You’re probably wondering if you can jump in boxing after seeing the Superman Punch used in an MMA fight.
At first, jumping in boxing may seem like a useful tool to close the distance and catch your opponent off guard.
So can you jump in boxing? Keep reading to find out!
Can You Jump In Boxing?
Yes, you can jump in boxing since there are no rules prohibiting fighters from doing so.
Boxers typically jump forward to attack their opponent, rather than upward.
Sometimes you see professional boxers combine a jump with these high-risk, high-reward moves:
- A leaping cross
- A gazelle hook
Though you’re allowed to jump in boxing, should you?
To answer this, we’ll discuss the advantages and disadvantages of jumping in boxing.
Advantages of Jumping In Boxing
Some of the advantages of jumping in boxing include:
- You Gain An Element of Surprise
- You Cover A Great Distance In A Short Amount of Time
From what we’ve seen in fights, these “jumps” are more like “pounces”. They’re used to cover ring distance, as opposed to gaining height.
Personally, we only do these “pounces” when we’re absolutely sure that we can land a gazelle hook or leaping jab on our opponent.
You Gain An Element of Surprise
One advantage of jumping in boxing is that you gain an element of surprise.
Since boxers require good balance and a strong connection to the ground to fight effectively, jumping isn’t a move that your opponent sees very often.
Of course, combining an attack with a jump only works if you do it every once in a while.
If you do it every other move, your opponent will be able to time you and react accordingly.
You Can Cover A Great Distance In A Short Amount of Time
Another advantage of jumping in boxing is that you can cover a great distance in a short amount of time.
Jumping allows you to launch your power punches from outside of the pocket.
Without it, you’d have to bob and weave through your opponent’s jabs in order to get in range to land your power punches.
Disadvantages of Jumping in Boxing
On the other hand, some of the disadvantages of jumping in boxing include:
- You’re Unable To Defend Yourself In Mid-Air
- It Gets You Off-Balance
Because of these disadvantages, we think jumping in boxing is a high-risk, low-reward move.
You’re Unable To Defend Yourself Mid-Air
One disadvantage of jumping in boxing is that you’re unable to defend yourself in mid-air.
While you are totally committed to this one move, your opponent still has options to defend himself or counter by:
- Sidestepping out of the way
- Throwing a check hook
- Crouching
Since you don’t have your feet set, all your opponent has to do is create an angle to land any punch he wants.
Professional boxers who use leaping attacks recognize this weakness, and instead use short, explosive hops that let them stay low to the ground.
It Gets You Off-Balance
Another disadvantage of jumping in boxing is that it gets you off-balance.
When you jump, you make a big tradeoff: you lose your balance and your connection to the ground in order to land a devastating attack.
Some boxers can pull it off easily since they have exceptional stamina, balance, and reflexes.
If you don’t have these skills, you’ll be relying on your instinct, luck, and timing instead.
Famous Examples of Jumping In Boxing
For inspiration, here are some famous examples of professional boxers using jumps in boxing:
- Marvin Hagler
- Manny Pacquiao
- Mike Tyson
Each of these boxers were feared for their explosive jumping attacks, made possible by their exceptional balance and reflexes.
As we stated before, these boxers jumped to rapidly close the distance on their opponent.
Marvin Hagler
The first example of a boxer using jumps successfully in a fight is Marvin Hagler.
Marvelous Marvin loved to use leaping jabs against opponents who thought they were out of attacking range.
(There’s footage of him leaping across almost half of the ring to land one of his jabs. Absolutely incredible.)
Because he put his whole weight behind the jab, it had the same power as a hook and could knock opponents out.
Manny Pacquiao
The next example of a boxer using jumps in a fight is Manny Pacquiao.
Pacman was famous for incorporating leaping crosses into his unorthodox combinations.
With his catlike reflexes and terrific balance, he’d often throw away traditional footwork and launch himself forward just so he could land his attack.
(Though we love Pacquiao, we’ll be fair. His habit of launching himself forward allowed Marquez to land his famous overhand right knockout in their fourth and final fight.)
Mike Tyson
The last example of a boxer jumping with success during a fight is Mike Tyson.
Iron Mike would use the leaping gazelle hook against his opponents with great success.
His secret was using his head movement and aggressive footwork to get him into a crouched position, safe from his opponent’s jabs.
From that position, he would explode upwards and forward to land a powerful lead hook.
Conclusion
At first, jumping in boxing seems useful, but you shouldn’t rely on it for your success.
Personally, we only do this when we’re sure we can land a gazelle-hook or leaping jab; otherwise we prefer to stay grounded and balanced.
Even if you’re a boxer with exceptional balance and reflexes, the moves listed above are still high-risk, high-reward and only work well with certain boxing styles.
For example, if you’re a flatfooted boxer that prefers to stay grounded and work off your high guard, these attacks aren’t best for you.
On the other hand, if you’re an outboxer or a pressure fighter who loves to move in and out of your opponent’s range, you could borrow some of these moves.
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