My boxing journey continued early this morning back at UFC Farmingdale along with, once again, James Talamini (“JT”) and fellow LI Fight For Charity boxer Brian Weiner. Building upon last week’s lessons, Brian and I we were introduced to the art of the clinch, or tie-up.
You’ve seen this move before as it occurs in every fight. And, yes, it does provide what it appears to on its surface—a chance to catch your breath and get some rest. However, we learned there’s a lot more involved.
See, this is a defensive opportunity to break-up a flurry of flying fists, for example. Rhythm is so important in boxing. And, aside from the benefits of thwarting incoming blows, disrupting the opponent’s rhythm by interrupting his combinations will only work to your advantage.
This is also a chance to tie-up the opponent’s arms while impressing your weight and mass against their [tiring] body—allowing you to make them work while you’re resting.
Whether the referee instructs you and your opponent to let go or one of the fighters decide to, the clinch has to end at some point. The final component was executing the correct break-apart. This was a push-and-protect move that allowed you to let go and defensively protect yourself against a “not so clean” break while consciously positioning your body for more battle.
As with every session, today was a good day. I’m anxious to practice my new skills and continue the hard work!
PS – It also appears I earned my first boxing bruise today. Thanks Brian. 🙂
