Mar 21 2011

Pulling Power

Category: Jiu-Jitsu,MMA,Power Training,Striking/Stand-up,Uncategorized — Rob @ 7:01 PM

In combat sports like MMA and jiu-jitsu pushing and pulling an opponent is an occurrence throughout a match.  I want to focus on the latter, the pulling.  In a fight combat athletes are constantly pulling at their opponents, being in the clinch, or trying to pull an opponent in guard.  Developing pulling strength and power is essential for success in combat sports.

There are many ways of developing pulling strength.  Pull-ups are the king of pulling exercises, you can also use rows and deadlifts to increase pulling strength.  Adding these exercises to any athletes program will only help make them stronger.  If you have been around the fitness world then you have come across resistance bands.  Resistance bands can be a great way to get stronger with out the use of traditional weights.  They are also easy to use and can be taken anywhere for a great training session.

When training fighters I like to add the use of resistance bands into their training.  More times than not I use the resistance bands to develop explosiveness.  Below are three great exercises that can be used to develop the pulling power that I am talking about.  This session was done when the fighter in the video Jessica Richer was getting ready for a major jiu-jitsu tournament.  If you notice there is Brazilian Jiu-jitsu gi sleeves attached to the resistance bands.  This adds a little more specificity to the exercise but also it works on grip strength.  Jessica has gripped the gi like she would in a match and performed the exercise.

So if you are looking to take your game t the next level add some resistance band work into your training.  Is it the end all of training, no, but it will help get you stronger and more powerful.

Train Hard! Train Smart!
Rob DeCillis (CSCS)

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Feb 21 2011

Muay Thai Plum/Clinch for MMA Training

Category: MMA,muay Thai,Striking/Stand-up,Uncategorized — Rob @ 7:29 AM

The Plum or clinch is an art within an art. Takes just a little time to learn, but a lifetime to master! The Plum isn’t just stand up grappling, it’s where the Sawk(Elbow) and Kao(Knee) are at their very finest!

There are definitely things you want to keep in mind when in the clinch:

  • During the drill Stay on the balls of your feet, using your training partner as your third point of balance.
  • feet slightly greater then shoulder width apart, pointed out like duck feet.
  • Knees slightly bent.
  • Body straight up, but tucked, keep core tight!
  • Hips fairly close, otherwise you’re creating space that can be used by your opponent to knee you!
  • As you extend your arm forward remember to keep your shoulder to your chin, or you give your opponent the opening he needs he needs to take the inside.
  • When training with a partner use the long round knee, it conditions the inside of your leg and the partners ribs and leg.
  • When training with a partner don’t use the Kao Drong(Straight knee) as you could break your partners ribs.
  • When performed correctly your hands shouldn’t leave your partners body, it gives you a “Body Feeling” so without even looking for reference you know what your partners doing.

Remember to make it natural and move around so you work foot work. Practice is the only way to perfect this exercise, so use it much! Rok it out! Godspeed, Kru Juice of the Muayman Alliance!

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Feb 14 2011

Knee Drill

Category: MMA,muay Thai,Striking/Stand-up,Uncategorized — Rob @ 9:17 PM

This drill is simplistic, however, I have my class do this drill virtually every class!
It develops the muscles you use for knees and kicks at the same time.

Keep your body tall
Straighten the supporting leg every time your leg thrusts up
ONLY the balls of the feet, HEELS NEVER TOUCH!
Twist your arms downward in a fast movement, side to side, works the core
unlike practicing knees on a bag, DO NOT thrust your hip forward into the air, instead pop them straight upward
Do this drill for no less then two minutes at a time.

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Feb 11 2011

Fedor Emelianenko Training

Category: Agility,Boxing,Conditioning,Mental Training,MMA,Power Training,reaction time,Speed,Strength Training,Striking/Stand-up,Strongman,Uncategorized — Rob @ 10:43 PM

Tomorrow Fedor Emelianenko will be taking on Giant Silva in the Strikeforce Heavyweight Tournament.   Coming off his loss to Fabricio Werdum it will be interesting to see how Fedor responds.  I am thinking that he will be coming out to destroy Silva convincingly.

When I though about putting up some of Fedor’s training video, I was very surprised to see that there was actual stuff out there.  Thinking about how he leads a pretty much private lifestyle I though it would be harder to come across some training material.  But lucky for Combat Trainer I was able to find some!!

In this video you will see Fedor using different types of training to get stronger and more powerful.  By the looks of things it looks as though Fedor had an outdoor training facility constructed for him and his team.  I definitely would not be surprise if they used this strength training playground year round, even in the cold weather.

If you have never done any strength training outside, then this spring you should really get on it.  I began incorporating a lot of outdoors training into my own training and it has not only made me stronger but it is also a lot of fun to train outside.  So if you are looking to spice up your training get outdoors as soon as possible and train like Fedor.

