Sam Ness

«PEEK-A-BOO: BASIC
TECHNIQUE»
The style of boxing, named peek-a-boo was developed by the great trainer
Cus D’Amato in the middle of ХХ century. Its main representatives became such
boxers-champions as Floyd Patterson, Jose Torres and Michael Tyson.
This book is devoted to applied techniques of peek-a-boo. Described
attacking and defending techniques of this effective boxing style were revealed on
the base of the biomechanical analysis of movements by Patterson, Torrez and
Tyson. All techniques are confirmed by a lot of photos of these boxers at a ring.
The presented book may be a visual manual of main techniques, used in peek-
a-boo style.

Copyright © 2020 Sam Ness

Author: S. Ness
ISBN: 9798588250368
Imprint: Independently published

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any
form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,
recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission
in writing from the copyright owner.
 CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION......................................................................................................5

PEEK-A-BOO AS A BOXING STYLE.......................................................................8

The history of appearance......................................................................................8
Cus D’Amato – the creator of peek-a-boo style...................................................17

STANCE...................................................................................................................21

DEFENSIVE MANEUVERS....................................................................................33
SLIPPING............................................................................................................34
SLIPS WITH STEPPING....................................................................................41
WEAVING...........................................................................................................45
BOBBING............................................................................................................56
BOB AND SLIP...................................................................................................61
DUCKING...........................................................................................................68
BOB AND WEAVE (DEMPSEY'S VERSION).................................................72
BOB AND WEAVE (TYSON'S VERSION)......................................................79
ROLLS.................................................................................................................88
PULLING AWAY...............................................................................................93
COMBINATORICS OF DEFENSIVE MANEUVERS....................................103

BLOCKING...........................................................................................................115
BLOCKS FOR STRAIGHT PUNCHES...........................................................116
BLOCKS FOR HOOKS.....................................................................................124
BLOCKS FOR UPPERCUTS............................................................................128

PARRYING............................................................................................................132
PARRYING OF STRAIGHT BLOWS..............................................................133
PARRYING OF UPPERCUTS..........................................................................142
PUNCHING TECHNIQUE...................................................................................145

BLOWS WITH THE FALLING STEP.............................................................145

THE FALLING STEP (BASIC TECHNIQUE)................................................145
THE FALLING STEP TO THE LEFT-FORWARD.........................................153
THE FALLING STEP TO THE RIGHT-FORWARD......................................159

BLOWS USING SLIPPING TECHNIQUE......................................................162

BLOWS AFTER A PRELIMINARY SLIP........................................................162
BLOWS FROM A SLIPPING POSITION.......................................................167
SLIPPING AS A DEFENSIVE MANEUVER AFTER SERIES OF
BLOWS............................................................................................................177
SLIPPING AS CONNECTION BETWEEN PUNCH COMBINATIONS........183

BLOWS WITH THE FALLING STEP AFTER SLIPPING.............................193

BLOWS WITH THE FALLING STEP AFTER SLIPPING TO THE
RIGHT.............................................................................................................193
BLOWS WITH THE FALLING STEP AFTER SLIPPING TO
THE LEFT.......................................................................................................197

BLOWS USING THE BOB AND WEAVE TECHNIQUE..............................204

BLOWS BY BOBBING AND WEAVING........................................................205
BLOWS AFTER BOBBING AND WEAVING.................................................217
SERIES OF TWO BLOWS USING BOB AND WEAVE.............................225
BOB AND WEAVE AS A DEFENSIVE MANEUVER AFTER A SERIES
OF BLOWS.....................................................................................................233
THE BOB AND WEAVE AS CONNECTION BETWEEN PUNCH
COMBINATIONS............................................................................................240

