When You Hear/See the Combo, Be Confident
This is the first and most important step. In fact, of the 8 things I list here, if you give up reading the whole thing but just get this first point down, it will help a lot. I can't tell you how many times I have seen someone brand new hear the combo and see it demonstrated slowly, decide that it is too tough for them and there is no way they will be able to remember it. This also can happen when I add on even a single punch to a combo they were already throwing pretty successfully. I can see it in people's eyes and sometimes people even say it out loud. The problem is that once you do that, once you tell yourself that something is too hard and beyond your abilities, your pipes of learning are clogged. A combo or add-on may be challenging, for sure, but there are ways to tackle this problem. We need information to flow as freely as possible and just like a clog in your sink drain pipe will prevent water flow, so do our mental clogs prevent information flow.
Instead, tell yourself something like what I just said - "This is a challenging combo, yes, but it is something I can learn calmly and methodically." Self-talk is so important. If it's hard for you to always be so positive and confident, just make sure you at least avoid the highly negative stuff. The instant you say something like, "this is too hard, I will never get it", you can make it almost impossible for yourself. Not because the combo is impossible, because you made it so by clogging the pipes. Keep those things clear!
Besides just the negative self-talk being, well, negative, it is also a distraction. I have seen many instances where I give someone a combo, they immediately decide they can't do and don't even hear what I say afterwards because they listening to their own selves tell them that they can't do it instead of listening to me. This of course, only compounds the problem. So make sure not only keep the pipes clear but also your ears open, without any internal distractions.
Take It Slow. At First!
If you even have to think about the combo at all, take it slowly the first time or two that you throw it. No need to rush it. Take it one punch at a time. Teach your own muscle memory. Do not worry about power or speed or even perfect technique right away, just kind of do a quick run through.
The idea though is that you just do this once or twice though. Then you want to try to increase those three factors I mentioned earlier, in this order - technique, speed, power. I have also seen people get a combo down, throw it perfectly 10 times in a row but then lose it again. It's happened to me too. Just reset, run through it slowly again, and then get back to your technique, speed and power. Sometimes we need that little reset and slow is the way to do it.
I have also seen this taken to a non-productive extreme though. People using this slow method longer than I think they need to. At some point, take the training wheels off the bike and speed up. If you fall down and lose it, you can always go back to slow but don't be afraid to try and throw a combo with confidence after a couple practice rounds. What is the worst that could happen? You throw the wrong punches? So what?
Say the Punches Out Loud As You Throw Them
This goes hand-in-hand with the abovementioned tip. It helps your brain and your muscles learn the punches and build the flow. It also helps you to concentrate, focusing on the punches and avoid any distractions and/or negative self-talk. And it helps you to breathe out every time you throw a punch, something lots of people have trouble with. What's more, I truly guarantee it will help you. I guarantee all of this stuff will help but this is the most easily measurable.
So why don't more people do it? It is an ongoing mystery to me. I am sure some people don't want to make any noises out loud in a room full of others but you can say it under your breath. And if that is really an issue, stop caring about that. We are allowed to make sounds when we punch. Literally every single fighter does. Every single one. It is not like when those brohams grunt at the gym trying to look cool either. There should be some forced exhale sound at the end of your punches. It is part of the technique. Plus, remember that worrying about what other people think is another way you can clog your own pipes.
If a Combo Is Particularly Long, Start With Just the 1st Few Things
Usually, I try to build combos with smaller, digestible chunks. But let's say a combination starts off pretty long, something like double jab-cross-lead hook-rear uppercut-roll-overhand-liver-lead hook. I would never start off with something that long but let's say I did and it wasn't clicking for you. Start off with just throwing the double jab-cross-lead hook. That is pretty reasonable. Most of us have done it before. Don't even think about the rest of it for now. Just concentrate on the first 3-4 strikes. Then add the rear uppercut on. Then maybe the roll-overhand.
If you never quite get all the way there, that is okay. Just practice what you can right now and you will be better prepared to take on more in the future. Plus you will get much more work in. Use this technique as part of your self-talk as well. If you tell yourself that a combo is very long and very challenging, remember that you don't have to do all of it. Just take it one or two pieces at a time. You can do that!
When It Comes To Add-Ons, Don't Overthink!
So if the combo isn't too long at first (or even if it is) and we do decide to build it up by adding on a strike or movement or two, don't worry. First and foremost, you don't have to actually add it on! Just like I said above, if your brain is maxed out, you certainly don't have to add on extra stuff. Keep it digestible and only add on when you are ready.
But if you do want to add on, don't overthink it either. It may not be as challenging as you initially feel like it is. I have seen instances where I had people throwing a combo like, jab-cross-liver shot-slip-lead hook and everybody's hitting it pretty well. No one looks confused, no looks hesitant, everyone's just flowing. But then I add on a cross and it's like the levy just broke! Sometimes people will seem to re-evaluate everything they just did now that a single punch or movement or two has been added instead of just doing the same thing they were already doing successfully and throwing a cross at the end.
