Lerdsila Muay Femur Seminar

 I headed to Top Level Gym for a muay thai seminar by Lerdsila in his muay femur style. It was fascinating to watch an elite athlete demonstrate not only the physical tactics but the fight logic that predicated why it should be done this way. Lerdsila also taught the content really well making it a rewarding seminar.

He talked about his mentality toward fighting which was that he fought because it was fun. Winning and losing happens to everyone so the focus should be the joy of performing not the rewards or penalties of the result. He encouraged using play and games to develop this passion and to worry less about winning or losing.

Some of the techniques and tactics we covered, included:

Leg cover rear kick - leg evade rear kick - rear head kick (the evasion loads the kick)

Leg cover rear kick - leg evade rear kick - new lead foot kick to the butt - jab off new lead (trying to provoke anger in your opponent)

Rear kick - fake rear kick - lead jumping head kick

Rear kick - fake rear kick to side kick to thigh. Next time fake the side kick to thigh but throw to face

Rear low kick - fake to opposite crescent kick “flick” - rear head kick

Rear mid level kick - step lateral, fake the kick - rear tiip

Lead tiip - fake lead tiip - jump rear oblique tiip to thigh - fake lead tiip - jump rear body tiip

Tiip - fake tiip question mark kick

Parry jab - rear leg kick

Parry jab - cross

Parry jab - rear elbow

Parry jab - rear head kick

Parry jab - step back cross so it falls short - rear head kick

Clinch defense 

• Two hands inside pushing the shoulders, do this first to make them commit more next time
• Back step to a near “horse stance” and deliver an upward, back elbow with your former rear side
• With inside control, turn an oversized steering wheel, push one side and pull on the other
• Bob-n-weave their clinch

Knee defense (opposite stances)

• Their rear knee: step forward a little and extend your lead arm pushing them in the shoulder/lateral chest
• Their lead knee - angle off to the side, inside the knee and underhook their leg as you cinch the waist with your other hand, trip by kneeing the cinched side as you lift.

Jab-vertical jab-belly jab-lead hook play - basically one side plays with the lead hand in all the angles it can go while the other side defends 

Single leg drills - you would never just stand on one leg but for balance and kicking development, have one partner stand on one leg while the other feeds

• Defend off one leg;  your partner tries to hit you with hands or feet and you have to use your raised leg to tiip - kick - leg cover.
• Hop knee then defend - your partner hold their gloves T shoulder height you do a jumping knee and switch legs, your partner then tries to land light punches.
• Superman punch drills - stay on your lead leg, throw 20 Superman punches without putting your foot down

We did leg conditioning by kicking our partner’s legs lightly.

Illinois COVID-19 Reopening and What I Think It Means for Combat Sports

 Disclaimer: What follows is not medical advice. The best way to avoid COVID-19 is NOT to train until herd immunity has been established or a vaccine discovered. This is a theoretical discussion and nothing more. Proceed at your own risk.

Let's start by being absolutely clear: we do not and will not have a treatment for COVID-19 in the foreseeable future. If you or your loved one gets a bad case of this the best modern medicine can do is support your body while we hope you recover. Second, a vaccine remains over a year away. Finally, we are weeks to months away from herd immunity, if we can even develop that with a virus that has rapidly mutated into several strains. If you want to minimize risk to yourself, your loved ones, your friends, and coworkers the only things that will do that are:

1. Clean: Hand washing or sanitizing for at least 20 seconds before and after touching yourself, another human, or an object. If your academy were to open this would basically mean at the beginning of practice, before each round, after each round, and before leaving class. It also means showering thoroughly before and after practice. It means thoroughly wiping down each piece of nonlaunderable equipment with bleach wipes. So that’s a lot of sanitizer and bleach solution.
2. Cover: Wearing a mask that decreases the spread of droplets. Not all masks are created equal so it needs to be a mask that blocks viral droplet particles. All masks are not created equal and masks are designed to protect others from you not you from them. We do not know if masks remain effective as we sweat and get them wet.  Note that exercise training masks and running masks contain filters that viral droplets go right through. They allegedly are rated for pollution and bacteria much larger than the diameter of a droplet. They look cool but they won’t do much other than provide an illusion of safety.
3. Clear: Social distancing or being at least 6 feet away from other people. Thus the ultimate way to stay safe is to train by yourself. This is a great way to get stronger, more flexible, and better cardio. But it is not going to improve your technique or your timing. If your academy does open up strongly consider a single dedicated training partner and only training in classes of less than 10 people. If you are or live with some at high risk, don't train.