PEEK-A-BOO AT THE STAGE OF THE WORLD BOXING...............................262

 SECTION 3
DEFENSIVE
MANEUVERS

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PEEK-A-BOO: BASIC TECHNIQUE

DEFENSIVE MANEUVERS
D’Amato realized that when a boxer is moving constantly, he is an
exceptionally difficult target. D’Amato stressed the idea of elusive aggression.
D’Amato spent trains to make his boxers elusive, difficult to hit. Peek-a-boo
boxers were taught to always be in motion and to keep their head moving before
and after their punches. When we say movement of the head, we actually mean
movement of the trunk. Active working by torso and using defensive maneuvers is
one of the features of the peek-a-boo style. It consists of constant different motions
of the head and body. Defense maneuvers are the preferred method of evasion
blows. When the boxer forces an opponent to miss completely with a blow, he
usually lurches off balance and creates an opening for counterpunch.
Biomechanically, our torso has many degrees of freedom that allow us to
move in different directions and perform various defensive maneuvers against
punches. On the basis of each motor ability of our body, various techniques of
evading blows have emerged over time. The main body defense maneuvers in
peek-a-boo are:
Slipping is a way of evading a punch by bending the body to one of sides.
Weaving is a way of evade a punch by bending the body from side to side.
Squatting is a way of evade a punch by squatting and diving under a punch.
Ducking is a way of evade a punch by bending the body forward and diving
under a punch.
Bobbing and weaving (Dempsey's version) is a way of evade a punch by
bending the body forward and swinging the body from side to side under a punch.
Bobbing and weaving (Tyson's version) is a way of evade a punch by
squatting and swinging the body from side to side under a punch.
Rolling is a way of evade a punch by squatting and rotating the body to one of
sides to occupy the stance.
Pulling away is a way of evade a punch by leaning the torso back.
By continually slipping, ducking, bobbing and weaving (or rolling) during a
boxing match boxer makes the head is difficult target for opponent hitting. The
peek-a-boo technique requires a "live" mobile body and the ability to control the
dynamics of the body. Defensive body maneuvers are carried out constantly during
the fight. D’Amato's school of boxing teaches defensive maneuvers more than was
the norm at that time or even today.
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 DEFENSIVE MANEUVERS

SLIPPING

Slips are the primary defensive maneuvers in peek-a-boo. Moreover, this

technique is the key to understanding the entire peek-a-boo style. This technique
gives rise to peek-a-boo fighting tactics and many punch combinations.
Slips are performed with short amplitude necessary to evade a blow, due to
the motion of the head and a slight bend of the body to the side. In the photo
below, Tyson slips to the left.

Slipping offers a lot of opportunities of making an opponent miss. Usually

this maneuver is used to avoid straight opponent's punches. But peek-a-boo slips
also offer protection against hooks and uppercuts because of the special mechanics.

Biomechanics of slips
Biomechanics of our spine allows realizing the following types of
movements:
 the bends forward-down;
 the bends to the side;
 the twists around the axis to the left-to the right.
These motor abilities of the body formed the basis of defensive maneuvers
and slipping. In the classic boxing a slip is realized synchronously at the expanse
of these moving possibilities of the spine. A boxer synchronously twists and bends
his torso to the side. As a result in the final position one shoulder is in front of
PEEK-A-BOO: BASIC TECHNIQUE

another and the chin is tucked to the front shoulder. In some manuals of the classic
boxing it is offered to perform a slip in twisting manner.

The D’Amato method was to slip but not to do it by turning the trunk and
bending slightly forward - the classical slip, instead he offered bending trunk
exclusively to the side. Slips in peek-a-boo are realized mainly at the expense of
bending to the right or to the left. At that shoulders remain practically at the same
level than in the stance, the head is hidden behind gloves.
The mechanical analogue of this type of a slip is the motion of a windscreen
wiper or a metronome to the left-to the right. As far as the biomechanics of this
type of slips reminds of the mechanics of metronome movements, it may be
conventionally named a metronome slip. Movements have become more
economical, shorter and fast. This allowed saving the strength of the boxers and
performs slips more often, being in constant dynamics.

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 DEFENSIVE MANEUVERS

Based on biomechanical analysis, it is necessary to draw two conditional

lines.
Line of attack is a conditional line passing through the center of the body,
shows the deviation of the boxer to the left and right.
Line of head is a conditional line passing at the level of the head, shows the
deviation of the boxer up and down.

These two lines are a kind of coordinate plane that allows assessing the
movement of a boxer in space.
Slips to the left and right allows the boxer to shift his head from the line of
attack to the left or right with a slight shift the head down.
PEEK-A-BOO: BASIC TECHNIQUE

Slip to the left

From the base stance, keeping your shoulders and arms in the front position,
bend your body to the left in the waist. Simultaneously with bending to the side,
move your pelvis to the right. The left leg is slightly bent at the knee. The left foot
is completely in contact with the ground.

