on Dynamic Striking!