You are likely safer in an area with a greater volume of distribution, e.g. outside, than in a small volume of distribution, e.g. in the academy or gym.

The Illinois Reopening Plan is a regionalized 5 phase plan that can move us as a community closer to normal if public health indicators are favorable or reassert more restrictions if they are not. The plan uses cases, testing availability, and hospital resources (e.g. beds and ventilators) in predefined geographic areas. In the central part of the state we appear to be in Phase 2 with a good chance of moving to Phase 3 in June 2020. We don't need to rely on laypeople determining risk, the phases will shift based on public health data.

There is, of course, no specific instructions for combat sports in my state’s plan, the nearest things that we might be compared to are health clubs. This is a specious comparison, in health clubs, you can continue to social distance more than 6 feet, wear masks, and sanitize your hands between exercises while still getting a fulfilling workout. Combat sports like boxing, wrestling, muay thai, kickboxing, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and mixed-martial arts however all involve core doctrines that include significant physical interaction and contact. USA Wrestling has released its Return to the Mat Guidelines, a phased approach that like the Illinois Reopening Plan avoids or minimizes organized, group, physical contact for the duration of time before herd immunity or wide-spread vaccine deployment. The Illinois Reopening Plan recommends masks and social distancing until the last phase. In phase 3 groups of up to 10 people can gather and in phase 4 up to 50 people with appropriate behavioral alterations. One-on-one personal training and small group classes may begin in phase 3.      

Reopening gyms and academies like they were before the pandemic is unrealistic before we have a vaccine or herd immunity. That said, these are small businesses that will not get sufficient support from the state or federal government. It is up to the martial arts as a community to save our gyms and schools. This may mean paying for classes at the same or reduced rate as instruction goes more virtual and classes are limited in both contact and population density. If we lose the societal checks on this novel coronavirus too early, academies and clubs will be the hot spots of their communities, the source of deaths for the old and the medically compromised. If we maximize social distancing with dedicated training partners, frequent hand sanitization, and mask adherence, we mitigate this risk. This means that practice will be a lot more hands-off and more often without interactions that we felt were the norm for our training. For example, as detailed in other plans starting with solo training and then adding partner drills at range (e.g. long-range stick or pad work) and forgoing body to body contact, e.g. knee play, wrestling or grappling until much later than anyone wants. It also means getting frequent testing, likely every two weeks as they become increasingly available and free. It means symptom checklists before each practice, likely completed on-line at a distance, and temperature checks at the door. It means a thorough cleaning of the gym and equipment before and after each session.

I do not believe that we are prevented from rolling, sparring, and other close-quarters work for the duration of the pandemic. However this will likely mean forming “pods” or small groups not including immediate family. In other words, it’s about finding one “monogamous" training partner that you will train with for the duration, either privately or in group settings. There is a two to three week “cooling off” period before switching partners to limit spread. Your risk is likely decreased if you only train with that person in a private setting, but with symptom checklists, strict hygiene protocols, temperature checks, frequent testing, and mask use. Masks are likely a custom made cloth mask that can withstand the rigors of training. Based on the Illinois plan I would not consider this sort of training until Phase 3 and it is likely more prudent to wait until Phase 4. Best case for Central Illinois that would be July. Any negative change in phase would place an immediate moratorium on training.

However, if this pod model means you quit your academy then we are destroying the art by eliminating the small businesses that are martial arts studios. We must balance our personal training needs by considering using pods while simultaneously supporting our academies and clubs. One way of doing this would be to run social distancing academy practices in parallel with pod classes virtually. Thus people who had access to private training spaces could work with their designated partner more closely without significantly increasing risk to others. Simultaneously those without a private training space could workout in a different fashion with alternate but still likely minimal risk. If things improve we could work gradually closer to how things used to be while realizing that they will never return to that baseline.

Stay safe.

