Fighting Dirty

To stop the opponent from clinching, push your forearm into opponent’s throat.

In a clinch, if the opponent has his or her arms straight and under your arms, lever his or her arm against your side so that the arm bends backward at the elbow, similar to an arm bar.

As you voluntarily separate without the referee’s command, catch the opponent with a hook as you separate.

Get into a clinch, and then push away with the gloves and quickly punch.

If an opponent is holding, smacking him or her on the back of the head until he or she lets go or the referee warns you.

When opponent is rushing in, place a glove against your face, and raise your elbow. Many times the opponent will punch the elbow, which could injure his hand, or the opponent’s face may bump into the elbow.

The preceding listed some of the dirty tricks of boxing, but some actions not just dirty, they border on criminal when used in the ring. These actions should only be used in self-defense situations where you think your life is in danger.

• Head Butting. Head butting is very dangerous to the opponent, and sometimes to the person doing the butting. See head butting topic for more information.
• Rabbit Punch. A rabbit punch is a punch to the back of the head at the base of the skull, or to the neck at the base of the skull. It is dangerous since it may damage the cervical vertebrae and subsequently the spinal cord, which may lead to serious paralysis or death. The punch's name is derived from the name of the technique used by hunters to kill rabbits with a quick, sharp strike to the back of the head.
• Thumbing. Thumbing is when a thumb is jabbed into the opponents’ eye. Thumbing is danger in that it may result in permanent damage a fighter’s eye. Boxing gloves are designed to help prevent accidental thumbing.