Uppercut

Infobox martial art


imagecaption = Counterpunch in Burmese boxing
imagesize = 110px
name = Uppercut (undercut)
aka = flagicon| France France: Coup remontant

flagicon| JPN Japan:

flagicon|China China:

flagicon|Thailand Thailand: Mat-soy

flagicon|Burma Burma: Pin Latt-di
focus = Striking

The uppercut (sometimes also referred to as the "upper") is a punch used in boxing that usually aims at the opponent's chin. It is, along with the cross, one of the two main punches that count in the statistics as "power punches".

Uppercuts are useful when thrown at close range, because they are considered to cause more damage when at close range. Additionally, it is likely that a boxer would miss if the uppercut is thrown when the opponents are apart. Uppercuts usually do more damage when landed to the chin, but they can also cause damage when thrown to the body (particularly the solar plexus) or when landing on the nose or eyes.

As far as the punch's movement, the name says it all: the punch usually initiates from the attacker's belly, making an upward motion that resembles a pirate's hook in shape, before landing on the opponent's face or body. In a conventional boxing combination, it is the second punch thrown, after the jab, but it can either initiate or finish a combination.

When performing an uppercut, the attacker should stay close to the target, so as to prevent the opponent from detecting that the punch is coming, and countering with a straight punch. An uppercut from the outside also loses some of its power because the arm is no longer bent at the elbow and cannot effectively transfer the total body’s force in the upward movement. [" [http://www.theonetwopunch.com/uppercut.htm] "]

Boxers famous for their uppercuts include Joe Louis, Wilfredo Gómez, Julio César Chávez, Mike Tyson, Ruben Olivares, and Manny Pacquiao.

References