Necktie Counter to Omoplata
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.
Spider Killer - The 3 S...Words to Kill Your Opponents Spider Guard
LEAN (Kào 靠) - 12 of 12 - The Keywords of Mantis Boxing
Why the Keywords of Mantis Boxing Matter
What Type of Gloves Should You Train With?
CRUSH (Bēng 崩) - 9 of 12 - The Keywords of Mantis Boxing
Crush (Bēng 崩) - to ‘collapse and fall into ruin’. Also known as 'crushing' in many Chinese Martial Arts usages. Bēng is used to attack the vital targets in the midsection of an opponent. Effective strike targets such as: the liver, stomach; ribs, and the real treasure - the solar plexus, or central palace in Taijiquan. All of these targets can…
The Way of the Mantis Boxer
Going Nerd Level on Blocking
HEAVY ASSAULT! - Circle and Chop, or Haymaker and Hammer
HEAVY ASSAULT - Go heavy, or go home! This striking combination, plucked right from the catalog of Mantis Boxing techniques passed down for centuries, is to overwhelm the opponent with big, destructive, blows. Connecting with the first one is ideal and effective, but if they duck, or move back, the second…
Hook vs Circle Punch - What's the Difference?
What's the difference between a Hook Punch and a Circle Punch? Are they really that different? Yes, and yes.
The Hook Punch is used at a closer range, similar to an uppercut. It works well when you are striking in tight, or engaged in a Clinch (Lǒu 摟). In here, a long range strike will extend beyond my opponent. We position the arm in a tighter hook shape to help…
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…
The Scraping Fist
Guest Appearance: Fight for a Happy Life with Sensei Ando
I had the honor of being invited onto Fight for a Happy Life martial arts podcast with host Sensei Ando. The episode just released today.
Check out our conversation on topics like - freedom, defining success, barriers to students progress, living life, and weird questions about what I want on my deathbed/tombstone (is this guy planning to kill me???), and lots of laughter.
Monkey Grips! How I Strengthen My Grips and Keep Them Healthy
Fingers hurt after training? Grips not strong enough to hold on when grappling? Check this out.
Grip strength and health can be a really important thing for martial artists. Grip intensive arts such as Judo, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Shuai Jiao, and other Grappling Arts, all require/build grip strength, and put a great deal of wear and tear on the fingers. Today I'm going to show you the methods I use to keep my grips not only strong, but healthy. For strengthening: exercises like rope...
Guest Appearance: The Strenuous Life Podcast w/ Stephen Kesting
On the latest episode of his podcast - 'The Strenuous Life' - BJJ Black Belt and founder of Grapplearts, Stephen Kesting and I debate the value of Kung Fu, and if it can coexist with BJJ and MMA. I think you are going to like this! I highly recommend his channels if you haven't already found him!
"Can Kung Fu, BJJ and MMA coexist? Maybe they can, and maybe they can even learn from each other.
This is a conversation I had with with Kung Fu stylist (and BJJ brown belt) Randy Brown in which we touched on the history of Chinese martial arts and what made them less effective over time, what traditional martial arts look like when you start training them with resistance, and much more. I think you’ll like this one!"
The Tiger Tail - My Most Hated Throw!!!
This was truly one of my most hated throws. In 2009, on one of my semi-annual sojourns to San Diego to train with my Mantis Boxing coach at the time, I was introduced to this personal menace.
The primary purpose of this trip, was for my teacher to share with me the 20 throws of Mantis Boxing that his 8-Step Mantis Boxing teacher had...
'Sneaky' Americana for No-Gi
Ezekiel Choke to Americana Lock (Keylock)
Here is another attack using the same sneaky Americana I've been using from under the head. In this example, we go from the Ezekiel Choke and our opponent defends it. Because my weight is side shifted, my savvy friend will feel my opposite leg go light, and try to push my knee into half guard to gain a better position.
Rather than stay there and let them get half guard, we skip over to position 2 of Side Control. Now they defend the position by trying to build a frame. This presents the arm in a vulnerable position to grab it from...
