MT Yup this workout still sucks

Joe and I did a little working out:

Warm-up

~1/4 mile jog

3 minute thai pad round

1 minute rest

100 meter knee interval

Throw alternating straight knees down the track with good thai form.

100 meter run interval

Run the turn.

100 meter pitterpat interval

Pursue holder at run while doing pitterpat.

200 meter jog

100 meter sprint

100 meter kick interval

Throw alternating kicks as you walk forward, holder should increase to head height for last 30 meters.

100 meter run interval

Run the turn.

100 meter reverse pitterpat interval

Pursued by holder at run while doing pitterpat.

200 meter jog

100 meter sprint

100 meter kick-C-H-kick-H-C interval

Throw alternating kick and punch combinations as you walk forward.

100 meter run interval

Run the turn.

100 meter 3 knees 3 punches interval

Either throw 3 alternating straight knees or 3 skip knees, and then C-H-C or H-C-H.

100 meter run interval

30 push-ups

We returned to the gym and did several rounds of shadowboxing followed by timing.

MT Roadwork...literally

Today Jim called me, dying to workout a little. Inspired by the road outside our training facility and a documentary I saw on Cung Le I came up with:

Warm-up

~1/4 mile jog (approximately to the end of the road and back)

3 minute thai pad round

1 minute rest

~100 meter knee interval

Throw alternating straight knees down the road with good thai form.

~100 meter run interval

Run halfway and return to holder.

~100 meter pitterpat interval

Pursue holder at run while doing pitterpat.

~200 meter jog

~100 meter kick interval

Throw alternating kicks as you walk forward, holder should increase to head height for last 30 meters.

~100 meter run interval

Run halfway and return to holder.

~100 meter pitterpat interval

Pursue holder at run while doing pitterpat.

~200 meter jog

~100 meter kick-C-H-kick-H-C interval

Throw alternating kick and punch combinations as you walk forward.

~100 meter run interval

Run halfway and return to holder

~100 meter 3 knees 3 punches interval

Either throw 3 alternating straight knees or 3 skip knees, and then C-H-C or H-C-H.

This sucks worse than it looks...seriously.

Jim and I then peeled the onion with some ECT covering some of his concerns for his fight.

GJ "This IS my happy place!"

I started early with Jeff doing pad shuttles for 2 x 6 minute rounds. Following that Jeff warmed us up with the regular class:

• Squats
  
• Calf extensions squats
  
• 10 squats w/ partner, 10 calf extensions squats w/ partner
  
• 20 push-ups hold -- 5 clapper push-ups hold -- 10 push-ups
  
• 25 Leg raises (partner throws down)
  
• 20 Variable height leg raises (partner throws down)
  
• Flutter kicks

We then went into thai pad rounds

1. Basic thai warm-up w/ emphasis on the jab
   

   Throwing jab "loaded" combinations, that is, opening with the jab

2. Thai reaction
   

   This round we worked the thai reaction (C-H-RKick) typically off a leg cover or evasion. I do not like permitting my opponent the satisfaction of hitting me. I try to evade to fluster them and make them look bad, however if they land a shot there is no acknowledgment, my own form of iron shirt chi-gung.

3. Three knees three punches and "distance" drill

   All though conceivably a conditioning round as all thai pad rounds are, but it is more appropriate to work on the attributes each drill emphasizes. The three knees three punches drill works on transitions of punch to knee. Although it is a three punch combination it is important to throw four "punches" e.g., cross-hook-cross-lead grab or hook-cross-hook-rear grab. The distance drill works on proper hip position either pushing in defensively, opening up offensively, or turning to relieve pressure/reangle.

4. Conditioning

   • Pitterpat (30 seconds)
     
   • Push-ups (30 seconds)
     
   • Pitterpat (30 seconds)
     
   • Alternating Kicks (45 seconds)
     
   • Pitterpat (15 seconds)
     
   • Alternating Kicks (30 seconds)

The fighters and advanced guys transitioned into several rounds of timing. I reiterate try to remember the keys to timing of working in technique and trying new things. It is impossible to lose a round of timing. If you improved you were victorious.
We then covered three "combinations" of neck control and wrestling

1. Outside grab to plum

   When you throw the single straight knee, grab solidly and hard for the neck, simulate a hooking strike. The transition to plum involves tracing your opponent's head with your gloves, shaving off the ear on first one side and then the other.

2. Plum to side thai clinch

   In this you start in plum and your partner swims inside. Obtain the overhook on this side and trace your opposite glove over their head from inside to outside control. This opens the body and head knee lines as well as the punt to the head.

3. Swimming and pushing

   In this we work on swimming for inside control as detailed previously.

We finished with the modified pitterpat ladder of 30 seconds:

• 1 push-up finish with pitterpat
  
• 2 push-up finish with pitterpat
  
• 4 push-up finish with pitterpat
  
• 8 push-up finish with pitterpat
  
• 16 push-up finish with pitterpat
  
• Hold push-up position
  
• Pitterpat
  
• Hold push-up position
  
• 16 push-up finish with pitterpat
  
• 8 push-up finish with pitterpat
  
• 4 push-up finish with pitterpat
  
• 2 push-up finish with pitterpat
  
• 1 push-up finish with pitterpat

A note on the strategy of defense: As I mentioned above I try not to allow my opponents the gift of hitting me, so my first objective is evasion. However evasion must be followed by invasion, the judges must never think I am running away but rather strategically repositioning myself. I like to attack and reposition with the Checkmark. If I move in, do my thing, and then exit followed by the pursuit of my opponent I must punish them for the transgression. Thus I like to train the interceptive or even entering tiip following my attack and repositioning. However sometimes I get caught, thus if I cannot evade I cover and react. If I can I evade and react. If my evasion and cover carry me clear but I still get hit, I react. The best defense is always a good offense and an even better counter offense.

GJ

We started with a light warm-up before Jeff took us through mid-section damaging techniques. Gear used was belly pad and thai pads:

1. Tiip reaction

   Standard thai boxing warm-up with the addition of tiip reaction. The holder would advance with pads down and the fighter would tiip the belly pad.

2. Knee combinations

   We isolated the knee combinations, e.g. 1-knee, 2-knee, knee combinations #1-4, H-C-knee, C-H-knee, etc.

3. Knee combinations with skip knees

   As in the previous round but this time we if we ended with the knee we looped the head (tracing the glove from the outside to inside line over holder heads) and threw 3 skip knees and turned until told to throw to kick or punch range.

4. Trick play practice

   We selected one trick play and worked on technically developing it.

Following the rounds I talked about the the transition into and out of knees and how to set up the knee to long range transition more dynamically. When entering from long to kne range add an "extra" strike by feeding a hard, fast outside neck grab.
When exiting this range from the lead knee and lead head control, push obscuring the vision and to open your line consider "trapping" or dragging their guard out of the way for the cross. Consider cross-uppercut/hook-cross or cross-lead kick.
Exiting the knee range from the rear knee and lead head control, pull and "trap" the guard opening the short straight hook. Consider hook-rear uppercut or hook-rear kick.
Next we reviewed entering using the jab and Starfish. In this case we use a long, quick jab to intermittently probe our opponents defense. Thus suddenly altering the range and following the jab sets up the combination. Alternatively, if our opponent is throwing stiff jabs, we follow their jab riding it in off our cover.
We followed with knee play. It is important here to note that if you duck walk in and posture you must bear hug to remove your opponent's leverage at the hips.
We finished with a Tabata interval round

• Pitterpat
  
• Hold 70# throw dummy and throw curve knees
  
• Kicks (one side, switch on second round)
  
• Push-ups
  
• Sprints
  
• Repeat x1

JKD & BJJ Minor Corrections

As I get marginally better at BJJ I get more focused on the minutiae of technique. On Saturday Jack showed a simple minor adjustment for enhancing the triangle. From the open guard, feet in the hips position, lift your hips and drive one knee to your shoulder. Kick the foot past the head and hook a "triangle guard" distally on their back. This flattens them and brings them forward. From here cinch the triangle.

