Fake Jab

How to throw it

Sell the jab with a sharp jerk of the hips and a twitch of the lead hand, but never extend the arm; the whole point is the reaction, not the punch. Keep your weight ready to shift so you can follow the flinch you draw, and hold the rear hand home in guard. Make the fake crisp and believable so their guard rises to the high line.

When to use it

Fake the jab to lift their guard and attention high, opening the low line for a kick or body shot underneath. Use it to set a rhythm they read as a real jab so the real attack lands where they stopped defending.

Common mistakes

• Half-extending the arm so it reads as a weak jab rather than a convincing feint
• Faking with no hip or hand movement, giving the opponent nothing to react to
• Freezing after the fake instead of immediately attacking the low line it opened