Boxing Terms and Their Meaning
By Laura Lee - September 16, 2022

Boxing has its language and is full of strong terms that have become part of everyday vocabulary. Here are a few terms in boxing and their meanings. Headlock occurs when an opponent wraps their arms around the fighter’s neck. A headlock is a dominant position since the opponent controls the fighter’s movement. The fighter must break free and attack the opponent to escape this movement. A body lock occurs when a fighter wraps their legs around the opponent’s waist. A body lock is considered a dominant position since the opponent has control of the fighter’s movement. The fighter must break free and attempt to attack the opponent to escape a body lock.

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Rear-Naked Choke. The rear naked choke is a submission hold where the opponent is choked from behind. The choke is done by wrapping the arm around the opponent’s back and pulling them towards the ground. Once the opponent is pulled down, they cannot breathe and is unable to defend themself. More popular is the Front-Naked Choke (or Frontal Assault). The front naked choke is a submission hold where the opponent is choked while standing face to face. The choke uses the forearm to pull the opponent forward and wrap it around the throat.

Side Control. Side control occurs when a fighter controls the opponent’s left side. The fighter uses their weight to push the opponent off balance. If the opponent does not fall, the fighter continues to apply pressure until the opponent taps out. Mount. Mounting occurs when a fighter takes advantage of the opponent’s guard and attempts to mount them. When mounting, the fighter stands on the opponent’s hips and knees. Guard Pass. When a fighter passes the opponent’s guard, they attempt to pass the opponent’s guard and gain access to the opponent’s back. Jab A jab is a punch that comes directly from the shoulder. Jabs are fast and hard and often thrown at the opponent’s chin.