MT Fight Training "Knowledge and Skill Based Learning"

We trained at the Bugeishako today, starting with 10 minutes of kicks and the pitterpat ladder (exchanging the middle 32 push-up round for a 30 seconds hold, 30 seconds pitterpat, and 30 seconds hold). We then worked some thai pad rounds.

1. Breaking structure

   In this drill the holder feeds a standard boxing or thai round, but intermittently throws a reaction in the middle of the combination, e.g. calling 3 and hitting the fighter after they throw the cross. This is contrary to "normal" rounds since it breaks the fluid combination, however I think it is a valuable tool as it

   • Points out openings in the fighters striking game
     
   • Works the feel of a fight in the need to automatically switch from offense to defense
     
   • Shows that good offensive structure actually works really well in defense as well

2. Breaking structure with reaction

   As above but putting in 3 reaction after each combination "disruption"

3. Focusing the laser

   In this drill one partner forms a narrow window on the bag while the other calls off linear punching combinations. The fighter must work on throwing punches straight down the pipe without inefficient hooking of straight punches.

4. Balancing the equation

   Here the fighter starts with the holder slapping repeated shots against their cover and body movement, as soon as the holder stops the fighter must switch gears and go right back into reaction.

5. Evasion and invasion

   In this drill the fighter works a standard boxing/thai pad round but as soon as they open the range, e.g. evasion, they must fire a tiip.

We discussed the knees and two key elements of knees, the hips:

1. When defending the hips, head up, feet wide and "duck walk" in driving your hips close to your partner. In knee play, closing the distance solidly and rapidly is your best defense.
2. When trying to obtain neck control, swim the hips, turning your hips 90^o making your body almost perpendicular with your opponent. This narrows the target window for them, disrupts their arms by the twisting of their shoulders, and allows your glove to fit in between their arms. Then switch the other hip toward them and slide your other glove in and obtain control. If you cannot use the glove already there to push on their face.

We finished with a discussion of trick plays/fakes. There are basically two ways to use trick plays and fakes

1. Opposite Lines

   The opposite lines theory works by drawing attention and provoking reaction in one area and then attacking opposite to that. For example, from JKD the progressive indirect attack (PIA), faking a low kick to punch someone in the head. This works because of over reaction, all their tools become dedicated to defending something one side or level thereby creating openings in another.

2. Same Lines

   The same line theory works by the creation of a hole following the defensive reaction. A really simple example is the double or triple jab -- your opponent catches the first, but as they return their hand to guard they eat the second or third. This works because of refractory period, they are quick enough to pick up the first but not subsequent attacks.

In his thesis of martial arts ("Tao of Jeet Kune Do" (Bruce Lee)) Bruce Lee does an excellent breakdown of faking. One of the most important point is creating pain. Thus a real attack must cause the fear/respect in your opponent for that tool. Only then will a fake successfully land. A brief list of trick plays follows:

1. Fake high go low

   Use a jab fake to set up the leg kick

2. Fake low go high

   Use a kick fake, i.e. hip thrust, to set-up punches.

3. "Heatseeker"

   Here use the rear leg kick lateral line to set-up the central mid line tiip.

4. Show the knee

   Raise the knee as if to throw tiip and then go straight to jab or the rear tiip. The first is mid line to high line, while the second is one side to the other.

5. "Superman"

   Here use the rear leg kick low line to set-up the high line punches.

6. Switch step Punch

   Use the lead leg kick's switch step to close range and throw jab/cross. Again low line fake to high line attack.

7. Switch step Tiip

   Use the lead leg kick's switch step to provoke lateral defense and throw tiip. Again lateral line fake to mid line attack.

8. Tiip to head kick

   Throw the tiip and then readjust hips to throw head kick. Central line to lateral.

GJ Switching Gears

Tonight Jeff and I made a strategic training adjustment. As several members of Team Solid and myself are competing at the end of month at the IKF Worlds and Jeff isn't we figured that he could coach while I could focus on training while giving him input. Tonight we implemented this plan in our training.
The fighters showed up an hour before practice and did a shuttle round. Essentially, you are either running different length shuttles (30, 60 and 90 yards) or hitting thai pads. We did a 6 minute round in which the feeders either held or sent their fighters for a set of shuttles. We then went back inside and traded combinations.
For warm-up Jeff had us do:

• Squats
  
• Calf extension squats
  
• Lunges
  
• Kick Lunges -- Swing rear leg over your head after the lunge
  
• Push-ups
  
• Handstands
  
• Planks
  
• Push-ups
  
• "Round the World" -- Lie on your back and have your partner gently push your legs one way or the other. Make a slow circle with both legs.
  
• Pushed Leg Extension -- Partner pushes legs to floor, bring them back up anteriorly
  
• Dribble the Legs -- Lay in an supine position and have your legs extended. One partner holds the shoulders down while the other "dribbles" your legs and occasionally holds pressure

We then progressed into 3 minute thai pad rounds

1. Basic thai warm-up
   

2. Reaction
   

   I tried to pick up leg cover/evasion with thai reaction, head punches with 3, and body punches with uppercut-cross/hook-hook/cross. In addition if I moved away from the reaction before it could land and was out of range for punch reaction, I threw tiip. While somewhat unrealistic it trains interceptive and exiting tiip strategies.

3. Focused four count combinations
   

   We worked on 4 counts #3 and #4, emphasizing the last head kick. The final 45 seconds were alternating head kicks.

4. Conditioning
   

   30 second intervals within the round:

   • Pitterpat
     
   • Head kick fall
     
   • Crosses n' hooks
     
   • Head kick fall
     
   • Push-ups
     
   • Knees
     
   • 1 minute high knees

Next we did 5 continuous 2 minute rounds of timing.
We then switched into ring generalship drill attributed to MMA phenom Miguel Torres. In this drill one side works off the wall/ropes trying to circle their partner. Their partner tries to keep them close and parallel to the wall with foot movement and light pushing. A continuous circuit of 1 minute rounds were worked.
We finished with closing strategies. Jeff explained how he likes to follow his jab. Thus he probes with the jab using the Starfish concept of circling while opening and closing the distance. He pops the jab quick to provoke a startle response, that is something that makes his opponent worry and react to the fast jab. If his opponent is largely non-countering, i.e. snapping back a quick jab of their own, he follows with his shorter strikes or clinching. I mentioned the concept of "shielded striking" and exiting with the open Corkscrew. We drilled this for the remainder of practice.

And Tom Iowa City to Cedar Rapids, IA is 32 miles.

JKD & BJJ Working with what you got

Today in BJJ we reviewed the triangle, starting with the basic set-up when your opponent reaches through your legs to pass. We then covered the more advanced ones shown Saturday. We also covered the fundamentals of defense:

1. Don't get there. The easiest way to defend a submission is to prevent it from ever being applied.
   
2. Posture and breaking the hips. Create good posture keeping your opponent's upper body long and in front of you. Close the distance keeping their hips close to yours. Stand if you are able and shake them off.

