The No.1 Defence in Boxing: Soviet Style Pendulum Step Explained
Summary
TLDRThis video tutorial breaks down the pendulum step, a key technique in Soviet-style boxing. It focuses on footwork for efficient in-and-out movement and ring navigation. The video teaches correct technique, including weight distribution and ankle rigidity, and offers drills to enhance this footwork. It also covers how to throw punches like jabs and hooks while pendulum stepping, and suggests combinations to confuse opponents and improve overall boxing strategy.
Takeaways
- π₯ The number one defense in boxing is footwork, which is central to the Soviet style's effectiveness.
- π The pendulum step is a fundamental technique in the Soviet style, allowing for efficient movement in and out of range.
- π Pendulum stepping involves a rhythmic bouncing motion, using the feet to shift weight and change direction quickly.
- π£ Proper stance is crucial, with 60% of weight on the back foot and 40% on the front for optimal balance.
- π Staying on the balls of the feet facilitates efficient weight transfer and helps maintain balance.
- π¦Ώ Rigid ankles are essential to prevent injury and maintain stability while moving.
- 𦡠Knees should have flexion to allow for efficient pushing in any direction.
- π The key to pendulum stepping is a slight dip in the knees, enabling smooth gliding in and out of range.
- π€Ί When moving in for an attack, use the pendulum step to create a rhythm that can catch your opponent off guard.
- π To avoid predictability, vary the rhythm of your stepping, mixing up the number of steps in and out.
- π Taking angles can be incorporated into pendulum steps by pushing off at different angles to confuse opponents.
- π₯ Only certain punches like the jab, cross, and long-range lead hook are recommended while pendulum stepping due to the need for foot stability.
- π€ΌββοΈ Incorporate head movement with pendulum steps to add an additional layer of defense.
- π‘ Practice drills such as shifting in twice back once, circular motion, and head movement with steps to improve pendulum stepping.
Q & A
What is the main focus of the video?
-The video focuses on teaching the pendulum step, a fundamental footwork technique in Soviet-style boxing, which helps boxers get in and out of range effectively.
Why is the pendulum step considered a key technique in Soviet-style boxing?
-The pendulum step is considered key because it allows for efficient movement in and out of range, taking angles, and maintaining balance while bouncing rhythmically, which is characteristic of the Soviet-style boxing.
What is the correct weight distribution for the pendulum step?
-The correct weight distribution for the pendulum step is 60% on the back foot and 40% on the front foot, allowing for optimal balance and punch power.
Why is it important to stay on the balls of the feet during the pendulum step?
-Staying on the balls of the feet during the pendulum step allows for more effective weight transfer and easier balance maintenance compared to pushing through the whole foot or heels.
How should the ankles and knees be positioned during the pendulum step?
-The ankles should be rigid to prevent rolling and maintain balance, while the knees should have a slight flexion to allow for efficient direction changes and weight transfer.
What is the significance of having a slight dip in the knees during the pendulum step?
-Having a slight dip in the knees facilitates gliding in and out of range and changing angles more easily, which is crucial for the pendulum stepping technique.
How can the pendulum step be used to deceive an opponent?
-By maintaining a rhythmic bouncing on the edge of range, the pendulum step can trick an opponent into anticipating an attack, allowing the boxer to exploit their reaction for a counterattack.
What are some drills recommended to improve pendulum stepping?
-Drills recommended include shifting in twice and back once, moving in a circular motion to practice taking angles, and incorporating head movement with the steps to enhance defensive capabilities.
Which punches are best suited for use while pendulum stepping?
-The jab, cross, and long-range lead hook are the punches best suited for use while pendulum stepping due to their effectiveness in the long-range style and compatibility with the shifting footwork.
How should punches be timed with the pendulum step?
-Punches should be timed to land as the foot lands, either the front foot when stepping in or the back foot when stepping out, rather than midair during the pendulum step.
What are some effective combinations to use with pendulum steps?
-Effective combinations include the jab-left hook, jab-lead hook-cross, and variations that add another lead hook to the end of the sequence, all of which exploit the rhythm and range control of the pendulum step.
Outlines
π₯ Introduction to Pendulum Stepping
The first paragraph introduces the concept of pendulum stepping, a fundamental footwork technique in Soviet-style boxing. It emphasizes the importance of foot movement for effective defense and offense. The speaker outlines the goal of teaching the correct technique and providing drills to enhance this skill. The technique involves a specific stance with weight distribution and the use of the balls of the feet for efficient weight transfer. The paragraph also discusses the importance of rigid ankles for balance and the role of knee flexion in facilitating direction changes. A simple drill of moving forwards and backwards is suggested to practice the pendulum step.
