Learning how to punch is one thing. Learning how to land punches is another. In this video, I explain how to land more punches whether you’re sparring or in a real fight.

The good news is that the secret to landing more punches comes down to fixing just one bad habit…

…the bad news is that this one bad habit can sabotage your fighting three different ways! And they all lead to the same result—you getting beat up!

So, play the video for three tips to help you land more punches immediately!

If you’d rather read, you can find a transcript down below. Keep punching! 🙂

How to Land More Punches in a Fight

There’s one bad habit that keeps people from landing punches—leaning.

Now, I’m not saying you should NEVER lean. Leaning and swaying can be used effectively to add more power and be evasive on defense.

But only lean on purpose! Many martial artists lean without knowing it… then wonder why they’re getting beat up!

I call it “Riding the See Saw” because people rock back and forth when they punch and kick. The See Saw shows up three different ways…

See Saw #1: Leaning forward when you punch .

This is a huge mistake for many reasons. First, you’re offering your head to the bad guy on a silver platter. You might as well shove an apple in your mouth.

Second, you’re opening up your low line to punches, kicks, and takedowns. Don’t do that!

Third, by reaching too far out of your stance, you’re setting yourself up for being snapped down or pulled off balance.

But it’s the fourth problem that will keep you from landing punches. Very simply, when you lean forward, your weight is momentarily stuck on your front foot. Why is that a problem?

Well, even if you connect with your first punch, you’re not in position to follow up! To throw another punch, you either have to fall forward, out of control, or you have to pull back into your stance and start all over.

Sure, leaning forward is fast… but it’s also lazy! Leaning might work out when you’re just messing around with your drunk Uncle Bob after Christmas dinner, but if you’re training for the ring or the street, you’re asking for trouble.

The answer to this problem? Stay in your stance and use your footwork to drive in—don’t be lazy. When you stay in your stance, you’re not only protecting yourself, you’re on balance and in position to keep throwing flurries of punches.

See Saw #2: Leaning backwards when you punch .

No, I’m not talking about fading and snapping back on purpose. I’m talking about holding your head back while you throw your hand forward. What’s the problem with that?

First, you shorten your reach.

Second, you reduce your power. Your arm is going one way, your body the other. You’ve heard the phrase “divide and conquer”? Well, if you divide your power, you’re going to be conquered!

To be frank, leaning forward and backward during a fight is a tough habit to break, because it’s usually rooted in fear… either the fear of committing your body into the fight or the fear of being hit in the face.

How can I be sure about that?

When you watch people hit the mitts or a heavy bag, unless they’re being lazy, they typically stay in their stance and practice good form. But once punches start flying during sparring or self-defense drills, fear holds back the hips and tips back the head. In short—

No one leans back when no one’s hitting back.

The solution? All you can do to overcome the fear of being hit is to go get hit. The more you spar, the less you’ll panic.

Now, I’m not saying go take a thousand hits, suffer brain damage, and wind up drooling into a bowl of applesauce. Take it slow!

Grab a partner you trust and ask them to throw easy punches at your head. Practice controlling your breath and staring them down. As you start feeling better, pick up the speed. Build up to moving around and throwing counters.

Once you’re able to keep your stance, go ahead and add anything else that frightens you: kicks, knives, snakes, chainsaws… whatever.

See Saw #3: Leaning back when you throw kicks .

This one is tricky because some martial artists deliberately lean back to counter-balance their raised leg. That’s right—they See Saw on purpose! The higher the kick, the more the lean.

Some folks will even drop their head to the ground so they can even kick straight up over their head, which is a great move if you’re ever being attacked by a barn owl.

But here’s the thing—if you want to land punches, it’s best to keep your hands in punching range. When you lean back to counter-balance a kick, you take your hands out of punching range. Bad idea!

Leaning back adds a beat into the timing of your follow-up punches after a kick. Instead of KICK PUNCH PUNCH, you end up throwing KICK -beat- PUNCH PUNCH. That beat is the time it takes to get back into your stance to throw punches.

Now, that little beat may not seem like a big deal, but believe me—it’s everything! Against a good fighter, one little beat is all the time he or she needs to play their trump card. Next thing you know, you’re waking up in the hospital… if you wake up at all.

The fix? Stay in your stance. Crunch down when you kick and keep your hands in punching range at all times.

ONE MORE THING: Don’t get cocky and think you never ride the See Saw. Even professional fighters and some seriously bad dudes get caught leaning. My advice?

The next time you’re sparring or running self-defense drills, record yourself on video. Watch it back. You might be surprised how often your stance is broken.

If you want to make it fun, do 10 squats or burpees every time you see yourself leaning. It’s like a drinking game, but good for you.

So, get off the See Saw and stop leaning. I guarantee you’ll throw better punches, get hit less, and land more punches than ever before.

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