Get the drop on your opponent

A boxing/kickboxing class doesn't go by without the importance of changing levels being stressed. Switching up your attack from head to body, or head to legs if kickboxing, is critical in mounting an effective and damaging attack on your opponent. The idea behind it is simple: if you get punched in the face, all of your attention goes to your face and not being hit there again. Your mind says, "That hurt. Don't let it happen again," so you cover up for the anticipated follow up punch to your face. That's a basic survival instinct hardwired into your brain and it's also an instinct you have to try and overcome because with all of your attention/defense focused on not getting hit in the face again you leave the rest of your body open for attack.

This shows the drop right. The fighter
on the right as avoided the jab by sitting
and then he fires the drop right.

Going upstairs then downstairs with your attack creates unpredictability. In classes this week we have been practicing the drop right and the left hook to the body with an immediate left hook to the head. The drop right is simply a straight right handed punch thrown to the stomach from a crouch or sitting position. Your opponent fires a jab, you avoid the punch by sitting and then blasting them with a right to the gut. The mechanics of the drop right are the same as throwing a right from the standing position - generate torque by pushing with your legs and rotating your hips. For the left hook to the body and head, we practiced this by avoiding a left jab thrown by our opponent by stepping to 11 o' clock. This closes distance, gets you inside the pocket and in great position to employ the left hook to the body followed by an immediate left hook to the head.

Switching levels, going upstairs then downstairs, whatever you want to call it, it works. And it works defensively as well as offensively. If I get punched in the face I'm thinking about avoiding another punch to the face. I'm not thinking about my exposed midsection. Likewise, if I'm attacking the head, my focus is upstairs and therefor an effective and surprising counter from my opponent would be to go downstairs. This is where the drop right becomes a sweet, sweet move.

Although I've not used this combo in sparring, just during shadow boxing, it seems that using a combo of jab-right-jab-right-jab and then throwing in the drop right is good way of lulling your opponent into a rhythm and then breaking that rhythm of working upstairs by going downstairs with the drop right.