Understanding Head Movement

MOVE YOUR HEAD!

If you’ve ever tried boxing, kickboxing, and/or Muay Thai, the likelihood is you’ve heard your coach yell, “move your head!” If your only experience with striking is in a cardio boxing gym, it’s unlikely you’re getting that type of instruction.

Different goals for different settings. Starting in a martial arts school, the goal would be to give you a proper foundation. Your experience in a school/dojo versus a 24 Hour Fitness kickboxing class is not the same.

Congratulations on nerding out about head movement. The assumption, if you’re here, is you understand what your base should look like and can execute it properly when needed.

The misconception is that head movement is your head moving forward, backward, and side to side. You low-key don’t realize you look like an ostrich running or a bobblehead bobbing. Either way, it’s not a good look.

WHAT IS HEAD MOVEMENT?

As a newbie, and even someone with a couple of years under your belt (still a newbie), it’s easy to leave your head in the center line. This is especially true if you haven’t shadowboxed on your own (ahem-most of you), and are just learning to memorize the mechanics of weight transfer.

Trying to figure out what limb goes where takes a lot of time. If you’re a once or a twice-a-week student, it’s going to take that much longer.

How do we fix this? First, be familiar with the basics. Head movement comes from the ground up. It starts with your feet and proper trunk rotation.

Head movement can look like many things. Defensively, it’s seen as a Slip, Ride (aka Pull, Slide, or Fade), Roll, Bob, and/or Weave movement. Offensively, it is taking your head off the centerline, being covered by the rear hand. Your ear should be off the centerline on the same side as whatever hand and shoulder are in the rear. Look below to see examples.

OFFENSIVELY

Example 1:

The Set Up: Orthodox, closed stance, throwing a jab.

If you’re throwing your jab correctly, you would be pushing off the rear foot.
Your weight would be in the rear and your right hand is on your face while your lead hand shoots out.
Your shoulder is covering the left side of your face.
Your left ear is just outside the centerline dug into your right hand.

Execution: your head movement (from your left ear over) is to the right of the centerline.

Example 2:

The Set Up: Orthodox, closed stance, throwing a cross.

If you’re throwing your cross correctly, your weight transfers to the lead leg.
Your left hand is on your face while your rear hand shoots out.
Your shoulder is covering the right side of your face.
Your right ear is just outside the centerline dug into your left hand.

Execution: your head movement (from your right ear over) is to the left of the centerline. Due to it being a rear hand, the pullback of the lead shoulder to reset into the base is important.

DEFENSIVELY

Example 1:

The Set Up: Orthodox, closed stance, slipping a jab.

If you’re slipping a jab, it’s very much like throwing a jab.
Your weight is in the rear and the lead hand stays in the lead position without extending out.
Your left shoulder and lead hand are tight to the left side of your face and body.
Your left ear is to the right of the centerline dug into your right hand.

Execution: your head movement (from your left ear over) is to the right of the centerline.

Example 2:

The Set Up: Orthodox, closed stance, slipping a cross.

If you’re slipping a jab, it’s very much like throwing a jab.
Your weight transfers to the lead leg and the rear hand is forward.
The left hand’s left shoulder with trunk rotation is in the rear.
Your right ear is to the left of the centerline dug into your right hand.

Execution: your head movement (from your right ear over) is to the left of the centerline.

Fluidity is important. Moving like Carlton from the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is not what we’re after. Think like a snake. Predatorial skills are important here. It’s what you’re trying to exemplify, not the prior.

HEAD MOVEMENT FOR MARTIAL ARTS

All head movement does not transfer equally for Boxing, Kickboxing, Muay Thai, MMA, and/or self-defense. Intentions, weapons, and rules change for every discipline.

Boxing is hands-only. Kickboxing has hands, kicks, and potentially knees, depending on the rule set. Muay Thai has all the aforementioned, but add in clinches, sweeps, and elbows. MMA is all of the above and then some. The bottom line, you have to know the rules of the arts in which you choose to step foot in.

The last thing you want to do is execute a roll in Muay Thai unless you enjoy getting kneed in the face. In Muay Thai, it’s more common to pull (aka slide or fade), slip, and/or step out.

The art of having clean head movement can be the difference between getting caught with a knockout kick that even world champions have to answer to (see Kamaru Usman’s knockout). Big head movements will have you eating elbows and shins. I promise you, they’re not tasty.

There are some really important rules everyone must know. In a fight-or-flight situation, hopefully, you decide to fight. Choose to be calm and keep your head attached. If the world is burning down, you have to see through the fire.

When fight-or-flight kicks in, find what grounds you. Take slow, deep breaths and keep your chin down and jaw tucked. Bring your heart rate down through deliberate breaths and keeping your shoulders relaxed. One hand protects the head at all times and in the case you’re working defensively, both hands can be there.

We see more knockouts due to chins being up, a dangling jaw with missing hands to cover. Don’t be that person.

An upright chin and a mouth open, universally speaking across the disciplines and in self-defense, will inflict more damage than necessary. Your hands being attached to your face will mitigate some of that damage. CTE is real and your brain will thank us later.

