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Have I mentioned that I love our fight class?
This week didn’t produce anything as fun as a new son, but it was entertaining and my nose didn’t start to bleed after the first love tap.
One thing I noticed… When thrown into the mix I tend to revert back to some old habits. It’s like dropping the arm when I kick. I’ve been told a thousand times but I still do it. Fortunately, a friend told me to do some drills while holding my ear lobe so I could get used to keeping the hand up there. Does anybody have any tricks to stop these habits?
1- I pull my head back… More importantly back = up and back leaving my chin out there like I’m asking to be hit. I may escape a jab but I know I’m going to get tagged on the jaw one day and end up laying on my back in the aviary. (I know this one is VERY bad). Tips on how to remember to keep my chin down?
2- I crowd. I’m not tall but I’m big (265 lbs). When a quicker guy is peppering me with jabs and crosses I tend to get really close to him and start swinging with hooks. Is this bad? I think if the guy knew what he was doing he’d land a solid uppercut or maybe some good kidney/liver shots. If this is bad, does anybody have any ideas on how to get rid of the instinct and angle out rather than in?
3- My jab becomes a stiff arm. When I get a little overwhelmed I just throw a jab out there and leave it in his face. I don’t have really long arms but it usually keeps the guy back long enough to catch my breath and load up for a cross. When I’ve sparred before I often do this combined with a round/leg kick. They usually don’t see the kick and I can land it pretty hard. I have no idea why I do this one, I don’t even notice I’m doing it until I find myself pushing the other guy around with my glove in his face. Some BJJ guy is going to rip my arm off.
Ideas?
Re: Bad Habits Die Hard
quote DirtyHippieUte:Have I mentioned that I love our fight class?This week didn’t produce anything as fun as a new son, but it was entertaining and my nose didn’t start to bleed after the first love tap.
One thing I noticed… When thrown into the mix I tend to revert back to some old habits. It’s like dropping the arm when I kick. I’ve been told a thousand times but I still do it. Fortunately, a friend told me to do some drills while holding my ear lobe so I could get used to keeping the hand up there. Does anybody have any tricks to stop these habits?
1- I pull my head back… More importantly back = up and back leaving my chin out there like I’m asking to be hit. I may escape a jab but I know I’m going to get tagged on the jaw one day and end up laying on my back in the aviary. (I know this one is VERY bad). Tips on how to remember to keep my chin down?
2- I crowd. I’m not tall but I’m big (265 lbs). When a quicker guy is peppering me with jabs and crosses I tend to get really close to him and start swinging with hooks. Is this bad? I think if the guy knew what he was doing he’d land a solid uppercut or maybe some good kidney/liver shots. If this is bad, does anybody have any ideas on how to get rid of the instinct and angle out rather than in?
3- My jab becomes a stiff arm. When I get a little overwhelmed I just throw a jab out there and leave it in his face. I don’t have really long arms but it usually keeps the guy back long enough to catch my breath and load up for a cross. When I’ve sparred before I often do this combined with a round/leg kick. They usually don’t see the kick and I can land it pretty hard. I have no idea why I do this one, I don’t even notice I’m doing it until I find myself pushing the other guy around with my glove in his face. Some BJJ guy is going to rip my arm off.
Ideas?
On the first one, I had the same problem. I dropped my hands during a kick or jutted my chin out while dodging a puch. I had the instructor throw a few jabs during and after my kicks and after a few times being tagged on the chin I learned to continue to defend even while attacking. It also tought me to protect the chin.
On the crowding issue, I am in the same boat as you. I have short arms and just about everyone can outreach me. Instead of crowding when someone throws a punch I do not retreat but move forward into my range and stike him in the nose. Of course you better be good in your inside and 360 defense to pull that off. Most people are not expecting that but it works.
