Martial Muscle Memory (diary entry)

01.04.19   My client reached the eight and a half hour point of his 10 hour course on Combat Conditioning tonight. We specifically looked at muscle memory exercises, but also covered transitions and restrictive training.   We began dynamic stretching and callisthenics followed by switching between line-work and on the spot specific exercises. This included boxing footwork, building up into combinations and then connected to short sprints. We changed to height variations on techniques for line-work and then focused on a stance change exercise for on the spot work. Kicks were added on, using line work for teeps and partner work for round kicks. We then did on the spot leg stability/balancing exercises for four different kicks. Double leg takedown lunges and hip switching for hip/shoulder throws were then drilled as line-work. Bear crawls, gorilla crawls and lizard crawls were drilled for top position line-work. Renegade rows and sit-outs were used for on the spot work. We continued on the spot for bottom position exercises such as cross-guards, guard choke crunches, triangle leg raises, arm-bar leg raises and upa hip raises on the spot. We resumed line-work with snaking/shrimping backwards and forwards.   The next stage was to look at transitioning exercises. Here we moved fluidly through various postures and even stances with footwork. This was then brought onto the focus mitts. Finally we put all into action with a five minute round of MMA sparring. The lesson finished with a burn out of restrictive training. We drilled the straight punch in sets of five from the back, seated, kneeling and standing off both sides for a total of three sets. We then drilled the spear knee from a straight leg lunge for three sets of five reps off both sides before performing it from a standing position. Both exercises were designed to overload the right force vectors and muscle groups. The punching engaged the core muscles whereas the knee strikes encouraged proper recruitment of the hip flexors, getting full range on the strike throughout its execution.