Kick Defense Agility Drills

1. Jab: Catch, Rear Leg Kick: Lead Leg Cover
2. Jab: Catch, Rear Leg Kick: Lead Leg Cover, Rear Leg Kick: Lead Leg Cover
3. Jab: Catch, Rear Leg Kick: Lead Leg Cover, Rear Leg Kick: Lead Leg Cover, Rear Leg Kick: Lead Leg Evasion, Lead Kick
4. Jab: Catch, Cross: Catch, Lead Leg Kick: Lead Leg Cover
5. Jab: Catch, Cross: Catch, Lead Leg Kick: Lead Leg Cover, Rear Leg Kick: Lead Leg Cover
6. Jab: Catch, Cross: Catch, Lead Leg Kick: Lead Leg Cover, Rear Leg Kick: Lead Leg Cover, Rear Leg Kick: Lead Leg Evasion, Lead Kick
7. Jab: Catch, Rear Body Kick: Lead Body Cover (knee to elbow, elbow sits on lateral surface of thigh, glove on head)
8. Jab: Catch, Rear Body Kick: Lead Body Cover, Rear Body Kick: Lead Body Cover
9. Jab: Catch, Rear Body Kick: Lead Body Cover, Rear Body Kick: Lead Body Cover, Rear Body Kick: Lead Kick Catch, Lead Kick
10. Jab: Catch, Rear Body Kick: Lead Body Cover, Rear Body Kick: Lead Body Cover, Rear Body Kick: Lead Cut Kick
11. Jab: Catch, Cross: Catch, Lead Body Kick: Lead Cross Body Cover (lead knee comes to contralateral elbow, elbow on the medial side of the knee, glove on head)
12. Jab: Catch, Cross: Catch, Lead Body Kick: Lead Cross Body Cover, Rear Body Kick: Lead Body Cover
13. Jab: Catch, Cross: Catch, Lead Body Kick: Lead Cross Body Cover, Rear Body Kick: Lead Body Cover, Rear Body Kick: Lead Kick Catch, Lead Kick
14. Jab: Catch, Cross: Catch, Lead Body Kick: Lead Cross Body Cover, Rear Body Kick: Lead Body Cover, Rear Body Kick: Lead Cut Kick

Pruning the decision tree, retrieving the shears, and finding a point

Pruning the decision tree: The first drill we did tried to work skills to set-up reaction. If you use one or two longer range techniques, such as a jab, jab-cross, kick, jab kick, your opponent will either be hit or react. If you do it again they will typically counter. On your third application, you should then be able to pick up their counter and find the opening it presents. It is critical to move in, deliver your opener, and move out to read the response. The move in to deliver the opener and react to the likely response. The entire point is that, in a fight you have to create reaction in order to land effectively. You have to be brave enough to place the opening bet but patient enough to grow the pot. You have to cultivate your pitch before you seal the deal. In other words play the long game to find the rapid victory.

Retrieving the shears: The second drill we did tried to explain how to regain momentum, when someone is deliver their opener pushing you toward the ropes, how to recover the action. In it we tried to read the first opener and react to the second, pivot stepping or countering to shift momentum toward your opponent. Key to this is interrupting your opponents striking and striking to push them into the ropes. The fight swings on a pendulum the fighter who controls the angle and speed of it’s swing is most likely to win.

What’s the point when my technique fails: The point is to learn, to grow, to try something new, to realize the limits if your knowledge and work to develop to a higher level, to conquer fear, to realize the lesson inside the fight in the gym is not one of win or lose but how adversity can be challenged and we can become better complete human beings because of it. The point is that that job you want, that raise you need, and that girl you like aren’t going to punch you in the face (and if they do not with a fraction of the power I can), so go for it.

Jab-Cross Stationary Read

Warm-Up

• Jab - rock back - rock forward - rock back - step - cross using quarter turn of the base foot (walk up and down the mats x2)
• Lead kick walk: Switch step - throw “kick” by raising knee and flicking straight up - drop foot for next step (walk up and down the mats x2)
• Rear kick walk: Step - throw vertical flick kick as above -drop foot for next step (x2)
• Alternating kick walk: Walk throwing alternating vertical flick kicks (x1)

Set-Up

Step jab-cross, retreat step, fake jab (range finger), bring rear foot to heel of lead (L position), and throw lead kick to inside of lead leg, recover backwards to opposite stance and then step back into original stance (2 steps out to open range and look…to see what they will react with.

Stepping In

If they are simply being defensive it is a reasonable risk to step into range and attack.

Option #1: Using the above set-up, place your kicking leg in a new stance (i.e. drop from kick right into the stance, no recovery) and throw cross - hook - cross (video)

Option #1A (lead kick): After the cross  - hook - cross, throw a lead head kick by driving the knee toward the head, flicking the kick to the head (video versus Southpaw)

Option #1A (rear kick): After the cross - hook - cross, slap with the lead hand as you pivot off to the lead side, (if ipsilateral leads) point your lead foot at their rear foot and deliver a rear body kick (video).

Option #2A (opponent is hunkering down): After the kick, drop the foot wider as you step in and deliver the upward elbow between their guard (video).

