Self-Defence Takedowns and Gripping with Striking (diary entry)

Takedown (Photo credit: stroopsmma)

General Lesson

The warm-up included a lot of explosive movements and sprints interspersed with the usual specific exercises. We then went back through the fence. This time allowing improvisation for the coaches, on what shape the target would take. This was done both in a target familarization drill and on the focus mitts. We then went onto takedowns. We did this using the circle method. One student stands in the middle of a circle and is attacked by others, using grappling holds. For the purposes of this exercise they go at 30%. The student in the middle responds with their own takedown. This prompts a more natural selection of technique. The class finished with four rounds of MMAsparring.

Private Lesson

Taking the reverse engineering approach, we began with some light sparring. I noticed uncomfortability at close range, which led me onto tonight’s topic. We covered at gripping and striking. This began with a look at inside striking at very close range. This included striking inside and outside an opponent’s boxing guard. There are various drills that can be employed to train this area, involving resting on an opponent’s arms and striking. The led to various clinching positions and striking.