Cover (combat technique)

In combat sports like fencing, boxing, karate, etc., the cover is a defensive movement permitting to protect oneself against strikes by placing a weapon or a body part like the fist, forearm, elbow, arm or shoulder before the aim aimed by this attack.

This form of defence, so-called "passive", is different from the block or parry that are considered "active". The cover has nearly the same meaning as "protection" especially in boxing when a fighter raises his arm in order to protect his face or head against a possible attack.

One puts cover to use:
 in expecting way in case of the opponent's attack, especially in order to protect his or her own forward movement (example: raising the shoulder before the jaw, covering oneself with the arm and the glove)
 in instantaneous (i.e. happening at once) way when the opponent's attack is launched.

 In boxing and boxe pieds-poings 
The cover in boxing is a form of defence commonly used in the hand-to-hand situations and when the fighter suffers by a large number of strikes.

 Sources 
 Georges Blanchet, Boxe et sports de combat en éducation physique, Ed. Chiron, Paris, 1947
Alain Delmas, 1. Lexique de la boxe et des autres boxes (Document fédéral de formation d’entraîneur), Aix-en-Provence, 1981-2005 - 2. Lexique de combatique (Document fédéral de formation d’entraîneur), Toulouse, 1975-1980.
Jack Dempsey, Championship fighting, Ed. Jack Cuddy, 1950
Gabrielle & Roland Habersetzer, Encyclopédie des arts martiaux de l'Extrême-Orient, Ed. Amphora, Paris, 2000
Louis Lerda, J.C. Casteyre, Sachons boxer, Ed. Vigot, Paris, 1944
Marcel Petit, Boxe: technique et entraînement, Paris, Ed. Amphora, Paris, 1972

 Other websites 
  Antenna WKA-France - Lexicon of the boxes pieds-poings (Column "Formations", onglet "Ceinture noire")
  Lexicon of Netboxe.com  
  Practical sheets of Netboxe.com  
  BoxRec Boxing Encyclopaedia

Category:Martial art techniques