Clubb Chimera Martial Arts : CCMA

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Juniors

We discussed discipline today, the fourth of CCMA’s five tenets. Without self control and the mental fortitude to keep on going, all the knowledge in the world is not going to help you apply what you have learnt. With this in mind today’s lesson was tighter than normal with an emphasis on raising the standard all round.

The warm-up transitioned through various ranges of movement, stopping to look at elementary mistakes. CCMA is all about individual expression and open mindedness, but this is also within the parameters of critical thinking, which helps strategies, tactics and techniques to progress intelligently. We looked at shifting forward with basic boxing combinations, then overturning that rule with blitzing, moving from a seated position and on the back (snaking or shrimping).

Next it was straight onto the focus mitts with a combination of freestyle coaching with set kickboxing combinations and ground fighting exercises thrown in randomly. This was all in preparation for some high intensity drills designed to help better develop some basic functional fitness. These consisted of one minute rounds of jab/cross, hooks, uppercuts, round kicks and transitional pinning. Each round was done at a non-stop rate, the emphasis on high speed and power whilst retaining structure.

Seniors

The class began with some warm-up exercises designed to promote movement again. This time, however, we upped the repetitions to better train muscle memory. Working in a square the class performed various standing, seated, crawling and snaking exercises going forwards, sideways in both directions and backwards.

Then it was straight into the high percentage technique warm-up. Before this was begun I felt a quick run through of the importance of each stage was important. As we have seen over previous diary entries, and attendees of my workshops and seminars can testify, each technique can easily become a long ongoing subject of research. Few people own a single technique and yet train countless numbers.

My current hobbyhorse is better clarification in training. There is way too much martial ambiguity and the proverbial mists need clearing. One area I am writing about at the moment is the difference between self defence pressure testing and full contact sparring, and pressure ordeals. My article on this will go into details, suffice to say that the difference is decided by objective and intensity. A self defence pressure test is designed to test whether a certain tactic or technique is working for an individual. In order to do this we need to set up the basic conditions, as defined by objectives. A self defence situation is not a consensual fight. One person is the predator and the other person is someone who doesn’t want to fight or has chosen to intervene when an assault in progress. The dynamic is very different from even full contact sparring. It is also different from a pressure ordeal. I appreciate that test can mean ordeal, but for the benefit of clarity I define test as a scientist would. A pressure ordeal is a means for developing will under pressure. You will always win in a pressure ordeal so long as you keep going. It reinforces positive benefits and not designed to test anything unless, of course, you do give in.

As an example of self defence pressure tests we began with a two-on-one S1 versus S2 test. One person is given the order to get to a certain point without engaging anyone in grappling. The other two people attack with grappling holds to prevent him from getting to his destination. They wear head guards. The one person is permitted to use all methods at his disposal to stop the grapplers from taking him down and pinning him on the ground and striking to the head is encouraged as a tactic. Another example just tests a person’s ability to keep an abductor at bay. It is one-on-one S1 versus S2, but this time the objective is to just not get taken down. A third self defence pressure test example overlaps into sparring and sport training. One person pins and the other fights to get back to their feet and escape.

The class was finished with a couple of rounds of MMA sparring, which demonstrated the “to and fro” difference in dynamics. Although this is a form of pressure testing and there is plenty of overlap relating to techniques, the fact that two people are fighting in a consensual manner and have the same objectives changes the whole feel and the tactics for the situation.

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