Mixed Martial Arts

Are Head Hits in Boxing/MMA Good or Bad? The Truth...

Are Head Hits in Boxing/MMA Good or Bad? The Truth...

Is getting hit in the head bad for us when we train in martial arts such as boxing, MMA, kickboxing, karate, muay thai, etc.??? Here is how I see it, and what I did to my students to make them train smarter. Being educated on the truth can keep us training safe for years to come.

The Art of Counter-Striking

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

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

Wicked BJJ Clock Choke

I spent some time last year adding the clock choke into my game. It's an awesome submission and one I had never really used until early last year. It became quite useful when attacking people's turtle defense.

After using it repeatedly, I ended up in side control with…

Seize Leg - Mantis Heel Kick Defense

Seize Leg - Mantis Heel Kick Defense

I absolutely love this heel kick defense. My favorite one to practice, as you'll see in the video; thank you Thomas! There are two variations of this depending on…

Tame Tiger - 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

LEAN (Kào 靠) - 12 of 12 - The Keywords of Mantis Boxing

Lean (Kào 靠) - to lean against one’s opponent. Due to the heavy reliance upon grappling and clinchwork in Mantis Boxing, Kào is an important keyword when engaged close range with the enemy.

Postural Defense

Once we are entangled…

What Type of Gloves Should You Train With?

What Type of Gloves Should You Train With?

MMA Gloves or Boxing Gloves? Which should you train with? This is a great question we are going to tackle today in this new Swamp Talks. The type of glove we use in training…

Going Nerd Level on Blocking

Going Nerd Level on Blocking

Today I'm going NERD LEVEL on blocking. This is an interesting detail I found that can make or break your blocking. I can't explain the why, so I'm calling on all…

6 Positions of Side Control - How to Drill and Improve BJJ Side Mount

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

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!!

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 - 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...

Embrace the Suck!!!

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

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…