The fifth lesson in CCMA’s course on Mixed Martial Arts for martial arts cross-training covered the second part of our section on training off the wall.
The lesson began with some partner footwork drills transitioning from stand-up to clinch and ground. The fighter did some target training for speed and then power, moving onto various takedown positioning, takedown defence, fighting from the top position on the ground and then from underneath.
We then transferred our attention the wall. This began with a revision and layering of last lesson’s work from the stand-up and clinching positions. We looked at fighting out from the wall by using footwork and leverage.
Next we covered the lesson’s main topic: fighting from the ground against the wall. I have yet to see anyone want to be put into this position. So we first looked at the perspective from the fighter on top. Whether they are sitting in someone’s guard or pinning them, they have the advantage when their opponent’s neck and shoulders are pinned to the wall. With gravity behind their strikes and the leverage of their opponent being wedged against the wall, the top fighter can stand with a lot of confidence and stack the fighter underneath. The main concern the top fighter has to consider is blocking his opponent’s attempts to escape by their shifting off the wall. The person underneath has the real battle to face and it could end pretty quickly when he finds it hard to defend himself. This is where the wall itself can come in useful to aid the individual to bridge. However, few places emphasise the importance of core principles in training than this desperate place. The core muscles are directly engaged to create distance and to promote mobility in order wriggle free from the wall. We also trained using the feet against the wall if you are pinned near it in the reverse position. This is a particularly useful tactic that provides a lot extra boost from underneath.
We finished the lesson with some free sparring.