When it comes to close-in work, for sports combat or for self-defence, controlling your opponent's front elbow is critical. If you control that, you control them. If you control them, you control the fight. If you control the fight, you should win. This video lesson looks at using the elbow to land the 45 degree uppercut, and more.

It is for boxers and self-defence students who want to work better at close range rather than just trading punches.

Why The Elbow Matters

The front elbow is the hinge for your opponent's lead arm. It controls their jab, their hook and their guard on that side. It is also connected to their shoulder and, through the shoulder, to their balance. Move the elbow and you move a lot more than an arm.

At close range, the elbow is right there in front of you. You do not need to reach for it. Take control of it and you can turn your opponent, close their guard, open a gap or move them onto your punch.

Control With Full Bodyweight

Control does not come from your hand alone. It comes from your whole body. If you try to hold the elbow with arm strength, a stronger person will just pull away. If your bodyweight is behind it, through your stance and your hips, the control is far harder to escape.

Some principles to work on:

  • Keep the control short and close to your own body
  • Use the movement to turn them so their guard is out of position
  • Fire the uppercut on the 45 degree angle into the gap you have made
  • Let go and move, rather than hanging on

Principles, Not Just Techniques

The important thing is to learn the principles of control and how they are done with full bodyweight. The uppercut is one use of it. Once you understand the principle, you can apply it elsewhere: to set up hooks, to move someone onto a wall, or to escape a clinch in self-defence. Add these principles to what you already know.

How To Practise It

Work slowly with a partner. Take control of the elbow, feel how their body moves with it, and land a light uppercut into the opening. Swap roles so you feel it from both sides. Keep contact light and controlled.

Take It Further

Close-range boxing and the 45 degree uppercut are covered in the Learn To Box Online Course. The elbow is also one of the key balance points I teach in the Pressure Point Fighting Course.