The peekaboo style is as misunderstood as it is notorious. But the \nfact that it\u2019s so widely misunderstood could actually work in your \nfavor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The core peekaboo principles give boxers a safe and loaded \u201cbase of \noperation\u201d, enabling the fighter to move where they want, when they \nwant, and thus, controlling their opponent and the fight with minimal \nrisk. Now, this luxury of control doesn\u2019t come easy. There are a few \nthings you need to be aware of if you\u2019re going to implement the best \nparts of the peekaboo style into your boxing skill set.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In this article, I\u2019m going to show you how to capitalize on Cus \nD\u2019Amato\u2019s boxing philosophy without falling into the pitfalls that many \nboxers criticize the peekaboo style for. I\u2019ll discuss the criticisms \nshortly, but first, I think it\u2019s important to highlight the man behind \nthe peekaboo boxing style and how he engineered it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cus D\u2019Amato was born in 1908 to a blue collar, Italian family in The \nBronx, New York. Cus briefly boxed as an amateur in the featherweight \nand lightweight divisions, but an eye injury prevented him from \nobtaining a professional license. However, as we know, thankfully, this \nwas only the beginning of his legendary career. Cus\u2019s dedication to \ntraining up-and-coming boxers led him to literally sleeping in his gym \nin New York. Cus believed in positive thinking. He would have his \nstudents memorize things like, \u201cThe mind always makes things worse than \nthey really are.\u201d And, \u201cA professional always does what needs to be done\n no matter how he feels.\u201d Getting up at 5 am to do roadwork or going to \nthe gym to train, a professional does not follow their feelings. He \nwanted his young students to always remember that, \u201cYour feelings will \nlie to you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cus was one of the first boxing trainers to implement psychological \ntraining. He brought Zen to boxing before most people in the western \nworld even knew what Zen was. He said, \u201cHeroes and cowards feel exactly \nthe same fear. Heroes just react to it differently.\u201d He spent a lot of \ntime teaching emotional control. Example: Tyson eventually admitted that\n he was terrified before every fight, but looking at him, he was often \nthe source of his opponents\u2019 terror. D\u2019Amato genuinely cared for his \nboxers, developing father-son bonds with many of them. Even after Floyd \nPatterson decided to part ways with Cus, he would never talk negatively \nof Floyd, nor would he let any of his fighters. Eventually, Floyd would \ncome to admit that he regretted nothing in his life except the time he \nwas apart from Cus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He took care of his fighters so much so that Cus filed for bankruptcy\n in 1971, but it was never apparent that any of his fighters felt such \nfinancial pressure. In fact, Jose Torres estimated that he had earned \nroughly $1 Million in his career, \u201cand Cus never took a penny.\u201d Cus also\n fought and protected his boxers from the politics of boxing at the \ntime, many times refusing to take fights because of who the opponent was\n associated with and their perceived backroom dealings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What was less publicized, but perhaps most intriguing is that he \nserved as an occasional adviser for the late, Greatest, Muhammad Ali. \nThe city of New York renamed the street where his Gramercy Gym was \nlocated to \u201cCus D\u2019Amato Way\u201d. There\u2019s been books and documentaries done \non his life, and still, his impact on boxing doesn\u2019t get the recognition\n he deserves. The man has undeniably left a massive, well-respected \nlegacy in the boxing world. Now, on to the style he dedicated his life \nto perfecting\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There\u2019s something incredibly intriguing about the peekaboo style that\n seems to get lost or at least overlooked in today\u2019s complex world of \nboxing. There\u2019s so much information and so many videos to study that \nit\u2019s easy to lose sight of the essence of what made the peekaboo style \nso effective. Cus said, \u201cSlipping punches is the hardest thing to learn.\n But once you get it, that\u2019s when boxing starts to become fun!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Very few boxers have been able to incorporate the style as Cus \nhimself had engineered it. Most notably, obviously, is Mike Tyson. If we\n go back even further, other Gramercy alumni include: Floyd Patterson, a\n 1952 Olympic Gold Medalist and former World Heavyweight Champion. Jose \nTorres, a 1956 Olympic Silver Medalist and former World Light \nheavyweight Champion. Joey Hadley, a 6-time Golden Gloves winner. And \nKevin Rooney who trained Tyson after Cus passed in 1985 until 1988.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During his time training under Rooney, Tyson accrued 35 wins (31 by \nknockout), and set a record as the youngest World Heavyweight Champion \nin history just 4 months after his 20th birthday. Despite the obvious \nsuccess of his students, a good amount of criticism has been hurled at \nthe style. Most notably, many believe:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2013 An efficient attack cannot be launched from the stance
\n\u2013 It relies too heavily on power
\n\u2013 The fighter eats too many punches on the way in
\n\u2013 It doesn\u2019t utilize the length of taller fighters<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now, not to say there\u2019s no validity in these critiques. But most of \nthese problems that boxers run into when trying to adapt to the peekaboo\n style can be avoided.To get the most out of the style, we need to be \nconscious of a couple things:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
First: The peekaboo learning curve is steep. Many fighters will give \nup before they fully understand the key principles of the style. I think\n this is largely due to a lack of coaches who know how to teach it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Second: When most people think of peekaboo boxing, they think of Mike\n Tyson, and rightfully so. Tyson displayed, for the entire world, in \nspectacularly brutal fashion just how effective the style can be. The \nproblem is, while Tyson is solid proof that peekaboo boxing can be a \nviable style, even at the highest levels, his idolization has \nunintentionally led many boxers down the wrong path.