u/Emotional-Tooth-1273

1. Hands dropping after combinations

A lot of fighters bring their hands back lazily after throwing. The issue is not just landing a jab or a cross, it’s what happens immediately after. In many exchanges, there was a clear opening for a counter right after the combination.

2. Attacking in straight lines too often

Many fighters move straight in, throw straight, then back straight out. Against someone who can pivot or create angles, that becomes very easy to read. The cleanest exchanges usually came from fighters who exited at an angle after throwing.

3. Not enough feints before entering

A common mistake was entering with the first real attack. Without a level change, shoulder feint, rhythm change, or even a small fake, the opponent has much more time to react. Even simple feints made entries look much cleaner.

4. Throwing kicks without a setup

A lot of low kicks and body kicks were thrown “naked,” with no jab, no feint, and no movement before them. As a result, they were checked, avoided, or countered. The most effective kicks were almost always set up with the hands or a rhythm change.

5. Keeping the chin high during exchanges

Once the exchange got intense, many fighters lifted their chin, especially after landing. That’s often when the counter came back. Keeping the chin tucked under pressure sounds basic, but at amateur level it was one of the mistakes that showed up the most.

6. Not building after landing

One interesting pattern: many fighters mentally stopped after landing a good shot. They admired their work, backed out in a straight line, or relaxed their guard. The better fighters used that moment, when the opponent was disrupted, to follow up or exit cleanly.

7. Relying too much on moving backward for defense

A lot of fighters used the step-back as their main defensive tool. It works early, but once they got tired or were near the cage/ropes, they ran out of options. Cleaner fighters mixed in blocks, slips, pivots, clinch entries, and lateral exits.

My main takeaway: at amateur level, the difference usually isn’t some advanced technique. A lot of it comes down to staying clean after you strike: guard, angles, chin position, exits, and staying composed after the exchange.

This was also analyzed with the help of the app **Fight Learn**.