Trapping for Boxing, Muay Thai and MMA (diary entry)

30.08.17 Tonight my client focused on trapping and striking. Having spent the previous two lessons working mainly on weapon-related training, I decided to start with an overview of boxing and using the jab to develop an efficient trapping entry tool. We began with a basic range-finding jab. These are thrown out in multiples, testing the guard and setting up for the rear hand. The emphasis was on fluidity and technique, which then helped develop speed. From here we brought in the straight arm hook and the uppercut jab. These variations on the jab were first trained in isolation and then put into a three-punch lead hand combination, followed by a cross. Next we brought in the anchor punch, an overhand jab that is often delivered after drawing an opponent forward but here was trained as just another variation on working the lead hand. This was combined first with a hook and then with an uppercut. The idea of a swift yet malleable jab in play, we moved onto trapping from a western boxing/Muay Thai perspective. In the former instance, trapping is far more subtle. Many western boxers have or still do work from the clinch range and can effectively in-fight by leaning on an opponent’s guard or using it to create leverage for punching. In Muay Thai the practice is more pronounced and literal with the nak muay being permitted to control limbs in order to administer punches and elbows. Both arts are inhibited by their style of gloves. We covered trapping the lead hand in order to load up for the rear punch, which is usual for Muay Thai, and also punching off the same trapping hand, which is more of a western boxing clinch trick. We also looked at the counter to being trapped, which amounts to beating the opponent to the punch once he has initiated the trapping technique. This latter move transfers over to my self-defence tactics – if an attacker initiates any form of physical action, be it grabbing or touching your defending hand, you strike without hesitation. Going into MMA territory we looked variations from the wrestling neck-tie involving a wrist grab. We trained gripping the back of the head and gripping the wrist from an offline position before manoeuvring them away. This is a ragging type action and be used to set up for a reaping throw or a diagonal knee strike as well as simply taking the back. We then looked at stripping hand placement from the body and striking with the rear or the same hand. We then integrated all these striking procedures into two rounds of Boxing/Muay Thai and MMA pad-work. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMOiMz_tJHQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0N1aqQwhmAI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNPyXE5h1CE