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here\u2019s why:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A lot of boxers who try to incorporate the peekaboo style try to \nmimic Tyson. The issue is that Tyson\u2019s style was a flavor of peekaboo \nthat was tailored to his unique physical attributes. His exceptional \nspeed and power allowed him to slip punches at high volume and \ncapitalize on counter punching opportunities that the average peekaboo \nfighter would have difficulty with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The fundamental version of the style takes advantage of a high guard \nwith minimal openings for opponents to attack. If you strip away the \nexceptional speed and power of fighters like Tyson or Patterson you \nwould have a more modern example. One such example is Winky Wright\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Strip away all of those preconceived ideas of what you think peekaboo\n looks like and work on the core principles and philosophy that Cus \nengineered.The secret is in the details. Learn to hold your gloves at \nthe exact angle needed so punches either can\u2019t fit through or they glide\n off the outside of the glove and miss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here\u2019s a few quotes from Cus himself that should give you an idea of just how dedicated he was to the peekaboo fundamentals:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNow, in my style, you cover up all the time. You never gamble. The \nright arm is always covering the liver, the left, the solar plexus, and \nthe hands are protecting the chin.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou gotta be protected, not part of the time, not most of the time, \nbut all the time. You cannot gamble by using open stance because every \ntime you gamble and lose, you get hurt. And when a fighter gets hurt, he\n is intimidated. He thinks he is tired and covers up.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAlways keep your chin tucked down into your chest. I don\u2019t care if \nyou are running roadwork or just walking around school or watching t.v. \nKeep that chin tucked down and your eyes looking up and out.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And he wasn\u2019t kidding\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here\u2019s a recent video I made that covers one aspect of this approach<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A 1985 New York Times article highlighted an incident involving Jose \nTorres. Torres had gotten into trouble prior to one of his big fights \nand this was his phone conversation with Cus from the police station:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cCus,\u201d said Torres, embarrassed and apologetic, \u201cI\u2019m in the police station. I got into a street fight.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cJose,\u201d said Cus, with concern in his voice, \u201cdid you keep your chin down?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here\u2019s how to adopt the \u2018aggressively safe\u2019 style:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The proper way to implement the peekaboo style and truly get the best\n out of it requires just two things which many boxers miss completely:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1. An unwavering dedication to its fundamental philosophy (not just \nmimicking a specific move set). Meaning hands up protecting the chin, \nforearms protecting the body and learning to maintain this position in \nall situations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2. A proper adaptation to the fighter\u2019s unique physical attributes. \nIf you have quick feet then take advantage of them. If you have great \nvisual reaction and slipping ability, then use it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To get you started, here\u2019s some of those core principles and philosophies for you to consider:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2013 A Stoic approach to controlling your emotions, when in the ring, in your day-to-day training, and even life in general.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2013 Active defense. Remain alert and protected 100% of the time, no relaxing or passiveness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2013 Off-rhythm attacks that force opponents to be cautious, even when you\u2019re defending.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2013 Intense, \u2018aggressively safe\u2019 movement and pressure, always using angles and balanced movement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2013 Impenetrable defense that forces opponents to waste energy on ineffective punches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2013 Draw out punches from opponents, leaving them vulnerable to rapid counters with what Cus called \u201cbad intentions\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you are able to implement a more dynamic approach then move your \nhead before and after you throw, and add angles for compound attacks. \nNever give your opponent a free opening, keep your guard tight when you \nmove so you automatically block as you pressure your opponent. Jabbing \nand closing the gap is often coupled with a slip in anticipation of the \nstraight counter. Further protection can be achieved by lowering the \nbody in conjunction with the slip; this extra bend can add even more \npower to rising uppercuts and hooks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Obviously, these are a simplified breakdown of what Cus\u2019s peekaboo style can do for you\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you want an in-depth look at different techniques and attacks that arise from the few foundations we\u2019ve covered here, I strongly recommend checking out my Head Movement and Getting Inside instructional video.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This training will give you:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2013 The essentials of slipping and ducking; how to use these motions to set up your offense while maintaining rock-solid balance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2013 How to use lateral motion to create angles and close the gap; sneak attacks that catch your opponent off guard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2013 How to sync your footwork with your head movement to wind up and throw once you enter the best position.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2013 A little trick with your back foot to create sharp angles that set you up for quick attacks with \u201cbad intentions\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2013 And plenty more.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The peekaboo style is as misunderstood as it is notorio […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[38,58,93],"class_list":["post-2968","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news-update","tag-boxing","tag-fading-art","tag-peekaboo-boxing"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/millionairemag.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2968","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/millionairemag.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/millionairemag.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/millionairemag.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/millionairemag.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2968"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/millionairemag.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2968\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/millionairemag.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2968"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/millionairemag.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2968"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/millionairemag.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2968"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}