GJ "Look like a fighter"

Started with trying to tape our improperly cut mats...long story. Jeff ran the practice through warm-ups and then we worked on tackle/takedown "castle" defense:

1. Barbican: Rapid push on head and shoulder or both shoulders
   
2. Outer Bailey: Inserting the forearm next to the neck to set up for knees, punches, and elbows
   
3. Inner Bailey: Sprawl -- hips into mat through their shoulders/head, laces to the mat/balls of the feet to the street, use hands for head/arm control
   
4. Keep: Inserting underhooks (crucifix) or going for guillotine

Next covered some basic shot skills:

• Your partner places their hand lightly on your head, your job is to shoot directly from this position, penetrating with your lead knee and stepping through
  
• Shooters walk: Roll your lead knee to the mat and step through

We split into junior and senior students. Joe took the junior students and covered basic kicking and kick angles:

1. Rear leg outside lead thigh
   
2. Lead leg inside lead thigh
   
3. Hop (perpendicular angle) rear leg outside lead thigh
   
4. Step rear leg to back of lead thigh
   
5. Cross rear leg kick to inside of rear lead thigh
   
6. Step lead leg to back of rear thigh
   
7. Rear leg across both thighs
   
8. Lead leg across both thighs

He then covered drilled jab, cross, and hook. Meanwhile the senior students did the following 3 minute rounds:

1. Basic boxing
   

   "3 Cross" -- Jab-Cross-Lead Hook-Cross
   

   "Reverse 3 Hook" -- Jab-Lead Hook-Cross-Lead Hook
   

   "4 Cross" -- Jab-Cross-Uppercut-Cross
   

   "Overhand 4 Overhand" -- Jab-Overhand-Uppercut-Overhand
   

   "2 Body Head" -- Jab-Cross-Lead Body Hook-Lead Head Hook

2. Unorthodox boxing
   

   "Overhand 3 (Cross/Kick)" -- Jab-Overhand-Lead Hook(-Cross/Rear Kick)
   

   "2 Overhand Uppercut" -- Jab-Cross-Overhand-Uppercut
   

   This round started with 30 seconds of pitterpat. Placed emphasis on targeting, that is, picking a small spot on the focus mitt and punching 3" through it. I also echoed the words of Tim S, "Look like a fighter", as annoying as those can be, they ring very true. By training and taking on the characteristics of a fighter we can become one and rather than having to adopt the roll, it will adopt us.

3. Basic Thai boxing
   

   Focused on punch kick combinations (1K, 2K, KC, four counts)

4. 4 minute knee skills
   

   Worked 30 seconds distance and three knees-three punches. For distance drill the feeder holds one pad in front of the fighter and keeps the fighter's hips tight to the pad by pulling in with the other hand at the hips. The feeder keeps forward pressure forcing the fighter to push back and turn the feeder. When the feeder says "distance" the fighter pops their hips back to create and delivers to same-side knees with the knee on the same side as the anterior pad. The three knees-three punches drill is a continuous drill where the fighter throws three skip knees from clinch and then reacts with cross-hook-cross-lead hand head control-rear hand head control and repeats the knees. More advanced fighters can switch between leading with a cross and lead hook-cross-lead hook-rear hand head control-lead hand head control. The last 30 seconds were three knees turn continuously.

5. Conditioning
   

   1-3-6-9(-12-15) kicks one side
   

   1-3-6-9(-12-15) kicks other side
   

   10 squats
   

   Approximately 30 seconds of pitterpat
   

   10 push-ups
   

   And back to the top. Intermittent sprawls were thrown in, the last 20 seconds were jumper squat sprawls.

Recombined the groups and finished with more conditioning, 1 minute rounds:

1. Holding push-up position, 5 push-ups every 20 seconds
   
2. Sitting up holding legs 6" off floor, adding horizontal and vertical flutter kicks
   
3. Pitter pat with domino sprawls (each person sprawls after the person to their right)
   
4. High knees with domino sprawls
   
5. Holding push-up position, 5 push-ups every 10 seconds