Slipping is a defence against straight punches: you bend both knees and turn your body so your head moves just off the line of the punch, while your forearms keep covering your head and body and your eyes stay on your opponent. The coaching manuals match each slip direction to a punch and teach it standing first, then against a partner, then with a counter punch. From the front the app reads your knee bend, your head moving off the centre line, your posture and your guard. It reads your own movement, not an opponent's punches.
Set up
Start from your boxing stance: weight even over both feet, knees slightly bent, lead hand up, rear fist by your chin, chin down, eyes on your opponent.
balanced and ready to move either way.
Pick the side to match the punch. Against a jab, slip to your rear-foot side (to your right if you and your opponent are both orthodox), outside the jab. Against a rear straight (the cross), slip to your lead-foot side.
you move away from the hand that's coming, not toward the other one.
Slip off the line
Bend both knees and turn your body toward the slip side. The opposite knee turns with you: your rear knee when you slip to the lead side, your lead knee when you slip to the rear side. The turn comes from the hips and shoulders, so your head travels with your body.
legs and trunk move your head, not your neck.
Move just enough for the punch to miss. A slip that is too wide, too low or too far is a listed fault: it costs balance and leaves you out of position for the next punch.
a short, quick move, not a lunge.
Keep your eyes open and on your opponent, mouth closed, chin down. Don't turn your face away or blink through the slip.
you can still see both of their hands.
Guard and return
Keep your forearms and elbows covering your head and body during the slip. Your hands stay at stance height; the slip doesn't replace the guard, it adds to it.
hands still up when your head comes off the line.
Return to your boxing stance straight away, covered against the next punch and ready to slip again or counter.
back in stance in one smooth move.
Feel it
A short, relaxed move: your knees bend, your hips and shoulders turn, and your head comes just off the punch's line while your hands stay up and your eyes stay on your opponent. Then you're straight back in stance. If your neck is doing the work or your hands drop, the slip is too big or too stiff. The app reads your knee bend, head movement off the centre line, posture and guard, not the punch you're slipping.
Fix-its
- You slip too far, too wide or too low Bend both knees and turn your body a little instead of reaching sideways with your head. Move only enough for the punch to miss, so you can get straight back to stance.
- You slip the wrong way Against a jab, go to your rear-foot side. Slipping a jab toward your lead side moves your head toward the opponent's rear hand.
- Your hands drop or you have no cover for the next punch Keep forearms and elbows covering your head and body through the slip, chin down, and treat every slip as the start of the next exchange.
- Your eyes close or you look away Keep watching your opponent through the slip. Practise against slow, light punches until you can keep your eyes open.
- You move too early or too late, or freeze after the slip Stay relaxed, react to the punch rather than guessing, and finish every slip by returning to your boxing stance.
Drill
- Standing, on your own: from stance, slip to the rear side and to the lead side on a call, slowly, returning to stance after each one. Film from the front to check that your head moves off the line while your hands stay up.
- Maize (slip) bag: swing the bag forward and back and slip it as it passes. Stay in one spot so the work is head and body movement, not footwork.
- Double-end bag with a rope as the top cord: punch, then move your head side to side between punches, guard up between combinations.
- Partner drill: a partner throws light, controlled jabs and you slip them, focusing on form, not contact. Wear gloves and a mouthguard (and a headguard if your gym uses them), and stop if anything hurts.
- Add a counter once the slip is solid: partner jabs, you slip and answer with a single punch, for example a lead uppercut to the body, then return to stance.
How it's used
Outside slip: against a jab, slipping to your rear-foot side keeps you away from the opponent's rear hand. Inside slip: Boxing Canada teaches slipping inside the jab by pivoting at the hip and shoulder, with the lead foot moving into range, then countering with a short lead hook while the rear hand stays high. Learn the outside slip first. Counters: AIBA and USA Boxing teach the counter only after the defence itself is mastered, then pair the slip with a punch, such as a slip and uppercut to the body.
Sources
- AIBA Coaches Commission — AIBA Coaches Manual, 2.5.4 Basic Defense, Ducking to the Lead Side / Rear Side, pp. 54, 64–65 (2010)
- USA Boxing Grassroots Task Force — Training Manual v.01: Basic Defense, Ducking (Slipping) to the Lead/Rear Side, maize and double-end bags, partner drills (2014)
- Boxing Canada / Coaching Association of Canada — NCCP Club Coach Reference Material, common errors (p. 37) and slip to the front-foot side and hook (p. 59) (2016)
Last checked 2026-10-26.