Tyre-d Training (diary entry)

18.10.18   Tonight saw the final lesson in my client’s current course of Western Boxing for Mixed Martial Arts. We looked at putting everything together, revising the entire course, and also some new restrictions, using a tractor tyre, to build better upper body mobility.   Training began with a warm-up on the tractor tyre. The surface area of the tyre promotes better balance and awareness of foot placement. We moved around the tyre’s rim, angling off and changing stance. Then we combined stance changing with level changing with a series of jumping exercises on the tyre. The tyre was next used for some freestyle pad-work. We moved around it and over the tyre as I revised a build-up of punching combinations. We went through slipping and feigning footwork to set up for overhands and shovel hooks. We also looked at methods for changing levels and angles whilst throwing combinations. Different styles of guard were also discussed again. I went back through the use of the peek-a-boo guard as a confidence building tactic.   The lesson finished with two rounds of sparring. The first round was performed with the lead foot in the tyre, restricting footwork and maximising upper body mobility as well as tightening up angles. Then we had a normal freestyle round of sparring.