Today I went to Joslin's MMA in Hamilton, ON to take some one-on-one lessons with Jeff Joslin for The MMA Cave @Cable14.
The idea here is to show you in a little bit more detail what was explained to me, but will not be aired on TV.
The main focus of today was working on your stand up striking basics. We took a look at both your very basic combo of a Jab to Straight and the INFAMOUS outside leg kick.
First, let's take a look at the Jab, Straight Combo.
Little did I know, I thought I had perfect technique... I was bluntly informed that is not the case! (Just kidding, Jeff is honestly one of the nicest people!)
Here are some techniques he taught me, showing you the complexities involved with MMA:
Jab:
- You want to have your chin down, arms up and shoulders loose.
- When you throw your Jab, throw it straight down the middle (practicing with a piece of tape placed on a mirror in a straight line is a good way to improve your technique.)
- Start slow, you don't need to be knocking one out of the park at first!
- Always make sure you punch in a slight upward motion, so your wrist does not bend down when you connect (or worse, possibly break!)
- Practice your footing as you will generate your power from here and your hips
- Curl your hand forward at the very end of your punch, not to much to hyper-extend your wrist
- Slightly pivot your front hip at the end of your punch
- Retract your hand quickly! - You do not want to get caught with your hands laying out in the open.
- Most importantly, when practicing or scheduled events. Always wrap your hands to avoid injury, knuckle separation is a huge issue that can be incredibly painful. (Check back soon for types of hand wraps - cotton VS nylon - when to use them)
Straight:
- Similar to the jab, throw it straight down the middle (NO Dos Santos over hands!!)
- When you reach the end of your punch curl your hand forward
- At the end of this punch you will want to turn your back foot with your hips generating your power
- After connection, retract quickly - power and safety
Note: Always make sure your footing is correct, arms are loose and your chin is down.
When you have both punches mastered individually you can start connecting them in combos making sure you note everything involved within each technique.
Now, Let's take a look at a leg kick,
You will see on the show that even with a leg pad, these kicks can be devastating. Jeff Joslin showed me what he could do, and let me tell you, through the pad my leg is green and purple. CRAZY!
Outside Leg Kick:
- Same stance as your punching combos
- Make sure you set up this kick or you will end up like Anderson Silva! (If you haven't had a chance to take a look at it...he horribly broke his shin!)
- Take a small step turning your lead foot away from your body and follow through with your back foot. Let the momentum and your hips control your power (think of your leg as a string with a ball on the end)
- Upon connection, Immediately retract, otherwise you will be exposed to counter attacks that may floor you!
- Jeff showed me how to use the jab to effectively set up this kick! Use with caution (in Jeffs words "This kick can end fights if it lands 3 or 4 times" (after my demo, I believe that!)
I wanted to say thank you again to Jeff Joslin and Joslin's MMA (joslinsmma.com) for helping out with the segment. He does have a home program now to check out, and a free trial for one week at the gym. Check it out, you will not be disappointed!
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