Often times fight training is not optimal for you. Partners may be the wrong size, skill level, area of interest, or whatever. You have to make do with what you got. My schedule is limited as are training partners my size and level. I coach myself a lot. All of these are not ideal, but I must make do with what I have. For example, today we had three of us getting ready for fights in July. So I devised a psychological conditioning round using two feeders, one with focus mitts and one with thai and shin pads. Every 30 seconds for 3 minutes the holders switched, starting with a reaction. There was a 30 seconds rest break after 3 minutes. Thus the fighter never got comfortable and the holders could feed rapid, hard rounds with rest breaks. After 2 rounds we finished with a cardio round in a similar vein:

• Pitterpat
  
• Kicks, one side
  
• Crosses and hooks
  
• Kicks, other side
  
• Pitterpat
  
• High knees
  
• Push-ups
  
• Knees

JKD & BJJ Triangle Set-ups

Yesterday, Jack showed three triangle set-ups:

1. Pushing the hand to the chest

   From closed guard use both hands to control your opponent's sleeves. Punch one of their hands to their chest and pop the same side leg over this shoulder. Release the hand you pushed to their chest and hold with the "triangle guard", i.e. the unfinished triangle. Pass the hand inside the triangle to your free hand and grab your distal shin. Adjust your angle with the foot in the hip and then recinch the triangle.

2. Horizontal shin to break the grip

   Again from the closed guard, your opponent has a tight grip on your kimono. Put one foot in their hip to create space and bring the other leg horizontal to the floor, knee medial, superior to your opponent's arm. Put the shin across the elbow joint and pop their grip free. Swing this leg around and triangle your opponent.

3. Kick past the head

   From the closed guard use a straight arm to frame your opponent by grabbing the collar on one side. Slide your knees proximally and medially (toward you and in) to get the feet on the hips with the legs on the inside of your opponent's arms. Simultaneously obtain sleeve control. Now kick one leg right next to your opponents ear and hook in "triangle guard". Pull the arm inside the triangle across your body and finish adjusting your triangle.

After practice I went up to Portage, IN and cornered the Handler in his second career MMA win in decisive fashion at the Duneland Vale Tudo Classic.

GJ Very tacky...WTF does that mean

After practice we glued our training area's wrestling mats together into one mat, during that time we pondered the instructions of "wait until very tacky".
We warmed up with 4 x 2 minutes of shadowboxing before working on our long distance weapons with 3 x 2 minute rounds of

1. Front hand sparring
   

   Both sides with boxing gloves. Essentially any offense with the front hand -- jab, uppercut, hook, and even backhand -- but no other tools. All defensive tools, i.e. both sides can be used.

2. Tiip the puncher
   

   Both sides with boxing gloves, one side wearing belly pad. The side wearing the belly pad is boxing and attempting to close. They may defend the tiip. The other side can defend and throw either side tiip to the belly pad.

Next we worked on range transition into and out of knee play. Both sides with boxing gloves, one side wearing belly pad. We did 2 minute rounds of:

1. J-C-LH-outside rear hand grab-rear knee-step and pull-LH-C-LH
   
2. J-LH-C-outside lead hand grab-lead knee-push-C-LH-C

In both cases occlude the vision with the grabbing hand to open the punching line. Also use different levels throwing shots to the kidneys or midsection to get the hands away from the head.
For pads we worked 2 minute rounds of focus mitts work on:

1. Basic boxing
   

   Combinations of jab, cross, hook, overhand, and uppercut with reactions.

2. Range decision making

   Starting from basic boxing the fighter gets into reactions at this point they most make a choice:

   1. Exit using good footwork, e.g. Checkmark or Jin
      
   2. Clinch and go to plum
      
   3. Takedown, more for MMA but also available for MT

3. Clinch to punch range transition

   Starting from the clinch position with the feeder having a good waist grip, the fighter works to knee range, throws 1-3 light knees to the focus mitts, and then throws partner to punch range, landing C-LH-C.

We finished with 3 minute rounds of mixed timing and knee play rounds. Starting in timing and then when the person on deck called for it the fighters transitioned to knee play and back out again if timing was again called. This isolates each but allows for the transition from one to another within one round. Drills from Jeet Kune Do are often set up like this, highlighting the transitions.

Supplemental Training "I do not predict. I come in and fight." -- Andrei Arlovski

Fight Plan Worksheet
The Fight Plan Worksheet was introduced to me by my muay thai coach, Ryan Blackorby as a pre-competition activity of writing down and hence visualizing basic attack, defense, and trick plays as well as a a few things that your coach has been yelling at you for the past few weeks. This exercise has served me well, this is just a formalized version of it.

Jim, Joe, Matt and I met for some thai training today. Our "warm-up" was jogging up to the Hill and then doing sprints. The drill is sprinting approximately 100 meters half of which is up 30^o incline within 1 minute. 10 times. After this light "warm-up" we jogged back to the Bugeishako and started are workout.
We did 8 x 2 minute rounds of shadowboxing with a 30 second rest interval. One person sat out as a coach and advised the fighters shadowboxing. This is beneficial for both sides, coaching makes better competitors and having someone critique you is always helpful.
Our pad rounds were 2 minutes and individually devised working on a set of tools that each fighter wanted to develop:

1. Corkscrew^TM combinations
   

   We worked our angling by throwing combinations with lead or rear and open or close corkscrew, e.g.

   • Lead-Close: reverse 3 (J-LH-C)
     
   • Rear-Close: 3-cross
     
   • Lead-Open: Kicking combination #4
     
   • Rear-Open: Kicking combination #3

2. Kick provoked reaction
   

   We revisited the kick provoked reaction drills as well as adding two new ones

   • "Kick reaction cross" -- L/RK-high cover (C)-C-LH-C
     
   • "Kick reaction hook" -- L/RK-side cover (LH)-C-LH-C
     
   • "Kick reaction kick" -- L/RK-leg cover/evade (kick)-C-LH-C
     
   • "Kick reaction tiip" -- L/RK-scoop (tiip)-C-LH-C

3. Slipping
   

   Slipping and simultaneously throwing punches is an excellent method for dealing with a taller fighter.
   

   • "Slip Jab/Hook" -- Lead Rip (to body)-C-LH
     
   • "Slip Cross" -- Rear Rip (to body)-LH-C

4. Outside to Knee to Outside
   

   Transitions are the areas that make or break fights. Our work on transitions entered with a cross hook to the knee and then opened the range again:
   

   • C-LH-outside neck grab w/ rear-RKn-step up and pull-LH-C-LH
     
   • C-LH-outside neck grab w/ lead-LKn-push at diagonal w/ lead hand-C-LH-C
     
   • C-LH-outside neck grab w/ either then loop over to plum-Kn-throw to kick range-head kick

I'm jonsing for strudel.

GJ There is no I in TEAM

Aside from a brutal school/work schedule I'm a high level competitor and coach in two combat sports. To get to and continue at this level I am dependent on a team of coaches, training partners, and students. As a coach I give a lot to my students and training partners, more than the paltry fees our club charges as dues. However, when I prepare as a competitor I expect that my team will be at my back, ready to train when I ask. Many do and these I appreciate, taking their time from work, school, family, and their own training to help me. The few that don't are a disappointment always ready to take but never ready to give.
Tonight I asked several of our team to stay after and spar. In my experience if my instructor or coach asks something, within the normal constraints of class, outside of class this is to be respected and completed. Rolling -- fine. Sparring -- I'm game. Wind sprints -- I sweat and suffer in training to win in competition. One of my fighters had been training 2 hours before practice and could feel his hand hurting -- take break, this is smart training. Another offered to box since he has a hurt ankle -- sit out, injured reserve is an honorable position. A third has a fight on Saturday -- no way should he be sparring. Quite a few of my smaller guys started strapping on gear, but the two requested guys in my weight class made a beeline for the door, without explanation. I have guys 40 lbs. lighter than me ready to throw down with me without question and who did in their best efforts to help me, but the these two cannot deign to help? This is ridiculous. Expecting instruction and coaching but not reciprocating when I have a need is a poor way to impress me as an instructor.

I apologize for the rant. People are born with heart. Everything else is just training.

We started with jumping jacks and push-ups to warm-up and then went into shadowboxing. We then did our warm-up/conditioning:

Lower body

10 minutes of kicks, sets of 5 on each side, 1-2-3-4-5 then reset back to 1 and again climb the ladder if time remains.

