No one moved “like a butterfly” then stung “like a bee” better than Muhammad Ali. One element of his in-ring repertoire was the Ali Shuffle, when he did a little dance before landing an unexpected blow. Here is the anatomy of the patented Ali move:

1. Begins bouncing on toes, one foot and then the other, finding a nice space and rhythm.

2. The bouncing varies from front to back and side to side, with the intention of frustrating and mesmerizing the opponent. It also showed Ali’s charisma and confidence.

3. With his hands often held low, Ali bounces up and down and shifts from side-to-side, his movement similar to a watch swinging in rhythm to hypnotize the foe.

4. Suddenly, Ali shifts his feet back-and-forth with blinding speed as if running without leaving the spot. Four or five times within an instant, Ali’s blurred feet shuffle back and forth.

5. With his opponent startled and distracted, Ali unleashes a hard flurry of punches, usually started with a left jab and followed by a hard right hand.