Double cover, glove catch, elbow and shoulder block: how to absorb punches, which mistakes cost you hits, and what blocking cannot tell you about head impacts.
Blocking means absorbing a punch with glove, forearm, elbow or shoulder instead of evading it. The world federation's manual teaches five basic forms: the double arm cover, the glove catch, the rear-forearm block, the elbow block against body shots and the shoulder block [1]. The Swiss coaches' material goes further: of all defences, beginners must master first the head cover with the rear hand and the elbow block [2].
Why blocking comes first: evading demands timing to the centimetre, blocking forgives more. That is practical experience, not a measurement. And there is a style question behind it: those who prefer to evade hold their fists lower, those who prefer to block hold them higher – the bend of the arms and the height of the fists reveal the school [2].
The honest answer to the biggest question first: how much force a block actually absorbs was not measured in the studies we read. Blocking reduces hits to head and body, but it does not make you invulnerable. More in the safety section.
Bring elbows and fists together so they almost touch, chin down, arms rigid [1]. This is the answer to straight punches to head and body, using both hands. Milestone: you hold the cover while your partner taps ten easy straights onto your gloves without your arms opening.
Just before impact, open the palm of your rear hand and hold it in front of chin height into the punch. The arm stays rigid, otherwise the force pushes your own glove into your face [1][2]. Milestone: you catch ten slow jabs without your glove touching your nose.
Turn your body slightly to the lead side, raise the rear forearm firmly, keep the lead hand up, eyes on the opponent [1]. Milestone: you block five slow hooks on each side with open eyes.
Rotate the upper body around the long axis and bring the elbow to the body so the bent arm covers the torso. You stay upright, fists stay at head height [1][2]. Milestone: you cover five body shots per side without your fists dropping.
Turn to the rear side, shift weight onto the rear leg, hide the chin behind the shoulder and block with the lead shoulder. The upper body does not lean forward [1]. Milestone: you take five slow crosses on the shoulder and stand in stance afterwards.
The Swiss material asks to couple defences with counter-punches as soon as possible – passive defence is to be avoided [2]. Block, then answer with a punch. Milestone: block and reply run in one breath.
The IBA manual lists typical defensive mistakes [1]:
An honest paragraph here, because the topic belongs to it. Boxing is a sport with head blows. In a meta-analysis of 35 studies the concussion risk in boxing was markedly higher than in other combat sports (risk ratio 0.253 versus 0.065) [3]. Measured in sparring: in collegiate boxers, headgear sensors counted on average 27.6 impacts above the measurement threshold in just two rounds of two minutes, roughly one every 9 seconds [4]. For beginners in an introductory course it was 3.9 head impacts per bout at an average of 16.5 g [5].
What does that mean for you? Blocking protects against many hits, not all, and whether and how much a block reduces force was not examined in these studies. So do not rely on "I block everything anyway".
In practice: sparring only with supervision, a suitable partner, headguard and 16 oz gloves [1]. With nausea, vomiting, confusion or dizziness after a hit, stop immediately and get medical help [1]. After a knock-down in training, the IBA manual requires the concussion to be noted in the coach's diary and the boxer to be examined by a physician [1].
This guide explains and motivates; it does not replace supervised training.
Practise blocking in slow-motion sparring: your partner punches at about a quarter speed, you block with open eyes. This is not dogma but practical experience – yet it gives you two things: you see how early the punch comes at you, and you unlearn squeezing your eyes shut when blocking. If you see the hit, you can counter.
Both have their place. The federation does not rank them as "better" and "worse" but as styles: those who prefer evasive movements hold their fists lower, those who prefer covers hold them higher [2]. For beginners: block first because it needs less timing, then add evasion.
Against the lead hook the body turns slightly to the lead side, the rear forearm goes up firmly, the lead hand stays up, eyes stay on the opponent [1]. Important: the elbow stays in front of the body, not folded away sideways.
Based on the studies read, that cannot be said. They measure how often and how hard hits land in sparring [4][5], not how much a block absorbs. Blocking reduces the number of hits but guarantees no safety. With warning signs such as nausea or confusion, get help immediately [1].
The IBA manual names 12 to 16 ounces as training equipment, and explicitly larger gloves (16 oz) with headguard for sparring [1]. For partner drills without sparring, gloves in that size plus wraps and a mouthguard are enough.
There are no reliable numbers. Experience says the basic forms sit after some weeks of two to three sessions a week if you practise them with a partner. What matters is not speed but that you still see what is coming at you with every block.
The Slip in Boxing: Evade Sideways and Counter