After the chin, the liver is the second most dangerous place to get hit. If you ever take a clean punch there, when sparring or fighting, you probably know what it feels like. Sometimes you can’t even continue fighting because of the excruciating pain.
If this ever happened to you, you are probably wondering, is there any way to ease the pain after a hard shot in the liver. Well, the easiest way is to just to crouch down until the pain goes away. But that will be counted as a knockdown. So the better way is to place your right hand on your liver and to lightly press it. That will deaden the shock of the blow a little bit. But its drawback is that it will make you vulnerable for punches to the head. And also it will motivate your opponent to be more aggressive once he sees you’re hurt.
In this article, we will ways to how to avoid being hit in the liver at all but first, let’s dive into what exactly the liver punch is and why it is so devastating.
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Are liver shots legal in boxing?
In boxing, the liver blows are completely legal. There isn’t a rule that forbids such punches. The only places where it isn’t legal to hit your opponent are in the back of the head and below the belt.
And that’s the reason why pro boxers wear so big shorts. It makes their rivals think that if they hit them below the waistband that will be illegal shot (because it’s below the belt). This actually isn’t true because, according to the rules of boxing, the belt is an imaginary line across the body of the boxer from the top of his hip bones. So, by wearing big shorts, they make their bodies smaller targets. Thus they can take a psychological advantage over their rivals.
If someday you decide to compete, even in an amateur boxing match, this is a cool trick you can use to protect your body (including from liver shots).
Liver punch
The liver is located below the rib cage on the right side of the torso. That’s why, in boxing, usually the liver punches are made with left hooks or uppercuts (simply because your right is your opponent’s left). In the kicking sports, such as MMA, Muay Thai or Kickboxing, in stand-up fighting, such shots can be made with a left kick or knee or with a spinning right kick.
There are three reasons why liver shots are used:
- To slow your opponent down. The body punches (including the liver shots) are really effective when you want to slow the other boxer down. Because they can knock the wind out of him which will decrease the oxygen delivered to his muscles. That will make him gas out much more quickly. By doing this will take advantage, especially in the later rounds.
- To hurt the body – this is the most obvious reason why the liver punches are used. They can really painful. Sometimes they can even cause a TKO because the fighter just can’t continue due to the pain.
- Catch them off guard. When you hit someone hard in the liver chances are that he is going to lower his guard so he can protect his body. Then you can land some clean punches in the head. This technique works very well especially when you trapped your opponent against the ropes or in the corner. It’s a more advanced technique but it’s a very sneaky way to catch someone off guard.
Combinations
It’s hard to just land a liver punch because the other fighter can easily see it from a mile away and block it. So you need to set it up with something. For example, if you are an orthodox boxer, you can throw 1-2 (jab-cross) combination to the head and then left uppercut to the liver. It’s really effective especially if you are attacking from a distance.
When fighting from the inside, you can start by aiming at the body, then the head and then again the body. By doing this you will make the other boxer guessing what it’s coming next and eventually he will make a mistake and you will land the liver shot.
Southpaws
If you are a southpaw fighter, you can land liver punches with your power hand. Which makes them even more devastating. My favorite combination to do this is a jab to the head and then a ranged uppercut to the liver. It’s a pretty simple but very effective combo. The jab distracts your opponent’s attention from your left hand with which you can land the liver punch unexpectedly.
And on the other hand – when you are fighting against a southpaw, you need to be aware of this. Most southpaw boxers love this combination, so chances are, they are going to use it against you. To prevent that from happening, I recommend keeping your right elbow down, to your body, so you can stop the left uppercut to the liver. The other thing you can do is to trap your opponent’s lead hand with your left hand. Just extend your arm and trap his glove. By doing that you can stop the jab before it’s even thrown.
The only problem with the southpaws is that, that their liver is closer to their opponents because of their stance. Which can make it an easy target. So if you are a southpaw, keep that in mind. And when fighting against someone in the opposite stance, you can use the same tactics – trap the lead hand and keep the right elbow close to your body, so you can stop the shots.
Why your body can’t handle a punch to the liver?
The liver is the largest internal organ in our bodies. It weighs around 3.3 lbs. The main reason why it’s so painful to get hit there is that, unlike the lungs and the heart, the liver isn’t protected by the rib cage. There is neither enough muscle mass around it, which can reduce the impact of the punches.
What does it feel like?
Even no so powerful punches can be really painful if they land right on your liver. After such shots, you may start feeling fatigued and breathless or even like you have no legs. That’s why when you get hit in the liver is so hard to stay on your feet. The power in your punches will decrease and also your speed because of the excruciating pain.
If the punch is hard enough, your body may even shut down. You will be completely consciousness, and you will want to get up but your body just won’t let you do that. That happens because of the nerve fibers around the liver. They stimulate the Autonomic Nervous System which caused a lot of complex events. And the most important one is the blood pressure drop.
*Here is a video that explains why this happening a little bit more thorough:
Because of this, your body may force itself into a horizontal position, so it can recover the blood pressure in the most important organs (more specifically – in the brain). That’s why you see many boxers (or other combat sports practitioners) fell on the ground after a liver shot, no matter how tough they are. It’s not only because of the pain but also because of the physiological processes caused by the blow.
In the worst-case scenario, your brain may shut down as a survival tactic, because of the low blood pressure. So it’s possible to even lose consciousness after a liver punch.
Delayed impact
In some cases, the impact of the liver shot may be delayed. You may feel nothing at all for the first 2 seconds but then…you already know what will happen.
Difference between a punch in the head and in the liver
When you get a punched in the head, that can stun you or disorient you. But usually, you don’t feel the pain right at the moment, just because you are stunned.
