Openings

[Juof]

do you wait for an opening to throw your shot or do you create your own with combinations?

when i spar i usually wait for the openings which leaves me pretty inactive should i throw more combinations to create them aswell as waiting for them when the opponent throws his punch.

[Rockin']

you make the openings and use your eyes to see how he reacts. waiting for an opening will leave you lost..............Rockin'

[DaveJH]

Instead of waiting for him to make the first move, you can use feints to lure your opponent in and create openings, for example feinting a left hook to the head will typically lead to him bringing his right glove up to block it, thus leaving an opening to hit him with a bodyshot.

If he responds every time you jab with a jab of his own, you can use this against him. Feint a jab, then slip his jab and reply with a right hand.

You can also use footwork to create openings, pivoting can often leave you a split second to **** your opponent right in the earhole of his headguard, which you can then follow up with other punches.

There is a further method of finding openings but that relies more on waiting for him to punch first. Getting the timing of his shots can lead to you finding an opening and beating him to the punch. If he has any 'ticks' or habits before throwing a certain shot, you can see this and know when it's coming, thus throwing an appropriate shot before he is able to get his off. For example, if the person you're facing 'sits' his weight back on his right leg before throwing his right hand, you can notice when one is coming and throw a sharp left hook before he is able to get his right hand off fully.