Foot work

I'm having footwork issues, especially trying to get close when fighting someone taller than me. Any suggestions?

Thanks.

Check out videos of Mike Tyson in his prime, and Joe Frazier. Tyson was great at closing the distance against taller opponents.

The most important thing IMO when closing the distance vs. taller opponents is your head movement. Keep your chin down and your hands up, moving your head, and stepping in behind your jab. Use that jab to set up your bodyshots and uppercuts. Keep those feet moving and circling, use your feints, keep your head moving. Don't stay at a distance that allows them to capitalize on their height/reach advantage.

Hope this helps, there's a lot of knowledgeable folks here who can offer more info.

either in this forum or in kickboxing forum's saved thrds, i remember posting a passage from edwin haislett's book on shorter fighters vs taller fighters. it was not footwork per se, but general tactics to fight the taller man.

heres what i find works.

Make sure you are standing one foot directly behind the other, toes both going forward. Your feet should be completely flat-footed, and your knees locked strongly, this gives you a good punching base. Try to bait the "taller opponent" by keeping your lead shoulder low and chin high, and turned to the side. Make sure and rock back and forth very methodically ala John Ruiz. Your opponent will most likely try to and jab you to keep you away, so wait until he try's to jab you, and step inside by leaning forward very fast, and taking a large stride with your lead foot, this should put you in an advantageous position to punish the body by throwing short, rapid jab/hook hybrid punches to the liver.

Hope this helps!

"Make sure you are standing one foot directly behind the other, toes both going forward. Your feet should be completely flat-footed, and your knees locked strongly, this gives you a good punching base.."

Respectfully,

WHAT?!!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!!?!?

"Make sure you are standing one foot directly behind the other" - This is a boxing no-no because it removes your lateral stability.

"Your feet should be completely flat-footed" - Removing your only advantage against a bigger man.

"...your knees locked strongly" - You're serious??

"Make sure and rock back and forth very methodically ala John Ruiz." - OK. You're trolling. Nevermind.

*nudgenudge* Toki, uhhhm... I think he was trolling

Icky-shuffle your way in.

just joking on the footwark thing.

But try it! it works!