Slip to the right

Slip to the right is done similarly. Maintaining the front position of the
shoulders and arms in the stance, bend your body to the right in the waist.
Simultaneously with bending to the side, move your pelvis to the left. The right
leg can be slightly bent at the knee. The feet are completely in contact with the
ground.

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 DEFENSIVE MANEUVERS

Slipping outside
In addition, slips can be divided into slipping "inside" and slipping "outside"
relative to the opponent's striking hand. Slipping outside means that the body is
shifted to the right of an oncoming left straight blow and to the left of an oncoming
right straight blow. In other words, the outside slip is the deviation from the
external side of the opponent's striking hand. The outside slip is the safest position,
because of the opponent unable to counterattack with other hand.
The outside slip on a jab
1. The opponent throws the jab to the head.
2. The boxer slips to the right, evading the punch. The body weight is
transferred to the right leg.

The outside slip on a straight right

1. The opponent throws the right straight to the head.
2. The boxer slips to the left, evading the blow. The body weight is transferred
to the left leg.
PEEK-A-BOO: BASIC TECHNIQUE

Slipping inside
Slipping inside means that the body is shifted to the left of an oncoming left
lead and to the right of an oncoming right lead. In other words, the inside slip is the
deviation from the internal side of the opponent's striking hand. The inside slip is
more risky position, because of the opponent able to attack the opponent with other
hand.
The inside slip on a jab
1. The opponent throws the jab to the head.
2. The boxer slips to the left, evading the blow. The body weight is transferred
to the left leg.

The inside slip on a straight right

1. The opponent throws the right straight to the head.
2. The boxer slips to the right, evading the punch. The body weight is
transferred to the right leg.

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 DEFENSIVE MANEUVERS

Execution technique by Mike Tyson

The opponent throws the jab to the head and Michael Tyson slips to the left
from the opponent’s jab.

Another example of the inside slip on a jab.

Example of the ouside slip on a jab.

PEEK-A-BOO: BASIC TECHNIQUE

SLIPS WITH STEPPING

Under performing slips, steps are often used. For defensive actions, steps
together with slips allow to remove the body from the line of attack. In attacking
actions, slips combined with steps allow getting closer to the adversary and to
counterattack.
The outside slip on a right straight by stepping to the left-forward
1. The opponent throws the right straight to the head.
2. The boxer takes a step to the left-forward with his left foot.
3. Stepping, the boxer simultaneously slips to the left.

The inside slip on a jab by stepping to the left-forward

1. The opponent throws the jab to the head.
2. The boxer takes a step to the left-forward with his left foot.
3. Stepping, the boxer simultaneously slips to the left.

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 DEFENSIVE MANEUVERS

The outside slip on a jab by stepping to the right-forward

1. The opponent throws the jab to the head.
2. The boxer takes a step to the right-forward with his right foot.
3. Stepping, the boxer simultaneously slips to the right.

The inside slip on a right straight by stepping to the right-forward

1. The opponent throws the right straight to the head.
2. The boxer takes a step to the right-forward with his right foot.
3. Stepping, the boxer simultaneously slips to the right.
PEEK-A-BOO: BASIC TECHNIQUE

Execution technique by Mike Tyson

Tyson steps to the left-forward with his left foot and slips to the left.

Tyson takes a step to the right-forward with his right foot and slips to the right.

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 DEFENSIVE MANEUVERS

The slip to the right with stepping forward with left foot
1. The opponent throws the jab to the head.
2. The boxer takes a step forward with his left foot.
3. Stepping, the boxer simultaneously slips to the right.

Execution technique by Mike Tyson

This is a technique that Tyson often used. It allowed evading the blow and at
the same time getting closer to the opponent by stepping forward with your left
foot. Tyson has a strong position for a right punch as the weight was transferred to
the right leg.
PEEK-A-BOO: BASIC TECHNIQUE

WEAVING

In peek-a-boo, slips are used in a bundle of several slips and are performed
sequentially in different combinations. The most commonly used type of slipping
is bends side to side (left-right or right-left). The technique consecutive slips to the
left-right or vice versa or multiple slips is known as “weaving” because of the
repeated side-to-side motion of the boxer’s head. Weaving is an advanced
defensive tactic which makes the opponent to miss.
Weaving to the left-right
The boxer from the base stance slips first to the left, then immediately to the
right and returns to the base stance. Slips are performed quickly and follow one
another without pauses.