And when a hard hook or uppercut lands on your liver, it’s the complete opposite. Most of the times your mind is clear so you process the pain. That’s why a shot in the liver can be much more painful than a head punch, regardless of the fact that the head blows are more dangerous, (because of the brain damage they cause).
Liver injuries
The liver is responsible for many important processes in the human body. Processes such as detoxication, protein synthesis, etc. There is no chance to survive without this organ. So it can be really dangerous to injure your liver.
Symptoms
Sometimes you may think that you have a liver injury but actually, the real problem may be bruised (or even broken) rib. That’s normal because the ribs and the liver kinda overlap each other. So it’s hard to say where exactly hurts.
That’s why I recommend seeing a doctor if you still feel pain several days after sparring or a boxing match. And if the pain is really extreme you need to see a doctor immediately after the fight. Because you may have broken ribs or ruptured liver which is really dangerous.
Cause of the injuries
The liver is a flexible organ. So when you get hit from one side of it, the other side is compressed. If the punch is powerful enough it can cause ruptures. And if the trauma is severe enough, you will probably need surgery.
An interesting fact is that even punch with a speed of 5 meters per second can injure the liver. And an average male is able to punch with a 6 meter per second, while the pro boxers can do it twice as fast.
Liver shot treatment
Ok, now we know what is the liver punch and why is so painful. But what to do when we get hit by one?
There are actually several things we can do to decrease the impact of the punch and to ease the pain. Some of them we can do before the actual fight – to condition our bodies. Others immediately after we get hit, to ease the pain. And there are also some things we can do after the fight is over to speed up our recovery. Let’s dive into them.
Before the fight
The obliques and the abs muscles are the ones that can decrease the impact of the liver punch – of course only if we train them correctly. Here are some great exercises to do that:
- Plank
- Crunch
- Jackknife sit-ups
Another great way to condition your abs is by using a medicine ball. Just ask somebody to throw the ball into your abs. Boxers such as Myke Tyson did this exercise a lot.
If you don’t have a medicine ball, you can just ask your sparring partner to throw some hooks and uppercuts to your body using 50-60% of his or her power. That’s also a very effective way to condition your body to withstand liver punches.
During the fight
It’s very important after you get hit in the liver not show your opponent that you are hurt. I know that this easier said than done, but you really don’t want the other boxer to know that your body is damaged. Because he can use it against you. He can start throwing more punches to your liver or he can feint a body punch just to make you react and then land a clean shot to the head. Which can cause a knockout.
So if you are hurt after such a blow, you have 2 options:
- Create distance – In such situations, every second count. Depending on the power of the punch you will need up to half a minute to recover (if of course, the shots aren’t really devastating). So a good tactic is to try to create some distance between you and the other boxer until you recover. Use your footwork – circle around him. You can also use your jab to keep your opponent at a distance.
- Enter in a clinch – This is a riskier one, because your rival may still be able to land some body punches. So try to hold his hands. If it’s sparring you can hold him until you recover. And if it’s a boxing match, the referee will break you up, but still, that will give you some extra seconds to recover.
If the punch is really severe, you may not be able to hide your pain or to enter in a clinch. Here is what you can do in such situations:
- Open your right hand and place it on the liver
- Try to breath normally
- Put slight pressure where you placed your right hand
By doing this the shock caused by the punch will reverberate.
To decrease the number of the liver shots you take you can use big shorts, so your body will be a smaller target (as the pro boxers do). Another, a really offensive way, to decrease the liver punches you take is to become a body puncher by yourself. Then nobody will want to enter in body punch exchanges with you.
After the fight
There’s actually not much to be done after the fight is over. Because most of the liver injuries require only enough time for the organ to recover. (But of course, if you feel really extreme pain, better go see a doctor).
To ease the pain a little bit you can take aspirin, but the most important thing is to rest. Take your time to recover. Otherwise, it can become even worse and eventually you may need even surgery.
So what I recommend is not doing any sparring sessions for a week after a heavy liver shot. Of course, you can still do exercises such as shadowboxing, heavy bag work or pad work. And if you still feel pain, better don’t work out at all before it goes way, or at least do only light cardio exercises.
Recovery time
The recovery time after a liver shot can vary a lot. It depends on the accuracy and the power of the punch and on your physical conditioning. For example, if you have blood pressure issues that may be a factor.
It also depends on the damage of your liver. If it’s really bad ruptured, you will need months to recover, simply because you will need surgery.
And if you took a not so powerful but accurate punch in the liver, several minutes are enough. If the punch is more powerful, you may need several days max.
How to block a punch to the liver
This article is more about what to do after you get hit in the liver, not how to stop the liver shots, but the best way to treat a punch in there is actually to prevent it from happening. Here are some tips on how to do that:
- Keep your elbows down – Keep the hands up but the elbows down. By doing this you can protect both – your head and your body.
- Tighten your guard – Ther arms need to be close to the body, so you can block the punches
- Step away – When someone tries to catch you with body punches, try to create distance using your lead hand and your footwork
- Roll with the punches – By doing this you will decrease the impact of the shots. Is more advanced technique but you can master it by doing sparring
- Breath out – That way you will prevent getting the wind knocked out of you.
- Flex your muscles – Time the punch and use your abs and obliques to deaden it.
- Angle your stance – Don’t stay squared up against your opponent. Try to take an angle advantage so they can’t catch you easily.
- Condition your forearms – If you block the body shots properly, chances are you are gonna get a lot of punches in your forearms. That can be quite painful. So it’s a good idea to condition them. You can do that by training them using light weights, doing pull-ups or other free weight exercises. Another way, which the athletes who do combat sports such as Muay Thai or MMA, love is to hit the heavy bag with your forearms. Something like elbow strikes. Also when blocking punches during sparring, that also can strengthen your forearms.