The Hook: The next thing to learn is the hook, this is the third range attack after kicks, jabs and crosses. As you can see from the pictures below he has to be close to be able to connect to the target area, these would be ribs, chin and temple. This technique coming in from the side, like the jab and cross does from the front. A simple way of doing this technique is from the guard position, as from the picture you can see how he drops his left arm parallel with his shoulder, not below or above the top of this shoulder. Now see how he turns his foot, hips, and shoulder pushing his arm and fist from left to right driving through his attacker target area. Please try to remember that it's your hips and shoulder that drive your fist into the ribs, chin and temple and not the swing of the arm or fist. Now try from the guard, a left jab, right cross and then lead hook in to the pads and feel how you body changes from left to right an then left pushing your arms forward and across into pads.
The Elbow:The elbow works in the same way as the hook does, but uses the elbow to make the point of contact, which can be the point of your elbow up to six inches back giving you more change of hitting the target area. As you can see from the picture below he guards with his left arm and drives his right elbow into the bag keeping his eyes on the target at all time.
Please click onto the "Uppercuts button" for more on our Punching programme.