Upper body

Push-up ladder with pitterpat

1. 1 push-up pitterpat remaining 30 seconds
   
2. 2 push-ups pitterpat remaining 30 seconds
   
3. 4 push-ups pitterpat remaining 30 seconds
   
4. 8 push-ups pitterpat remaining 30 seconds
   
5. 16 push-ups pitterpat remaining 30 seconds
   
6. 32 push-ups pitterpat remaining 30 seconds
   
7. 16 push-ups pitterpat remaining 30 seconds
   
8. 8 push-ups pitterpat remaining 30 seconds
   
9. 4 push-ups pitterpat remaining 30 seconds
   
10. 2 push-ups pitterpat remaining 30 seconds
    
11. 1 push-up pitterpat remaining 30 seconds
    
12. Crosses and hooks for 30 seconds

Core

1. 30 seconds body and legs flat, hold shoulders off mat
   
2. 30 seconds V-sit pitterpat
   
3. 30 seconds body and legs flat, hold shoulders off mat
   
4. 30 seconds V-sit hook pitterpat
   
5. 30 seconds body and legs flat, hold legs off mat (support butt with gloves)
   
6. 30 seconds V-sit pitterpat
   
7. 30 seconds body and legs flat, hold legs off mat (support butt with gloves)
   
8. 30 seconds V-sit hook pitterpat
   
9. 30 seconds crunches
   
10. 30 seconds leg raises feet to the ceiling
    
11. 30 seconds crunches
    
12. 30 seconds leg raises feet to the ceiling
    

We then transitioned into 3 minute rounds of "accessing the body" or using changes in the level of strikes in a fight. In other words we used Muhammad Ali's axiom of "hit the body and the head will fall" -- Thai style.

1. Tiip
   

   The first method we discussed was the tiip. The key to throwing the tiip is driving the knee to your chest before throwing it straight out. I think the tiip can be used as an interception, entrance, or exit strategy. The interception tiip uses the incoming force of my opponent to impale themselves on my tiip, i.e. it stymies your opponent's action. The entrance tiip is an attacking, forward kick the rear leg hops forward and is used to initiate combinations, e.g.

   • Tiip-2(-kick)
     
   • Tiip-cross(-kick) / (-hook-cross)
     
   • Kick combinations #1-4, starting with tiip
     
   • Tiip-kick
     
   • Tiip-same side kick

   
   The exit tiip is thrown at the end of combination or a single shot following a combination. It uses the extension and length of the leg to stymie a reaction, e.g.

   • 2-tiip
     
   • Kick combinations #1-4, ending with tiip
     
   • Kick-tiip
     
   • Kick-same side tiip

2. Knee
   

   The next method used the knee. Knees can be used at the beginning, middle, or end of combinations. The key is to again lift the leg and thrust the distal tip of the femur not slap the thigh against your opponent. As you attach to your opponent to knee, remember to "guide" them into the pathway of your next combination. Combinations include:

   • 1-Knee
     
   • 2-Knee
     
   • 3-Knee
     
   • Hook/Cross-Knee
     
   • Knee-Cross/Hook
     
   • H-C-LKn(-push head-C-H-C)
     
   • C-H-RKn(-pull head-C-H-C)
     
   • RKn-pull head-LH-C
     
   • LKn-push head-C-LH

3. Body Punches
   

   Thirdly and probably what Muhammad Ali was actually talking about is using body punches. Body mechanics that allow level changes that protect your head are essential to properly deliver these punches. Thus shielded striking and angling are important to incorporate in your body punch game.

   • "1 Body" -- Body Jab<
     
   • "2 Body" -- Jab-Body Cross
     
   • "3 Body Cross" -- Jab-Body Cross-Hook
     
   • "3 Body Hook" -- Jab-Cross-Body Hook
     
   • "3 Body Head" -- Jab-Cross-Lead Body Hook-Lead Head Hook
     
   • "3 Body Head Cross" -- Jab-Cross-Lead Body Hook-Lead Head Hook-Cross
     
   • "1 Rip" -- Jab-Rear Body Rip (stepping hook to abdomen and floating ribs)
     
   • "2 Rip" -- Jab-Cross-Lead Body Rip
     
   • "1 Shovel" -- Jab-Rear Shovel Hook
     
   • "2 Shovel" -- Jab-Cross-Lead Shovel Hook

4. Conditioning
   

   Today we did the Pirouette Drill:

   • Throw head kick, the holder breaks away the pad to allow fighter to spin through
     
   • Feeder immediately follows with kick to opposite side, which fighter leg covers
     
   • Fighter returns x kicks from this side where x starts at 1 and climbs to 5. Thus after doing the drill with one kick on each side, the fighter does it with two and so fourth
     
   • Repeat on other side, i.e. start head kick with the leg you just used

   After doing 5 sets of the Pirouette Drill on both sides, do 30 seconds of pitter pat and then return to Pirouette Drill.

As I mentioned in the introduction we spent 20 minutes or so after practice sparring.

JKD & BJJ "The hardest part about training is denying myself apple strudel"

I love Entenmann's Old Fashioned Apple Strudel and I've done so since I was a little kid. It never fails that as soon as I'm on my competition diet and training I'll run into apple strudel at the store. After practice tonight I swung by the store for some dinner and breakfast. There it was. Just sitting there, giving me a come hither look, seducing me with its sugary, applely goodness. I went over and I looked at it, caressing the white box with my eyes, dreaming of apple filling. A long minute passed, as sweat gathered on my brow, and I turned dragging myself away with halting steps. I'm not training for a tournament, I'm training to earn my strudel.
Tonight I worked some boxing focus mitt rounds. I feel sluggish but that is most likely and effect of being on the other side of the mitts for the first time in a while. For the BJJ portion of practice we worked a useful flow pattern:

Angled Cross Collar Choke

Insert one hand cross collar. Post one foot in the same side hip to off angle as the other "bites down" with the calf across the shoulders. The free hand comes over the top grabbing the fold of the kimono for the choke.

Straight Armbar

To defend the choke most people make posture, extending the arms. Thus switch to a straight arm bar by throwing the foot in the hip over the head and sliding your arms down to control your partner's arm. Squeeze the knees, pull the feet to your butt, and extend the hips.

Sweep to Armbar

In defense of the armbar your partner attempts to stack you. Reach the cross hand to the armbar and catch under the thigh. Extend your legs while lifting with the thigh with your hand and sweep them unto their back. Finish the armbar as above.

Triangle / Oma Plata

Your partner turns their thumb superiorly and bends the arm. Now they follow this direction by walking (not jumping) their legs away aligning with your central axis as they turn over from supine to a prone position. As they do so you can pick up either the triangle or the oma plata

We also did two reactions to triangle defense:

"Hot Model"

Your opponent is caught in your triangle and stays squared with you, attempting to look up and create posture (the infamous "Look to Jesus" maneuver -- the Hoosier Open was held in a Catholic High School Gym there was a large cross high on the wall). As they do this they will protect their neck but extend their arm. Quickly open the triangle and use the leg on the same side as the arm within the triangle, cross it over your other leg...just like a hot model would.

Extension Shift Sweep

Again your opponent is caught in your triangle and stays squared with you, but this time they stack you. Extend your legs and then pivot in the direction the triangled arm is pointed (away from the shoulder within the triangle), underhook the same side leg and lift, sweeping them to the cross body armbar.

I rolled a bit after practice, exclusively with people that competed this weekend and have some comments on that:

1. Always come out ahead

   Regardless of whether you win or lose this is supposed to be a fun activity. So if you won great, enjoy your moment and try to learn something. If you lost, well the other competitor was better for those brief minutes on the mat, take this experience and grow from it. In any case regardless of the outcome, come out ahead.