Weaving to the right-left

The boxer from the base stance slips firstly to the right and then immediately
to the left and returns to the base stance.

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 DEFENSIVE MANEUVERS

Weaving to the left-right against the combination «jab –right straight»

1. The opponent throws the jab to the head.
2. The boxer slips to the left. The body weight is transferred to the left leg.
3. The opponent throws the right straight to the head. The boxer slips to the
right. The body weight is transferred to the right leg.

Execution technique by Mike Tyson

Tyson slips to the left on the opponent’s jab and immediately slips to the right.
PEEK-A-BOO: BASIC TECHNIQUE

Weaving to the left-right against the combination «jab – right straight»

1. The opponent throws the jab to the head.
2. The boxer slips to the right. The body weight is transferred to the right leg.
3. The opponent throws the right straight to the head.
4. The boxer slips to the left. The body weight is transferred to the left leg.

Execution technique by Mike Tyson

Tyson slips to the right evading the jab and immediately slips to the left.

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 DEFENSIVE MANEUVERS

Also, to confuse the opponent, not let him read the slip scheme, other weaving
schemes are used: left-right-left, right-left-right. Typically two- and three-slipping
schemes alternate between each other.
Weaving to the left-right-left
The boxer from the base stance slips to the left-right-left without stopping and
returns to the base stance.

Slipping to the right-left-right

The boxer from the base stance slips to the right-left- right without stopping
and returns to the base stance.
PEEK-A-BOO: BASIC TECHNIQUE

Weaving to the left-right-left

1. The opponent throws the jab to the head.
2. The boxer slips to the left. The body weight is transferred to the left leg.
3. Then the opponent sequentially slips to the right and left without pausing.

Features. Weaving variations can be used to confuse an opponent. Constant

head motion is a great defensive tool.

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 DEFENSIVE MANEUVERS

Execution technique by Mike Tyson

The photos below illustrate the left-right-left weaving pattern. At first, Tyson
slips inside on the jab (to the left). Then he slips to the right and then to the left
again. Thus, the opponent is misled and cannot catch Tyson's with a punch.
PEEK-A-BOO: BASIC TECHNIQUE

Weaving to the right-left-left

1. The opponent throws the jab to the head.
2. The boxer slips to the right. The body weight is transferred to the right leg.
3. Then the opponent sequentially slips to the left and right without pausing.

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 DEFENSIVE MANEUVERS

Execution technique by Mike Tyson

Another right-left-right weaving pattern is shown in the sequence of photos
below. Tyson slips outside on the opponent's jab and then successively slips to the
left and immediately to the right again.
PEEK-A-BOO: BASIC TECHNIQUE

Drilling slips with slipping bag

For training slipping, Cus D’Amato used a slip bag. This is a small heavy bag
that is suspended with a rope and swaying back and forth.

The boxer stays in front of the bag, swings the bag back and forth and
practiced slips.

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 DEFENSIVE MANEUVERS

Drilling slips with partner

You may drill side bends with a partner who would simulate an incoming
punch, usually the jab. At first, the partner slowly throws jabs. The boxer performs
the inside and outside slips in turn. As mastering the exercise and increasing
reaction, partner increases the speed of jabs.

At the next stage, the partner begins to move back throwing jabs. The boxer
pursues the partner by slipping side to side stepping forward in turn with the right
and left foot.
PEEK-A-BOO: BASIC TECHNIQUE

Slipping for getting closer

You can use the slipping technique with steps to get closer to the opponent.
To do this, the boxer slips consistently to the left by stepping to the left-forward
with the left foot and immediately slips to the right by stepping to the right-forward
with the right foot. Slips and steps are made until approaching the opponent and
reaching the punching range, after which a punching combination is delivered.

Execution technique by Mike Tyson

Tyson takes a step forward with his left foot while slipping to the left. Then
Tyson steps forward with his right foot and slips to the right.

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PEEK-A-BOO: BASIC TECHNIQUE

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