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Boxing terms, explained

Walking into a boxing gym shouldn't feel like a foreign language. Here's every term you'll hear in your first month of classes — in plain English.

Punches

Jab: A quick, straight punch thrown with your lead hand. It's the most-used punch in boxing — it measures distance, sets up combinations, and keeps your opponent honest. The first punch every beginner learns.
Cross: A straight, powerful punch thrown with your rear hand, rotating your hips and shoulders into it. Usually thrown right after the jab — the classic "one-two".
Hook: A punch thrown in a curved arc with your elbow bent at roughly 90 degrees, usually aimed at the side of the head or body. Power comes from rotating your whole body, not just the arm.
Uppercut: A rising punch thrown from below, traveling up toward the chin or body. Most effective at close range, where straight punches don't fit.
Combination (combo): Two or more punches thrown in sequence, like jab–cross–hook. Coaches often call combinations by number: a "one" is the jab, a "two" is the cross, and so on.

Guard: Your defensive hand position — hands up protecting your chin, elbows in protecting your body. "Keep your guard up" is the instruction you'll hear most in your first month.
Slip: Moving your head just off the line of an incoming straight punch so it misses, without stepping away. Small, efficient, and it leaves you in range to counter.
Roll (weave): Bending your knees and moving your head under a hook in a U-shaped motion. Also called "rolling under".
Parry: Using a small tap of your glove to deflect an incoming punch off target — redirecting it rather than absorbing it.
Footwork: How you move and position your feet — stepping, pivoting, and keeping your balance so you can hit without being hit. Most of your first classes are secretly footwork classes.
Stance (orthodox / southpaw): Your base position. Orthodox means left foot and left hand forward (typical for right-handers); southpaw is the mirror image, right foot forward (typical for left-handers).

Shadowboxing: Boxing against the air — practicing punches, defense, and footwork without equipment. It's how boxers warm up and drill technique in every session.
Heavy bag: The big hanging bag you punch to build power, technique, and conditioning. Bag work lets you hit at full force without a partner.
Pad work (mitts): Training where a coach holds focus mitts and calls out combinations for you to hit. The fastest way to sharpen accuracy and timing — and a staple of our classes.
Sparring: Controlled practice fighting with a partner, wearing protective gear. At a good gym, sparring is optional, supervised, and only happens when you're ready for it — never in your first class.
Conditioning (roadwork): The fitness side of boxing: running, skipping rope, core work, and circuits. "Roadwork" traditionally means the running boxers do outside the gym.
Rounds: Boxing training is organized in timed rounds (usually 2–3 minutes) with short rests, mirroring a real bout. A class might be "3 rounds on the bag, 3 on the mitts".

Hand wraps: Long strips of cloth wound around your wrists and knuckles under the gloves. They support the small bones in your hands — non-negotiable for bag work.
Gloves (ounces): Boxing gloves are sized by weight — 12 oz, 14 oz, 16 oz. Heavier gloves have more padding; most beginners train in 14–16 oz. For your first class with us, we handle the gear.
Mouthguard: A molded guard that protects your teeth and jaw. Only needed once you start sparring — not for regular classes.
Headgear: Padded protective headwear worn for sparring. Like mouthguards, it only enters the picture when (and if) you choose to spar.

What to expect, what to bring, how to wrap your hands, and the ten terms you'll hear in class — in one printable PDF.

The fastest way to learn these isn't reading — it's one free class. Still curious first? Our FAQ covers what to expect and what to bring.