Movement and Muscular Engagement (diary entry)

Collage of varius Gray's muscle pictures by Mikael Häggström (User:Mikael Häggström) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Collage of several of Gray's muscle pictures, by Mikael Häggström (User:Mikael Häggström) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

14.12.14 This was my client’s wholly technical Triple C session. His programme is now roughly divided up into two strength/technical sessions and one session that is completely devoted to skill improvement. All sessions, by their nature, involve developing skills and have a cardiovascular element. However, these sessions allows me more time to go over finer details. I continued with yet another variation on agility cone work. We used a large triangle cone formation this time. The smaller triangle, which my client has trained before, is for developing fast directional changes and stance switching. In this instance the fighter stands in the middle. The larger version has the fighter going around the outside. Here each side of the triangle commands a different type of foot movement and technique or combination. We began on jabbing forward on one side, jabbing backward on the other side and jab crossing on side steps. This was followed by lead hooking forwards and backwards with lead and reverse hooking going sideways. Then we did the same with uppercuts. Next we brought in the evasions and put some boxing combinations together, varying them on each side, but keeping the theme of forwards on one, backwards on the other and sideways on the other. In all instances the work was reversed. For kicking and grappling combinations, the fighter stood in the middle and used a similar procedure that we did with the cone circle formation. Many of my training ideas stem from the traditional animal training methods used by my parents and therefore it was interesting to note a point made by my client today. Rather than cones, posts – such as those used by agility dogs – might be worth using to help develop footwork, evasion and combination movement work when the objects are set in lines. After all, posts are what are used for dogs to weave through when they are trained for agility competitions and displays. The one problem with the cones, which are invaluable piece of training equipment for combat sports, is that a student is inclined to look down and could form a bad habit. Going onto the focus mitts, my client focused on using the core muscles for increased impact. An awareness of using the oblique muscles for hooks and the erector spinae/rectus abdominus muscles for better postural stabilization when punching. I have trained with a wide range of martial artists who have their opinions on creating better impact. A lot of my training goes along the lines of restriction. I believe in isolating principles and techniques, rather than actual muscle groups, in order improve certain areas. The majority of standing techniques require a student to be properly grounded in their stance in order to generate maximum force through the body. However, I know of at least two somewhat maverick yet proven and very knowledgeable teachers who, although endorsed restriction, also would go the other way to better develop force. By leaving the ground and throwing a virtual straight arm when hooking generates a lot of power. Obviously, as a technique on its own it tactically risky, but as a training method it helps a student to relax more into the shot and to think more about using their arms less. The striking limb should be whip-like in its execution of a strike with the main muscular engagement coming from behind it. Going back to restrictive training, I had my client strike from guard. Working in short and intensive bursts he keeps his head and shoulders off the ground when striking the focus mitts, holding me in guard.