Combinations into Structured Sparring (diary entry)

30.05.13

General Lesson

After a student-led warm-up, we continued with our series of combination training exercises. This time we looked at the boxing-led series, covering four combinations. These are a series of progressive boxng combinations that add on a kick at the end. Once learnt they are then called out in random order. The purpose of doing this is to promote a better retention of memory under combative conditions. Areas of concern included holding targets correctly and keeping the guard up when kicking.  

The second part of the lesson focused on side control and two simple combinations. I covered the Americana arm-lock and the arm-triangle strangle.

Priave Lesson  

The private lesson also used the boxing-led combinations, but we took them off the focus mitts and used them in direct application. We used this to encourage exercises designed to defeat predictability and promote creativity. It began with a warm-up using mirror footwork, where one student, acting as the coach, shot in for a low leg takedown encouraging the other to sprawl. We then did some specific sparring, where both students fought to get the back position. Both would come into play later with the combination work.

We worked through three of the boxing-led combinations. Combination work can serve many different purposes. The sequence is often delivered on the spot and to same set series of targets. However, by going into direct application you can add a livelier element to the practice. The student acting as the target can block, parry and evade the strikes. After a while his job is pretty simple. He knows where and when the strikes are coming. So, we progressed this by having the striker vary the levels and angles of his strikes. Of course, all of this is done in conjunction with the mirror footwork we warmed up with earlier. The combinations are called out by the coach not actively engaged in the exercise.

Stand-up fighting is best done in a high stance, as it makes you more mobile. However, it also can leave you open to grappling attacks, which is what we added in next. The student defending the strikes chose his moment for a single or double-leg takedown and the striker sprawls in response.

We then did some technical work. Looking at the sprawling position we covered both the attack and defence in this situation. This consisted of the sit-through to back-mount and rear naked choke for the person being sprawled against and the gator roll/anaconda choke for the sprawler. We broke down the positioning in stages to confirm the combinations.

Finally we brought these combinations back into the original combination. This becomes a type of specific and highly structured type of sparring. Both students know the pattern of the stand-up combination of strikes, but they don’t know what angle range or tempo they are going to come in at. Also they cannot choose which combination, so both have to be fast to respond and the striker needs to remember the pattern of movement under pressure. Both students know that one is going to shoot in for the lowline takedown, but it is down to the defender of the strikes to choose. He needs to judge the stability of his opponent/partner during the flurry of attack. Obviously, the striker learns to maintain his balance as he strikes. When the grappling attack is initiated both students know it is going to go one of three ways. Either the shoot will be successful and the striker will be taken down into a pin or guard position at best or the striker will sprawl and attempt the anaconda choke or the failed shooter will sit-through and take the back. No other options are available, which places greater emphasis on both fighters to work hard to get their timing right.

During the warm-down I explained that this work could be futher taken on the focus mitts and done in complete sequence or broken down again. This can then be fed back into the exercise to see if any noticeable improvements had been made.

Relevant Article: Specific Training