Mastering The Foundation
The foundation of every great boxer starts with two essentials: stance and footwork.
A solid boxing stance not only makes it harder for your opponent to land clean shots, but it also makes it easier for you to move, react, and deliver power. Your feet should be shoulder-width apart, allowing optimal balance whether you’re moving forward, slipping punches, or throwing powerful combinations. Your weight should be distributed on the balls of your feet, with your knees slightly bent, core engaged, and head slightly off center to make you a harder target.
Hand positioning is key—keep them up and ready to protect your head at all times.
Another crucial but often overlooked element is shoulder positioning. Your lead shoulder should be placed slightly in front of your chin, helping you establish range, while your rear shoulder sets the base for your power shots, staying aligned behind your head.
Here in Oakland, our boxing style is rooted in disciplined footwork and a sharp jab. We use the jab not just as a rangefinder but as a tool to set up bigger punches, control the tempo, and break opponents down mentally and physically.
Southpaw vs. Orthodox Stance
Understanding your stance is essential. It affects how you move, block, punch, and defend.
Orthodox Stance
- Left foot and left hand forward
- Power hand is the right (rear hand)
- Most common for right-handed boxers
Southpaw Stance
- Right foot and right hand forward
- Power hand is the left (rear hand)
- Common for left-handed boxers
Coach Lee’s Tip:
Even if you fight in one stance, train to recognize and respond to both. Knowing how to adjust your footwork, angles, and counterpunches against the opposite stance gives you a strategic advantage.
Up Next: Footwork Mastery
Now that you understand your stance, it’s time to move. The next lesson will break down the four fundamental footwork directions, teach you how to stay balanced while advancing or retreating, and explain how good footwork sets up both offense and defense.
Stay tuned—because if you can’t move, you can’t box.
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