Progressive Principles (diary entry)

05.01.19   This morning’s first client is still recovering from a foot injury incurred outside of martial arts training. We worked up to the three hour mark of his 10 hour course. The course was originally his third Mixed Martial Arts programme. However, due to the injury I decided to focus on some restrictive training and also some martial arts cross-training. I introduced him to some weapons work. This was more to teach certain principles rather than to develop weapons defence or fighting skills.   We began with some basic angle strike work on the single stick. This was performed off both sides and with variations on the impact, as well as against another stick. The blade was introduced to show how this slightly changed the dynamic of slashes and stabs. After working this from seated and standing positions, we transferred some points over to the focus mitts. This was first done with Western Boxing and punches – overhands and shovel hooks following the high and low diagonal strikes. Then we moved onto Muay Thai’s elbow strikes, using the same angle work – slashing elbows, elbow chops, horizontal elbows and backward elbows. Horizontal elbows brought us onto what appears to be my current trend – the Dracula guard. As I did with my previous two lessons (uncle and nephew team), I showed the relationship between the peek-a-boo boxing style – slip/jab/slip/cross – and the guard/jab/guard/cross. Then I brought this into MMA and self-defence with the use of a cover within a clinch, used to break and strike. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kamLBGLchh8