Option #2B (opponent is hunkering down): After the kick, drop the foot in the middle, grab their head with your rear hand and their same side arm with your free hand and pull into the knee. You can drop the kneeing foot down, switching stance, pull the arm down on the side you have control and deliver a horizontal elbow to the jaw (video).

Option #3: After the kick, rechamber foot near the rear leg, cat stance-like. Throw the tiip and step forward bringing your rear foot to your front foot, chamer the tiip again:

Option #3A: If they do nothing, tiip again

Option #3B: If they defend by using the lead hand to hook what they think is an incoming tiip, throw the cross (video).

Kicking It - Ian Ransburg Muay Thai Seminar

Reviewed kick defense, the base foot is flat on the mat and the base leg straightens. The check leg is at an angle, as if you had a “V” coming from your center line.

Jab - Rear Kick - Lead Kick: Your partner picks up the kicks with the leg check on the ipsilateral side.

Jab - Fake Rear Kick - Rear Kick: Throw the jab rear kick combination, if your opponent is checking, fake the rear kick by rotating the hip, tricking them to defend with the leg check. When they put it back down, kick the leg.

Jab - Fake Rear Kick - Lead Kick: Set-up the jab-kick combination. Fake the rear kick to make them leg check, freezing on one leg for an instant, switch step 45° across their center with your rear leg, and throw the kick to the opposite side.

Jab - Fake Rear Kick - Rear Tiip (the Heatseaker): Again set-up the jab-kick combination. If they are leg checking then turn the kick into a tiip by rotating the foot down and medially before thrusting forward.

Have your partner practice the same side and cross side leg check by throwing jab - rear kick - lead kick. To defend, leg check laterally for the first kick then across the centerline to pick up the other kick. Step back in the opposite stance then walk back to your original stance.

Jab - Fake Lead Kick - Sweep: Provoke the cross leg check, by faking a powerful lead kick by stepping in, then use the opposite leg to kick sweep their legs as your same side arm comes across their guard.

Low-line Kick Evasion: Your partner comes with the jab-rear kick combination and you leg check. The next time they do this, roll onto the flat of your rear foot and retract the leg to the opposite stance, landing on the ball of this foot. Return a kick.

High-line Kick Evasion: Roll your lead arm so that the forearm is perpendicular with the floor, elbow pointed laterally, rock back on the toes of your lead foot as you lean backward to allow the head kick to fly over your chest and face. Return a kick.

Ian also talked about using the jab and the cross to hide bringing the rear foot to lead foot to throw the lead offensive tiip. He also discussed tactics for closing with a larger opponent, including (1) Throwing the jab to the rear glove to “staple” it so that you can throw a body shot (2) following the retracting strike of a larger opponent, (3) reading the decreasing range adjustments your opponent makes as they get “comfortable”.

First Fall 2017 Ian Ransburg Dragon Leg Muay Thai Seminar

Warm-Up

• Jab: Rock step to rear foot, then lead foot, back to the rear. As you rock forward step (both feet) and jab.
• Jab-Rear Knee: As with the jab above, after the jab rock to the rear foot and then as you rock forward, rise on the toes of the front foot, straighten the lead (base) leg, and deliver the rear knee. Point the knee to the midline, with the foot lateral. Return to your original stance.
• Jab-Rear Knee-Rear Kick: As with the jab-rear knee above, rock to the rear foot, as your rock to the lead foot, straighten the lead leg, bring the knee of the rear leg up, pointing at your target, then flick the foot for the kick. Bring it through 180° to the same stance.

Jab Counters

If you play on the outside, you prune your opponent’s option, they have very few options to attack, e.g. the jab, tiip, possibly the kick.

• Rearward Slip Cross: Catch-step back, catch-step back, rearward slip either just with your upper body or by stepping only the rear foot back. Return to upright (and return to regular stance) throw the cross.
• Hook Catch to Elbow: Catch-step back, catch-step back, catch and pull the jab laterally, throw the elbow in an upward diagonal with the lead. If they are punching hard, you will be able to pull them into the elbow. If they are flicking the jab, you will have to step forward with the lead foot to land the elbow.

• Catch to Lead Kick: Catch-step back, catch-step back, catch and simultaneously switch step to throw the lead kick to the abdomen. As they drop their hand to protect their side, deliver the head kick (sometimes waiting 1-2 rounds to do this).

Kick Defense

• Blocking: Roll the rear foot heel to the mat as this leg extends, bring the lead leg up about 20° off midline to meet the lead elbow (which will fit outside the knee). Toes pointing at the floor. We also did this alternating kicks to the body and the head.
• Catching: To catch the kick, step laterally with the kick, the arm on the side that is getting kicked reaches high and laterally as the other hand cross midline to protect the face. Wrap the kick tightly by sucking the arm up.

