Listen hard in the boxing gym and you’ll hear grunts, groans, and hisses when boxers hit the heavy bag.
Are these noises necessary or are they just for show? Should you pick a signature sound as well?
We’ll answer these questions and more!
In this article, we’ll discuss the main reasons why boxers make noise when they punch.
Reasons Why Boxers Make Noise When They Punch
Boxers make noise when they punch because:
- It Sets The Rhythm Of Their Breathing And Movement
- It Gives Them More Effective Punches
- It Helps Them Brace For Body Shots
- It Helps Them Ration Their Oxygen Efficiently
This simple act seems unnecessary at first to outsiders and beginners, but all experienced boxers consider this technique essential.
It Sets The Rhythm Of Their Breathing And Movement
The first reason why boxers make noise when they punch is because it sets the rhythm of their breathing and movement.
This simple act of hissing or grunting forces you to breathe.
After a sharp exhale, your natural reaction is to inhale and recover oxygen.
Once you get your breathing technique down, you’ll find that you’ll have more power and fluidity while boxing.
This may be a hard concept to understand at first. What does breathing have to do with fluid movement?
If you’ve ever swam before, you’ll understand this concept perfectly.
When you don’t breathe properly in the water, you’ll clench up, become tense, and begin to sink.
Similarly, this continual light exhale makes it possible for boxers to move through the ring with fluidity.
This concept explains perfectly why swimming is good for boxing.
If you don’t have good breathing technique, you’ll tense up in the ring and won’t move smoothly.
Also, having an irregular breathing rhythm will make you burn out and and run out of energy before your opponent, especially if you get hit hard in the body.
It Gives Them More Effective Punches
The next reason why boxers make noise when they punch is because it gives them more effective punches.
In boxing, exhaling while throwing a strike:
- Increases core action
- Tightens your abdominal muscles
- Improves your power and speed
This exhale, yell, or shout is known as a “kiai” in martial arts, and is the fighter’s way of expressing himself.
Since your strike and force is directed outward, your breath should be as well.
An easy way to demonstrate this is to do one push-up while exhaling and another while inhaling.
The first will be an effective release of tension, while the second will feel awkward.
Now try it again, but this time exhaling and inhaling slowly.
You might not even be able to do one push-up if you do it while inhaling slowly; your body naturally finds this confusing.
Similarly, when you punch (which can also be thought of as pushing air away from you), a sharp exhale will make the transfer of force more effective.
It Helps Them Brace For Body Shots
The next reason why boxers make noise when they punch is because it helps them brace for body shots.
Although you’re vulnerable when throwing a punch, exhaling sharply can help protect you.
As we discussed before, exhaling while punching engages your core and tightens your abdominal muscles.
Let’s say that you throw a cross, but your opponent rolls under your attack and lands a clean hook to your body.
You’ll be able to take this shot better if you exhale sharply as it lands and then immediately inhale afterward.
If you take this body shot as you’re inhaling and your core isn’t ready, you’ll have the wind knocked out of you.
It Helps Them Ration Their Oxygen Efficiently
The next reason why boxers make noise when they punch is because it helps them ration their oxygen efficiently.
When you have a mouth guard in, you’ll be forced to keep a closed mouth and clamped teeth just in case you take a punch to the jaw.
This sharp exhalation is how you’ll be able to breathe efficiently while wearing a mouthpiece.
No matter what movement you’re performing, you’ll never run out of oxygen.
Depending on what movement you’re performing, you’ll change the way you breathe.
When you’re moving around and on the defensive, you’ll be breathing calmly and slowly through the nose to build up your oxygen reservoir.
When you’re on the attack, you’ll exhale forcefully to match sharp movements.
The key here is that after your attack, you’ll still have oxygen in the tank to keep moving.
If instead you’re panting with your mouth open while attacking, you’ll gas out after finishing your combination.
Conclusion
Now that you know the reasons why boxers make noises when punching, we hope that you’ll incorporate these ideas into your boxing.
If this is a new concept to you, it will take some time before it becomes muscle memory.
To train this, we recommend practicing both slow and sharp breathing while jump roping.
- First, take long, steady breaths through your nose while keeping a steady rhythm on the jump rope.
- Next, exhale sharply on every second or third jump so you can get a feel for how your breathing syncs with your movement.
Whether you hiss, grunt, or “hah” is up to you, just as long as you get your breathing down.
You can also use these ideas to gain an advantage on your opponent.
For example, sometimes you’ll notice that your opponent “winds up” his grunt or shout instead of keeping it short and strong. This can give you a clue of when he’s planning to attack.
Another example is to pay attention whether your opponent is breathing calmly or hyperventilating.
If he’s hyperventilating, that’s a good sign you should put offensive pressure on him.
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