with the exception of a few fighters like Frankie Edgar, there is a lack of it in MMA. maybe im wrong, but that was striking 101 for me, if you are getting hit, circle out. If you don't circle out you keep getting hit cause your leaving yourself in the same spot essentially. Yes your moving back, but your opponent is moving forward at the same time and you keep getting hit. I know its easier said than done but these guys are supposed to be at the top of sport.
nobody...figured Id at least get some educated opinions and some people telling me i dont know what im talking about.
Good stand up absolutely has to include good footwork, lateral movement, changing ranges, and creating angles. This is true, IMHO, for offense and defense. It is also very difficult to teach people because it takes time to put it all together in a smooth, coordinated, effective style. Then you have to teach people to be able to know what the right offensive combination or defensive counter is created by the angle, and/or how to shoot a takedown from there. Head movement is also critical. w/o that, you tend to have sloppy stand up that is just wading in and swinging.
Respectfully:
Fred
jvwand - with the exception of a few fighters like Frankie Edgar, there is a lack of it in MMA. maybe im wrong, but that was striking 101 for me, if you are getting hit, circle out. If you don't circle out you keep getting hit cause your leaving yourself in the same spot essentially. Yes your moving back, but your opponent is moving forward at the same time and you keep getting hit. I know its easier said than done but these guys are supposed to be at the top of sport.Dude, half the MMA fighters I watch at the top of the sport circle towards the power hand of their opponent.....it's retarded.
Even Arlovski backed up in a straight line when Rogers was punching him after training with Freddie Roach for a few years............crazy
Fundamentals.
Same goes with clinching and grappling.
Guys are just missing them.
D cruz uses it well. that is why it is very hard to time take downs and strikes on him
thunderguard - Dominick Cruz uses it well. that is why it is very hard to time take downs and strikes on himYes he does!!!
But just wait until "everyone" is able to do it just as well as Cruz, all you'll hear from the fans are "this is bullshit, c'mon fight!, he's running away the whole time?, he's using the gameplan 'Strike N' Bike'...bullshit!"
I should add, most MMA fighters I see around "learn" to strike, before they learn footwork! It should be completely the opposite!!! I had to spend 1 month just focusing on my footwork before I was even learning to throw a punch. and to this day, whatever strike/combo I'm practicing, you have to master the footwork involved in the technique first.
Like someone said, ton's of people are good strikers, they can throw good hands, put their hip and body weight into it.....but they have NO footwork whatsoever when trying to apply their striking (Ex. sparring).
It's fundamental, but it's one of the many striking fundamentals that takes lots of practice to develop because it works against instinct. In this case, the instinct is to move straight back. Other examples are looping punches, dropping your hands, holding your head high, and pulling your head straight back / turning away in an exchange.
Lots of good input on this thread. I agree wholeheartedly that it is all about fundamentals, and is not natural for most people. When something is not natural, and the natural tendency is wrong, it takes a long time to unlearn the incorrect, natural tendency and re - teach the body and the brain the correct way. That is why if I had a person who wanted to fight come to train I would try to get them to drill a lot. First teach the movements, then start drilling slowly to be sure nothing was left out, then gradually, over time, increase the intensity of the drilling, and then hopefully get them to be able to incorporate it into live sparring.
Of course, the final step is to be able to do it in the fight. Long process. I think that is why we don't see enough of it. Not enough people and coaches are investing enough time into it. What makes it even harder in MMA than in boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, etc., is that all the while you have to be so cognizant of the fact that you can be taken down. Then you have to factor in that you have to do the same process w/wrestling and submissions, then be able to put it all together seamlessly, and have incredible conditioning..
That is part of why I love MMA so much. It is so complex that nobody ever knows or is perfect @ everything.
Respectfully:
Fred
crocop used to be great with it
I am shocked that nobody has incorporated triangular footwork with any marked proficiency.
I think Bisping has learned too. At least he circles away from the power hand now.
wow...i didn't have any hope for this thread at first but this is good. I glad im not the only one who is seeing the lack of good footwork. I guess I was just kind of wondering if I was crazy and I was missing some vital part of MMA training where circling is bad.
and Fred, where do you train/teach, cause if its in FL i would take some of your classes.
As much as I would like to see better footwork in MMA, im just happy that eventually we will see it. It means there is still room to grow which means there is still a lot of life left in the sport.
I wish I could say I had I lived somewhere in FL, especially in The Keys or Southwest FL, but unfortunately I don't. I am in Kansas City.
and Fred, where do you train/teach, cause if its in FL i would take some of your classes.
Respectfully:
Fred
interesting
The power hand thing is true but sometimes if you want the lead leg for a takedown then you circle away from it, which is the wrong way for striking. Not that they are all doing this, but it's a different way of thinking.
Also I would be amazed if most MMA fighters don't "know" which way they should be going, but putting it into practice is something else.
You wanna see some crazy footwork check out Petrosyan at the K1 Max final. It was a footwork and headmovement clinic.
correct
Italians Copy Greeks - Developing footwork and defence is tedious and difficult. Hitting bags and pads isn't.
it's certainly not as instantly gratifying.