• Catch to Leg Sweep: Once you have the leg caught, you can sweep the base leg. If they are leaning it is simple just to kick the leg out low between the calf and the foot. If they are standing up, then use your free hand to push as you sweep the leg.

Knee Counters

A drill to practice knee range: Have your partner put one glove on their abdomen and the other on your shoulder. From here throw the knee to touch your  partner’s glove and work on hip extension/thrusting of the knee.

When you clinch for knees with your partner, grab behind the neck with your lead hand (which your partner will mirror) and grab their cubital fossa with your rear hand. Place your forehead on their shoulder (not ear-to-ear!).

• Knee for Knee: Throw the rear knee, they counter with their rear knee, throw the lead knee, they counter with their lead knee, rinse and repeat.

• Snap Down to Body (or Head) Knee: Throw the rear knee, they counter, throw the lead knee, drop step the lead knee back, snapping their head down, throw a straight knee to the (body) or head.

• Knee to Dump: This is a Thai-style sukui-nage. Throw the rear knee, they counter, throw the lead knee, step this leg behind their leg almost creating a seat for them with your thigh. Keep control of the neck from behind, and place your front hand on their far hip (to prevent them turning back into you. Rise on your toes and bend the knee of the leg between their legs as you look over your shoulder to throw them.

Leg day! Singles and kicks

Wrestling

Figure 1: If you want to do a single leg and you are in opposite leads, you will need to do a drop pivot step for them to switch leads so that they are mirror with you.

From your wrestling stance, lead hand protecting your lead leg (the most likely one to be attacked) and rear hand to make contact with your opponent (feel their movement). Use the “wristwatch grip”: grab the medial side of the ipsilateral wrist just proximal to the hand. If their lead foot is a mirror image to you, proceed directly to the single (Figure 2). If your leads are opposite, use your rear hand to pull them in a 90° pivot by dropping your rear leg back and keeping your same lead (Figure 1) then proceed to the single as above (Figure 2). Use your wristwatch grip to twist it anteriorly so their thumb is pointed to the rear. This opens the “door" for you to fit your shoulder inside as you step with your lead leg behind their lead leg (creating  shelf behind their lead thigh), with your head on their chest listening to their heart, eyes up. Push with your head and pick their leg up, slide your arms in a guillotine grip at the ankle. Lift up to bend their knee, drawing them closer. Use your far leg to hook their base leg with the bottom of your foot.

Figure 2: From mirrored stances, set up the single leg by stepping behind their lead leg.

Once they are on the ground, you can clear the leg and pass to the side mount. Alternatively you can knee or kick their leg, followed by punching to the head with your far hand.

Striking

See the Fall 2017 Mokuroku pg 39.

Regardless of the "Rules of Engagement", The Human Body Can Only Move In So Many Ways

Warm-Up:

Well at least some of them.

Hands - head - forearms - hips are the layers of defense in takedowns. Thus protect the lead leg with your lead hand, elbow at knee height, hand in front of the knee. Keep your head at or below your opponent’s. Use your rear hand to check and range find their head or shoulder. If they do not clear your lead hand it, your arm blocks the takedown with the help of the hip, checking into them perpendicularly.

To do the snap down your rear hand cups the head and the lead hand their elbow pull them down and lateral to your lead leg, using your legs not just your arms. Then double leg them laterally.

If they grab your wrist with their ipsilateral hand pull them across your body and grab their wrist with your free hand while freeing your hand. Pull to the single leg.

Remember that you must be eye-to-eye to engage your opponent, when you are ear-to-ear your are in a stalemated defense. To break this pull them forward, then push their ipsilateral elbow medially to break their clinch.

90° muay thai pivot drills.

Lead pivot: Rear kick, your opponent with step toward you, while you step 45° anterior laterally with the lead foot, check hand with your head hand (which will remain lead), pivot to the same stance, cross, lead hook, rear kick. Repeat. The lead pivot is easier but unless your are opposite leads will mean you are pivoting into their power side.

Rear pivot, version #1: Rear kick, your opponent with step toward you, while you step 45° anterior laterally with the rear foot, check hand with your rear hand (which will become your new lead hand), pivot to the opposite stance, cross, lead hook, rear kick. Repeat. This allows you to pivot to their weak side but is more complicated because of the lead switch.

Rear pivot, version #2: Rear kick, lead hook, cross, your opponent with step toward you, while you step 45° anterior laterally with the rear foot, check hand with your rear hand (which will become your new lead hand), pivot to the opposite stance, rear kick, lead hook, cross, pivot step. Repeat.

