Parry

A short, sharp deflection of an incoming punch using the palm or knuckle of the rear hand. The parry redirects the punch off-line by an inch or two — just enough to miss — and opens up a clean counter. Larry Holmes used the parry to set up the right cross; Vasiliy Lomachenko parries the jab with the rear hand and immediately steps to a new angle.

Key points

• ▸Use the rear hand to parry the jab inward (toward the centreline) — this opens the cross counter.
• ▸A parry is a small movement — 2-4 inches — not a swat.
• ▸Eyes on the opponent's chest, not the glove.
• ▸Use the lead hand to parry the cross outward.
• ▸Every parry should set up a counter — parry-cross or parry-hook.

Common mistakes

• ✗Reaching for the parry — opens the hand line to a feint-and-real-punch combination.
• ✗Parrying too late — the punch is already past.
• ✗Standing static while parrying — the parry is a head-and-shoulder move too.
• ✗No counter — wasted defensive action.

Drills

1. Partner drill: partner throws slow jabs; you parry every one with the rear hand and tap the body.
2. Mitt drill: catcher throws single jabs at the rhythm of a metronome; you parry on every beat.
3. Combination: parry-cross-hook for 5 rounds against a partner.

Related techniques