Longer Rounds (diary entry)

28.11.20 Saturday morning kicked off with the third hour my client's current Muay Thai for martial arts cross-training course. We went for a totally different format with the rounds this time. The objective was to have the lesson separated into longer periods of uninterupted activity. Round 1 - Warm-up Besides the usual martial arts specific callisthenics and dynamic stretching, this section elevated the heart-rate with footwork, knee-marching and blitzing. Round 2 - Linear Techniques and Principles Everything in this round was about attacking and defending on a forward and backward path. We isolated techniques and built up combinations. step jabs, pendulum footwork, covers, ducks, teeps and teep variations, catching straight punches, deflecting teeps, switch teeps, straight punching and teep combinations. Round 3 - Adding on  Lateral Techniques and Principles This round isolated and then integrated hooking techniques and round kick variations. We now also rolled in our defences and used various shin-checks in addition to lateral footwork Round 4 - Pivoting, Uppercuts and Short Range Weapons Various angled steps were added along with uppercuts, elbow strikes, knee strikes and clinching 4 x 2 minute rounds of speed training This final section changed the dynamic completely with a focus on developing speed. I divided up the four rounds into 10 second bursts with 10 second rest spots (retaining guard and stance). Each round had 3 x 10 seconds of one technique or combination and then 3 x 10 seconds of another. Round 1 - 2 x left/right body shots/lead hook to the head & shoeshine punching Round 2 - On-pivot round kick and no-pivot round kick Round 3 - Spear elbows and horizontal elbows Round 5 - Diagonal knees and curve knees