I know that Mahamad Ali trained in some form of Karate. I have studied many of his matches and some of the things he did look like Karate techniques. For instance, his jab resembles and certain kind of backfist. He also employed a physiological martial arts trick too. As you move your eyes from one focus to another, the space in-between is blind. By waving his hand and hitting you with the other when you look, he was using this trick.

Does anyone know for sure if he used martial arts in the ring or was he just doing this naturally?

Oldcoach

I think it's a natural thing for him because thts how a lot of boxers set there punches up.. there couldda been some type of karate though.. u knever know

Ive watched lots of interviews and all his fights and I've never heard him mention much about martial arts. Perhaps he did but my thoughts would be that it just come naturally like anything he did!

Ali's jab looked like a back hand because he often would throw it from different angles giving the illusion of a back hand. I Also box for several years and know that boxing basics tell you to throw straight from the shoulder area. But because of his footspeed he was able to throw from various angles . As for the eye contact you train to look forward face and chest area that's boxing 101 . You use your perifial vision to slip ,duck or block punches. It doesn't matter what the other fighter is looking at. You slip punches as they come at you . You can see in some Bruce Lee movies that he would hit and move but I have read that Bruce Lee was a big admirer of Ali and was fascinated by Ali's movement. From what I have read Muhamad Ali never studied anything else.