16.05.18
The second lesson of the day was part of my continuing Self-Protection/Mixed Martial Arts course I am running at Kingham Hill School. Today the class moved onto anti-grappling tactics. We overlapped pad-work, technique application and live testing on all the techniques cover today.
We warmed up with posture transitioning and movement exercises. Then we began an anti-grappling exercise that involved one partner using grappling holds and the other placing strikes. This built up into a series of specific exercises. Using full-face head-guard one partner (the coach) gradually increased pressure on various grappling holds. The other partner responded with strikes to the head and whatever target was available. Eventually the exercise graduated to a pressure test with the coach attempting to take their partner down. This was then taken over onto the focus mitts. Next we brought in closer range anti-grappling tactics such as eye-gouges, head-butts and elbow strikes. These went through the same process. All grappling holds were restricted to the upper body. Next we introduced sprawling and spear knee strikes, allowing for lower line grappling attacks.
Photography by Charlotte Von Bulow Quirk