Man practicing punches boxing
In addition to bag work and pad rounds, our Hudson Valley boxing classes place an emphasis on footwork.

Sure, anyone can throw a punch. However, moving in all directions while punching and maintaining a balanced stance can be more challenging than one may think. It may look a little silly and feel kinda robotic; but the Monster Walk is THE DRILL that took me from being a complete spaz to developing good footwork. This is a drill that all of our Poughkeepsie boxing students practice almost every session!

Be sure to keep your stance as you move! Don’t step your back foot through and keep your feet wider than hip width apart.

The first step is to become comfortable moving in all directions in your stance. When going forward, be sure not to step your back foot through to become your front foot. In other words; if you begin with your left foot in front, make sure that your left foot remains as your front foot. Step with the foot that is closest to the direction you’ll be moving. When going forward step your front foot first. When going backwards step your back foot first. When going to the right, right foot first. When going to the left, you guessed it; left foot first.

Once you can stay balanced moving in your stance, time your left hand with your left foot and your right hand with your right foot.

From here we need to time our punches with our steps. As your left foot touches the ground, your left hand should reach full extension. As your right foot touches the ground, your right hand should reach full extension. Be sure to fully extend your punches and bring your hands back to your face. Only throw punches as fast as you can step.

Once that becomes smooth and comfortable, try to add in some defensive motions. In the video above, I demonstrate slipping after every two punches. The pattern than I was demonstrating was “L-Hand, R-Hand, Slip, R-Hand, L-Hand, Slip, etc…”. Try the Monster Walk during your next training session! If you want to make your martial arts dreams a reality, click HERE or give us a call today at (845)392-8495.

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About the Author

Oliver Swanson is an amateur boxer and Brazilian jiu-jitsu blue belt from the Hudson Valley. He teaches kids BJJ and adult boxing classes throughout the week at Precision Boxing and MMA and works as a NASM Certified Personal Trainer.