Setups and the Rule of 3
In this last video we introduce the ‘Rule of 3’ which takes advantage of the fact that as humans we recognize patterns. If I do something once it could be a fluke, the same thing done again becomes a pattern. By breaking this pattern we can hopefully trick our opponents into exposing themselves so that we can land hard clean shots.
The first example given is using fakes. If I notice a pattern each time I throw a certain attack then I can use a fake to exploit it. One of the simplest being a stiff jab which is then faked into a hard lead hook.
The second involves setting the pattern. We do this by throwing the same combination a couple of times before changing one of the shots to catch our opponent out. In the video we use the standard 3 combination: Jab, Cross, Left Hook. After throwing this combination a couple of times we change the last punch to a Lead Uppercut with the aim of splitting the guard up the center line as our opponent covers for that they think will be another hook.
Obviously when shadowboxing you will need to imagine your opponent’s reactions but use this opportunity to create your own setups using the concepts above and all the material in the previous videos.