The Art of Counter-Striking
There are two types of fighters - offensive fighters, and counter-fighters. A list of descriptors for offensive fighters is comprised of - aggressive, confrontational, type-A personality, control freaks, etc. On the inverse, the counter-fighter may be described as - laid back, docile, relaxed, non-confrontational. I contest that, no matter what your style of fighting is, I will make the case that the counter-striking skills are crucial to both camps of fighters. For now, if you are an offensive fighter, skip ahead to the section below on Offensive Fighters. If you are a Counter-Fighter, then carry on to the next paragraph.
Double Seal Hands
It may not happen often, but when it does, it's good to have an answer for it. We're in the flank position, and our opponent is holding our wrists to shut down strikes. We're not in a good position for knees, elbows, or kicks. Many of the throws (Shuāi 摔) in our arsenal are shut down. What do we do?
Wicked BJJ Clock Choke
Seize Leg - Mantis Heel Kick Defense
Tame Tiger - Heel Kick Defense
Here's a great counter to the heel kick. This move is actually inside Tai Ji Quan forms, but I adopted into my Mantis Boxing system after seeing it in Muay Thai and realizing what it was. It's an awesome counter/defense against the heel kick, and definitely one I want in my arsenal.
There are some nuances to it, and inside this video I'll highlight 3 fail points that are common and how to avoid them. Check it out.
LEAN (Kào 靠) - 12 of 12 - The Keywords of Mantis Boxing
What Type of Gloves Should You Train With?
Going Nerd Level on Blocking
6 Positions of Side Control - How to Drill and Improve BJJ Side Mount
My Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu teacher (Andre 'Dedeco' Almeida) showed me this awesome Side Control drill when I was a new White Belt. It is one of the best drills I've seen for…
How and When to Stand Up in a Fight
Team Note: I know many of you who train with me will enjoy this video. Truth be told, I wish we had done it years ago because it is so fundamentally important. There isn't enough time in the day to practice everything, so feel free to take this and practice it whenever you can, and as much as you want.
Video Description: Whether we like it or not, sometimes we end up on the ground in a fight/altercation, or just a dangerous situation. When and how we stand up, can mean the difference between success and fail. Here are some tips for standing up when someone is waiting to pounce.
Defending the Worst Position Ever!!
The High Mount combined with striking is a deadly combination. This is by far, one of the worst positions you can get stuck in on the ground. The traditional BJJ escape for mount - bridge, trap, and roll doesn't work quite yet, and meanwhile our opponent is raining punches on us, and bringing the thunder like Poseidon.
All too often, we panic in this situation and end up flailing, or trying to grab arms. Here we show a technique we call - 'Shield Up / Shimmy Up' to help you deal with this problematic position. We have to work from where we are, not where we want to be.
Emotional Control - A Core Fighting Principle
‘Emotional Control’ - this often sought after, and rarely attained, side effect from martial arts training. We envision the wise old master sitting quietly in meditation, only to turn into a verifiable badass the moment the movie needs an action star to save the day.
What we don’t see, is that emotional control doesn’t really come for free, or as an automatic trait of just taking martial arts classes a few times per week. It doesn't come with...
Inner Demons #1: "Why Do I Suck At This?"
Another article on the ‘inner demons’ that hinder our training. “I’m not getting any better…”, or “Why do I suck at this?”
I want to take a few minutes today and try to shed some light on this obscure 'suck zone' we go through, and perhaps offer you some perspective to help you not only get through it, but optimize your progression. “Arrrrgghh!!! Why Can't I Get This!?!?!", "Why is that person getting this so much faster than I am?", "Why do I feel so stupid, or uncoordinated?"
These are common questions I hear, or see, as a coach/mentor/instructor. In order to understand why martial arts, or any
Southpaw and The Crazy Ghost Fist
There is a long history of ancient cultures including the Greeks, Romans, and Chinese, that prejudice left-handed use, or left-handed people. It is seen as - sinister, wicked, evil, and many of the words for such are derived from the word left in these languages.
In Chinese culture, the major philosophies and religions believe in the universe spinning from left to right; things must always start on the left and move toward the right to remain in harmony. This is expressed in many of the Traditional…