Defence and Counter

Mobilisation (5 minutes)

• Neck rolls: 10 each direction (critical for slipping work)
• Shoulder circles: 10 forward, 10 back
• Hip circles: 10 each direction
• Thoracic rotation: 10 each side
• Knee circles: 10 each direction
• Bodyweight squats: 10 reps
• Shadow slipping: 20 reps left and right, warming up the lateral movement

Warm-Up Drills (10 minutes)

Slip bag work (5 mins)

Everyone rotates through the slip bags. 1-minute turns. Slip the bag, then counter with a jab after every slip. Keep the rhythm going. This warms up the defensive movement pattern and connects it to a counter immediately.

Pad work - defence and counter review (5 mins)

Pairs. Pad holder throws a slow jab toward the worker's head (not hitting, just presenting). Worker slips outside and throws a counter cross on the pad. 10 reps each side. Then swap.

This sets the pattern for the whole session: see the punch, move, counter.

Main Session (35 minutes)

Phase 1: Slip and Single Counter (10 mins)

Drill setup: pairs in sparring gear. Partner A is the attacker. Partner B is the defender. Roles are fixed for each round.

Round 1 (2 mins each way): Partner A throws a single jab (light, controlled, slow). Partner B slips outside the jab and counters with a single cross. Then both reset. Repeat.

Key coaching point: the counter must come immediately after the slip. There should be no pause where B returns to guard, resets, then counters. The slip IS the setup for the counter. The body rotation from the slip loads the cross.

Common mistake: B slips and then stands up straight before countering. The counter should come from the slipped position.

Round 2 (2 mins each way): Partner A throws a single cross (light). Partner B slips inside and counters with a lead hook. Reset and repeat.

Coaching point: the inside slip is more dangerous because you move toward the power hand. The counter hook must be immediate, and B must exit to an angle after the hook - do not stand in front of A after slipping inside.

Phase 2: Slip and Double Counter (8 mins)

Round 3 (2 mins each way): Partner A throws a jab. Partner B slips outside and counters with cross-hook (2-3). Two counters in quick succession.

Coaching point: the first counter (cross) should arrive before A can recover their guard. The second counter (hook) follows the natural body rotation from the cross.

Round 4 (2 mins each way): Partner A throws a cross. Partner B slips inside and counters with hook-cross (3-2).

After these rounds, ask the group: "Is anyone pausing between the slip and the counter?" That pause is what we are eliminating.

Phase 3: Slip and Triple Counter (7 mins)

Round 5 (2 mins each way): Partner A throws a jab. Partner B slips outside and counters with cross-hook-cross (2-3-2). Three counters from one defensive movement.

This is the target combination for the session. The 2-3-2 counter off the slip is one of the highest-percentage sequences in boxing because the attacker is still recovering from their own punch when the counters arrive.

Round 6 (90 seconds each way): Partner A throws a cross. Partner B slips inside, counters with hook-cross-hook (3-2-3).

Coach circulates during these rounds. The quality drops as the combination gets longer. Emphasise: "First counter must be sharp. If the first one misses or is weak, the next two will not land either."

Phase 4: Full Defence Sparring (10 mins)

Now both fighters can attack and defend. The rules:

• Light contact throughout
• If you see a punch coming, slip and counter. Do not just block and stand there.
• Score yourself on clean counters, not on punches thrown.
• The fighter who defends and counters better wins the round, not the fighter who throws more.

4 x 2-minute rounds with 30-second rest. Rotate partners after 2 rounds.

Between rounds, coach gives feedback:
- After round 1: "Who is countering off the slip? Who is just blocking and then punching separately? Those are two different things."
- After round 2: "I want to see the slip load the counter. Do not separate them."
- After round 3: "Start looking for the opening before it comes. If you know a jab is coming, start slipping early."
- After round 4: "That was the best round. When you stop thinking and let the patterns take over, the counters flow."

Conditioning Finish (7 minutes)

Slip bag and counter circuit:

• 30 seconds: slip the bag, counter with a jab after every slip
• 30 seconds: slip the bag, counter with 1-2 after every slip
• 30 seconds: slip the bag, counter with 1-2-3 after every slip
• 30 seconds rest
• Repeat twice more (total: 3 sets)

Finish with 20 press-ups and a 30-second plank.

Cool Down and Reflection (3 minutes)

Neck stretch (left, right, forward - 15 seconds each), shoulder stretch across chest, hip flexor stretch, hamstring stretch.

"Defence without a counter is wasted movement. You moved, you spent energy, but nothing came from it. Today was about making your defence pay off. Slip, counter, exit."

Coaching Notes

• The biggest coaching challenge in this session is getting members to counter immediately rather than resetting their guard first. This habit is deeply ingrained because earlier sessions teach "return to guard after everything." Here, the guard is the counter.
• Phase 1 and 2 are non-negotiable setup. Do not skip to full sparring. The pattern needs to be drilled slowly before it can be applied under pressure.
• If a member cannot coordinate the slip-counter, simplify: have them just slip (no counter) for 2 rounds to get the defensive movement solid, then add the counter.
• For advanced members who have this down: add a second attack from Partner A. A throws jab-cross, B slips the jab and counters before the cross arrives. This introduces the concept of beating the combination with a counter.
• Watch for members who lean away instead of slipping. Leaning puts you off-balance and takes you out of counter range. A proper slip keeps you in range to hit.
• The full defence sparring rounds (Phase 4) are where the session comes together. If the drilling was done well, you will see members naturally slipping and countering without thinking about it. Point that out. Positive reinforcement here cements the pattern.