When it comes to teaching boxing, Toronto Newsgirls founder Savoy Howe breaks the sport down into four basic components: grounding, offence, defence and footwork. “Then if ever you want to play with someone else in the ring, the fifth department is strategy.”
“[Breaking it down] doesn’t make it such a scary sport,” says Howe. “You could actually learn everything in, say, 16 weeks to 32 weeks.”
Grounding. “Everything you do to learn how to grip the ground so you don’t get knocked over and so that you can knock somebody else over.”
Offence. “Anything you do to offend, so all the basic punches — hook, jab, power punch, upper cut.”
Defence. “Anything you do to protect yourself from the hook, jab, power punch, upper cut.”
Footwork. “How you transport yourself from here with those three things [grounding, offence and defence] to here.”
Strategy. “How do you get points on [your opponent] ’cause they’re working on those same four things.”
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