Peek-a-boo boxing: everything you need to know about Mike Tyson's technique

What is peek-a-boo in English boxing?

THE peek-a-boo it is a fighting style that focuses on dodges and the counter attack. It is characterized by the use of changes of angle to destabilize the opponent.

Basically, the peek-a-boo is designed for defense. But the chest movements specific to this style make it just as formidable in attack!

If you are looking to put the pressure on your opponent and advance while dodging the blows, the peek-a-boo is made for you.

This boxing style consists of keeping:

• Gloves stuck to the temples
• Elbows tight to the body
• Shoulders parallel
• Chin down

THE peek-a-boo is quite a style particular and difficult which is more suitable for boxers:

• Small in size with a low center of gravity
• Powerful, fast and unpredictable
• With good mobility and good physical condition
• With good movement speed
• Able to manage distance and vary angles of attack
• Able to box in southpaw as well as in orthodox
• Capable of stopping and counterattacking

The peek-a-boo story

We told you at the very beginning that Mike Tyson had popularized the peek-a-boo, and it is indeed the case. But the one who has created this technique is Cus D'Amato. A very well-known trainer in the world of boxing.

Cus D'Amato was renowned for being an exceptional strategist. For the peek-a-boo, they are inspired of a lightweight champion, Maxie Rosenbloom. This boxer had a defensive style that D'Amato liked.

For Cus D'Amato, the objective with the peek-a-boo it was to combine the defense And the attack. To be more precise, he wanted to limit the opponent's defense while looking for offensive opportunities.

He developed this fighting style particularly for boxers with good dodges and good head movements. D'Amato wanted to make their defense nearly impenetrable when the peek-a-boo worked.

Cus D'Amato therefore taught peek-a-boo to several boxers:

• Mike Tyson, the most famous to have used it
• Floyd Patterson, the first boxer to use it
• José Torres, another boxer who used this fighting style

Comparison with other boxing styles

THE peek-a-boo is distinguished from other boxing styles by:

• Her very closed guard which limits the openings
• Her front position which allows you to move forward while going sideways
• Her mobility and his aggressiveness which helps create openings

In comparison :

• The Orthodox style favors a more open and more versatile guard
• The Philly Shell uses a lower guard which will deflect blows

THE peek-a-boo – with his quick dodges – surpassed traditional methods by favoring powerful counterattacks.

How does peek-a-boo work in English boxing?

The key to peek-a-boo is found in the bust movements. You must always move your trunk and head to move forward while dodging. Because yes, the dodges are also at the heart of this fighting style.

THE dodges allow to break the distance and find openings. On the other hand, it requires a good sense of timing.

There position peek-a-boo is characterized by:

• Feet shoulder width apart
• Left foot slightly forward
• The body in front with the shoulders parallel
• Knees bent
• Gloves stuck to the temples
• Elbows tight to the body to protect the liver and ribs
• Chin lowered and tucked

There position basic peek-a-boo is more square than the traditional position in English boxing. Which will therefore promote the speed of movements and the effectiveness of dodges.

In the peek-a-boo, the guard plays a classic role. It protects your face and body from punches. But that's not all. Like your shoulders are parallel, you can send powerful blows and fast directly from your guard.

THE travel, they are essential for peek-a-boo combat. They allow you to break the distance. They will also allow you to change angles attack while dodging. The goal is to move around while remaining airtight and to keep your head out of reach.

Who says travel also says dodges ! They will have a dual role: not to take any hits while creating opportunities for you. opportunities against.

Once you have mastered the main aspects of peek-a-boo, you need to add to that the basics of boxing. Footwork, punches, sequences, timing, etc.

There are some sequences which work very well when you box peek-a-boo:

• Hook – Uppercut
• Uppercut – Hook
• Double front hook
• Double uppercut before
• Front hook – Back hook (or vice versa)
• Front uppercut – Back uppercut (or vice versa)

These are also combinations that Mike Tyson often used when he boxed!

How did Mike Tyson use peek-a-boo?

“Iron” Mike Tyson was a boxer little, compact And very powerful. So he was the perfect boxer to apply the peek-a-boo. Especially since its aggressive footwork allowed him to break the easy peasy distance.

Mike Tyson's strategy was simple: destabilize his opponent by bombarding him with short jumpsuits And fast. He got as close as possible to reduce the distance of his blows. This way he could chain them together with more speed and power.

Iron Mike also understood very well how to use dodges. And not just to defend! When dodging and moving, he put a lot of effort into weight on his front foot to generate a maximum of power in his blows. The result: unpredictable lateral movements combined with devastating hooks.

Tyson mastered the bust movements On the fingertips. He could change angles as if nothing had happened. His opponents were therefore very quickly destabilized. And on top of that, the constant pressure what he was inflicting on them was adding another layer!

You will understand, if you are looking for a boxer who masters the peek-a-boo, Mike Tyson is truly the perfect example. But be careful, this formidable fighting style still has some disadvantages !

What are the advantages and disadvantages of peek-a-boo in boxing?