2. Lower body > Upper body
   

   Sorry guys but despite your prodigious bench pressing workouts your lower body will always be stronger than your upper body. This is the primary reason to use the lower body. Secondly, gibbon factor aside your legs are longer than your arms and are more able to create space for you to escape. Thus when your are in positions that limit your upper body's strength, e.g. when fully or side mounted, the use of your legs becomes vital to escape.
   The bridge and roll is a fundamental escape from the full mount position. In it you first bridge up and then your roll, hence the name. It is not just a roll, a roll leads to your back being taken. By bridging first you lift your opponent so that they lose contact with the mat and use this displacement to turn them over. To counter the displacement they must extend a leg, creating the shrimp escape.
   An excellent way to train the bridge and roll is to do it slowly while escaping. If your slow, methodical lifting of the hips and the rolling over works, when you do it explosively it will work as well. Also don't hang your hat on one escape, have a Plan A, but also B, C, D, E, and F (as in f*cked).
   Another important use of the lower body is escaping the side mount. Your opponent has most control of the side nearest them and of your upper body. Thus shrimping away from them creates space which allows you to either turn over and go to four points or put them back into the guard. The key though is to first bridge to allow your lower body the maximum amount of vertical clearance that allows for the maximal amount of horizontal coverage. That is, lift your hips up and then away from your opponent, before trying to get them into guard or switching to four points.

3. Underhook
   

   The underhook has been discussed briefly in the past but may need a little more commentary. Jeremy Horn predicates much of both his stand-up wrestling and grappling game on underhooks with good reason, in the offense-defense or balanced positions where neither fighter has the advantage the fighter who obtains the underhook typically has control of the situation. Thus from standing wrestling, e.g. the takedown phase, to top or bottom position in the guard or half-guard the underhook can be a powerful leverage tool for takedowns, submissions, sweeps, and escapes.
   The simplest of all of these is as an opponent passes your guard into half-guard, establish your underhook on the same side as the lateral (outside) leg of your half-guard. Use this to escape out the back door and access the back or threaten this to reestablish guard or sweep if you know how.
   Excellent drills for this are pummeling to double unders and the half-guard underhook pummeling drill.

4. Base
   

   Your center of mass (COM) dictates where you go. Torque is defined as force x distance, and a person can exert greater force the closer they are to you. Thus, the closer and higher above your opponent's COM the easier it is to move you be it a throw or a sweep. Closer means an easier time exerting force on you as more proximal muscles can be recruited while higher means less effort is needed to lift and upset your balance. Thus keeping a good base means

   1. Keeping your COM either distant from your opponent's such as when you stand and pull their legs flat before passing and dropping your COM in low, or
      
   2. Keeping your COM on or below level with your opponent's such as when you pass by sprawling on the legs.

   Low COM is accomplished by keeping the butt low by attempting to drive your hips through the mat. Distant COM is achieved by extending your opponent as much as possible at their points of engagement with you.

I finished with 3 x 3 minute rounds on the thai pads with Jeff, I'm looking for speed not power, but have a stutter step before initiating kicks. I'll have to trim this in the next few days. I finished with a 3 minute cardio round designed by Jeff:

• 30 sec pitterpat
  
• 30 sec alternating kicks
  
• 15 sec jumper squats
  
• 15 sec push-ups
  
• 30 sec knees
  
• 30 sec pitterpat
  
• 30 sec knees

Cutting Weight

DISCLAIMER: Cutting weight is dangerous and detrimental to your health. Do so at your own risk!

Every few weeks I hear people discuss or read on-line about cutting weight for a tournament or fight. Cutting weight is a necessary evil of combat sports when weigh-ins are done a significant amount of time, e.g. 6-25 hours, before the event. Combat sports are a fight-game thus rules based on experience level and size that would never be considered in a self-defense fight are exploited to their utmost. That is, how can I be the biggest I can be in the weight class without losing strength, speed, and stamina.
Cutting weight must be considered weeks in advance as part of the game plan for the event. The body is a self-contained system:

Change in body weight = Caloric intake - Energy expenditure ± Hydration status
Caloric intake is the amount of calories your consume by eating and drinking while energy expenditure is the quantity of calories burned off by your basal metabolic rate plus exercise. Hydration status is how much water you have on board.
Caloric intake and energy expenditure are the longer term weight control and body composition controls, that is diet and exercise control body weight. If you eat less you will lose weight, just look at people from countries that suffer drought and famine. If you exercise more you will lose weight, just look marathon runners. If you eat more and have a sedentary lifestyle you will gain weight, one of the contributing factors to the obesity epidemic in the US. If you strategically eat and exercise more you will gain weight, the masters of this being bodybuilders.
Hydration status is short term control. If you drink a liter of water in the next five minutes you will gain weight, over the next hour this water will be absorbed by the gut and spread throughout the body. The kidneys will excrete none, some, or all of this water depending on your volume status or level of hydration. Thus for the next hour you will weigh more than you did the hour before. You can not remain dehydrate or over hydrated for too long and the more toward the extremes you get the shorter time you have at that volume status before overwhelming your body's feedback control loops and earning yourself a trip to the hospital and even possibly the morgue.
Thus when planning weight cutting for an event the first step is diet and exercise. Two useful resources for diet are "The South Beach Diet : The Delicious, Doctor-Designed, Foolproof Plan for Fast and Healthy Weight Loss" (Arthur Agatston) and "The Paleo Diet for Athletes : A Nutritional Formula for Peak Athletic Performance" (Loren Cordain, Joe Friel). The South Beach Diet has to be slightly modified, because the carbohydrate load is a little low for a performance athlete. Other resources are certain chapters from "The Team Renzo Gracie Workout: Training for Warriors" (Martin Rooney) and The Athletic Edge is Performance Eating, Part I and Part II. The basic summary from these sources is this: unprocessed is more desirable than processed, but performance athletes need a little extra. The ideal dietary composition is

Protein

In the form of lean meats, fish, nuts, eggs, and whey protein powder. The maintenance load for protein is approximately 1 g protein/kg body weight (0.078 oz/lbs) while an anabolic load is approximately 2 g/kg (0.15 oz/lbs). Thus:

Body Weight (lbs.)	Maintenance Protein (oz.)	Anabolic Protein (oz.)
100	8	16
150	12	24
200	15	30

Fats

In the form of fish, flax, and virgin olive oils. As a round number 30% of your calories should come from fats, recall that there are 10 kcal/g (283 kcal/oz) of fat.

Carbohydrates

Fresh fruit, vegetables, and whole legumes. No processing means no sodas, juices, or breads! About 50% of your calories should come from carbohydrates, with 3.4 kcal/g (96.3 kcal/oz).

The real basic way to do this is by shopping along the edges of the grocery store and not the middle. The middle aisles typically hold all the processed stuff while the perimeter does not. For performance athletes there are essentially two ways to "diet":

1. Cutting carbohydrate caloric load by 5%, or
   
2. Increasing water intake and eating several small meals throughout the day.

In either case you reducing caloric intake while maintaining or increasing exercise load. Increased exercise load is dually beneficial as it both increases conditioning while dropping weight, as long as the caloric load is not inadvertently increased with it. Cardiovascular activities such as running or walking have the greatest "bang for your buck", and can be as simple as running, walking, or biking to school or work, taking the stairs versus the elevator, or parking in the farthest lot.

