The Catch and Step Out

Defending the jab cross is second only to defending the jab in the combinations you will have to face and defend against as a boxer. The old one, two is the most basic combination of them all and as such that means it is the combo you will likely see most often. That makes knowing how to defend against this combination imperative to your boxing success.

Now there are many ways you can choose to use when defending the jab cross but in this article I am only going to outline just one of the methods which is more of an old school method of guarding against the one, two.

This method is called the catch and step out and is best used early in the fight when you are looking to figure out any patterns your opponent is making. You are not yet looking to counter the combination, you are simply looking at how they are boxing and how they are putting their combinations together. Once you have figured this out then you start working on your counter combinations.

The catch and step out is performed by catching your opponents jab with your right hand(back hand) and you then simply step out backwards from your opponents cross. The step out puts you out of harms way and it means if your opponent does follow up with another punch such as the hook, you should still be out of range.

It is a simple move which was used by some great boxers including the one featured in the short video below. The boxer is George Benton, one of the top middleweights of the 1960’s who also went on to become a hall of fame trainer, most known for being the coach to the all time great four weight world champion, Pernell Whitaker. Benton was also one of the fighters featured in my book Forgotten Legends of the Ring.

Have a watch of the video defending the jab cross and give it a go the next time you are drilling in your defence!