The benefits of peek-a-boo

This style of combat allows you to:

• Surprise your opponent without giving him time to react
• Trigger powerful sequences with the whole body
• Dominate the center of the ring with rapid movements
• Put a big pressure on your opponent
• Vary angles, rhythms and distance
• Manage the pressure your opponent is trying to put
• Return your dodges difficult to counter

The disadvantages of peek-a-boo

Conversely, this style:

• Asks a lot energy, of strength, And endurance, because you are always on the move.
• Exposed to body shots if your elbows are not low enough, which can quickly become painful and tire you out.
• Requires good coordination, because you need to change direction quickly.
• Requires good vision, A voucher timing and a good reactivity to target openings and counter.
• Asks a lot training, because peek-a-boo is only effective when it is well mastered.

How to learn and master peek-a-boo?

To learn and master peek-a-boo, you have to work several aspects :

1. The basic position
2. The guard
3. The dodges
4. Travel
5. Footwork
6. The strikes

1. The basic position

To work on the basic peek-a-boo position, you need to start by having a solid bottom position. Bend your knees and position your feet shoulder-width apart with the front foot slightly facing you.

Remember to keep the parallel shoulders. This is essential for moving your torso while remaining facing your opponent. It will also allow you to hit quickly without shoulder rotation.

2. Guard

Place your gloves in guard with the thumbs stuck to your chin. Your gloves should be glued to your temples, but you should be able to observe your opponent.

Your hands are tight (but not too much so as not to be tense) to block the strikes. They must also be a little tours to protect your face.

Also think about to return And to lower your chin. This is what will prevent you from being hit in the event of a counter when you dodge.

3. Dodging

THE dodges resembles a movement of pendulum : you go from right to left. This will allow you to dodge and counter. It's like you're trying to bring your ears closer to your shoulders while bending your trunk.

Work them side dodges while remaining facing forward. Dodge punches by shifting your legs to get out of your opponent's striking angle. You can even retaliate by countering.

4. Travel

For good travel, you must be agile And fast on your supports. This is what will allow you to change position easily.

You can try combining your travel with some head movements. This will allow you to move forward while dodging blows, but it requires a lot of coordination.

You can also focus on in-and-out movements (enter and leave). This will help you manage the distance, go in with a punch and come out straight after.

5. Footwork

THE footwork is important in peek-a-boo. It will allow you to move forward, create striking angles and put pressure.

With your feet you can make movements of slip-and-step. That is to say you will:

• Shift your back foot to the outside
• Bring your front foot level with your back foot
• Shift your back foot to the side to find your feet apart

You can work on your footwork at jumping rope, in shadow boxing, with blocks or even with an agility ladder.

6. Strikes

The peek-a-boo would be nothing without sharp strikes. So you have to work precision and the power of your blows. For that, nothing better than punching bag or bear paws!

Vary them sequences and the levels to make your shots unpredictable. Peek-a-boo allows you to find varied hitting opportunities, so you need to be able to use it.

The most effective shots are going to be hook And the uppercut. But of course, you must not neglect others!

To master all these different aspects, you have several options different:

• Shadow boxing
• Punching bag
• Bear paws
• Etc.

Start with these options first. Then you can do sessions of sparring. It will help you apply what you have learned in concrete situation and see how your opponent reacts.

feel free to get inspired by professional boxers who use peek-a-boo! Watch fights, videos and explanations of their techniques. Analyze And dissect their movements to understand the secrets of peek-a-boo.

Our tips for improving peek-a-boo

Practice in front of a mirror to analyze your guard :

• Check that your gloves cover your chin and face well
• Make sure your elbows protect your liver and ribs
• Check that your chin is well tucked in and lowered

Make some shadow boxing by focusing only on your legs :

• Be active, vary the movements and dodges
• Do not send no shot and stay on guard
• Remember to keep the upper body GOOD hermetic

Work on your travel with a partner :

• Follow- it or try to run away from it and avoid it
• Do not send no hits, or very little, and stay on guard
• Change the movements, vary angles and directions

Practice your punches on a punching bag by varying the workshops:

• Do rounds focused on power, on the precision and on the speed
• Always stay in movement around the bag
• do not forget to come back on guard and move your chest and head

Use a metronome for your pace and your timing:

• try synchronize your movements and your keystrokes with sound
• Keep your well placed hands and don't stop moving
• Start with a slow pace Then increase speed little by little

Conclusion

THE peek-a-boo is a fighting style at a time offensive And defensive. It focuses mainly on the dodges and bust movements constant to be able to avoid blows for counterattack !

He asks a lot endurance and of mobility. But by working on the different aspects of peek-a-boo (basic position, guard, dodges, etc.), you will be able to master it.

However, don't neglect the basics of boxing to focus only on the peek-a-boo. You must already have solid fundamentals to learn this fighting style!

Try your peek-a-boo at the Circle

Want to boxer like Tyson while improving your physical condition ? In this case, the Circle workouts are made for you!

What is the Circle? 50 minutes of workout which mix movements of boxing on aqua-bag and exercises fitness on a bench. All this, plunged into darkness and punctuated by explosive playlists.

No contact, no shock, no duel. At the Circle you box the aqua-bags without taking any punches! In addition, no experience is required, whatever your level, you have your place in the round.

On the program: 5 boxing rounds and 5 bootcamp rounds.

• Side boxing, your cardio is put to the test. You chain combinations and dodges on the aqua bags until the bell rings.
• Side boot camp, your muscles are put to the test. You work your abs, glutes, thighs and upper body with dumbbells.

So for boxer like Iron Mike and trace your silhouette in a crazy atmosphere with the best coaches of Paname, direction The circle ! Bastille, Beaubourg or Montmartre, we let you choose your ring! 🔥