Enough of this smart way to make weight, we need desperate measures and that calls for changes in hydration status, specifically dehydration. Dehydrating yourself is by nature dangerous and detrimental, but can be advantageous if you do so reasonably and rehydrate correctly. Basically a healthy person can dehydrate themselves about 5% and still be able to rehydrate themselves safely with oral rehydration solutions (ORS) of carbohydrates, sodium, and potassium diluted in water ("Emergency Medicine: A Comprehensive Study Guide 6th edition" (McGraw-Hill Professional)). Yes some rare and insanely gifted athletes, like Joe "Diesel" Riggs, can cut a great deal more than this, but us mere mortals must be content with 5%. Thus:

Body Weight (lbs.)	Amount of "Cuttable" Weight (lbs.)	Maintenance Fluids (cc)	Replacement Fluids (cc)	Rehydration Rate (L/hr) over 12 hours
100	5	1760	2270	~1/3
150	7.5	1980	3410	~1/2
200	10	2210	4550	~3/5

The table shows the 5% dehydration weight loss limits for 100, 150 and 200 pounders, the maintenance fluids or fluid volume that needs to be replaced daily due to breathing, sweating, and voiding ("Current Surgical Diagnosis & Treatment (Current Surgical Diagnosis and Treatment)" (Gerard M. Doherty)), replacement fluids or the fluid volume lost as weight by dehydration, and the rate over 12 hours that these fluids need to be replaced.
According to many weight cutting competitive athletes a period of increased hydration before holding fluids makes the dehydration process easier ("The Team Renzo Gracie Workout: Training for Warriors" (Martin Rooney)). This increased hydration causes an endocrinological change in levels of renin and anti-diuretic hormone (ADH) that makes your kidneys excrete more water, since the hormonal axis is relatively sluggish the taper and sudden decrease in water the day before the event fools your body into excreting more water leading to greater weight loss. Thus the week of your event increase your water intake and the day before taper so that you are consuming minimal to no fluids the day of weigh ins. You will still want to eat, but do so sparingly using a meal replacement bar.
The easiest way to cut weight is to sweat with minimal energy expenditure. You need a high core temperature to promote and keep sweating. You could continually exercise for hours but this would make you tired and sore for competition (I have run for an hour before to make weight, this is not fun the next day). I've found that a warm-up wearing a sweat suit and hat gets the sweat easily started. Then I usually hit the sauna until the sweat flows freely. At this point I strip down and begin using a credit card to scrape sweat from my body. This circumvents the body's ability to cool itself by perspiring and forces it to produce more sweat. Do not stay in the sauna for extended periods, you can leave and your body will continue to perspire. You can also build up a sweat and then use a jacuzzi or warm shower to keep the sweat going.If you become nauseated, dizzy, stop sweating, confused or faint stop cutting weight and seek medical attention.
After making weight ORS must be started immediately but slowly. ORS tastes like slightly bitter salt water not exactly what one craves after sweating off a lot of water. Unfortunately research has shown that sport drinks, juices, and plain water are not suitable for efficient ORS. Here are four methods of ORS:

1. Off the shelf plain or flavored Pedialyte (comes in 1 L bottles).
   
   
2. Home-made ORS A (schoolnurse.com):
   • 1 L boiling water
     
   • 1 cup orange juice
     
   • 8 teaspoons sugar
     
   • 1 teaspoon baking soda
     
   • 3/4 teaspoon salt
     
   • Mix thoroughly
   
   
3. Home-made ORS B + eating 2 oranges or 1/2 banana:
   • 1 L boiling water
     
   • 8 teaspoons sugar
     
   • 1 teaspoon baking soda
     
   • 3/4 teaspoon salt
     
   • Mix thoroughly then hang 2 decaffeinated or herbal tea bags and let seep for 3-5 minutes
   
   
4. Using 33.8 oz of chicken broth to make chicken soup + eating 2 oranges or 1/2 banana

I would also recommend supplementing with a multivitamin and of course resume eating a series (of which chicken soup could be one of) meals to replenish and load energy stores for the next day. Rehydration can continue up until the event, don't stop just because its a new day after weigh ins. Keep ORS by the bedside and with you the following day.
This discussion would not be complete without mentioning diuretics and laxatives. Personally as foolish as cutting weight already is the addition of diuretic and laxative medications is ludicrous. Their effectives are extremely hard to predict and regulate to one strategic portion of the day, so most likely they will be a detrimental effect on your day of competition rather than a beneficial one for cutting weight. They are potentially life threatening and effect much more sudden changes than the methods described above. For these reasons they are also illegal in most amateur competitions. I do not use them and strongly recommend anyone from doing so.

GJ If I'm NOT going to run from a fight, why do I train hill sprints?

Shielded Striking
The tactic of shielded striking can be useful against a strong counter puncher. Thus a tactic for every time you try to start a punch combination they use this opening to hit you. There are four keys to shielded striking: Minimal initiation -- Do not telegraph, explode into the strike without hesitation or excess motion prior to the strike. Linear punching -- Punch straight down the pipe, imagine a laser sight connecting your fist to the target. Pre-emptive covering -- The punching side shoulder rolls up to meet the settling and tucking of the head while the other side rises to half cover, narrowing the exposed target of your head. Rapid recovery -- After the shot has landed, do not wait for the effect or the picture to be taken. The hand must explosively retract for defense while the combination, that is the initiation of same hand, other hand, kick or knee, continues.
The more desirable method of shielded striking using, minimal initiation, linear punching, pre-emptive covering, and rapid recovery.
The more you telegraph, hook the punch, allow the "defensive" arm to drift, and the slower the recovery the more likely you are to get hit.

The competitors started early jogging up to a local hill we started with 5 minutes with four stations:

1. Shadowboxing
   
2. Uphill sprint
   
3. Push-ups
   
4. Downhill jog

We then tried a modified Tabata protocol with staggered runners doing 30 seconds on the hill and 15 second rest. It turned into a continues sprint which rapidly degenerated into a jog. It was brutal in any case. We jogged back to the house and then started with lower body conditioning 10 minutes on the thai pads, 5 kicks each side. We then did upper body conditioning with 30 second rounds of:

• Side A: Pitterpat
  
• Side A: Low pitterpat to abdomen
  
• Side B: Pitterpat
  
• Side B: Low pitterpat to abdomen
  
• Side A: Pitterpat
  
• Side A: Low pitterpat to abdomen
  
• Side B: Pitterpat
  
• Side B: Low pitterpat to abdomen
  
• Side A: Pitterpat
  
• Sides A & B: Side-plank push-ups
  
• Side B: Pitterpat
  
• Sides A & B: Side-plank push-ups
  
• Side A: Pitterpat
  
• Sides A & B: Cover push-ups (Push-up and in the extended position quickly cover one side, do another push-up cover the other side)
  
• Side B: Pitterpat
  
• Sides A & B: Cover push-ups
  
• Side A: Hook pitterpat
  
• Side B: Hook pitterpat
  
• Side A: Hook pitterpat
  
• Side B: Hook pitterpat

For our core we worked 2 minutes shadowboxing from a legs flat, shoulders of floor position with 1-2-4-8-16 sit-ups. We finished with 1 minute shadowboxing from the V-sit position. Our thai pad rounds reviewed the provoked reaction concept:

1. Jab provoked reaction

   "Jab reaction jab" -- 1-catch (jab)-C-LH-C
   

   "Jab reaction cross" -- 1-high cover (C)-C-LH-C
   

   "Cross reaction hook" -- C-side cover (LH)-C-LH-C
   

   "Cross reaction hook" -- C-bob n' weave (LH) w/ LH-C-LH(-C)
   

   "Cross reaction cross" -- 1-high cover (C)-C-LH-C

2. Kick provoked reaction

   "Kick reaction cross" -- L/RK-high cover (C)-C-LH-C
   

   "Kick reaction hook" -- L/RK-side cover (LH)-C-LH-C

3. Forced range drill

   We worked from three artificial ranges, simulating the mobility and variability of a real fight. The feeder forces reaction by the "nature" of the combination, e.g. 2-knee would bring the fighter from long to close range while 3 knees push to C-H-C would change from close to medium.
   

