Clubb Chimera

Image via Wikipedia 22.08.11: Today’s class was attended wholly by senior grades, so we focused on developing key parts of MMA using the 300 reps as a technique model for improving muscle memory. This was done after a warm-up led by two different students.   The movie “300”, a shot-for-shot adaptation of Frank Miller’s fanciful comic mini-series retelling of the famed 300 Spartan soldiers that fought literally to the last man at the Battle of Thermopyae, has had a definite […]

Image by Getty Images via @daylife The summer time brings a certain laziness to training. The minority train as hard as they have ever did, but those who have done this for a long time will know that lethargy that sneaks in when the days are long, the weather is hot and the holidays have just been or are around the corner. So, what better time to look at the overall conditioning of the class. Class attendance is usually very […]

Image via Wikipedia 08.08.11: A central focus of a lot of CCMA’s approach is the overlap between self-defence education and attribute training. Often what constitute as attribute training are the full-contact combat sports. Although much of the dynamic is different, there is a rich area for crossover. Today we began with self-defence tactics and evolved into MMA tactics via the cover.   After a specific warm-up, training all ranges, we began with the fence. This was done with a target […]

Image via Wikipedia 01.08.11 I have been training at several other gyms over the past few weeks. On a personal level it’s great to have the upset and feeling you get outside your comfort zone. However, for my students it means I will be bringing back a rich array of different approaches and ideas. Today I pooled from some western boxing, muay Thai and freestyle wrestling drills. We started lesson with the boxing gloves on. The warm-up consisted of isolating […]

Image via Wikipedia 25.07.11: Write down 5,000 times "I am never beyond or above basics". This is something that goes through my head time and again. I have just recently returned to the normality of running my regular children's MMA and self protection class in Coventry after a mad four days working with my coach, Mo Teague. Mo has been running a six week intensive instructor training programme for his Hard Target System. My time away training and assisting with […]

Image via Wikipedia 18.07.11 Tonight was our last night at the Eastern Green venue until next term. Next week we are back at Woodlands School and Sports College (very shortly changing to Woodlands Academy) for the summer holiday period. We took advantage of the extra mat space and focused on grappling. After a warm-up that included footwork, shadow boxing, bear crawls, snaking/shrimping, crab crawls and various rolls and breakfalls we moved onto the clinch range. Clinch began with the highline […]

Image by xharekx33 via Flickr If you are going to teach lengthy set combinations, even in combat sports, I think it pays to do some target familarization. This works for both attack and defence. Today after some shadow boxing at all ranges for a warm-up we went straight to the 11 punch boxing combination and the standard punch/kick combination without the focus mitts. This is far from the first time we have done before, but some new beginners hadn’t done […]

My birthday, but today wasn’t any less busy than the last few! Today’s class focused on going back through the 11 punch boxing combination and some guard work for the ground. Graded students revised and improved the basic techniques of jab, cross and uppercut. They were delivered in rapid sequence and isolated with power. Ungraded students learnt the combination for the first time. Guard work was divided up into closed guard for lower grades and hook guard for intermediate/higher grades. […]