15/11/18: Cross loop drills, Pad rounds and 12 count knife flow

This session as all about high quality repetitions and putting the flight time in.

Cross loop drill:

Partners at close range (enough to land a cross with a slightly bend arm). Practicing defences of the crass and responding with a cross.

Lean back shoulder roll
Parry
elbow destruction (cover the face)
upper cut under the cross
hook over the cross (lean back motion/long hook)
inside parry and bicep hit
Thai cover (lead hand "falling " onto the cross other hand covering your face

Adding body shots:

bob and weave the cross coming in close (so you could move their arm out the way with your elbow:

Left hand: Body hook, head hook, they reply with the same. do this a couple of times and Bob and weave out on a head hook.

variation: as above but instead of bobbing and weaving out use your rear foot to reposition and bob over to the other side of the person - you will now do the body and head hooks with your right hand and you to a large lean back/shoulder roll to come out and back into crossing range.

we did all this swapping partners getting different energy. Key tips keep it slow to work on range and technique it will naturally get faster and more messy/real but you ant to try and get as perfect a technique as you can so that when you do it at pace or under pressure it will only be half as good but your half as good is still good enough

PADS: circle of death

4 thai pad holders, after hitting the pads you move round to the next station then the next etc and keep going for duration of the round.

1) jab cross jab cross jab
2) cross hook cross hook cross
3) 5 x uppercuts
4) 5 x elbows

Knife flow:

Breaking down the 12 count knife flow, trying to keep the slashes tight (e.g. don't extend the "swing" of the knife outside of the width of the body)

A1, A4, A3, A2 stab, back hand cut upwards on low line, forehand cut upwards on low line, back hand stab to neck, forehand stab to neck, slash straight down centre of head, A1 low line, A2 low line

after using partner as a target to get the flow we then used this flow to feed and look at some basic empty hand defence using the arm the same side as the attack to block (blade of arm if on high line hand pointing up, if on low line hand pointing down) your other hand hitting the attacker (eye or throat)

We then added scoops and hammer and anvil, controlling elbows and manipulating the attacker as well as  footwork to zone out and around and keep our bodies away form the knife.

The section ended with defending from any angle (not in order) and then two on one drills (keeping them lined up so it's one at a time and manipulating them into other person is very helpful.


A good high energy session.

8/11/18: Round kick dounters during Chaos and continuing to devlope the U drill

Warm up:

Double stick carenza (maintain right lead, then left lead)
Single stick carenza (right and left hand)
Stick and knife Carenza (stick in right then left hand)
Knife carenza
Legs/knees only shadow boxing
Elbows only
Punching only
combine all strikes

(Gentle full motion to warm up)

Technical Mirror drill:

Partner A feeds any two strikes - punches kicks knees elbows (careful with elbows) - focus on being on target correct technique and range - trying to hit your target/put leather on them!.

Partner B defends as best they can (not running away). Partner B then responds with the same attack Partner A did. (Partner A is choosing the attack)

Keep going with Partner A changing the 2 strikes every time to keep partner B guessing.

After designated time switch so that partner B chooses the attack and partner A responds.

During technical drill you need to focus on technique and making it "perfect" movement, range guard, body mechanics on strikes etc.

Round kick defences:

We looked at the following defences

1) Check ( traditional Thai block using shin)
2) Stop kick - either a teep to body, or  jeet tek type kick to standing leg (kick with either leg)
3) Stop hit - a cross while stepping fwd and slightly 45 to jam the kicking leg
4) evasion - shuffle step or slide and step of get out of the way and then bounce back in with immediate follow up (punch or kick)

To make this more challenging and to explore timing and range the defences need to be applied while being fed with a mixture of attacks:

jab rear round kick
Jab cross rear round kick
Jab cross hook rear round kick.

