Learn The Unique Cupid Punch With Teddy Atlas
Counter punching is one of the most effective styles in boxing. It shows technical expertise by the boxer using it, and the great thing about counter-punching is that it exploits the opponent’s openings, so defending them will not be easy.
Many people mistake counter-punching for being an offensive skill. But, the truth is that counterpunching is a defensive skill made to deal with the opponent’s offense and stop him in his tracks. Using counter punches, we can keep aggressive opponents at bay as they will be afraid to commit and get punished by us.
Still, most boxers try to counter punch by reaction, which is tricky to do as they cannot perceive the punches coming at them fast enough to respond to them with the right counter; the window to counter is too short when we react.
We must remember, “action is always faster than reaction” if the opponent is making the action and punching, we will be too slow trying to react. Instead, good boxers anticipate punches; they lay traps and draw their opponent in, so when the opponent is attacking, they are already in a position to counter, making them the ones leading the dance.
Because anticipation is critical to use counters successfully, a good setup is needed. The best and most simple setup we can use to analyze our opponent and lead the action is - establishing the jab. By using our jab to draw reactions and exploit openings, we can easily anticipate the opponent’s next move and counter it.
The last thing that we need to make sure that we are not missing when using counters is the ability to use our eyes to scan before throwing the counter, and this is essential because after we defend a punch, we will see many openings. By checking for openings before countering, we will choose our next move effectively and aim for the right spot.
In this video, Teddy Atlas Will show us how we can hit “the heart” of our opponent off the counter punch.
Who Is Teddy Atlas
Teddy Atlas is a legendary boxing coach known as one of the most intelligent minds in boxing today. Teddy is also famous for being Mike Tyson’s coach for three years until they had a “minor” incident that made them go in separate ways. Teddy is one of the last students of the great Cus D'Amato, considered by many the greatest teacher boxing have ever seen. Nowadays, Teddy is still teaching but is also a commentator for ESPN, where he is known to be one of the faces of boxing.
Get more great details from Teddy Atlas! Click Learn More!
Landing The “Cupid”
The video starts with Teddy introducing us to a punch he calls “Cupid.” This technique is named after the real Cupid as it aims right below the heart.
We will use a right uppercut to aim for the left side of our opponent just below his chest, where the heart lies.
The great thing about the Cupid is that it stuns our opponent and gives us enough time to throw something over the top; this punch halts the guy in front of us and stops him in his tracks.
If we have an aggressive opponent that is constantly pushing forward, we know that it is the best time for us to use the Cupid, as it is a punch that can slow his momentum and let us start building our momentum off the counter.
The Cupid works best as a counter because we have enough time where the heart is open to the right uppercut; we can also use it after a jab when the opponent covers up, but still, the best time to land the Cupid is off the counter.
Let’s look at an excellent example of how we can set up the Cupid:
- Step backward and draw our opponent to come and chase us
- The opponent steps in and throws a jab
- Anticipate and slip the jab
- Counter with a right uppercut to the heart for the Cupid
Learn More From Teddy Atlas
Suppose you like the method Teddy uses to stun an opponent, and you would be astonished to see how methods like that he has to offer you in his DVD “World Of Body Punching - 8 Ways To Put Water In The Basement” available exclusively on Dynamic Striking.