   "Long" -- The outside range where one must first close to strike and then reopen to prevent counter attack.
   

   "Medium" -- The "stay n' play" range where a fighter must remain busy as they are within the range where trading occurs. Feeding here is rapid and continuous but this range serves as a transition zone between the clinching and long range kick boxing (see No Man's Land)
   

   "Close" -- Plum position, throwing knees and controlling your partner.

Four basic ways of doing the CorkscrewTM evolved by a combination of which "triangle" is formed by stepping either foot and by whether you are closing (e.g. short punches, clinching, takedowns) or opening (e.g. long punches, kicks). The diagram is exaggerated in its specificity, the open or close is simply a range modification of the angling accomplished by corkscrewing.

Next we worked on using punch-kick combinations to set-up the angle for the kick:

1. 1-Kick (anterior)

   Using a lead open corkscrew, that is, step anteriorly at a 45^o angle using the lead foot with the jab, opening up your opponent's body for the rear kick. This is easier than the posterior version detailed next but is higher risk putting you into the line of your opponent's power hand.

2. 1-Kick (posterior)

   With a rear open corkscrew, that is, step anteriorly at a 45^o angle with the jab while stepping with the rear foot, bring your original lead to your foot and pivot, setting up the rear leg kick to the posterior side of the thigh, kidneys or head. This is lower risk and safer but requires greater coordination than the anterior version.

3. 2-Kick (posterior)

   Use a rear open corkscrew off the cross. Step anteriorly at a 45^o angle with the cross while stepping with the rear foot, setting up the lead leg kick to the anterior side of your opponent. This will decrease the power of the cross but protects you by moving to the weaker side of your opponent and opens posterior targets on them.

4. 2-Kick (anterior)

   Using a lead open corkscrew off the cross. Step anteriorly at a 45^o angle with the lead foot during the cross while stepping with the lead foot, pivot bringing your rear foot to the lead foot, setting up the lead leg kick to the anterior side of your opponent. This opens the your cross line as you shift your power side to your opponents midline and allows you to attack the rear leg. However this also increases your exposure you to their power weapons

We finished with a few rounds of knee play.

2006 Hoosier Open

I'm off to compete and coach at the 2006 Hoosier Open.

GJ Provoked Reaction

We warmed-up with dynamic stretching and then did some conditioning rounds:

Upper Body

Push-up ladder with shadowboxing

1. 1 push-up shadowbox remaining 20 seconds
   
2. 2 push-ups shadowbox remaining 20 seconds
   
3. 4 push-ups shadowbox remaining 20 seconds
   
4. 8 push-ups shadowbox remaining 20 seconds
   
5. 16 push-ups shadowbox remaining 20 seconds
   
6. 32 push-ups shadowbox remaining 20 seconds
   
7. 16 push-ups shadowbox remaining 20 seconds
   
8. 8 push-ups shadowbox remaining 20 seconds
   
9. 4 push-ups shadowbox remaining 20 seconds
   
10. As many push-ups as you can do in 20 seconds

Lower Body

Thai Kick-Sprawl ladder, 1 minute each round

1. 1 Kick Sprawl
   
2. 2 Kicks Sprawl
   
3. 3 Kicks Sprawl
   
4. 4 Kicks Sprawl
   
5. 5 Kicks Sprawl
   
6. 1 Head Kick Sprawl

Core

Three minute round of

1. Three sit-ups feet to the ceiling
   
2. Shamrock stand-up
   
3. LH-RH-LH
   
4. Hug your partner and pivot 180^o
   
5. Three leg raises feet to the ceiling
   
6. Shamrock stand-up
   
7. RH-LH-RH
   
8. Hug your partner and pivot 180^o, repeat from top

Next we worked three rounds of provoked reaction. The idea here is two-fold:

1. By initiating certain actions we generate or provoke certain reactions that set us up as a counterstriker, and
   
2. By breaking the reaction down into the one step before the reaction phase we learn more about how to react.

Thus the provoked reaction drills:

1. Jab provoked reaction

   "Jab reaction jab" -- 1-catch (jab)-C-LH-C
   

   "Jab reaction cross" -- 1-high cover (C)-C-LH-C

2. Cross provoked reaction

   "Cross reaction hook" -- C-side cover (LH)-C-LH-C
   

   "Cross reaction hook" -- C-bob n' weave (LH) w/ LH-C-LH(-C)
   

   "Cross reaction cross" -- 1-high cover (C)-C-LH-C

3. Hook provoked reaction

   "Hook reaction cross" -- LH-high cover (C)-C-LH-C
   

   "Hook reaction hook" -- LH-side cover (LH)-C-LH-C
   

   "Hook reaction uppercut" -- LH-lead cover (RU)-C-LH-C

We finished with a three minute conditioning round incorporating pitter pat to "fall, sprawl, and follow" switching about halfway through to 10 punches from mount, bridge and rolled to 10 punches from guard then hip bump back.
I worked two more technical drills incorporating the jab as an offensive tool:

Jab to provoke the shot

In this drill the fighter punched to a posteriorly held focus mitt, as soon as they landed that jab, the feeder tried to tap their knee and they sprawled. This simulates using the jab offensively and having the opponent shoot off this entrance and trains the appropriate sprawl reaction.

Jab mobility

This time we worked on increasing the fighters mobility for closing and opening range. The holder pops a focus mitt and as soon as the fighter lands the shot, the holder swings through (slowly) with a light or foam stick. The fighter must clear the stick without being hit. Although unrealistic in the range demands it forces the fighter to be light and quick on their feet.
We finished by rolling 3 x 4 minute light grappling rounds.

GJ "I sold my soul for cardio"

For warm-up we started with 10 minutes of alternating kicks, 5 each side with a partner using the thai pads. At the 8, 6, and 4 minute marks we threw them at head height. A the final 2 minute mark we threw two kicks, first low then high. The round finished with alternating kicks. For the upper body we did 30 second rounds of:

• One side pitterpat
  
• Other side pitterpat
  
• One side pitterpat
  
• Other side pitterpat
  
• One side advance-retreats (pitterpat while moving forward or backward)
  
• Other side advance-retreats
  
• Both sides push-ups
  
• One side pitterpat
  
• Both sides push-ups
  
• Other side pitterpat
  
• Both sides shadowbox
  
• Both sides side plank push-ups
  
• Both sides shadowbox
  
• Both sides side plank push-ups
  
• One side pitterpat
  
• Other side pitterpat

Next we did our core warm-up:

• 30 secs pitter pat with shoulders floating off floor
  
• 30 secs as holder
  
• 30 secs sit-up two straight punches
  
• 30 secs as holder
  
• 30 secs sit-up two hooks
  
• 30 secs as holder
  
• 30 secs pitter pat from V-position (modified from a drill I saw in a TKD class)
  
• 30 secs as holder
  
• 30 secs alternating iron cross
  
• 30 secs rest
  
• 30 secs punching Superman (on belly float arms and legs off floor and punch along floor)
  
• 30 secs rest
  
• 30 secs climbing down wall into gymnastic bridge and climbing up again (do not use wall if able)
  
• 30 secs rest
  
• 30 secs neck bridge
  
• 30 secs rest

We then transitioned into thai rounds

Two strike combos

We started with two-strike combinations, emphasizing the basics of muay thai and the application of the combination in its simplest form:

• Double
  
• 2
  
• C-LH
  
• LH-C
  
• Body hook-head hook
  
• C/O-LU
  
• LU-C/O
  
• 1-Knee/Kick
  
• Knee/Kick-C
  
• C-Knee/Kick
  
• LH-Knee/Kick
  
• Knee/Kick-LH

Two strike combo sets

This round we used the two strike combos practiced above and started doing two sets of them. The holder called the first set and then called the second either before, during or after the first set. The holder could initiate reaction (C-H-C) either after the first set or second. Thus the fighter is given a texture more like that of a real fight. The more supertentorial (higher brain) processing performed the more difficult it is to initiate and react. Its also a method to break down more complex combinations and develop new unorthodox set-ups.

