Rope-A-Dope

Rope-A-Dope – Boxing & Martial Arts Technique

Rope-A-Dope is a boxing and martial arts technique used to tire out an opponent before launching an aggressive counter attack. A fighter will take a defensive stance in a sparring match and allow the opponent to hit him with only limited or no countering until the attacker is tired. The fighter will just try to block attacks, dodge and/or absorb strikes. Once the opponent is tired out and winded, the fighter will counter attack. This is a dangerous technique as the fighter must be willing to absorb lots of potential damage before attacking.

The classic Rope-A-Dope example is was where Muhammad Ali used this technique against George Foreman in their 1974 “Rumble in the Jungle” match. Ali lay against the ropes of the boxing ring and used the “bounce” of the ropes to help absorb the power of Foreman’s punches. This allowed Ali to win in the 8th round when Foreman was tired out.