Also called Liver shot, Left hook to the body, Rip, Rear hook to the body
The body hook is a hook driven into the side of the ribcage. The classic version is the lead hook to the liver, which sits under the ribs on the opponent's right side: a clean one can drop a fighter on the spot. The rear hook to the body lands on the other side, over the spleen and floating ribs, and steady body work drains stamina and pulls the guard down for head shots.
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How to do it
Start: Close to mid range, often right after a head punch has lifted the opponent's guard or elbows. Bend your knees enough to bring your fist level with the lower ribs, with your head off the centre line.
- 1Bend your knees, not your waist, and dip slightly to the lead side so your fist is level with the lower ribs.
- 2Keep your head off the centre line and the rear glove tight to your face.
- 3Pivot on the lead foot and turn the hips, keeping the elbow bent and close to your side.
- 4Drive the fist into the side of the body under the elbow, angling slightly up under the ribs.
- 5Land with the knuckles, palm down or facing in, whichever keeps your wrist straight.
- 6Come back up into your stance, or follow with a hook to the head as the elbow drops.
- Change levels with the legs, not the waist.
- Under the elbow, up under the ribs.
- Eyes on the chest; don't look down before you throw.
- Their right side is the liver.
- Bending at the waist. Fix: lower yourself with your legs; bending forward puts your head in front of an uppercut.
- Hitting the elbow instead of the ribs. Fix: aim under the elbow and slightly upward.
- Looking down at the target. Fix: keep your eyes on the chest so the punch isn't telegraphed.
- Staying low after the punch. Fix: come straight back up or follow with a head shot.
- Drifting round to the back. Fix: aim at the side of the ribs; blows to the kidneys, the back or below the belt are fouls.
Safety: Keep body shots light and into a body protector in partner drills, because a full-power liver shot can incapacitate. Stop the moment a body shot hurts, and spar body punches only under a coach.
When to use it
- When the opponent keeps a high guard or covers up against head shots.
- Early in a fight, to slow a fast mover and drain their stamina.
- When their elbow lifts to block a hook to the head.
- A jab or one-two to the head to lift the guard, then drop and hook to the body.
- A hook to the head to lift the elbow, then the same hand to the body.
- Slip outside a right hand and counter with a lead hook to the liver.
- Feint to the head to open the body.
- Lead hook to the head (double hook)
- Cross or rear uppercut to the head
- Step out at an angle
- A short uppercut, or a knee in Muay Thai and MMA, as the puncher's head dips forward.
- A lead hook over the top as they drop their level.
- Tying up the punching arm before it lands.
- Bring the elbow down to cover the ribs and turn slightly toward the punch.
- Step back or angle away from the punching side.
- Brace the stomach and breathe out sharply as the punch lands.
The physics
The body hook is a hook aimed at the torso, and its physics depends on lowering your whole chain instead of dropping your arm. Bend your knees and sink slightly toward the punching side so the hips and shoulders stay stacked, then turn them into the punch as you would for a head hook, with the elbow close to your ribs.
The torso is softer than the skull, so the fist sinks in and stays in contact longer, and much of its energy goes into compressing the tissue, which is why a clean shot to the liver area under the right ribs can drop a fighter. The body can't slip away the way the head can, and every body shot pulls the opponent's elbows down, which opens the head. Bending at the waist to reach the body does the opposite: it pushes your head forward over your base, weakens the chain and puts your face in range of an uppercut.
- Myth: to hit the body you bend over. Lower yourself with your knees so the punch keeps the power of your legs and hips and your head stays back over your base.
Switch on Physics and the punch on the diagram is worked out by a physics engine: the arm, the 10 oz glove and the head have their real masses, the glove is padded and the neck gives.
The engine's answer: 2,701 N for 17 ms, from a fist at 11.0 m/s. No lab has measured this punch the same way, so there is nothing to set it against yet. The fist is assumed to move as fast as a hook to the head (11.0 m/s, Viano 2005), and how much the belly gives is a guess.
Masters and famous moments
After eight tactical rounds, Hopkins stepped up the pressure and dug a left hook into De La Hoya's liver; De La Hoya crumpled and was counted out, the first knockout loss of his career.
After dropping Smith in the seventh and eighth rounds, Canelo finished him with a left hook to the body in the ninth to win the title.
Inoue scored three knockdowns, each with a left hook to the body, and the fight was stopped in the third round.
Down in the second round with his right eye swelling shut, Gatti turned the fight with a left hook to the body that dropped Rodriguez in the fifth, then knocked him out in the sixth.
Across the arts
The classic: an orthodox fighter's lead left lands on the opponent's right side, where the liver sits under the lower ribs. Coaches sometimes call it the "rip".
The rear hand digs into the opponent's left side, over the spleen and floating ribs, with the same hip turn as a cross; it often follows a slip inside the jab.
For a southpaw the liver shot is the rear left, thrown as a hook, shovel or straight to the body, while the lead right hook lands on the spleen side.
Body punching is used less in Muay Thai than in most striking sports, because dropping your head toward the body brings it close to the opponent's knees and elbows.
A tighter, rising version thrown with the elbow pressed against the hip; see shovel hook.
History
The liver sits in the upper right of the abdomen under the lower ribs, which is why the classic liver punch is a left hook; a clean one can incapacitate a fighter on the spot, though the pain usually passes within a minute. The lead hook to the liver is closely tied to the Mexican boxing style and is sometimes called the "rip". Bernard Hopkins's liver shot gave Oscar De La Hoya the first knockout loss of his career in 2004, and Canelo Álvarez won a world title from Liam Smith with a left hook to the body in 2016.
In the rules
Drills
Shadowbox three rounds: jab to the head, bend the knees, lead hook to the body, come back up with a hook to the head. Keep your back straight and your eyes forward.
On the heavy bag, hit only the lower third for a full 3-minute round with lead hooks, rear hooks and shovel hooks, adding a head-level punch after every third body shot.
Your partner wears a body protector and walks forward slowly. Jab to their head mitt, dip, land a light lead hook to the liver area, then step off at an angle. Swap every two minutes.
Legends known for it
c. 2002–now
c. 2010–2020
1996–2017We teach it in Boxing. A coach will fix the details you can't see yourself. Join now and book your first class for $20, paid online.
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