πββοΈ Advanced Pendulum Step Techniques
Paragraph two delves into more advanced applications of pendulum stepping, such as taking angles and moving in a circular motion to confuse opponents. It explains how to maintain a rhythm that can be unpredictable, making it difficult for opponents to time their attacks. The paragraph also covers how to incorporate punches like the jab, cross, and lead hook while pendulum stepping, with an emphasis on landing punches as the foot lands to maintain balance and effectiveness. The discussion includes strategies for breaking rhythm to prevent opponents from predicting movements.
π€ΌββοΈ Combining Punches with Pendulum Steps
This paragraph focuses on the integration of punches with pendulum stepping, particularly for long-range boxing. It advises maintaining a side-on stance for stability and selecting appropriate punches like the jab, cross, and long-range lead hook. The paragraph details the mechanics of throwing each punch in conjunction with the stepping technique, highlighting the importance of timing and hip rotation. It also introduces combinations that utilize these punches effectively, such as the jab-left hook and the jab-lead hook-cross sequences.
ποΈββοΈ Drills to Master Pendulum Steps
The final paragraph provides three drills to improve pendulum stepping skills. The first drill involves shifting in and out of range in a specific pattern to build muscle memory. The second drill practices moving in a circular motion to enhance ring navigation and angle taking. The third drill incorporates head movement with stepping to improve evasive tactics. The paragraph concludes with a suggestion to combine these drills with combination punching to develop a well-rounded pendulum stepping style.
Mindmap
Keywords
π‘Pendulum Step
π‘Soviet Style
π‘Weight Distribution
π‘Rigid Ankles
π‘Soft Knees
π‘Angle Change
π‘Jab
π‘Lead Hook
π‘Pivot
π‘Head Movement
Highlights
The number one defense in boxing is footwork, which is the foundation of the effective Soviet style.
The video will teach the pendulum step, a key technique in the Soviet boxing style.
Pendulum stepping allows for efficient movement in and out of range and around the ring.
Correct pendulum stepping technique and patterns will be explained.
Learn to throw punches while pendulum stepping.
Join the free school community for boxing improvement with over 3,400 members.
Pendulum stepping is a rhythmic bouncing technique used in Soviet style boxing.
Weight distribution is key, with 60% on the back foot and 40% on the front foot.
Stay on the balls of your feet for efficient weight transfer.
Rigid ankles prevent injury and maintain balance while moving.
Knees should have flexion to efficiently push off in any direction.
Pendulum stepping involves a slight dip in the knees for easy gliding.
Drills are provided to improve pendulum stepping skills.
Constant pendulum stepping can trick opponents into predicting your rhythm.
Breaking up rhythm can prevent opponents from anticipating your movements.
Taking angles with pendulum steps can confuse opponents and set up attacks.
Pendulum steps can be done in a circular motion for more dynamic movement.
Punching while pendulum stepping requires being side-on for stability.
Only certain punches should be thrown while pendulum stepping: jab, cross, and long lead hook.
Punches should be timed to land as you step, not midair.
Effective combinations using pendulum steps include jab-left hook and jab-lead hook-cross.
Drills to enhance pendulum stepping include shifting in and out, moving in a circle, and incorporating head movement.
Transcripts
the number one defense in boxing is your
feet that's what's made the Soviet style
so effective so in this video I'm going
to be breaking down the pendulum step
which is the fundamental pillar of the
Soviet style helping you get in and out
of range as well as around the ring more
effectively you'll leave this video with
the knowledge of the correct pendulum
stepping technique along with some
patterns to make this more
multidimensional I you can move in
different directions whilst pendulum
stepping you'll also learn how to throw
punches whilst your p pendulum stepping
and I'm going to give you some drills to
make your pendulum steps better as
always make sure you join my free school
Community where there's over 3,400
people in there all helping each other
get better at boxing the Link's in the
description so what is pendulum stepping
pendulum stepping is typically a Soviet
style of boxing or a part of Soviet
style of boxing where it's a footwork
technique where you're bouncing in a
sort of Rhythm in and out of range right
you're not really stepping like this
you're more just pushing off with either
foot to get in out of range or taking
angles CU we'll we'll cover those
patterns later but pendulum stepping is
using the change in Direction with our
feet shifting our feet forwards
backwards or in different directions to
move ourselves in and out of range and
around the ring let's start by breaking
down the basic pendulum step technique
so we want to get in our stance 60% of
the weight on our back foot 40% on our
front foot as always this is going to
all allow us to be in the right weight
distribution for punches even whilst
we're pendulum stepping now pendulum
stepping we want to be on the balls of
our feet we can push through the balls
of our feet a lot more effectively and
with a lot staying on balance a lot
easier than if we were pushing through
the hole of our foot or definitely not
our heels so we want to stay on the
balls of our feet like this it's going
to allow us to transfer our weight
forwards and backwards a lot more
efficiently we also want our ankles to
be rigid rigid ankles nice strong ankles
that aren't flimsy like this means that
as we skip forward forwards and
backwards we're not going to roll our
ankles like this injure ourselves and it
