Heavy Bag Training & Reverse Scarf-Hold Escape (diary entry)

08.05.19   Wednesday night’s lessons consisted of Junior Muay Thai and Senior Submission Grappling. The former provided an overview of combination set ups and counters to the back kick. The senior Submission Grappling continued work on escaping the knee-pin and also looked at escaping reverse scarf-hold.   We began with basic distancing and mirror footwork. This led onto combination setups. Here I focused on using the teep as an effective jabbing tool, creating and maintaining distance. Then it was used to set up basic combinations and also low kicks. Next we moved onto counters, opening with shin-checks, body-checks and kick-catches. After revising the back-kick from the previous lesson, we looked at the teep counter to this move. Whilst in the advanced area I introduced a cobra punch setup. We then did some heavy bag work for my junior client to go over back home. The lesson finished with a round of clinch sparring and a round of heavy bag freestyle work. I taught the importance of working combinations intelligently and breaking effectively.   The senior class began with a sparring warm-up. This consisted of 2 x 5 minute rounds of progressive sparring, which can be done safely provided both training partners work together. We were also able to stop and re-start to work on various areas that were being flagged up. At an even pace I was able to better instruct and advise.   We then went back over the knee-pin and addressed the three escapes I covered with my client on Saturday. The lesson finished with snaking escapes from reverse scarf-hold. We looked at attacking the back and the arm from this defensive manoeuvre. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sts0mZ6jXw8