I've watched a lot of beginners spar for the first time. Usually it takes only about 30 seconds for all thoughts of defense or strategy or finesse vanish and the exercise quickly devolves into two people trading giant haymakers. This is totally understandable - sparring is stressful especially if you're not used to it. But throwing heavy leather on your first time in the … [Read more...]
5 Mistakes Grapplers Make When Striking
If you’re a grapplers that wants to learn boxing or kickboxing then there are several very common mistakes that you’re probably going to make. This is because each style of fighting (grappling vs striking) trains you to use your body slightly differently which can set you up for failure in the other art Here's a video showing 5 common mistakes for grapplers when they start … [Read more...]
What’s In the Precision Kickboxing Masterclass?
As you may know, I've just released The Precision Kickboxing Masterclass. It's an 8 hour long deep dive into the techniques, combinations, defenses, counters, drills, training methods and fight strategies of modern kickboxing. It's a surgical approach to taking your opponent apart in the striking realm, delivered by Coach Ritchie Yip who has been teaching kickboxing for … [Read more...]
A Great Reaction Time Drill
Everybody wants faster reaction times. The best fighters in the world make their opponents look like they're in slow motion, and a large part of that is having the ability to choose exactly the right technique at exactly the right time. Those reflexes aren't magic. They can be trained, drilled, improved. Today we're going to cover a great reaction time drill that'll teach … [Read more...]
Martial Art Ranges for Fighting
There are many different ways to classify martial arts ranges, but one relatively simple method way to divide all combat up into 5 distances... Projectile range (guns, javelins, arrows, thrown rocks, etc.) Handheld weapons range (sticks, swords, handheld spears, knives, clubs, etc.) Striking range (punches, kicks, elbows, knees, headbutts, etc.) Clinching range … [Read more...]
A Super-Simple 3 Part Formula for Defense in Standup Sparring
Standup sparring can be really overwhelming sometimes, especially if you're new at it. There are punches and kicks flying at you from every direction and every angle. There's so much to keep track of, and so many things you need to do, that you don't even know where to start. Fortunately there are ways to simplify the situation and cut down on the number of decisions you … [Read more...]
The Power of the Front Kick!
The front kick is one of the very first kicks most people learn in the martial arts. And that’s for good reason: it’s effective but also not that tough to learn - it’s the low hanging fruit of the kicking world. But it can also be a very, very sophisticated technique; just look at how professional Thai boxers use it to gauge distance, control distance, set up attacks, … [Read more...]
How Different Martial Arts Exhale While Striking
It’s amazing how many different martial arts use a grunt/yell when they strike. Of course many systems of karate has their Kiai, which is expressed as a ‘Heeaht’, ‘Hyah’ or ‘Aiight!’ Very similar vocalisations are used in traditional Japanese ju-jutsu (like in the first 12 seconds of this Armbar vs a Knife video on Youtube). And if you’ve watched or trained a lot of … [Read more...]
Should You Stretch Before or After Martial Arts Training?
You wouldn't think that something like stretching before a martial arts class could be controversial, but it is (I blame the running community for muddying the waters)! Some evidence and experts suggest that you should only do it after your workout, whereas most traditions say that you should do it before. Who's right and what should you do? Well, in the following … [Read more...]
Leg Kicks, the Forgotten Tool
The leg kick isn't as sexy a technique as a superman punch or a spinning heel kick to the head, but that doesn't mean you can ignore it! It's been proven in countless Muay Thai kickboxing and MMA matches, and definitely has it's applications in the street as well. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0qkY4oKmRg Low kicks have one HUGE advantage over kicks to the body or … [Read more...]
How to Get Behind Enemy Lines in a Streetfight
If you and your opponent are squaring off face-to-face then it's sort of an equal situation. From here he can swing at you and you can swing at him... He can try to tackle you, and you can try to clinch him. To paraphrase the old song, at this point anything he can do, hopefully you can do better! But we don't want it to be a fair fight. Ideally you should set up a … [Read more...]
The Myth of the Deadly Groin Attack
There's a persistent myth in self defense training about the groin strike that goes something like this: "Kick the guy in the balls and the fight is over. "It's the one kick wonder. Women especially are often directed to aim for this target as though it's a magic fight ender. It's not, and you are actually putting yourself at risk if you don't realise … [Read more...]
How to Knock Someone Out
Knocking someone out is an art, not a science. You have to get just the right combination of strike, angle, target and timing for it to work. Plus some people are just a lot tougher than others... You might clip one person with a glancing blow and have them go down instantaneously, lights out. But then, another time, you might hit someone else square on the jaw with … [Read more...]
Death After the Knockout (or Beware the Second Hit)
In other articles and videos I've talked about the best ways to knock somebody out. And there’s an old tough guy saying that goes something like this… “If we fight there are only going to be three hits: I hit you, you hit the ground, and the ambulance hits 60.” While that’s a funny thing to growl out in a droll John Wayne accent it also brings up a deadly serious … [Read more...]