 

The Clinch is a Cinch

A private lesson on the clinch. First about the grip:

• Classic plum position your make your hands two hooks and grab the neck
• Fist grip: Place the thumb of one fist behind the neck and grab this hand with your opposite hand.
• Gable grip: Grip palm to palm keeping one forearm across the back of your opponents neck, use this to leverage, e.g. twist down to be able knee to the head.

You can if necessary head pummel in so that your head is under or lateral to your opponent’s chin. This allows you to see where your knees are going.

Pressuring drill

Throw soft hook knees. Your partner pressures into you, either on the left, right, or middle. If they push to one side, drop step away from this side, If they push center, choose a side and drop step. Deliver a knee with the drop step leg.

Knee drop step, knee takedown

Throw a hook knee, place this foot near and lateral to your opponent. Drop step with the opposite foot and throw a knee with this side. Repeat as you move them around the ring. From the hook knee, place your foot next to your opponent and transition into a lunge, bending them backward with your body. Pull with your far hand and push with your near hand over your leg.

Countering the overclinch

You have your opponent in the full clinch, they clinch over your arms. Rapidly elevate the elbow on one side, twisting your body to bring it nearly vertical. This should throw them off you.

Countering the counter to the overclinch

If you are the one clinching over your opponent’s arms and they attempt to do the elbow lift, go limp on that side and pummel inside to get underhooks.

Ian Ransburg Top Level Gym Dragon Leg Style Muay Thai Seminar

Warm-up: 50 jumping jacks

Catching the Kick Series

Range find by rocking up on the toes of your rear leg, straightening the lead leg, extending your lead hand and touching your opponent’s hands. You should be just be able to touch them. This allows you to find them but be far enough out of range to counter.

When you kick your base leg straightens and your posture remains as erect as possible.

Your opponent uses the range finder to set-up the rear kick. Catch this kick at the ankle, stepping with the kick and wrapping your arm over and pulling your hand high on your chest. You will typically try to drop this to your hand and then throw across your body, spinning your opponent’s back to you allowing you to kick them.

They can counter this throw of their leg by squaring up with you, as if they had thrown a tiip and then curling their kicking leg back as if to load another tiip, pulling you forward. They then deliver a tiip to push kick you away.

If your opponent attempts the tiip counter, pull their foot laterally and step medially to it, reaching across to grab the neck and delivering a same side knee. Without letting go of their kicking leg, step forward with your kneeing leg and deliver a same side elbow. Now step back with the knee leg to clear their leg you are holding and throw it to the opposite, spinning their back to you. Deliver a kick.

If they have your tiip grabbed with the mirror opposite hand, roll your foot medially and twist to the floor. Keep your eyes on your opponent and land on the ball of this foot. If they close, throw a rear side/thrust kick, then step away and pivot back to face them.

“Combat Hug” Clinch

Your opponent is using the range finder, as you parry they reach to clinch, tuck your chin and cover with the elbow high. Stop their opposite biceps with your contralateral hand. Put your head on this side as you wrap your high cover arm around their neck, their neck in the antecubit of the arm, your wrist curled around the opposite side of their neck. Square your legs up, your midline in front of their hip on the arm control side. Drop this elbow in to their side. Turn your face away from your opponent.

Put your forehead on their shoulder so you can see their legs. Throw a curve knee on the side opposite your head. As they return the mirror knee, pull on their neck and drop step 45° on this side, return the knee on this side. They throw the opposite curve knee, pull on their arm and drop step 45° on this side. Repeat on the original side.

If you wish to throw your opponent, look for them to throw the curve knee on your arm control side. As they do, pull their neck by twisting your body and drawing the arm inferiorly toward the hip while simultaneously pushing their arm.

To defend this clinch, underhook the arm wrapped around the neck by placing the palm of the glove on their face. Rotate the shoulder and hip forward, locking their arm out. If they retain a grip on the other arm, rotate over the top and deliver knees. Drop step to bring their head down to deliver knees here.

If an opponent is pushing away as above, when you clinch overhook this arm, cinching proximal to the elbow. Take a slight step back, sliding distal to the elbow, and bring your arm medially and superiorly twisting their elbow medially. Pass their other arm underneath this glove and trap it. Now deliver elbows with your free arm.

