A Boxing Lesson: The Roundhouse Punch

Miriam tells us in The Deadliest Returns, how in exchange for covering for her twin brother Binyamin’s indiscretions, he would teach her how to box, “showing me how to estimate my opponent’s reach; maintain my footing on sand; and throw, duck, and even take a punch.” In fact, in many of Miriam’s cases, those skills proved to be lifesaving.

For example, in "Deadly Confrontation,” she found herself having to defend herself against a prime murder suspect:

She was big and strong. Before I knew it, her sledgehammer roundhouse knocked me to the floor. While I was sucking in the grit, she must have grabbed a butcher knife because suddenly she was brandishing it as she crouched over me.

Using body rotation and hip movement generates the power in a roundhouse punch. The arm then moves in a curved circular path. Unlike a straight punch, in which the arm travels directly toward the target, the roundhouse, coming from the side or behind, can catches the opponent off-guard.

Although the origin of the sport is unknown, boxing may have prehistoric origins. Eventually, it became popular in Egypt and spread to Greece, Mesopotamia, and Rome. You will not learn to be a great boxer from reading the Miriam bat Isaac stories, but you will see the importance of defending yourself when working as a private investigator.

To learn more about “Deadly Confrontation,” click here.