Stay-n-play / chained reactions

In this round the fighter started closer in a reaction situation where they continued to pick-up high, side, body lead, body rear, and leg covers followed by the appropriate reactive response. After several repetitions the fighter was told to clear the area and had to do so when they felt comfortable that they would not get caught. The holder would feed some longer range offense before returning to the chained reactions. The goal here was to train strong offense for the "trading" situation and to show how difficult it is to continually stay in the inside range.

The people competing this weekend at the Hoosier Open did some gi rounds while everyone else did some throws and submissions with Bart.

JKD & BJJ Number of the Beast

Today in JKD we worked on knife passing, picking up angles 1 and 2 with the cross forearm and then guiding it down and across before switching off to the other arm. If they check your passing arm to re-attack on the angle 1 use the same hand side to check it and then reset with the cross hand. We then did some knife sparring.
For BJJ we worked on escaping the rear mount by keeping the elbows tight and forearms crossed, slide inferiorly and use your elbow to lift one hook while simultaneously kicking out with the same side leg, now spin toward the hook side and smother the leg. Pass the half-guard. A similar escape can be done if your partner tries to rear mount from the turtle position. Use the elbows and slide away while rolling, ending in the half-guard position.
Next we went through the rear mount choke arsenal:

Mata Leao (rear naked choke)

Slide one hand along the "negative air space" inferior to the chin. This should make your arm a tight fit along the neck, with your elbow over the larynx. Your shoulder should be at one ear and your hand at the other. Grab the biceps of your free hand and tuck this hand posterior to the base of the skull.

Clock Choke

Over-under position, under hand opens kimono and feeds to over hand, creating tight fit. Switch under hand to opposite lapel. The arms cross each other and sweep away, cinching the lapels across the carotids arteries and jugular veins. Pull posteriorly at an angle to prevent your opponent from lying on you.

Chicken Wing Choke

Do the Clock Choke set-up but this time your opponent pulls the other lapel away so that you cannot use it. The under hook arm goes laterally before plunging posteriorly behind the head. Push this hand forward as you draw the person backward with the lapel.

Spin to Side Choke

From the rear mount control the opposite lapel over the shoulder and the opposite knee. Pull, spinning your opponent so that they are perpendicular to you. Pull the collar while extending the leg anterior to your opponent. Since the tree trunk Jeff calls a neck doesn't feel this choke, I needed to increase the pressure, thus sneak your other shin across the near side of the neck.

I picked up an interesting submission today that I hope to work on in the future. I set up a rear cross body crucifix and then worked in the Chicken Wing. I then let the far arm go, and pulled my inferior leg through to the other side of my partner's body. Since he was pulling down on my arm to stop the choke I looped this leg in for a triangle. Dunno if it'll ever work again but I enjoy setting stuff up from the crucifix position.

GJ Close and Open Corkscrews

I started training with the Thai 10 minutes which is done on a heavy bag five kicks on one side and then five kicks on the other...for 10 minutes. Then I switched to 1 minute of jabs, crosses, lead hooks, and rear hooks. And then repeated and finished with 1 minute of pitterpat.
Joe and I then "warmed-up" with:

Upper Body

30 secs pitterpat

30 secs side plank push-ups -- Do a regular push-up and at the top transition into side plank on one side, return to push-up position, do another push-up and side-plank to the other side.

Repeat for a total of 3 minutes

Lower Body

30 secs 3 kicks w/o repost -- throw one low kick to bag and then without touching floor throw one to the middle and then one to the top

30 secs alternating pistols (one legged squats) ("The Naked Warrior" (Pavel Tsatsouline))

Repeat for a total of 3 minutes

Core

30 secs pitter pat with shoulders floating off floor

30 secs as holder

30 secs sit-up two straight punches

30 secs as holder

30 secs sit-up two hooks

30 secs as holder

30 secs pitter pat from V-position (modified from a drill I saw in a TKD class)

30 secs as holder

30 secs alternating iron cross

Next we worked on emotional climate training (go to Martial Arts Videos) for the lead inside kick and lead hook. I reaffirmed the value of the telephone position for the rear hand.
Following ECT we worked on transitions from knee play. One side wore shin pads while the feeder wore BTS High Gear Helmet. If the knee play broke the fighter tried to kick the helmeted feeder in the head. Transitions are one of the key under trained areas of combat sports. If you can beat them on the transitions you can win the fight, that is while your opponent is focused on what just happened you are focusing on what is happening now. The gym is the laboratory where we experiment with our skills, numerous trials both successful and less than successful breed winning experience. Experience you will need in your thesis defense -- the fight.
We did a few rounds of boxing timing and then worked on some pad rounds. I worked Joe on using his body's defensive body motion, that is slipping, bobbing, and weaving to set-up his offense. For example:

1. Bob the jab-lead hook-close corkscrew cross-lead hook-cross
   
2. Bob the jab-lead hook-open corkscrew rear kick-lead hook
   
3. Bob the cross-rear hook-close corkscrew lead hook-cross-lead hook
   
4. Bob the cross-rear hook-open corkscrew lead hook-rear kick
   
5. Duck the jab-jab-rear uppercut-lead hook
   
6. Duck the cross-cross-lead uppercut-jin rear kick

The Corkscrew^TM is the the pivot step used to set-up angles, this is beneficial for two reasons

1. It makes it harder for your opponent to defend, the Corkscrew attacks at an off-angle where they are weakest
   
2. It makes it harder for your opponent to react, since you have reduced the number of weapons they can hit you with

The Close Corkscrew is a tight pivot ideal for takedowns, clinching, and "dirty boxing", and maximizes the the first reason for the Corkscrew -- strong offense. The Open Corkscrew is a loose pivot followed by a retreat step to allow for longer range punches and kicks, this maximizes the second reason for the Corkscrew -- strong defense.

JKD & BJJ Jeff Explains the Kimura

I apologize to my faithful readers for being in absentia but life forced a little holiday from my blogging. But I hope to be back with a vengeance starting with this entry of absolutely unoriginal material. My training partner Jeff went over the kimura yesterday and did an excellent job, so here are the notes:

Setting up kimura

We worked from the half-guard, the superior shin and knee are across the hips of your partner. Bring the inferior knee out to provoke your partner to push on the knee. From here set up the kimura by grasping the same side wrist and then over hooking and grabbing your wrist with the opposite hand.

Breaking the grip on the belt

Should they grab their belt, feed their hand along the belt toward their spine before breaking the grip and pushing their hand along their spine to the back of their head.

Taking the back

Should your opponent defend the kimura by grabbing their threatened appendage by going over your legs, free your figure four and clasp the forearm with the overhook (opposite) hand. Use the other free hand to post and work your body past your opponent's head. Free the superior leg and insert as hook on the far side as you climb to the back.

Sweeping

Should your opponent defend the kimura by grabbing their threatened appendage by going between your legs, bring your head towards their knee and push their entrapped arm over your side use your legs to left and push. If they keep their hands locked you will sweep them to side-mount, if they base out finish the kimura.

And some defense

Jeff showed a neat defense here, placing his threatened hand on his chest while pushing his opponent's superior hip to the floor, effectively removing both the hands and legs as effective weapons. This worked well with opponents of equivalent size, but with (much) larger ones sticking the threatened hand medial to your own thigh seemed more effective.

I hope if I've made any errors Jeff will let me know directly or by commenting.

Also Bart sent me this training article and I found this on Rotational Axis Training. Both look to contain good things, but I've only skimmed them so far.