Sensitivity as a Combat Attribute

Today I made an appearance at Goshin Jitsu. I hope to make many more. With the beginners we taught basic footwork, forwards, backwards, to the sides, and the rear 90° pivot. The two stepping drills we worked on:

1. Shuffle retreat, switch retreat, 90° pivot
2. Circling the mat using any step less than three times in a row, avoiding the blue pads, and trying to catch our team mates

We also introduced kicking, helping each other stretch and turn on the ball of the foot.

With the advanced students, I reviewed the jab range finder I learned at Top Level Gym. This strategy prunes your opponent’s decision tree by throwing the jab, followed by two “range finds” extending the arm and using the palm of the glove to make contact, you step laterally to set-up an outside line. This gives you information, if you cannot reach they are out of range, if you can just reach they can likely be hit by a kick or cross, and if your arm is bent it is likely best to throw a short cross or round knee. If you check their arm and it’s loose you know that it is likely you can push it aside to set up your shot and if they are rigid that they will be more easy to turn.

We did four 2-minute rounds:

1. Jab-range find-range find cross
2. Jab-range find-range find rear kick
3. Jab-range find-range find rear round knee
4. Any of the above with the holder feeding different energies.

"That's NOT Kickboxing!" when your son's second class has made him an expert

Defending the “flying” side kick to the knee (seen more often in MMA as of late):

• Step back
• Point the knee
• Drop the lead leg back to evade, land on your toes and return a kick to the head
• Step out 45° and circle step to kick the back of their leg

Plum defense

• On the grip side, bring your shoulder medial and superiorly popping their grip off, inserting your hand inside
• Overhook by grabbing their neck, pivot your shoulders toward midline

Catching kicks with more panache. Step with the kick, overlooking at the ankle, take a half-step back with your rear leg and drop their heel to the palm of your glove. Keep the leg off-line with your body.

• Throw across your body and follow with a kick
• Fake the cross body throw then pull back to the original side and throw their foot this way, follow the a kick
• Pull their leg straight back as you rotate your hips to throw a head kick
• Pull their leg straight back as you throw the round knee to the solar plexus, your free hand goes to their face, step forward and throw the elbow
• Pass their foot to the opposite hand, either step back with your lead leg to reach across their body and trip or step in with your rear leg as you reach across to trip with the contralateral leg to the foot grabbing hand

Over-Under Muay Thai Clinch

The over-under tie up (the original 50/50) is not typically a position associated with much more than the referee separating fighters in Muay Thai. However I have learned differently:

1. Move in the direction of your underhook, trying to get your shoulder into their axillary fossa. Reverse direction and attempt to square up sliding your head to their chest, and under their chin. As they try to reestablish a neutral position, bump your overhooked shoulder and step behind them while controlling their waist.

2. As above but when you step out free them by releasing your hands and stepping backward with the leg ipsilateral to your overhook. Throw the cross or rear kick from here.

3. From the over-under position, push on their ipsilateral hip with your overhook as you grip as high as you can with your underhook. Now push push their hip as you step behind them, place your knee inferior to their near leg. Push their knee with yours as your pull backward with your superior hand and push the hip with the other.

4. Make a committed step forward on the overhook side, place your foot on the floor behind theirs. Drive your opposite shoulder medially and inferiorly to drop them to the floor.

Jab Slip Counters

Worked four jab slip counters:

1. Opponent’s rear hand low, throws jab, slip outside. Your medial hand wraps behind your opponent’s neck far from you, hook with wrist, palm of lateral hand just distal to jab arm deltoid. Step up with your rear leg, then drop step and pivot 90° with your new rear foot laterally from your opponent.  Attempt to put your weight on top of your opponents, shoulder/back. Deliver knee with rear leg to body.
2. Opponent’s rear hand low, throws jab, slip outside. Your medial hand wraps behind your opponents neck far from you, hook with wrist, palm of lateral hand just distal to jab arm deltoid. Step up with your rear leg and knee with your new rear knee to the medial side of their leg at midline, simultaneously pull with the neck control and push their arm, as your body twists.
3. Opponent’s rear hand high, throws jab, slip outside. Hug at waist, deliver knees, stepping with foot posterior to opponent behind their leg, bending them laterally away from you, trip over your rear leg.
4. Opponent’s rear hand high, throws jab, slip outside. Your medial hand wraps at their far waist, palm of lateral hand just distal to jab arm deltoid. Step forward next to opponent, leaving about a fist distance between your shoulders, then pivot 90° toward opponent and deliver downward elbow.

Quick Evasion

A late update:

Rather than doing a two step evasion, sometimes it is necessary to do a quick evasion. Imagine a right triangle in front of your opponent, who is standing inside it, the right angle pointing to your midline. We are going to move both feet off line simultaneously. This will place you on a neutral stance, on the 45° diagonal. To your lead side it is a slide, to your rear side you will have to switch stance and end up in the neutral on the opposite diagonal.

