Entry #455

Notes for overview~

I found this to be peculiar: "Never attempt to use a left cross (if
there is such a thing)
as a counter when slipping a straight right. Trying that, you may get
your brains knocked out. You wouldn't have slipping room between your
left shoulder and your chin."

Why counter with any cross at all? Why not a strong jab with the left? A cross has to travel extra distance, so why would the right be adequate to counter a straight that has less to go through?

On with reading.

"The right cross is a terrific blow
because (1) it is entirely
unexpected, and (2) it crashes into your opponent's jaw as he is coming
in. The punch packs the fast-moving weight of both bodies.

The straighter you keep the cross, the
more explosive it will
be. Many fighters make the mistake of hooking the cross. Many also err
in delaying the counter until after their opponent's jab has slipped
over the shoulder.

Keep the
cross straight, and shoot
it in the same split-second your opponent starts his jab. To do that
requires enough practice to give you nearly perfect timing.

I stated earlier that a well-rounded
fighter is always in
position to punch-that you do not have to get set to punch. That's
true. But in using the cross, you must get set mentally, at least. You
must anticipate your opponent's jab. That is, you must watch him and
time him until you're certain he's ready to jab again.

THE RIGHT CROSS IS USED ONLY AS A
HEAD-COUNTER AND ONLY
AGAINST A LEFT JAB.

Never attempt to use a left cross (if
there is such a thing)
as a counter when slipping a straight right. Trying that, you may get
your brains knocked out. You wouldn't have slipping room between your
left shoulder and your chin.

Slipping straight rights, you use
movements similar to those
employed in sliding under straight lefts. Counter with corkscrews to
the body, but never attempt a left cross. You can slip inside or
outside on straight rights.

However, remember this: In slipping
either a straight right or
a straight left, you'll be safer if you slip the punch over your left
shoulder. The left shoulder-slip moves your head into a sort of "safety
zone," where it would be difficult for your opponent to hit you with
either fist. In other words, it's more dangerous to use your right
shoulder for slipping either inside a left jab or outside a straight
right, than it is to use the left shoulder for slipping either outside
a left jab or inside a straight right.

When a left jab goes over your right
shoulder, your head may
be in position to be nailed by a following right upper-cut
or right shovel hook. And when you try to slip a straight right over
your right shoulder, there's always the risk that you may roll solidly
into the punch."