Can You Superman Punch In Boxing

Can You Superman Punch In Boxing? (Execution, Striking Features, and Common Mistakes)

A superman punch is undoubtedly one of the most outlandish moves in the combat world. In the real sense, it’s more powerful because the fighter uses his entire body to exert pressure on his opponent. As a result, there’s a significant increase in force and power behind the jab.

Many fighters consider this punching technique one of the most distinctive offensive moves. Due to their speed and agility in moving toward their opponent, boxers can produce incredible results with their punches.

An effective superman punch can help you gain the upper hand and easily defeat your adversary. This guide explains why the superman punch is so effective in terms of power but isn’t always used in boxing. But before we bore you with the details, here’s an interesting summary for your perusal.

Summary: Is Superman Punch Permitted in Boxing?

Yes, the superman punch is legal and permitted in boxing. As long as it’s executed correctly, no law rules against its use in boxing. Interestingly, boxers of the highest caliber don’t frequently employ the superman punch as it exposes them to a counterattack.

A quick dash towards your opponent and unleashing your full attack power are the primary goals of the superman punch.

A superman punch is quite easy to execute. With your back leg, you’ll need to feint a kick.

If your opponent reacts to this by lowering his guard and falling for your bait, that’s your shot. You can then leap off the ground with your lead leg down and throw a powerful punch into your opponent’s face with your rear hand. Your primary advantage over your opponent is the element of surprise.

So, as long as the punch is landed correctly, you should be fine. We’ll provide more detailed information on how you can execute a superman punch and also discuss its effectiveness in the subsequent sections.

How to Throw a Superman Punch

A successful superman punch results from a well-planned footwork strategy and a lot of practice. Transferring weight into your punch while jumping off is essential for increasing your punching range. To adequately explain this boxing move, we’ll outline a step-by-step process.

Warm Up

Ensure that you warm up for at least a few minutes before engaging in any physical activity. A general warm-up is fine, but a specific exercise will ensure you improve mobility to the joints and muscles used in the movement.

To prepare for this training, you should focus on mobility exercises for the ankles, hips, knees, and shoulders. You can perform the superman punch conveniently if you have some open space and no obstructions in your training area. All you’ll need is an open, flat surface to practice.

Keep Your Target Close

One crucial factor to remember when executing a superman punch is that timing is critical. As with most athletic skill sets, you should know when to use a particular technique since this will significantly impact the final result.

When throwing a superman punch, keep your target as close to you as possible. You’re trying to get closer to someone, so having them move away from you is counterproductive.

Distract Your Opponent

You’re ready to aim as soon as you’ve positioned yourself in a fighting stance. You must divert your opponent’s attention away from the impending attack.

A feint or distraction technique is essential to successfully setting up your main attack. Using straight or flying knees as your feint technique with the superman punch is even better.

Stay In Position

To make the right punch, keep a staggered stance; you can bring your left leg in front while your right leg stays back. Make sure your torso is slightly tilted to the right; this should be your fighting stance before you make the punch.

You should aim at distracting your opponent while maintaining a solid guard. Remember to keep your hands up, protect your face and be aware of incoming counters.

Lower Your Opponent’s Guard

At this point, you’ll likely render your opponent vulnerable and without any defense. They may lower their guard and fall for your bait. Hence, this is the best time for you to attack by throwing the punch with speed and power.

Make the Punch

At this point, all that’s left to do is throw the actual punch. You must react fast after you notice a change in your opponent’s guard.

To generate momentum, you must now kick your knee back with an explosive amount of speed and force. To return to your fighting stance, simultaneously deliver a cross punch.

Why’s the Superman Punch Spectacular and Difficult to Defend Against?

There’s usually a bait set before the superman punch is delivered, and that’s the fake kick. You must always keep your hands raised and your guard up.

The good part is that one can successfully avoid a superman punch. You should, however, always maintain a high level of awareness as it’s the most important step towards protecting yourself.

Even though a seasoned boxer can avoid the superman punch, it’s a versatile strike that’s difficult to defend against because of a combination of factors, as we’ll see below.

Stance

In most cases, the superman punch is delivered while the opponent is on the attack. A fighter moving backward is highly unlikely to be hit by this shot. You won’t get enough time to respond or even move away. It’ll also be difficult to try dodging the punch or counter the attack when you closely follow the opponent.