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Feb 09 2011

Knee Defense Against Jab or Cross

Category: MMA,muay Thai,Striking/Stand-up,Uncategorized — Rob @ 9:30 PM

Some techniques have transitioned well from the old world styles to the modern day, one of those is the Knee defense against the Jab and Cross! The key is in the details, so follow it exactly! (this instruction is assuming your in the standard stance)

As the Jab flys at you, scoop the Jab out away from your body far enough so the elbow cannot come at you, shoot the other hand straight back along the same side of the body along his head curl your hand around his neck so that your fingers are beneath the opposite ear push the fingers inward and use it as a grip.

Take a small step to the outside of your opponent with the foot that is on the outside of your opponent.  With the foot that is on the inside of your opponent, pivot to the outside, dragging your opponent with you to disrupt his balance you should now be facing an outstretched and exposed opponent, sink your knee into his bread basket!

This same technique works on both sides, and is the same setup and delivery. Make sure you apply a decent amount of pressure when grabbing the neck, as it hits a pressure point while you grab. Normally the foot that you pivot on is the one you use to knee with, neither side is wrong and situations do change during combat however, so don’t feel that one knee is preferable over the other.

The timing can take some getting accustomed to, so practice of course is key.

Enjoy amigo’s, Kru Juice of the Muayman Alliance!

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Jan 30 2011

Wilson Pitts Footwork for MMA

Category: Boxing,MMA,Quickness,reaction time,Speed,Striking/Stand-up — Rob @ 8:46 PM

Coming from a Muay Thai background.  I was always taught to move forward.  This has led to some not so fun combos to the face.  As I have been working on my stand-up game I have begun to add some more footwork into my game.  This has helped tremendously in my sparring.  If you are a frequent visitor to the site you have noticed that I have some other trainers from specific disciplines posting tutorial on my site.  One of those trainers is Wilson Pitts.

Wilson specializes in boxing.  He is a great trainer of the sport and really knows his stuff.  Wilson has been adapting the boxing style to MMA and it is worth your time to take a look at what he has to offer.  I asked Wilson if he could do a tutorial on adapting footwork from boxing to MMA.  Wilson came through and produced the video below.  I am finding more and more as I watch MMA that footwork is becoming key in many fighters victories.

So check out the video below by Wilson Pitts.  If you want to contact Wilson he can be reached vis email at wilsonpitts@yahoo.com and on Twitter @pluguglyboxing.  Enjoy the video!

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Jan 03 2011

Balance Your Fight Game

Category: Agility,Jiu-Jitsu,MMA,muay Thai,Striking/Stand-up,Uncategorized — Rob @ 7:25 PM

One very important aspect that many mixed martial artists neglect as well as other combat athletes is balance.  If you watch MMA there are some really great athletes in the sport.  Many of those athletes posses great balance in their MMA game.  Let’s break down some positions fighters can find themselves in during a fight and apply what having strong balance will do.

Your balance in a fight is important throughout the entire fight. Take a look at BJ Penn, there are times when n opponent goes to take him down and he is on one leg and not going down to the ground.   So balance is good for takedown defense.  One area that balance is overlooked is in the striking portion of the game.  When throwing combinations fighters that cannot maintain solid balance will not be able to deliver the punches with any kind of power.  When delivering a kick, if done properly a fighter must get up on the ball of one foot and turn their hips explosively, if the athlete cannot get up on the one leg for the brief time the kick will not generate enough power or speed.

In past posts I have spoken about some ways to increase your ability to have better balance, from the one leg squat or pistol, to performing single leg hops.  These ways are an excellent way to better your balance.  Another way, which could be beneficial, and it is a very basic movement is walking across a balance beam.  Yes I know the next thing you will say is “where am I going to get a balance beam?”  But you do not need a balance beam.

Remember when you were a kid and you were at the playground or just hanging out on the street?  Well, I do and I remember using the curb along my street to walk across and use my balance.  I actually think I used to pretend that if I fell off I was falling into a swamp of alligators.  Boy was I a dork.  But as you can see a childlike imagination can lead to great thing in the future like having some great balance.  You can also go out and purchase a nice 2×4 lay it on the ground and use that as your own personal balance beam.

Instead of myself showing you what to do, this video is of my daughter who attends gymnastics class.  At only a year and half she has now started to walk across the balance beam with minimal help if any.  So start using this little secret from the gymnastics world and you will only improve as a fighter.

Train Hard! Train Smart

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Dec 18 2010

Lesson’s Learned from The Fighter

Category: Boxing,MMA,Striking/Stand-up,Uncategorized — Rob @ 12:28 AM

So the big movie that just hit the screen is The Fighter starring Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale.  The movie is based on former boxer Micky Ward and his brother and also a former boxer Dicky Eklund.  As you may know Micky Ward was a warrior inside the ring and is known for his three epic wars with the late Arturo Gatti.

So I was able to get a babysitter and have a great date night with my wife and we headed out for dinner and the movie.  Now usually I go to a movie and just relax and get my mind off of everything.  But something happened to me as I was sitting there, I was pulled some lessons from the movie.  So this is what I took from the movie and what I had read about it.

