Boxing glossary
The words the studies use, in the sense they use them. Gyms differ; if your coach uses a word differently, your coach is right for your gym. Terms are grouped loosely from the stance outward.
- Orthodox
- A stance with the left foot and left hand forward. Every study in this app is drawn orthodox; the mirror control flips it.
- Southpaw
- A stance with the right foot and right hand forward. Use the mirror control on any study to see it.
- Lead hand
- The hand nearer the opponent in your stance. For an orthodox boxer, the left.
- Rear hand
- The hand further from the opponent. For an orthodox boxer, the right, and the one with the hip behind it.
- Guard
- The position the hands, elbows and chin hold between punches. The stance and breathing study is a whole round of it.
- Shell
- A tighter cover with both gloves at the temples and the elbows closed in front of the ribs. See the shell study.
- Jab
- The lead-hand straight punch. The most thrown punch in boxing and the one that sets range.
- Cross
- The rear-hand straight punch, driven by the rear heel and hip.
- Straight
- Either of the two punches thrown on a straight line: the jab and the cross.
- Hook
- A punch that travels in an arc with the elbow bent, usually to the side of the head or body. Thrown with either hand.
- Uppercut
- A punch that rises from a dip through the legs, short and up the middle. Thrown with either hand.
- One-two
- A jab followed by a cross. The first combination most boxers learn.
- Combination
- Two or more punches thrown in sequence, where the first sets up the next.
- Body shot
- Any punch aimed at the torso rather than the head. The body jab and body hook studies are the two in this app.
- Level change
- Lowering the whole body through the knees, usually to punch to the body. Not a bend at the waist.
- Feint
- The start of a punch shown without finishing it, to draw a reaction.
- Slip
- Moving the head a few inches off the line of a straight punch, from the knees, without moving the feet.
- Inside slip
- A slip towards the opponent's rear hand. See the inside slip study.
- Outside slip
- A slip away from the opponent's rear hand, towards the outside of the lead hand.
- Roll
- Dropping under a hook through the knees and coming up on the far side in the same stance.
- Parry
- A short pat with the rear hand that moves a straight punch off line. Not a catch, not a block.
- Block
- Taking a punch on the gloves or forearms rather than moving away from it.
- Pull
- Moving the head back out of range by shifting the weight onto the rear leg.
- Counter
- A punch thrown in reply to an opponent's punch, usually straight after a defence.
- Pivot
- Turning on the ball of the lead foot so the rear foot arcs round to a new angle.
- Step in
- A forward step where the lead foot goes first and the rear foot follows the same distance.
- Step out
- A sideways step off the line, lead foot first, width kept.
- Angle
- The line between you and the opponent. Changing it, with a pivot or a step out, is what footwork is for.
- Range
- The distance at which a given punch lands at full extension. Jab range is the longest.
- Stance width
- The distance between the feet measured across the body. It should survive every step.
- Stagger
- The distance between the feet measured front to back.
- Heel light
- A heel held slightly off the floor so the weight sits on the ball of the foot. The rear heel is usually the light one.
- Chin tuck
- Dropping the chin so it sits behind the lead shoulder and under the eye line.
- Elbow line
- Where the elbow sits relative to the ribs in the guard and relative to the fist on a hook. Elbows in, or level with the fist.
- Shadow boxing
- Rehearsing movements alone with no equipment. Most studies here are shadow studies.
- Heavy bag
- A hanging bag for practising contact. The bag studies in this app assume one.
- Focus mitts
- Pads worn by a holder for practising punches on a moving target. Pads in this app.
- Pad holder
- The person wearing the mitts. The pad studies draw one to show height and range; they do not teach holding.
- Round
- The timed block of work. Amateur rounds are usually three minutes; the round clock here is whatever you set.
- Rest
- The timed gap between rounds. One minute is common in competition.
- Work and rest
- The pair of numbers every block in a session carries. Change them in the session plan.
- Ten-point must
- The scoring convention in which the judged winner of a round receives ten points and the other boxer fewer.
- Referee
- The official in the ring. Nothing in this app describes what a referee will accept.
- Wraps
- Cloth or gel wraps worn under the gloves to support the hand and wrist.
- Glove weight
- The weight of a boxing glove, usually stated in ounces. Heavier gloves carry more padding.
Missing a word? The training FAQ covers the questions that come up most, and every study page carries its own cues in the same language.
Studies: Foundations · Mechanics · Combinations · Defence and recovery · Conditioning drills · Situational. Every study page links back here.