Know That There May Be a Repeating Pattern or Structure
In our classes, we put a lot of thought into each round and progression of everything. We also do so knowing that certain things will be challenging and try to mitigate this issue re-using certain structures, patterns, or even the punches themselves so you don't have to learn something brand new every time. For instance, I just taught a class where slips and rolls were the focus. First 4 rounds were all about slips, the next 4 were about rolls. So in Round 2, there was a combo that was jab-cross-lead hook-slip-lead uppercut-cross. When working on rolls in Round 6, we went back to this exact same combo except instead of slipping, we rolled (J-C-LH-roll-LU-C). So instead of it being something totally new to learn, it was the same thing with just a defensive variable changed.
This is a pretty basic example but there are many that aren't necessarily so obvious. You may not even perceive them, in fact. So how is that supposed to help you if you don't perceive the similarity? Self-talk. I keep coming back to it. Instead of thinking, "Oh crap, I've got to learn something brand new!", think that this is something you have done before, whether you remember it or not, and your brain and body can probably handle it.
Another type example involves the specific punches. Instead of looking at them as all individual, unique things that require the same amount of brain processing power, think that there may be some repetition that can be grouped together. For instance, if I were to tell someone to throw a jab-cross-lead hook-cross-lead hook-cross, they would hear a lot of words and maybe think it's particularly tricky but all it is is a jab and then repeated between crosses and lead hooks several times over. Or sometimes I like to do what I call "cycle drills" where you might throw a jab-cross-jab-rear uppercut-jab-rear hook-jab rear body shot over and over. Sounds like a lot but you can simplify by telling your brain that the only punch you are going to throw on your lead side is a jab. It's just a jab + a new punch on the rear side. Still challenging but easier when you don't have to think about doing anything differently with the left/lead side of your body. But not everybody does this. They just hear 8 totally unique strikes.
Don't Be Afraid To Do the Wrong Thing
I already touched on this one when talking about taking things slow at first but it is definitely worth mentioning on its own. Though I will say, once again, that I fully guarantee all of things will help you, you may still get lost in a combo. Or you may be used to throwing a slightly different combo and it's hard to stop your muscle memory from throwing the old one. It is gonna happen if you practice a lot of different combinations of punches (and you should). And while slowing things down at first is helpful, you do not want to get to the point of hesitation because you are worried about throwing the wrong punch, rolling the wrong way or whatever. Just throw something and if it is a hook instead of a cross, that's fine. Can always fix it later. I just don't want anyone getting in the habit of constantly second guessing themselves and not committing to their strikes. The technique behind the strikes is always going to be more important.
Important Note: This does NOT mean that you should quit trying to throw the combo or drill or whatever the coach gives you. Do not give up on it in the spirit of this tip. Yes, it might be hard but you CAN do it. Don't be afraid to be wrong but always try to be right.
Careful With the Ancillary Stuff
This can be a problem for more experienced boxers as well as new boxers, who are already fans of the sport, and try to bite off more than they can chew early on. Boxing is not just throwing combos or punches. It is footwork, head movement, hand movement, feints and more. I always like seeing people move after they throw a combo and not just stand in front of a bag and punch. But we all have to be careful sometimes. When you add in a lot of extra movement, you run the risk of forgetting the combo. I have certainly done it myself while taking classes. Sometimes I have done so much other stuff, I even forget what the combo is when it's time to punch. If you find yourself moving around a lot but then having trouble executing the combo efficiently, maybe eliminate the ancillary stuff and just focus on the punches. Burn the flow into your brain and then add on the movement.
And if you're brand new but love combat sports, don't come in and start dancing around and doing the Philly Shell like Floyd Mayweather. Let that be the LAST thing you learn. Get the punches and the combos down. Don't worry about how you look. I honestly think everybody looks pretty cool when boxing but if someone tries to do fancy stuff without understanding the basics or even the combo, it looks awkward and the opposite of what they are going for.
Boxing is as much of a mental game as it is a physical one and combination punching is a great way to help your body learn the mechanics while flowing through them efficiently. It also helps provide the best full-body workout. If you were to just throw individual punches, you would be able to work a lot of muscles but when you throw them together in different ways, it forces those muscles to move in infinitely different ways. While there a lot of different lifts with weights, it doesn't compare to the number of boxing combinations. And if you did every type of weight lift, you would run out of time in a day, whereas boxing combinations go fast and you can get a much more significant amount of work in a very short period of time. This is why we practice them all the time, besides of course, the boxing skill/strategy element. It's just the mental part that is difficult but I will close in saying for the third and final time that if you follow these tips, I guarantee it will make it easier for you to grasp and transition through all the different combos. Or your pizza is free.
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