John Boyle O'Reilly Quotes

When you punch somebody in the ring, you have to use your whole body. I learned that it's more about technique than physical strength.

The power from the punches come from your legs.

All fighters run. The constant motion prepares you for being in the ring. And running strengthens your legs. Punching power comes from your lower body.

In the game of football, you need to be strong, and at my position, you need to be able to put up a good fight. So I work on my upper body and lower body strength because your body's got to be able to last.

I've learned new footwork patterns that are very unusual. I've learned how to find a lower centre of gravity, and I've found more angles to throw shots.

I'm an overall sound fighter, a boxer-puncher.

It doesn't matter how many sit-ups you do, your work ethic. I know when I land that punch, and I'm on balance, they're going to feel it regardless of how strong their core is.

I can box, I can bang, I can switch, I can punch, I'm not slow.

I'm really good with fighting with my feet.

Boxing is my real passion. I can go to ballet, theatre, movies, or other sporting events... and nothing is like the fights to me. I'm excited by the visual beauty of it. A boxer can look so spectacular by doing a good job.

Have you noticed that whatever sport you're trying to learn, some earnest person is always telling you to keep your knees bent?

There's one secret to hitting hard, and that is to completely dedicate your body. That's the difference between a man going forward and a man going backward, no matter how big he is.

A lot of guys just punch with their arms; they don't utilize every part of their muscles they can use. I know how to use that, and that's where the power comes in.

I wasn't allowed to throw big hooks and overhand rights until I'd been striking for three years. It's so you don't rely on those things from the very beginning. If your footwork sucks, and you can only stand in one place and throw your hands all crazy while the other person is running around, you're never going to be able to hit them.

Kicks are my forte. I've got strong legs and high kicks. And I've got very good reach, obviously.

I've got a good right hook.

I think I feel fortunate to have been very well educated in terms of strength and training while I was at school at Stanford, and I think our strength coaches here on the Colts do a great job. A big part of being able to withstand hits is making sure that you've got a good base.

I spent the whole first year of my career just on my legs. If you have good legs under you, then you can punch. Anybody can stand and throw their hands and look like an idiot. If you actually want to learn how to punch, you have to work on being balanced on your legs and feeling your legs under you. Feel the ground.

A pitcher is only as good as his legs.

Doing the sword fighting is like picking up a dance routine... I think dancing really helps with the picking up of it.

Posture for combat is so vital.

For me, a big thing, because I have really long legs, is core stability. It's very important not only for injury but also just to be able to carry my weight around properly and not feel like I'm collapsing in specific situations when I'm stretched out too far.

Overall strength work - if you can do it regularly - makes a massive difference on the pitch, especially when you are fatigued. If you are stronger, it helps you deal with that.

We do a lot of twisting and turning in our training. Those types of moves really help get the body moving and make sure we're staying agile, which is so important in the ring.

I've been working a lot on my jab.