generally just keeps us more on balance
and more stuck in the ground as we
shift the next bit is coming up to the
knees now the knees want to be sort of
the opposite of that having flexion in
your knees allows you to angle the
bottom part of your leg to push off at a
whatever Direction you want to go if my
the bottom of my leg's angled like this
then it's easier for me to push
backwards and then I'll go forwards
right same the front foot if my knee is
angled like this and I can
push that way push the ground that way
and I'll shift backwards more
efficiently so the main part well the
the key technique of pendulum stepping
is having this slight dip in your knees
that way if we have our knees dipped in
slightly like this with rigid ankles and
we stay on the balls of our feet SE then
it'll be much easier to Glide in and out
of range change the angle what have you
so looks like this rigid ankles soft
knees super easy for me to push off
either side as opposed to if my knees
were stiff and my ankles were going all
over the
place it's not going to be as effective
when we push forwards we're pushing
through our back foot and that means
that all of our weight is effectively
going to be in our back leg so we
starting in the 60/40 weight
distribution and as I push forwards I'm
basically transferring all my weight
onto this back foot and I'm lifting this
foot up slightly to be able to Spring
Forward however when I land all my
weight now pretty much goes into this
front foot in particular the front ball
of my foot and that's how I push off
going backwards so it's a constant
transferring of weight from one leg to
the other you need to get comfortable
with that so doing a simple drill like
this going forwards and backwards W so
what's going to help you get used to it
pushing off either
side now if you stay on the edge of
range and you do this constant pendulum
stepping it tricks your opponent into
thinking okay when are they going to
attack so if you just there on the out
in the edge of range like this you're
sort of set in a rhythm and then you can
go forward twice and that's when you'll
land your attack right but if you
constantly bounce on the in and out of
the edge of range it's kind of like
you're fainting making and then react
and then off their reactions you can
throw your attacks one thing you need to
watch out for when you're bouncing in
and out of range is your opponent can
predict your Rhythm so if you're just in
out one step at a time then your
opponent could literally step in as
you're about to step in yourself and
throw a punch so you want to sort of
break up your Rhythm and you can do that
for by bouncing in and out different
amount of times so for example I could
go two in one out two back one and I
could just keep switching this
up and just keep them guessing like
this so we know how we can get in and
out of range effectively with the
pendulum step what if we want to take
angles now a well small ring craft
lesson for you you kind of want to be
attacking moving out taking an angle
attacking again right so imagine I've
come in here throwing some punches then
I want to get out of range I want to
take an angle and then I want to get
back in if you keep repeating this cycle
throughout a boxing match then your
opponent is constantly going to have to
be like adjusting to where you are and
that time where it takes them to adjust
you're already throwing your next attack
now you don't have to come all the way
out of the range when you do this you
can Prett you can come into range stay
there throw your punches take an angle
throw more punches take another angle
but when it comes to the pendulum step
we can do this as we're moving around
and this is like a we can do this in a
circular motion with our pendulum steps
and how we do that is we're going to
bounce or step in once and then when we
get here I'm going to push off with my
front foot at a slightly different
angle till I'm here and we'll get back
in and then another angle
and then we can go back the other way
another
angle and that's how we can change the
angle as we're coming in and in and out
with our attacks so it looks like
this I could be throwing punches as I do
this but we'll cover that later we can
use this constant transfering of weight
to incorporate pivots into our pendulum
steps and we do that by let's say I've
stepped in as I'm pushing out all my
weights on this back foot which allows
me then to push off and take an angle
with my
Pivot my weight will be on my back foot
again so then I can push back in and
continue that pendulum Step In
Motion can also do the same with the
other way so I'm pending stepping like
this weight goes back and then I can
push and I'm back to here so it should
look like this
[Music]
okay now I'm going to explain how to
punch whilst you pendulum step now
because this is a longer range style you
want to be as side on as possible now
the reason for this is being side on
offers more stability in the long range
because the only punches I'm going to
take here are straight shots because I
the only punches that can really reach
me whereas if I was closer range you can
be a little bit more Square on because
that offers more stability to the sides
because I'd be catching hooks from here
obviously the force would be pushing me
that way or that way as opposed to that
way or that way so you need to be nice
and side on when you're throwing punches
when your pendulum stepping now there's
only three or maybe four different
punches that you should throw whilst
your pendulum stepping at the same time
reason for this the rest of them sort of
require in particular the Right Hook and
the left Suppa they require your feet to
be a little bit more planted especially
body punches whereas if you're
constantly skipping in and out of range
it's very hard to plant your feet in
those little micr seconds in between to
