When to Use
Use after a lead hook to the body when the opponent drops their guard, or when slipping inside their jab. Best at very close range where hooks and uppercuts dominate.
Execution Steps
- Dip your knees and lower your center of gravity 3-4 inches — you should feel your quads and glutes load like compressed springs, storing elastic energy for the explosive upward drive.
- Lower your rear hand only to chest level while keeping the elbow tight against your ribs — dropping it further creates a visible wind-up that experienced fighters will punish with a straight punch.
- Explode upward from the legs while pivoting the rear foot inward — the pivot and leg extension should happen simultaneously, channeling the ground reaction force upward through your hip.
- Rotate the hips forward aggressively and drive the fist straight up toward the ceiling — the hip rotation adds rotational force to the vertical drive, creating a corkscrew effect that amplifies impact.
- Follow through 6-8 inches past the point of impact toward the ceiling, then snap back to guard by pulling the elbow down and resetting your crouch — never stay tall after the uppercut.
Coaching Cues
"Legs! It's all legs."
"Explode up from a crouch."
"Head off center line after throwing."
Pro Tips
- Best thrown after a lead hook to the body — when the hook connects to the ribs, the opponent instinctively lowers their guard and bends forward, creating a clean vertical lane straight to the chin.
- Target the chin for knockout potential — the upward force snaps the head back and rotates the brain — or drive it into the solar plexus to collapse the diaphragm and steal their breath for the next 10-15 seconds.
- Shift your head off the center line as you throw by leaning slightly to your lead side — this removes your chin from the return lane and positions you to follow up with a lead hook if the uppercut lands.
Conditioning Drills
- Jump Squats: 4 sets of 10 explosive reps — trains the fast-twitch leg fibers to produce the same explosive upward drive that powers the rear uppercut from a crouched position.
- Landmine Press (single arm): 3 sets of 10 per arm with moderate weight — mimics the exact upward arc and hip rotation of the uppercut while building shoulder stability for the follow-through.
- Uppercut Bag (dedicated): 5 rounds of 2 minutes — trains uppercut-specific mechanics including the dip, drive, and follow-through on a target designed for vertical strikes.
Gym Workout: Rear Uppercut Explosion
5 exercises · 25 min · Hit the gym and sharpen this technique
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Use your device camera and real-time motion detection to practice your Rear Uppercut reps.
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Q1 of 3
Which of these is a common mistake when performing the Rear Uppercut?