Timing

Superman punches would never be thrown out of nowhere by a seasoned fighter. Most of the time, they’d set it up by kicking hard with one leg.

You should expect another kick as soon as they lift their leg. They’d wait for you to bite on the feint before launching a hard cross at you. You’ll be surprised by how quickly the kick transitions into a flying punch.

Unpredictability

To become an expert fighter, you must constantly practice the most commonly used techniques. In other words, you’d need to hone your reflexes to block and counter these attacks. However, superman punches are one of those fight night techniques that are hardly practiced enough.

Element of Surprise

A professional fighter will never throw more than two superman punches in a fight. Boxers adept at throwing superman punch do so once per fight, and when they do so can be highly unpredictable.

Why Don’t Boxers Throw Superman Punches More Often?

Top-level boxers rarely use superman punches because they place the fighter in an unstable and potentially dangerous position. Without reacting to the light kick and keeping your guard up, the opponent can quickly counterattack with a hook or an uppercut.

Indeed, many boxers believe that charging toward their opponent in the middle of a fight is a surefire way to knock them out quickly. Another reason the superman punches aren’t popular with world-class boxers is because of the balance issue and the prohibition on kicks.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Making a Superman Punch

With the superman punch, the first step is a feint kick. Still, it’s a powerful technique that excels mostly in close-quarters combat.

When it comes to making a superman punch the right way, novices tend to make a few common mistakes. However, if you’re in the know of these prominent flaws while training, you’ll learn to avoid them.

That said, here are the most common errors among boxers throwing a superman punch:

Failing to Kick Back

This is one common mistake with boxers. If you’re to make the superman punch, make sure you keep your right leg back. Also, if you’re going to throw a fake kick using your right leg, you should keep this in mind to make the right punch.

It’s important to mention that it’ll feel somewhat awkward and unnatural if this happens to be your first time. You won’t be able to produce the right amount of power needed for the punch. You’ll get more ability in your punch by briskly moving your right leg in a backward direction as you throw your right punch.

Forgetting to Have Your Back Foot Rooted In the Ground

When throwing a superman punch, you must keep your right foot firmly on the ground. Throwing this punch with your right leg lifted off the ground is common among many people, and it does have consequences.

Your superman punch will be more stable and balanced if your right foot is rooted in the ground. Even if your attack misses its mark, you’ll be better prepared to defend against subsequent counterattacks. The reverse occurs when your right foot is set loosely on the ground.

Not Jumping Forward Using Your Lead Foot

You need to jump forward using your lead foot when launching your superman punch. You’ll be better positioned to deliver the final blow as you’ll have more punching power and be closer to the opponent.

You’ll be too far from your opponent if you keep your leg back when making the punch. Increasing your attack’s power and range is as simple as hopping forward using your lead leg.

FAQ

Is it illegal to throw a superman punch in boxing?

No, it isn’t. Using superman punches in boxing is entirely legal as long as you do it the right way.

While this move can work to your advantage, seasoned boxers rarely use this technique. This is because when executed frequently, fighters will be able to avoid or counter the incoming jumping punch easily as their guard is up, defeating the overall goal.

Since superman punches involve feigning a kick, is it permitted to fake kicks in boxing (considering boxing rules against kicks)?

Yes, faking a kick or punch in a fight is acceptable if it doesn’t hit your opponent; there’s no law against it. However, the same doesn’t go for biting, kicking, and headbutting, as they’re all prohibited.

Who was the first person to use the superman punch?

Bas Rutten is credited as the first individual to use the superman punch in the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA). The fighter threw the punch during combat with Kevin Randleman in UFC® 20 on May 7, 1999.

Final Words

It’s always a thrill to discover a new punching technique, and the superman punch is no exception. Interestingly, it’s an entirely legal move in the boxing world. The superman punch is more about balance than taking offense, and a punching bag is an excellent means of working on your technique when sparring.

If you’re looking for a fun technique to use during practice, on the bag, or in real-time competition, then you should learn the superman punch. One thing is sure — your opponent will undoubtedly be surprised and impressed by your skills, especially if you’ve done it correctly.

While the superman punch is a technique used in boxing and even kickboxing, it’s rarely used by pro sportsmen. The reason for this isn’t far-fetched — its constant use makes you predictable before your opponent, enabling them to prepare for a defense.

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