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Before diving into the lean back, the training session began with a warm-up focused on dynamic muscle engagement. This included exercises that promote blood flow, increase mobility and activate the nervous system. Incorporating actual footwork patterns and shadow boxing helped the clients transition smoothly into the technical drills.

In this post, I want to share how we worked on transitioning between submissions, specifically around necktie attacks, and how this can improve your grappling game while deepening your partnership.

Man with red boxing gloves focuses on laptop screen. Text: "Online Boxing Session Breakdown," techniques listed. Dark gym setting.

Muay Thai Personal Training When a karate teacher from Cotswold Karate School approached me to continue training elbow strikes in Muay Thai, I saw a unique opportunity. He wanted to use Muay Thai techniques as attribute training to improve his karate skills. We are now in the third hour of this focused course, and the progress is clear. This blog post shares insights from our sessions and explains how Muay Thai personal training can enhance karate performance, especially thro

Tonight, I switched things up with my veteran private client during his usual Muay Thai personal training session. Instead of our typical sparring-focused workout, we dedicated the entire 1.5-hour class to pad work. This change allowed us to concentrate on technique, precision and conditioning through a structured series of rounds using focus mitts and Thai pads.

Training in mixed martial arts (MMA) demands more than just mastering one fighting style. It requires fluidity across multiple ranges and techniques. Tonight, I worked with a client who has been training with me since 2019. His progress has reached a point where he can confidently switch between different martial arts systems within my 10-lesson courses. Our 1.5-hour session focused on moving through all the ranges of MMA using specific sparring rounds designed to sharpen his

Martial arts training room with equipment and two men grappling on red mats. Text: Side Control to Scarf-Hold blog post info.

When my couple clients recently completed their seventh and eighth hours of Submission Grappling Personal Training, we dedicated a special double lesson to two crucial positions: the turtle position and the seatbelt hold. These positions form the backbone of many effective submissions and escapes in grappling. By focusing on these areas through constraint-led games and guided sparring, we were able to deepen their understanding and sharpen their skills with several key submis

Elbows are natural weapons in close combat. Their short range and bone structure make them ideal for quick, powerful strikes that can break through an opponent’s guard. Traditional Karate bunkai often includes elbow movements, but these are usually practiced in solo kata or pre-arranged drills without resistance. This leaves practitioners unprepared for real sparring or self-defense scenarios where timing, angles, and counters matter.

Teaching boxing remotely presents unique challenges and opportunities. Recently, my teacher clients from Hostlebro Taekwondo Klub in Denmark joined their sixth hour of remote online boxing personal training. This session focused on a crucial skill: fighting out of corners. Watching them adapt their living rooms into training spaces with interlocked mats forming a makeshift corner was inspiring. It showed how creativity and clear guidance can overcome physical distance and spa

When a client has trained consistently for over seven years, their lessons naturally evolve. Instead of focusing on one combat sport or technique, the sessions become a blend of universal themes and cross-disciplinary skills. This shift allows for deeper exploration of complex moves and variations that challenge both the mind and body.

Starting a new grappling course can feel like stepping into unfamiliar territory, especially when transitioning from wrestling to submission grappling. My client recently finished his wrestling course and began a Submission Grappling Personal Training program focused on mastering side control. This position is a cornerstone in grappling, offering control and opportunities for submissions or transitions.

Tonight, my couple clients reached the sixth hour of their Mixed Martial Arts personal training course. We have progressed to ground 'n pound techniques and then moved into attacking the turtle position. This session focused on the seatbelt position, from which I introduced several submission set-ups leading to necktie submissions. These techniques build on what we covered last week, where we transitioned from an arm-bar attack from the back to the scorpion necktie. This time

After nearly a year and a half working with a senior client on boxing, today marked an important milestone: the penultimate class in his current course. Over the past 18 months, we have focused primarily on boxing techniques, steadily building his skills, confidence, and fitness. Despite some breaks due to outside commitments, his progress has been consistent and encouraging. Today’s session was designed to layer his training, testing his ability to combine different punches

Martial artists often seek ways to improve their skills beyond their primary discipline. For a competitive taekwondo athlete, refining balance, agility, and injury prevention is crucial. Recently, a unique training opportunity arose when a mother approached me to help her daughter, an advanced taekwondo competitor, with conditioning and cross-training. The daughter boards at a school far from her main taekwondo dojang and found the local options insufficient for her level. Al

Muay Thai training demands a balance between technical skill, physical conditioning, and strategic sparring. A recent personal training session with a long-term client highlighted how structuring sparring rounds and combining them with targeted strength work can elevate performance. This post breaks down the session’s approach, explaining how alternating sparring styles and integrating posterior chain exercises can build a fighter’s resilience and effectiveness in the ring.

Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) demands a strong grasp of fundamental positions and transitions. One key position that builds a solid base for many attacks and defences is the seatbelt hold. Recently a client completed his 10-hour Mixed Martial Arts Personal Training focusing on ground positions and moved into attacking the turtle position. This brought us back to one of MMA's foundational systems: Submission Grappling. The next step involves martial arts cross training, allowing ex

When my client and I first started his wrestling personal training journey, we trained through the lens of Greco-Roman wrestling. That style limits attacks to the upper body, which means no leg grabs or trips. Lesson five finished this area of training with the par terre position. Five lessons later, we revisited the par terre position, but this time from the freestyle wrestling perspective. This shift opened up a whole new world of grips, tactics, and leg attacks.

When training mixed martial arts personal training, mastering control from dominant positions is essential. One of the most powerful positions is the back mount, where you have the opponent’s back and can threaten with submissions like the rear choke. Recently, I worked with a couple of clients who had already developed solid skills from the turtle position. Our next step was to explore attacks from the back mount, focusing on transitioning from a rear choke threat to an arm-

Kickboxing blends techniques from various martial arts, and one of the most powerful and versatile strikes is the round kick. For practitioners transitioning from karate to kickboxing, understanding the differences in how this kick is executed can unlock new levels of power and effectiveness. Recently, a group of karate students from Hinnerup, Denmark, continued their remote online kickboxing personal training with a focus on mastering the round kick, specifically the Muay Th