get those punches off so the three
punches that are recommended that you
pendulum step with are the jab the cross
and the left hook in particular the long
lead hook the main rule with punching
whilst you pendulum step is that you
don't really throw a punch midair you
sort of want to time your punches as you
land either side so we'll start with
throwing the jab as you pendulum step
I'm only going to land my jab as I'm
pushing off with either foot so my jab
is going to land as my front foot lands
and when I'm pushing off with it and
same again when my back foot lands so go
there or with the back foot
and that is used to set up other punches
let's
say I pushed off with my back foot as I
jabbed that sets me up ready to push off
with my cross which we cover next so the
cross we still want to maintain that
rotation in our hips we throw a normal
cross we're rotating our
hips to let that punch go it's exactly
the same when we're pendulum stepping
but because we're shifting in and out we
need to sort of rotate our hips midair
so as I shift in I rotate my hips to
that position which means I'm pivoting
on my back foot and I land as my front
foot lands so be like
that so
[Music]
yeah the next punch we're going to cover
is the long range lead Hook when we're
doing the pendulum steps now I think
this is one of the more effective
punches you can use especially when you
hook off the jab like the likes of bivel
does so when we throw the lead hook
again we can either throw it as we're
stepping or pendulum stepping backwards
so it be then or we can do as we're
going forwards this is like less common
but as we push off forwards we can throw
it that way as well but the main time I
see this used is when you use it when
you step in with a
jab and then come out with a lead hook
so either faint with a jab or throw the
jab and step out with that if you
imagine if I threw a jab as I stepped in
that usually provokes someone to try and
counter with a right hand so if I push
off from my front foot and I shift back
out with a lead hook then I'll lightly
land on the Target and counter their
right hand as they step in to try
counter me so as I'm coming out they're
throwing their right hand to try and
count on my jab that's when I'd catch
them with the lead hook there
now when we're throwing the lead hook
whilst we're pendulum stepping we need a
little bit of hip rotation or at least
something that triggers that rotation CU
it's a rotational punch so when we step
in with a jab we kind of want to shift
our hips into more this position so when
we push out we can come back the other
way like that another way we can do this
is not by rotating before but by over
rotating past this point as we come out
to there there isn't going to be much
room to be able to rotate our hips
properly during this pendulum stepping
technique and that's why people who use
the pendulum step or generally Soviet
Fighters they don't or people with a
Soviet style they don't really punch
that hard unless you're talking like
Klitschko but if you look at like
Alexander yusk or you look at bivel they
don't really punch that hard they're
just really effective picking those
points getting in and out of range and
that's because they're not standing with
their feet planted and generating all
that force from their feet being planted
they're shifting in and out and picking
the picking points like that here are
some effective combos you can use
alongside your pendulum steps the first
one being a jab left hook as we were
just demonstrating so I step in with a
jab and as I push off push back and loop
that longrange lead hook in a look like
this so pendulum
stepping the reason why this is so
effective is because I said earlier
provokes that counter right hand so we
can counter the counter with that lead
hook the next one is building on that
combination and that is stepping in with
the jab stepping out with the lead hook
and then with all that Force we've got
all that that weight on our back foot we
can push back in with that cross and
then straight back out again so the
footwork mechanics is jab in left hook
out cross in and then step back out
be then building on that combination
again we can add another lead hook to
the end of that so we can step in with a
jab step out with a lead hook step back
in with a cross and step back out with
the lead hook again look like
this I just wanted to give you some
basic combinations that you can build on
with these three simple punches so work
with those three different punches and
see what you can come up with here are
three drills that will help you get
better at pendulum steps the first one
is Shifting in twice back once repeat
that and then it'll be back twice
forward once and repeat that so it'll be
two in one out two in one out two back
one forward two back one forward
the next drill is moving in a circular
motion so we talked about earlier taking
angles as we pendulum step we're going
to do one
360 anticlockwise and then one clockwise
so a bit like
this remember into cave knees in
Remembering rigid
ankles remembering to keep our
shape once we get back to here just get
back around again keep repeating that
and the last drill is incorporating some
head movement with our pendulum steps in
and out so as we're shifting forwards
I'm going to slip inside right so I slip
to there and then as I'm shifting back
I'm going to slip outside
so I'm Shi to here right remember when
we're slipping we're slightly leaning at
the hips and rotating our hips from here
so rotate our hips from here and lean
take our head off the center line same
going the other way we're just going to
be shifting in and out as we do that so
it look like
this then we can incorporate that with
some combination punching
[Music]
like so and you can build up your
pendulum Step In Style and become as
good as someone who does pendulum steps
really well safe
[Music]
5.0 / 5 (0 votes)