Kick-Catching (diary entry)

26.03.12

Today's lesson focused on issues surrounding the kick-catch. We looked at a safe way to catch the kick, defend against getting caught and follow on techniques from both sides. We began with our usual series of functional fitness exercies - blitzing, footwork, bear crawls, snaking, alligator crawls and various breakfalls and rolls. We then went straight into kicking. Using a simple Keysi Fighting Method drill from their "Dekem 'n Rekem" programme, we worked three kick exchanges with a catch at the end. It's a good momentum drill and stops the stactic style exchanges very common when martila artists go over techniques. The kicking is done on the move and the scenario is very likely.

A common kick-catch involves having one person wrap the kicking leg. The problem with this is it immediately leaves the face vulnerable to hand strikes, which can be done quite effeciently if the person who has had their leg caught can retain their balance. Also an eager kick-catcher can have their counter manipulated very well with feigns. An alternative to this is to check the mid-section kick with the hand on the opposite side whilst you move in and trap it with the elbow of your other arm. Done in one motion, the catcher moves in and elbow strikes the trapped leg. The supporting leg is then reaped out with the catcher's leg. I offered two possible follow-ups to the takedown. One was a simple case of moving into a knee pin. The other involved falling back with the trapped leg into a foot-lock.

Meanwhile, the fighter with the trapped leg has a few options of their own for a successful counter move. Firstly, they can hop to retain balance and close the distance immediately. Turning the situation into a clinch and gripping the kick-catcher in the plumb position, the fighter has some leverage to break the grip. With the grip broken the fighter follows with knee strikes in the clinch position. An alternative to this is to jump guard. To make the most out of this we looked at clinching collar and elbow style, so that when both fighters hit the ground the one on the bottom could better isolate the arm for an kimura arm-lock.

We then moved onto specific sparring. This began in the kick-catch position (example taken from the Vagabond Warriors taster session on 22.03.12)

Next we moved onto the ground 'n pound position (example taken from the Vagabond Warriors taster session on 22.03.12)

The lesson finished with regular MMA sparring. Then we warmed down with some shadow boxing and stretching.

DON'T MISS: Vagabond Warriors 2.1 THIS Saturday 31st March 2012. Contact jamie@clubbchimera.com for details.