This is what it looks like when a person teaches themselves to box by watching YouTube videos of people who have never boxed. https://twitter.com/RootsOfCombat/status/1263655617287290881

NO ONE: Hey, Dan, how about a thread breaking down the form of that bozo cop shadow boxing?

THE INTERNET: NOOOOOO!!!!

ME: ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ https://mobile.twitter.com/RootsOfCombat/status/1263655617287290881

1) Head Movement: maybe the most obvious tell of someone who taught themselves boxing form without ever actually training is a lack of head movement. If you have ever sparred, you learn REALLY quick to move your head off the center line after every punch.

This dude is a statue.

I would make a fairly educated guess that he’s never trained in a proper boxing gym. He just has no concept of head movement. In that sense, he’s a lot like Conor McGregor.

2) Hip Rotation: power in boxing comes from weight transfer. Watch any good power puncher and you can see the rotate through their hip on every serious punch. This guy stands straight up and wings his arms wildly with no connection to his body weight.

3) Arm Punches: along the same lines, your arms do not generate power. With really good form, they are essentially a passive lever for delivering the force created by your mid-lower half. That’s why it’s silly that the public associates musclebound fighters with power.

I blame Mike Tyson for the misconception, he had that bodybuilder physique, but if you watch Tyson, you’ll see he generated his power from his legs and weight transfer like any good boxer. Some of the hardest P4P punchers were beanpoles (Julian Jackson, Tito, etc)

4)Leverage: certain punches, especially uppercuts, are all about creating leverage. He does none of that. His uppercuts are basically just him lifting his hands from his crotch to his belly button.

In a properly thrown uppercut your arms barely move. The upward arc comes naturally from rising out of your crouch and hip rotation.

The cop’s uppercuts by contrast look like Will Ferrell juggling invisible balls on The Office.

Oh, you would like to see a video mashup of that? Well, do I have great news for you...

5) Hands: The dude’s total lack of head movement makes a defense especially important. The first rule any boxer learns is “hands up at all times.” Even boxers who let their lead arm dangle always pin the rear hand to their chin. This dude never lifts his above his shoulder.

6) Pace: There’s a reason no one actually boxes like this. Not only is it ineffective but I guarantee he was sucking wind as soon as the video cuts off. Anyone can swing their arms like their going into convulsions, it isn’t boxing unless you can sustain it.

*they’re. Goddamnit, ruined the whole thread.