Box Like the Pros

Cover......Page 1
Details......Page 5
Acknowledgments......Page 7
Contents......Page 8
Introduction......Page 10
IN THE BEGINNING......Page 17
FROM TERRY MCGOVERN TO JACK JOHNSON: TURN-OF-THE CENTURY HEROES......Page 19
THE TWENTIES TO THE FORTIES: WHEN BOXING WAS KING......Page 22
THE FORTIES AND FIFTIES: MOB RULES - WHY THE GOOD OLD DAYS WEREIN'T ALWAYS GOOD......Page 24
THE FIFTIES AND SIXTIES: TELEVISION CHANGES THE GAME......Page 27
THE SEVENTIES AND EIGHTIES:  BOXING MAKES A COMEBACK......Page 30
THE FIGHT GAME FROM THE NINETIES TO TODAY: THE SAME, BUT DIFFERENT......Page 34
2 Protect Yourself at All Times: The Rules of the Ring......Page 39
FOULS......Page 40
WEIGHT CLASSES AND EXPERIENCE LEVELS......Page 44
IMPORTANT RULES......Page 46
JUDGING: HOW AMATEUR FIGHTS ARE SCORED......Page 47
FOULS......Page 48
WEIGHT CLASSES AND EXPERIENCE LEVELS: THE PROS......Page 49
EQUIPMENT: THE PROS......Page 50
HOW PRO FIGHTS ARE SCORED......Page 51
3 Start to Get in Shape Before You Goto the Gym - You'll Be Glad You Did......Page 54
ROADWORK......Page 55
STRETCHING......Page 57
CALISTHENICS......Page 61
PUSH-UPS......Page 62
SIT-UPS......Page 65
THE FIGHTER'S DIET......Page 66
4 Next Steps: How to Pick the Right Gym and the Right Trainer......Page 68
TRAINER-TO-FIGHTER RATIO......Page 70
CREDENTIALS......Page 71
5 Tools of the Trade: What They Are, What They're for, and How to Use Them......Page 74
HANDWRAPS......Page 75
MOUTHPIECE......Page 81
PROTECTlVE CUP......Page 82
BAG GLOVES......Page 83
JUMP ROPE......Page 84
HEAVY BAG......Page 86
SPEED BAG......Page 88
DOUBLE-END BAG, OR REFLEX BAG......Page 90
UPPERCUT BAG......Page 91
HAND PADS......Page 92
HEADGEAR......Page 94
SPARRING GLOVES......Page 95
6 Building the Foundation: Hands up, Chin down, Eyes on Your Opponent, and Staying on Balance......Page 96
HANDS UP......Page 97
CHIN DOWN......Page 99
EYES ON YOUR OPPONENT......Page 100
STAY 0N BALANCE......Page 101
7 It's a Hurtin' Business: The Basics of Offense......Page 105
KEEPING YOUR WRIST STRAIGHT......Page 106
THE JAB......Page 107
THE STRAIGHT RIGHT HAND......Page 109
THE LEFT HOOK......Page 112
THE UPPERCUT......Page 115
BODY PUNCHING......Page 119
COMBINATION PUNCHING......Page 120
FEINTING......Page 125
8 You Don't Have to Take One to Give One: The Basics of Defense......Page 127
BLOCKING......Page 128
SLIPPING......Page 130
DUCKING......Page 132
ROLLING......Page 134
HOLDING / CLINCHING......Page 136
COUNTERPUNCHING......Page 138
RIGHT HAND OVER THE JAB......Page 139
COUNTER JAB......Page 140
UPPERCUT COUNTER......Page 141
COUNTER ROLL AND HOOK......Page 142
COUNTERING THE BODY PUNCH......Page 143
COUNTERING TO THE BODY......Page 145
9 The Boxer's Workout: Better to Hurt Now Than Later......Page 146
WRAP YOUR HANDS......Page 147
LOOSEN UP: 2 ROUNDS......Page 148
SHADOWBOX: 2 ROUNDS......Page 149
SPAR: 2 TO 8 ROUNDS......Page 150
HIT THE HEAVY BAG: 3 ROUNDS......Page 152
HIT THE SPEED BAG: 3 ROUNDS......Page 154
HIT THE HAND PADS OR DOUBLE-END BAG: 3 ROUNDS......Page 156
WORK THE MEDICINE BALL: AS DIRECTED BY TRAINER......Page 160
JUMP ROPE: 5 TO 15 MINUTES......Page 164
CALISTHENICS......Page 166
10 Your First Time Sparring: What to Expect......Page 172
1. YOU'RE GOING TO GET HIT......Page 173
3. YOU'RE GOING TO GET TIRED-VERY TIRED......Page 175
4. THE PERSON YOU'RE SPARRING WITH IS GOING TO BE BETTER THAN YOU ARE......Page 177
5. LANDING PUNCHES ISN'T AS EASY AS IT LOOKS......Page 178
11 Strategy and Why "Styles Make Fights"......Page 180
THE BOXER......Page 182
THE SLUGGER......Page 184
THE VOLUME PUNCHER......Page 185
FIGHTING SOUTHPAWS......Page 186
12 Golden Gloves or White-Collar Boxing You're Never the Same......Page 188
YOUR FIRST FIGHT......Page 189
BEFORE......Page 191
DURING......Page 193
AFTER......Page 197
APPENDIX I: Directory of Boxing Gyms in the United States......Page 200
APPENDIX II: Additional Resources......Page 219
Index......Page 222
Back Cover......Page 232