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.