The Lesson of Commitment 🥊💨

Hey Fighters!

The other day, I was running nonverbal mitts with a client. The goal of this training is to stop relying on my verbal cues and learn to read and react purely to my movements and the mitts themselves—a skill essential for the spontaneous nature of a boxing match.

During this mitt work, I observed my client starting to throw a punch that wasn't there, then abruptly pulling back when she realized her mistake. This mid-movement correction actually made her subsequent action less fluid.

Don't Underestimate the Miss

My advice was simple: If you mistakenly start the wrong punch, finish it.

Why? For two reasons:

In a real scenario, that unexpected punch might still land or at least throw off your opponent's carefully planned rhythm.
More importantly, trying to correct your rotation mid-punch creates a hitch that prevents a smooth transition to your next move.

This highlights an essential truth in boxing: you will miss. The expectation that you must land every punch is what truly damages your flow. Dwelling on a missed shot leads to hesitation, and hesitation is the start of being counter-punched.

If you miss, your hand doesn't get to take a vacation. Your training should ensure your hand comes straight back to your face, ready to block, and ready to throw again from a solid foundation. No "scooping," no dropping your guard, no messy recovery.

The Power of Hitting Air

Missing is not a bad thing. Just because you don't connect doesn't mean you haven't affected your opponent. Your presence, the speed of your hand, and the commitment of your shot all influence their choices. Even hitting air full force controls their actions as they move to get away or hesitate to engage.

This brings us to shadow boxing. I love it, as do all experienced fighters and it is a crucial part of training. It's the boxer's blank canvas—a space to move, experiment, and flow without injury or limitation. When you attempt something risky, outside your comfort zone, or a long shot, you have the freedom to fail completely.

But the lesson remains: When you throw those punches, you must put all your power, all your commitment behind them. If you hesitate, go half-hearted, or pull back, you'll never know if the attempt could have worked, and you will absolutely throw off the rhythm of whatever comes next.

Just like in life, or in my last post about practicing decisions, it's vital to practice deciding, and then actually following through on that decision. Pulling the trigger is always difficult. In the ring, not completing your punch will hurt you more than your opponent. But in your every day, your lack of full action not only will disrupt you but is probably affecting other people in ways you don't even realize.

The question I pose: what commitment do you think it's time to put all your power behind?

Reply to this email or comment on the blog page for others to see.