Third issue, learn to pull your arm back to protect your head or you just may get it handed to you. I kind of like the idea of holding onto your earlobe while doing some bag work to teach you to keep your hands up and by your own head. You are correct that if you fight a BJJ or Hapkido practicioner they just may put you on your head or break an arm.
Lcash
Re: Bad Habits Die Hard
How’s your movement? Are you standing there waiting for the quicker guy to hit you or are you moving to prevent him from getting a bead on you?
You should try to work on the inside. I’ve got short arms as well so I like to work in the clinch, especially against faster or taller guys… drives them nuts. Try mixing your punches (hooks, body shots, uppercuts) so that you don’t become predictable when you get in close. As a disclaimer, I do occasionally eat some punches on the way inside but at least my sparring partner is now in my punching range.
Bag work helped me work on the basics (chin down, placement of hands, kicks, etc). I also got tips in the form of hook shots to the head from my sparring partners which helped remind me not to leave my arm out when I punched…
My instructors (super folks!!) were also right on top of my butt when I did things like drop my hands, boxed with my chin up, etc.
Re: Bad Habits Die Hard
As far as keeping your chin down, we had an interesting drill one day when I visited the NTC. We shadowboxed keeping a beanie bag tucked between our chin and chest. You know one of those little beanie bags you use for kids toys. This is a lot more difficult than it sounds but it really teaches you to keep your chin down. To add to the difficulty do 10 pushups every time the beanie bag drops, you’ll keep your chin down very well after this.
Re: Bad Habits Die Hard
quote kravfish:As far as keeping your chin down, we had an interesting drill one day when I visited the NTC. We shadowboxed keeping a beanie bag tucked between our chin and chest. You know one of those little beanie bags you use for kids toys. This is a lot more difficult than it sounds but it really teaches you to keep your chin down. To add to the difficulty do 10 pushups every time the beanie bag drops, you’ll keep your chin down very well after this.I ran into my instructor this morning and he suggested something very similar.
I wish you hadn’t posted the part about the consequences of dropping the bean bag… We don’t need to give my instructor any more ideas.
Re: Bad Habits Die Hard
I often have students hold one rolled handwrap under their chin to help with this.
Re: Bad Habits Die Hard
Ryan,
That is an awesome idea. I’m going to try that tomorrow night. That chin tucking thing is a problem for me sometimes. Any ideas for keeping the hands up? I’m so gonna get my face pounded one day with that one.Re: Bad Habits Die Hard
That is a great idea for helping train to keep your chin tucked. I seem to make that same mistake quite often (and get tagged for it… lol).
I have a related questions maybe someone could help me with. I am tall (6’3″) and have very long arms. As a result when I am sparring (I have only been doing fight classes for about a month, so I am very new), especially against people 7-8″ shorter than me, I wind up dropping my hands slightly just so that I can see over them and see my partner. While, when I drop my hands slightly my vision improves, it is only long enough to watch the leather hit my face. By that time, my partner has closed the distance and is fighting inside where my reach is almost as much of a disadvantage as it might have been an advantage before.
Another issue I have is the slip of a hook. Because of my height, I end up slipping right into the punch (which, if not for the mercy of my sparring partners, would result in me sleeping through the rest of class…) Is there a better way to slip a hook vs. ducking?
Like I said, I am still new to fight, (will probably learn more tonight in class) but I was wondering if any of you had any insights? My instructors are excellent, and I have improved 4-500% vs where I started, I just forget to ask when I am in the heat of the moment. Thanks all.
Re: Bad Habits Die Hard
quote Nickolas Cook:Any ideas for keeping the hands up? I’m so gonna get my face pounded one day with that one.Hold your earlobe or maintain some kind of constant contact with your face when kicking and doing things other than punching.
Also, when I’m doing cardio I’ll sometimes do a few minutes at a time of holding my extended thumbs on the corner of my eyebrows.
I’m still not perfect at keeping my hands up but the combination of these two things has made it more of a habit and has helped with the conditioning needed to hold my hands up all the time.
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