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Overview & When to Use
The rear uppercut explodes upward from a crouched position to initiate the attack, the lead hook catches the lateral reaction to the vertical punch, the cross drives through the disorganized center of the guard, and a second lead hook finishes the barrage from the opposite angle. This is the quintessential peek-a-boo fighter's combination, designed to overwhelm from multiple planes in rapid succession.
When to use
Use from a crouched position after bobbing and weaving inside the opponent's punches. The uppercut opener works naturally from the crouched stance because your legs are loaded for the upward drive. The three follow-up punches overwhelm the guard from vertical, lateral, straight, and lateral angles before the opponent can process the first attack.
Common Mistakes
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- Starting from an upright position instead of a crouch, which removes the leg drive that powers the uppercut and makes the opening punch a weak arm-only strike that fails to initiate the combination.
- Running out of gas after the second or third punch because you invested maximum power in each one instead of managing energy across the four-punch sequence — pace the first two, explode on the last two.
- All four punches being arm-only strikes without engaging full body rotation on each one, which turns a devastating swarming combination into four light taps that the opponent can absorb without disruption.
Pro Tips
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- Mike Tyson threw devastating variations of this combination from his peek-a-boo stance throughout his early career, using his exceptional leg drive and compact frame to generate uppercuts that lifted opponents off their feet.
- The key is starting low and working upward throughout the sequence — the crouch gives you leverage on the uppercut, and each subsequent punch should rise slightly in height as you stand up through the combination.
- Throw this combination when the opponent is retreating straight backward and cannot escape laterally — their backward motion actually carries them into your punches as you drive forward through the sequence.
Conditioning Drills
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- Up-Down Squats: 3 sets of 20 explosive squat-to-stand reps simulating the crouch-to-uppercut motion, adding shadow punches at the top of each rep.
- Heavy Bag (close range): 5 rounds of 3 minutes drilling the full four-punch sequence from a crouched starting position, building the flow and rotation chain.
- Mitt Work: 3 rounds of 3 minutes where the coach calls the combo from a crouched starting position, varying the speed and adding a defensive action between sets.