FILM STUDY

Film study plays a critical role in developing competitors, fighters, and athletes. Being objective in your movement and being able to see the gaps allow you to get better, faster.

If the goal is to get good at head movement, here are some examples in a few disciplines you can watch.

BOXING

KICKBOXING

Tiffany ‘Timebomb’ Van Soest

MUAY THAI

MMA

There are a couple of fighters listed above, such as Israel Adesanya and Rafael Fisziev, who started in Kickboxing and/or Muay Thai before MMA.

Film Study is an excellent way of developing Fight IQ and being able to visualize head movement in action.

DRILLS TO GET BETTER AT HEAD MOVEMENT

Developing head movement takes time. It starts with doing it in the air. Start by working out the kinks through shadowboxing. Once you’ve done it static, you can add movement and incorporate offensive and defensive work so it’s smooth. A common mistake is segregating offensive/defensive movement. Here are a few easy drills to start with:

SHADOW BOXING

The Set Up: Orthodox, closed stance, straight line. Move forward and backward.

Start with offense. Throw a jab down the centerline.
Your weight is in the rear. Your left shoulder covers the left side of your face and body. Your left-hand shoots down the centerline.
Your left ear is to the right of the centerline dug into your right hand.
Repeat 2x or as necessary to be fluid
Add your cross. Your jab remains the same.
With your cross, your weight is in the lead leg. Your left shoulder is pulled back.
Your right ear to the left of the centerline dug into your left hand.
Repeat 2x or as necessary to be fluid

Execution: Your head movement is intentional. Your ear should be crossing the centerline and your head is in the hand of whatever is in the rear.

Progression

The Set Up: Orthodox, closed stance, moving forward and backward

Work defense. Slip 1, Slip 2 (Slip-Jab, Slip-Cross)
Slip the jab. Your weight is on the rear leg.
Your left shoulder covers the left side of your face and body.
Your left-hand goes no higher than your temple and your elbow stays tucked.
Your left ear is to the right of the centerline dug into your right hand.
Slip the cross. Your weight is in the lead leg.
Your right shoulder covers the right side of your face and body.
Your right-hand goes no higher than your temple and your elbow stays tucked.
Your right ear is to the left of the centerline dug into your left hand.
Alternate and make sure you bring your feet with you down the line.
Repeat 2x or as necessary to be fluid

Execution: Your head movement is intentional. Your ear should be crossing the centerline and your head is in the hand of whatever shoulder is in the rear.

Understanding: The trunk rotation for Slipping a Jab or a Cross is similar to throwing a Jab or Cross. The primary difference is where the hand placement differs. Slipping a jab or a cross in layman’s terms means not throwing out the hand. The hand stays on the face (no higher than the temple) and the elbow is tight to the rib cage.

Final Progression

The Set Up: Orthodox, closed stance, moving forward and backward. Tie in offensive and defensive work.

Throw a 1-2-1-2 (jab-cross-jab-cross) and add Slip 1, Slip 2, Slip 1, Slip 2 (Slip-jab, Slip-Cross, Slip-Jab, Slip-Cross).
All the prior rules stay intact.
Go slow to smooth it out.
Pick it up as you execute proficiently.
Stay balanced. Don’t take extra steps. Reset your base and move forward and backward.
Repeat 2x or as necessary to be fluid

Execution: Your head movement is intentional. Your ear should be crossing the centerline and your head is in the hand of whatever shoulder is in the rear.

Advanced Work: Repeat all the drills in Southpaw. When you’re efficient, do it off the bounce. You can move the drill to noodles or work it on pads with a partner.

PARTNER/PAD WORK (ADVANCED WORK)

The Set Up: With or without the bounce

Start with throwing your jab. Make sure your partner is catching it properly for a round. Start with a jab and go to a double jab.
Round 2. Still throwing a jab, add in one head movement (slip, block, bob, weave, pull/fade/ride) of choice, post jab.
Round 3. Add head movement before the jab or double jab (whatever your partner calls out). Add a defensive head movement post jab. Make sure you’re back in your stance/base after. To make it more complicated, execute off the bounce.
Round 4. All the above stays the same, but your partner adds a strike of choice. With the additional strike, perform head movement after and reset. It should look like this:

Head Movement
Jab (or double jab)
Head Movement
Coach’s choice in the additional strike

Execution: It’s a reaction drill. The goal is to pick up timing and variability. Staying ready and adding controlled pressure. Do these at least 2-3 times each. Then repeat in Southpaw.

Training Progressions should flow in this sequential order:

Static or in the air
Moving: forward, backward laterally, and circularly.
Partner Drilling
Sparring

Create an environment that removes pressure. Doing this allows you to focus on the movement. It’s critical for development to remove pressure initially. Adding pressure right out of the gates causes spastic movement and does not support fluency.

Once we’ve gained fluidity in one stage, we add controlled challenges that are appropriate for each level mastered. It’s the beginning of creating muscle memory and reflexes that protect us.

Boxing without head movement is akin to playing checkers. Many people get away with it for a while, but when you fight good fighters, your run will be short-lived. Head movement separates the fighters from playing checkers versus chess. You can play in the kiddie pool and look good for the unsuspecting, but Real knows Real.