Week 4 — Defence Basics — Four punches in the bank — now the course turns around and teaches them how to not get hit.

Four punches in the bank — now the course turns around and teaches them how to not get hit.

Week 4 — Defence Basics

Boxing
Course week 4 · Beginner
60 min
Beginner course intake of 8–20
1 coach
Effort 3/5
Boxing gym floor
beginners
course
defence
slipping
partner work

The MatPlans curriculum teamBJJ black belts & coaches · 12+ yrs on the mat

Kit: Wraps and gloves for all, one pair of focus pads per pair, spot markers, timer or bell. All partner feeds tonight are slow, light and to the gloves — say it before the first pair squares up.

Warm-up10 min

The Course So Far

Setup: Wraps on, markers out. Neck and trunk get extra prep tonight — slow head circles, shoulder rolls, easy trunk rotations woven between rounds, because head movement is new work for necks.

How it works: One compass round to wake the feet, then two shadow rounds using the full vocabulary: round one straights only, round two adds the hooks — 1-2-3 on the move, half speed to honest. Walk the rows and fix what you see; by week 4 your corrections should be one word each — heel, chin, corridor, home.

Rounds: 1 × 90s compass + 2 × 2 min shadow, 30s rests

What to say

“Chin down, eyes through the eyebrows — tonight that habit starts earning rent.”
“Every combination ends with the guard rebuilt — that is the doorway into defence.”
“Loose neck, loose shoulders — you cannot slip with a stiff neck.”

Easier

One shadow round, straights only.

Harder

Round two by the mirror, self-checking that the chin never chases the punches.

Drill12 min

Technical — Catch and Block

Setup: Semi-circle. Demo with a volunteer feeding you slow jabs — show the catch first: the rear glove meets the jab like catching a ball thrown to your face, small and calm.

How it works: Build the catch in the air on your count: rear glove firms up in place, palm meeting an imaginary jab, chin staying down behind it. Then the block for hooks: elbow tight, glove glued to the ear, taking the shot on the arms. Drill both to your calls — catch, block left, block right — for two minutes in the air. The message of the night: defence is small. Anyone reaching out to swat is learning to open their own door.

The technique, step by step

Catch: rear glove firms and turns palm-out an inch in front of the cheek — the jab lands in it like a mitt.
The catching hand presses, never chases — deflect, do not swipe.
Block: glove glued flat to the ear, elbow dropped to the ribs, shoulder shrugged up.
Take the hook on the arm and let the legs absorb — knees soft, stance intact.
Guard rebuilds instantly — defence is a bridge, not a destination.

Key details

Defence happens inside the silhouette of your guard — if your hand leaves your head to defend your head, it is doing the attacker's job.
The catch teaches the timing that every counter in boxing is built on.

Common mistakes

Reaching out to parry at full arm's length — the next feint walks straight through the open door.
Closing the eyes or turning the face away — you defend what you can see.

What to say

“Catch the jab in front of your face, not out in the air — the glove barely leaves the cheek.”
“For the block, glove to ear and elbow to rib — one solid wall, no gaps.”
“Eyes stay open and on the chest — blinking defence is guessing defence.”
“Stay in stance while you defend — feet still, shape still, ready to answer.”

Easier

Catch only for the whole block — the ear block waits for the partner drill.

Harder

Add a tiny weight shift back on the catch, loading the counter that arrives in week 5.

Drill12 min

Technical — The First Slip

Setup: Personal markers, then a slip line: lay a line of cones down the floor, one channel per four boxers. The slip is the crowd-pleaser of the course — treat it with ceremony.

How it works: Build it in place first: small bend at the knees, shoulders turn, the head moves off the centre line a fist-width — outside slip, then inside slip, on your count. Then the slip line: boxers walk the cone channel slipping an imaginary jab at every cone — left cone, slip left; right cone, slip right — guard up the whole way. Two lengths each, then two more at a bounce. Keep slips small all night; the fist-width rule is the whole technique.

Common mistakes

Ducking the whole torso underwater — big movement means late recovery and blind eyes.
Slipping and staying there — slip, then home; the centre line is only rented out, never sold.

Rounds: 4 lengths of the slip line each, rest while the channel clears

What to say

“Move the head a fist-width, no more — a slip is a lean of the shoulders, not a bow of the back.”
“Bend the knees, not the waist — your eyes never leave their chest.”
“Slip outside the jab when you can — it parks you in the safe seat.”
“Hands stay at home while the head moves — slipping with a dropping guard is paying twice.”

Easier

Slips in place only, on a slow count, holding each slip to check the shape.

Harder

Slip line at a rhythm bounce with a 1-2 thrown after every second slip.

The rest of this lesson is free — along with 3 more this week.

MatPlans curriculum team

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