The set-up is off the jab, using the bounce to throw the jab and then retreating, so that you have time to step off.

From either side you can:

• Throw a short kick or round knee
• Push their counter off-line and throw the cross, pivoting into your stance as you do
• Pull their arm down at the elbow, throw horizontal elbow

Dedication or Desperation

Today I did a 7:30 am private lesson in muay thai. If you had told me 10 years ago that I would ever train before 10 am I’d have called you a crazy person. But with maturity, comes responsibility without a loss of the desire to be a better martial scientist. Ian worked with me from the clinch, a lá judo tie-up each person with one hand behind the neck and the other on with lateral control of the elbow. We traded hook knees to the ribs and flanks, alternating sides, until one person rolled the elbow grip hand underneath their partner’s arm securing medial control of the biceps. Stay hips close, head on your partner’s shoulder. It behooves the partner with outside control to roll an “overhook” over the elbow and underneath their partner’s axilla. Otherwise push their arm away and deliver a horizontal elbow to the face.

1. As your partner throws their hook knee on the side you have biceps control, twist their body by pulling with the neck control hand and pushing with the biceps side. They should fall, particularly if the movement is done from a hips in position and rapidly.
2. As your partner throws their hook knee on the side you have neck control, pull with both your grips as you sweep the their base leg with your ipsilateral foot.
3. Your partner delivers the straight knee on the neck control side, slide your arm control hand to the shoulder to push and throw the hook knee ipsilaterally to sweep them.

Excellent technique is obvious...in retrospect

Today I worked some elbows off my opponent’s jab. Each of these used a “draw”, that is a parry and retreat to make your opponent advanced more aggressively to land their jab.

1. Rear jab catch slide back, rear jab catch while bringing elbow parallel to the floor, step and twist to deliver the horizontal elbow. Remember to step forward and not off to the 45° angle. Stepping forward is a better representation of hitting and cutting the head, stepping at the angle makes for more sound on the pad…guess which one is better?
2. Rear jab catch slide back, lead jab catch slide back, lead jab catch downward pull, twist and deliver horizontal elbow.
3. Rear jab catch slide back, rear jab catch hook the jab hand, pull by twisting the body, pulling them into the lead upward elbow.

Catching kicks means using your head...just not literally

I’ve always considered myself an expert at catching kicks…I mean that I’m really good at getting kicked in the legs, liver, and head. Apparently there is a better way. Always step laterally with the kick to decrease its kinetic energy.

Overwrap catch: As you step laterally away from the kick over wrap the kick and tuck their shin into your trapezius. You can wrap at the knee or the ankle. For these variations we are doing it at the ankle.

Elbow Underwrap: Reach across your body and cup the kick pulling the kick into the ipsilateral elbow. Literally, pulling the kick into your elbow to damage their shin.

Overwrap Series Kick to Rear Leg Side:

• Pull their leg by twisting at the hips and throw a cross
• Obtain cross control of their neck with your free hand, step forward with rear leg and deliver knee opposite their kicking leg
• Obtain cross control of their neck with your free hand, step forward with rear leg and kick sweep their base leg with ipsilateral leg, simultaneously pull their head

Underwear Series Kick to Rear Leg Side

• Pull their leg and throw cross
• Pull their leg, step forward, and deliver rear up elbow
• Pull their leg across your body, step behind them, reach across their anterior body to their far shoulder, lift their leg, push backward, and kick sweep their far leg. This works best if they are leaning backward or bending their knee to defend the knee clinch.

The poetry of footwork is not well suited for words

More footwork today. When I started my lessons at Top Level Gym, I learned the slow, soothing rock step from foot to foot. A gentle rhythm of a swaying cobra, soothing unto lethality. Now, we’ve added the more aggressive darting of a mongoose. Using a 60-40/40-60 rock from lead to rear, we are bouncing in and out of range, the front leg returning to the rear but neither staying in the exact same place. Thus constantly moving getting close enough to strike and then exiting. The stance has become quantum, not static within its structure. Imaging skipping rope, with the a lead leg moving the body into and out of range.

We worked throwing two jabs, then faking the jab by shortening the lead step in, followed by a lead kick (forcing the rear leg to move with the rest of you so that you have a stable, base kicking leg).

We then switched up the two jab fake by dropping the level for a body cross, pivot stepping out at 45 degree angle throwing a hook, finished with a rear kick.