Pawing Jab for Dirty Boxing (diary entry)

23.06.18   We reach the six-hour point of my client’s course on Dirty Boxing/MMA Stand-up. Today I took a layering approach to three areas of restriction, which we revisited twice before moving onto MMA sparring. All of this was surrounding the concept of the pawing jab.   The pawing jab is a setting up technique. That is its specific purpose. Jabs are not commonly used as knockout moves, but it does happen. There is the shifting version favoured by the Jeet Kune Do world, sometimes known as a power jab in Boxing. There is the Jack Dempsey drop-step, a version of which I was taught by John “Awesome” Anderson. However, the pawing jab makes no such pretensions. It isn’t really a strike although it can be quickly changed into a sharp punch. The move is a tactile range finder and is also very effective for obstructing an opponent’s view. Although often used to keep an opponent away and set up for a punch or kick, it can also be used as a bridge.   First Set: First Round – Jabbing to maintain distance Second Round – Teep to maintain distance Third Round – Lead hand to block clinch Second Set: First Round – Jabbing to set up combinations Second Round – Teep to set up combinations Third Round – Lead hand to bait and then counter clinch/takedowns Then we moved onto using the pawing jab in MMA. This was then combined with the circular jab and clinching techniques. We then sparred for two rounds. The first round was primarily at 30% resistance from the coach, allowing the fighter to execute everything that had been taught in the lesson. The second round was light to medium intensity.