Upgrade Your Lead Hook With Souleyman Cissokho
The hook is a fundamental punch in boxing, it’s the second thing you learn just after straight punches. There are a ton of good reasons why the hook, especially the lead hook is important to learn. One, it is the shot with the highest knockout percentage in all of combat sports. If you watch combat sports, especially boxing, a large amount of the knockdowns and knockouts are usually due to a lead hook that the opponent didn’t see coming.
Two it’s a great shot to end a combination on, not only to hopefully rock or knock out your opponent but it also keeps you safe. Ending a combination with your lead hand is something that is regularly taught in boxing as a way to protect the boxer throwing. Doing this, mainly off of a lead hook or a jab, will make it easier to get to your base stance. This means you will be quicker to your stance for your ability to defend against incoming strikes.
Lead hooks are also a good way to sneak in strikes that your opponent can’t see coming and you know what they always say, “It’s the shot you don’t see that knocks you out” This is especially true for mixing the hook together with straights, as your opponent will be fixated on those and not thinking of a hook.
For all those reasons and many more, you need to drill your lead hook, a lot. In this video Souleymane Cissokho goes over a standard combination that ends on a lead hook so that you can train it more. Souleymane Cissokho is a Senegal born fighter who competes out of France. As an amateur he won the bronze medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics in the Light-Middleweight class. He now competes as an undefeated pro boxer and is the current French super Welterweight champion.
The drill itself is very simple, Souleymane has his coach hold pads while he throws a simple jab, cross, lead hook combination. Take note of how Souleymane and his coach aren’t just standing in place and throwing the combination. Both men are moving around, with Souleymane’s coach moving around him while Souleymane moves and adjusts to always be facing him. This is what you should be doing, not only during pad work but during an actual fight.
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You should always do your best to be facing your opponent whether it be small adjustments or big movements. Also Souleymane is moving his head while waiting to land the combination. This makes him a harder target to hit from range. Souleymane will also put his hand out or he jabs the air. Souleymane does this to check his range and maintain the proper distance to stay safe but also be able to move in and land the combination.
When Souleymane is in the proper position to throw his combination, then his coach holds up the pad for it. Souleymane’s coach also only lets Souleymane continue the combination if he lands each shot correctly. If Souleymane lands the jab or the cross improperly, he has to start the combination over again.
This way Souleymane only gets proper reps in the combo. Souleymane’s coach talks about the importance of repetition in boxing training. Even though it might be boring, you need to constantly be getting reps of your fundamentals in order to make sure they’re as sharp as possible. This way you will be able to rely on them in any situation whether your fresh, tired or rocked.
If you like this tutorial and want to learn more from Souleymane Cissokho then check out his complete video series “Crisp Boxing Fundamentals And Workouts By Souleymane Cissokho” Available exclusively on Dynamic Striking.