Product review: Teddy Atlas 'Footwork - Boxing's Transit System'

Perhaps boxing’s most esteemed teacher, the Boxing Hall of Fame’s Teddy Atlas, is back with his latest video for Dynamic Striking: “Footwork- Boxing’s Transit System." The video’s title, in reference to his home state of New York, famous for its transit system, addresses just that – movement.

Only in this video, Atlas’ 5th in the massively popular series, he isn’t looking at the Fulton Street line to get you out to Queens during rush hour. Instead, he examines one of the most important aspects in all of boxing - the secrets to moving your feet, creating angles, and cutting the ring.

As in previous videos, Atlas brings his sense of humor to naming the different chapters of the video.

Part 1 starts with the introduction, then he looks at ‘Putting Air in the Tires’ and ‘Getting Outside the Shoulder.’

In Part 2, he addresses ‘Creating Angles’, ‘Getting off the Tracks’ and ‘Creating the Ambush.’

Part 3 sees Atlas modelling ‘Shots from the Bunker, “Circling the Wagons’, ‘Moving South’ and ‘Old Fashioned Ring Cutting.’ And the 4th chapter looks at ‘Walking in the Rain Without Getting Wet’, ‘Roaming the Prairie’, and finally, ‘Setting Traps.’

While the titles are named with a wink and a smile, make no mistake, each part of the video addresses fundamentally important aspects of ring movement for precise defensive and offensive positioning. The step-by-step instruction will show how a fighter can deliver a shot, or walk his or her opponent into a punch, while placing themselves to be in a safe defensive posture after. Ring positioning is so vital, and this video provides an expertly designed demonstration.

The video promotes that, “This is your chance to learn the right ways to move your feet in the ring so you can deliver the best punches and stay out of your opponent’s range, learn how to create angles, get out of the way of your opponent’s shots, set traps, and more." In short, this perfectly summarizes the strengths of the video.

Atlas, long revered as one of the most successful, and respected trainers in boxing, brings his wealth of knowledge to the instruction. Unlike many hired or “staged” trainers used in instructional videos, this series has been so well received because the teacher has been in the trenches at every level of the fight game, and knows exactly what can, and does, work in terms of ring execution.

For any boxer, at every and all levels of the fight game, mastering the basic fundamentals and skills required to compete in the ring is vital to any success. While each athlete can bring certain physical gifts of their own that can be developed, foundational instruction is vital. As Atlas has often said, structures are built from the ground up, and basic foundations are vital for any fighter; certainly, ring movement is paramount in building that foundation.

Atlas has worked with every level of fighter from novice amateurs to training and cornering the elite of professional world champions. He knows every aspect of the vital role of ring movements in both defensive and offensive positioning. You want to learn from the best? Start here.

Boxing’s Transit System – All Aboard!

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