Lesson One

The first thing I learned from the movie is the way in which actor Christian Bale portrayed Dicky Eklund.  From all the sources I read they said his portrayal was right on.   Bale is known for really getting into the roles he plays.  He actually becomes the person he is playing.  For this role he had to lose about thirty pounds.  Now that is dedication and it is not the first time he has lost considerable amount of weight in order to play a movie role.  This type of dedication is exactly what any body trying to become a professional fighter needs to be successful.  If you wan to be a pro fighter you need to act like one.  You need to put in the training hours no matter how tough your current life is, you need to eat like a combat athlete and you need to act like a professional.

The dedication you put into your career will reflect what you get out of.  I am sure that Christian Bale will be probably receiving best supporting actor this year.  His way of being a professional actor is what separates him from many other actors out there in Hollywood.  So now it’s time to assess yourself and become rededicated to becoming the fighter you want to play.

Lesson Two

Have you ever had a dream?  Well I think we all have dreams of doing something and if you are on my site and reading this your dream may be to be a fighter of some type and even a world champion one day.  Before I headed out to the movie I picked up the recent issue of Sports Illustrated and read about the movie.  I had read about how Mark Wahlberg had been interested in getting this movie on the big screen for years.  For many reasons it had been turned down constantly.  However Wahlberg never quit on the idea of getting this story out.  Finally he was able to find a way to get the story of Micky Ward out there.  Wahlberg’s constant push and never say die attitude is what helped him prevail in his fight.

The same as in the movie Ward never quit on his dream.  Overcoming many different obstacles Ward pushed through them all making many decisions along the way that helped him one day win a world championship.  What you need to take from this movie is to go after your dream, make the tough decisions and stand by them.  You will see never quitting and pushing on no matter how down you may feel will one day lead to big things.  So if you want to be a world champion one day then be patient and your hard work will pay off.

Lesson Three

The last lesson we can all take from The Fighter is one of my personal favorites.  Now during the movie Ward knocks out an opponent with some vicious body shots.  At that moment all I could think about was former great Bas Rutten and his awesome liver shot.  So yes the last lesson is go to the body early and often and finish it off with a LIVER SHOT!

Train Hard! Train Smart!

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Dec 08 2010

Interview with GSP about Training

Category: Boxing,Conditioning,Jiu-Jitsu,Mental Training,MMA,muay Thai,Power Training,Quickness,Strength Training,Striking/Stand-up,UFC,Uncategorized,Wrestling — Rob @ 8:31 PM

Like with all weeks leading up to the big UFC cards I am on the prowl for some good training video’s from the fighters that are on the card.  I have been on the lookout for some good George St. Pierre training video but instead came across a great interview done for UFC.com.

Since I am out to help many of those trying to break into the sport or those looking to get to the next level I pulled a few key points from this interview that will help with your fighting career.  When you want to be great at something you look to the best and figure out what they are doing and how they prepare, Take the knowledge you gain from these top notch people and then tailor it to you.

In this interview with GSP for his upcoming fight against Josh Koscheck he talks about using the knowledge he gained and putting it all together.  There are a couple of important messages to take from this interview.  One was getting out of your comfort zone.  Many fighters continue to train with the same team and with the same training ideas fight in and fight out.  This may work for a while but eventually it will fail a fighter.  The more often you take yourself out of comfort zone the more likely you will succeed in a fight.  In a fight there is no comfort zone so the more you are used to being out of it in general the better fighter and person you will become.

Another important point I picked out is all the different people he trains with.  This gives him an advantage because he is now a wealth of knowledge and he knows how to put it all together.  GSP invests in himself and his pursuit for greatness.   This investment in himself has made him the dominant fighter he is today.  So if you are an amateur trying to make it or you are trying to get to the next level in your career, then make the investment and watch how successful you will become.

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Dec 04 2010

Defend Yourself

Category: MMA,muay Thai,reaction time,Striking/Stand-up,Uncategorized — Rob @ 8:40 AM

When defending the body in Muay Thai and MMA, there are many times when you need to keep it short and simple. That’s when you call on the inward deflection and body block.

Part of the techniques I like to refer to as “Short hand Muay Thai”, These techniques are short simple and to the point. They are primarily used against the Teep(Thrust kick), Tdae(Round kick) and Kao Drong(Straight knee).

The Inside Deflection, or shucking as I affectionately refer to it(I spent time on the farm when I was younger!), is a quick snappy movement used against straight attacks such as the Teep and Kao Drong.

Keep your palms against your head, extend your elbows straight out just a bit, as your opponents weapon comes near striking range twist at the waist, snapping your forearm inward and striking the side of the leg with your elbow, you not only disrupt your opponents flow and cause it damage, you have also set yourself up for the perfect counter!

The Body Block is also a quick movement used specifically against The Tdae(Round kicks) aimed at the body.

As the kick swings toward your body pull your arm tight against your body and your hand tight against your head, turn slightly into the kick to take some of the momentum away. now immediately follow up with an attacking movement and your good to go!

Remember, when you have to keep it short and snappy the key is to follow up immediately after the defensive movement!

Godspeed my friends, Kru Juice of the Muayman Alliance!

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