Training Diary 2/19/05

Participants: Nathan, Mike

Worked on the following:
Ducking (basic), without weaving/bobbing:
Use this with the hooks & overhands, remember to bend at the knees, not at the waist. If you bend the knees, you have balance for footwork, countering, and have vision of your opponent. If you bend at the waist, you are off-balance.


Drilled combinations:
1-1-2
1 1-2
1-2-3
Concentration on the lead-hook (3)

Sparred:
a couple of rounds of jab vs. jab
Then lead hand vs. lead hand
Then lead hand (Nathan) vs. both hands (Mike)
and straight right (Nathan) vs. both hands.

Discussed:
Shifting Footwork:
The small movement, usually laterally, that lets you make the opponent miss, while keeping you in range to counter. Those little movements mean you have an angle on your opponent that gives you an opening.

Covering fire while moving in range:
Keep firing while moving around the opponent to keep him off balance or create openings via the attack or create an opening by moving into position. Cover the eyes, if possible.

Why not slip inside without countering:
You'll get hit with the counter-right. Don't want that.

Don't get out of position:
Keep your basic stance. Move your feet to maintain it. Otherwise your defenses won't work.

High, then low combinations:
Self-explanatory.

Next week:

• Defensive stop-hits
• More combinations
• Timing of attacks and counters
• Defending the knee (including wrestling for inside position of the clinch)
• Snap-back defense

Snap-back and counter

Snap-back and counter right: The lead-off fighter, on the right, leads, but only singles. Also notice the lead is dropped as it is retracted. The snap-back of the counter-fighter shifts the weight to the rear foot, and protects the head by moving it out of range. Quickly pushing off the read with the counter is accomplished by not leaning back, just shifting the weight.

Slipping the jab

Slipping the jab - outside and inside. What you're trying to do it make the opponent miss, while staying in range to counter. The benefit of this tactic is that the lead-off fighter's momentum can be used against him to increase the power of the counter. Besides that, it looks cool

Open centerline

Direct route in. Notice the lead-off fighter throws a weapon between the two. The counter-fighter attempts to use the side-kick counter, but it's too slow compared to the jab. The reason this worked is that the counter-fighter's lead was low, and aimed at the floor. Remember to keep a weapon between yourself and the opponent. In this case, if the counter-fighter had his lead up and aimed, the opening wouldn't have been there in the first place.

Slipping to the inside with counter-jab.

Training Diary 2/5/05

TDA Training
Tuesday, February 08, 2005
Training Diary 2/5/05
Participants: Sam, Nathan, Mike
Sam and I drilled the parry of the jab:
· Remember that when you parry the jab, you should move in the direction that the parry leads you. In other words, if you parry a punch to the inside, move to the outside. So against a left jab, parry and step to the right.
· If you are going to parry and counter, you may sometimes have to step back versus a taller fighter.
· Remember not to parry the jab across your lead arm, thereby trapping yourself. It will leave you open to a 1-2.
· Pat or slap the punch so that it moves just outside of the target. In other words, make the left jab miss to the left of your head or shoulder.
· Sam observed that you should never reach out for the punch.
· Never parry the punch into your other weapon.
We then drilled blocking the jab:
· This should be used when you can't do anything else, or when you're setting up a counter by trying to establish a pattern. It can also be used when covering up, a last-resort tactic.
· When you do this, leave the lead free to counter. Don't use both hands unless the lead-off fighter is in close range.
· Mike observed that Nathan was leaning back. Don't do that.
· Remember to stay sideways so that there's not a squared-off body to hit.
· Sam was mixing this with the catch, which is a block, followed by redirecting the punch downward.
Then we slipped and countered the jab:
· Again, remember to pivot out of the slip and thereby bring both hands to bear on the opponent.
· Sam did very well on this and needs to try to integrate it more into sparring. It will become an effective defense.
· If you're shorter than your opponent, you need to step in as you slip, in order to be able to counter.
We then worked on rolling the straight right hand:
· By popping the punch, or using a snappy redirection, it prevents the #3 (lead hook) from being able to connect with power.
· Work the roll, then counter with a lead hook. It's easy to close if you roll properly.
· Sam reminds us to bring the lead back into position quickly.
· After rolling, make sure the rear hand is high to guard the lead hook (especially if you miss the deflection).
· Remember to keep the lead hand aimed at the opponent while rolling the punch.
· Another counter to try is the lead backfist.

Specific advice for Mike:
When leading, you're getting in range without punching. Don't fake so much or it's predictable and can be ignored by your opponent. Always have a plan if you're in range.
Continue to work on being looser. If you're so tight, you'll get tired fast.
Circle away from the power-hand. For example, against an opponent who's right-handed, circle primarily to your right.
Us 1-1-2 and 1--1-2
Specific advice for Nathan:
Needs to work on slipping to the inside and using the right counter more.
Work on rolling the right more.
Simultaneous counters.
Practice more versus untrained and multiple opponents
Work the double-hook. It works almost every time.
Coach more. Pull Mr. Sam & Mike aside and give them specific coaching more often,
Specific advice for Sam:
Work on rolling the right hand.
Torque your hips when punching for more power.
Remember not to lead off, throw your combination, then stop in front of the opponent-CLEAR!
Footwork, intention & timing!
Don't walk, step & slide
Never use the lead hand for defense, except against the opponent's right. Always use the rear-hand to parry, stop or check the opponent's lead.
Us 1-1-2 and 1--1-2
Always double or triple jab to lead effectively.