This is challenging because of the timing on the attacks based on the speed and rhythm of the strikes and the fact that the attacker is constantly moving off line to land the strikes and line up the round kick. You are also needing to use a solid defence to stop the punches form landing as they are trying to hit you and you have to work on your own balance and range while trying to carry out and a defence. needless to say it was scrappy looking but that is the point. drill perfection so that in chaos you are "good enough" to get something in the way/stop them and respond.

U drill:

continuation of drill for Tuesday added to this was the attacker controlling the defenders elbow forcing them to twist body out of the way.

Also note this is a drill for something that is a moment in time - as you are looking to jam them and disarm/control knife arm rather than an endless flow.

we also added some strikes during the flow (if we could) and discussed flowing from U drill to hamer and anvil drill by adding a straight stab to the heart.

6/11/18: Backs to the wall and U dril

isolating and drilling.

Back to the wall drill is purely defensive drill, building a solid defence and going at a pace that allows you to see things to get a feel of making your defence tight. Noting is totally punch proof but we combine a variety of guard positions not cover arrange of scenarios. in "reality" you would only hold the defensive position for a few seconds before countering, but by doing a more prolonged drill you force yourself to focus and work on one aspect of your game.

Drill:

1) Half guard - protecting body, one arm down the side and across belly, the other (rear hand)protecting rib and jaw. the rear hand constantly moves in a tight windscreen wiper motion. This is mainly to defend body shots, with the wiping hand to defend the odd head shot.

2) Double pillar - like a Thai guard, hands up high, shoulders up and loose neck - arms move left and right like columns/rotating door, and you defend punches with your forearms. (for high line shots)

3) Crazy monkey - covering your head with elbows, constantly moving like brushing hair (but like the KEYSI/DEFENCE LAB stuff) - keep I tight and fast moving, this is a total cover up for a fast flurry of attacks (3 to5 second bursts)

Blending defences:

1) half guard into crazy monkey (body shots into rapid high line attacks)

2) with focus mitts - half guard, then 5-7 hits in responds, double pillar, then 5-7 hits in response, crazy monkey, then 5-7 hits in response.

General notes: your back foot is against a wall heel up, try not to move off the wall (attacker pin them to the wall so if you move too far to the side they will be able to escape!). Defender try to keep energy forward (I kept getting pinned back on my rear foot and into the wall.. hmm). help your partner grow.... steady pace to build some confidence then gradual pressure as the drill went on the feeder was naturally feeding with more intent and faster as defender got more comfortable. Feeder still needs to have proper punching technique. Breathing is also important.. old bad habits were creeping back, holding breath tight shoulders etc etc... constant improvement needed! - must remember to breath out on hitting and getting hit)

U drill

A knife sensitivity drill that is aimed at helping you develop reflexes. Again start slow concentrate on feel and technique and then gradually speed up. better to start slow and get it so that eventually you can start at fast pace and just "react"

Feed -  stab to ear, cut across belly, into other ear (a U shape)

defence: cat stance pivot and using back of hand/forearm to check the hit (e.g. they stab your left side of your head your right arm reaches across). Push the knife down and in towards them to redirect/follow their energy. As they complete the U you switch you checking hand (so they are now stabbing your right hand side and you are checking with left hand.

The faster they go the more you have to react. you will not be able to remain contact with the whole of the U so you may have to get your hips back and switch checking hands more rapidly -almost "falling" into their knife hand with your arm to keep the pressure on.

Variations:

multiple stab and tapping:

Somtimes you will need to move your checking hand, hit/chop with your other hand, before replacing the checking hand again (e.g they stab and just as you are about to redirect them they pull their hand back and stab again so you need to respond with the other hand.

This can also be done but the attacker removing your checking hand with their free hand and forcing you to do a quick check/hit with your other hand before replacing the checking hand.

General tip: position before submission - this BJJ principle works with striking and weaponry as much as ground work. basically get your body out of the way or off line in order to keep safe and effectively respond ant a more advantageous angle.

There was a lot of fine detail to this session which is difficult to capture. needless to say a lot of work needed by all but great fun had by all.