How to Defend Against a Haymaker Punch [3 techniques]

HOW TO defend against a haymaker punch – Bettering your fighting skills
(THE OVERHAND RIGHT)

In this video, you will begin to learn how to fight like a pro and/or how to win a street fight.

A haymaker punch is designed to end a fight or physical altercation; in fact, that is its main goal. What is a haymaker punch? It is most effective when it lands on the chin or temporal lobe (the soft spot above the ear).

In order to throw this haymaker move, you will need to lock your shoulder and elbow in a 90-degree angle as you bring it up above your head and then punch downward, almost like you’re throwing a baseball.

You will want to use your hips and shoulder to swivel/pivot, providing the punch more power. The difference between a haymaker punch versus a hook is that a haymaker comes in a downward motion, while the hook comes horizontally across the body.

It is very important to know this form of self-defense, as it is crucial and deadly if the attacker is sending this punch.

You don’t want to get into a haymaker fight. It is a very common strike in high level MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) as well. Educated & technical practitioners are able to effectively avoid haymakers and create counter attacks.

Below we provide in detail how to properly defend against a haymaker punch. We will also describe how to use a haymaker counter in a fight. Thanks for using goodbye.ninja for all your learning how to fight needs.

Defense 1:
When you suspect that the haymaker punch is about to be thrown by your opponent, your first instinct will be to block it or stop it.

In order to stop a haymaker, you will raise your arm in a 45-degree angle and place it against your temporal lobe. You can then tuck your chin into your shoulder for extra protection.

Counter 1:
Now that you are prepared to catch the incoming overhand haymaker with your blocking arm, the attacker’s rear hand is compromised from defending him/herself.

This leaves a window of opportunity to strike back. The two strikes that make the most sense, and will come most instinctively to you, will be the cross directly followed by the lead hook.

A cross is thrown using your rear hand throwing power toward the face or the body.

A lead hook is thrown using your lead hand locked in a 90-degree angle coming across your body. It is most effective, like the haymaker, when you can swivel on your front foot to provide the punch with more power.

Defense 2:
When you suspect that the haymaker punch is about to be thrown by your opponent, your next instinct will be to dodge it.

To do this, you can roll to avoid the punch, keeping your hands by your chin as extra defense. A roll is a slight bend at the knees while moving under the attacker’s punch.

In this defense, you will roll toward the overhand or looping hook, aiming toward the opponent’s armpit. You will then use your back foot to circle out (step to the side of the opponent).

You should not be face to face after this move, you should be facing his/her profile.

Counter 2:
Now that you are out of the line of fire, you also have two open shots to throw off your opponent.

This would be a cross to the body, followed by another cross to the head. Again, a cross is thrown using your rear hand throwing a lot of power.

Defense 3:
When you suspect that the haymaker punch is about to be thrown by your opponent, another great way to both avoid and counter-attack is to throw a switch kick.

This will take a bit more practice, as you really need to get the timing down perfectly. Throwing this counter-attack kick, moves your head out of harm’s way, acting as your defense.

Counter 3:
When throwing a switch kick, you will perform a small jump to switch your lead foot with your rear foot (this is prepping your lead foot for the kick).

Then you will throw your lead foot (which is now in back) to the side of their body, aiming for the liver. If landed effectively, this will knock the air out of your opponent, and it will be detrimental to the rest of the fight on their end.

Thank you for tuning into this video. Whether learning technique for MMA or learning how to fight in real life like a street fist fight, these tips and videos will be helpful to you.

By learning the overhand right, offensively and how to defend it, you will be more equipped and more confident in your ability as a martial artist in extreme fighting circumstances.

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