Punch and Stepping at the Same Time

Question

In punching and stepping, there is a saying to " punch as your foot lands on the ground". Example, if in orthodox stance,

Stepping with left foot, you would jab as you land.

In being very picky and accurate, one of my coaches said "I still jab too Late".

1. He said "when your foot lands, your jab should be at nearing full extension."
2. What I was doing, as soon as my foot lands, I being my punch.

Which one of these methods is correct? I'm guessing it's his way, however I'm seeing a variety of ways in Professional matches so wanted t to be sure.

Answer 1

The general idea is that your power comes from your connection to the ground.

So when do I need to be touching the ground to benefit from it?

If you jump and punch you can still move your hands quickly - so it isn't the need to generate speed (the start of the punch) that requires this connection.

But on impact I want that speed to be connected to as much mass as possible -> to get my whole body and legs involved. And it is at this point the contact with the ground is important.

With that said - it is very difficult to time just this part of the technique within a step/movement - hence you often see boxers "plant their feet" when they are trying to hurt their opponent, the punches will be more powerful like this, but they are less mobile/prone to being countered and less able to adjust distance if the opponent is moving.

You also often see this being ignored with the jab - many fighters use this as a distraction/nuisance and distance gauge to bring the back hand (or legs/other tools depending on discipline) in to play. A few boxers do employ this timing extremely well and will break opponents down with the jab - mainly because the opponent is used to fighting a jab that has no power. If you can get this timing right - it is definitely a useful skill to have/could be the difference in a bout.

Answer 2

Striking with stepping is different from stepping then striking. Everyone learns to strike with feet stationary. Stepping then striking with the feet stationary is straightforward but independent movements. You can also step and use the forward momentum of this movement to add to the strike, which requires more coordination between the hands and feet. This can also be faster because the time for you to punch overlaps with the time you are stepping rather than being separate.

It sounds like this is what your coach wants you to learn.