Hey guys, I'm new to this forum so I'm sorry if the subject has been beaten to death allready.
In boxing I've heard that most punches should be thrown at 60-70% power. How does this change when it comes to MMA where there might only be a few punches in a whole fight but every over-commited punch opens you for a takedown ? More 100% power punches? Less ?
ttt
NO, I say stick with 60-70 percent in MMA too until you are connecting, then pick it up. With MMA gloves on a 60-70 percent punch is going to knock a guys head around and I had rather land 3 at 60 percent than miss once at 100 percent.
Thnx stlnl, makes sense. Would you say the combinations are basically the same ? Most of the times combinations seem shorter in MMA, Should they be ? (I mean i boxing you often see series of 5-6 punches) Body-shots more/ less ?
MMA guys never seem to go to the body. I don't know
why, but I'm sure there's a reason. So you may want
to change your combinations accordingly. As for number
of punches thrown, I couldn't say. Depends on your
tactics and skill set I'd say. If you're looking
to take down, you may want a short combination to
distract him while you set it up. If you're looking
to stay standing you may want to just try and finish
him off if you stun him a little. Do your damage while you can, and not back out until you need the
rest.
'Most of the times combinations seem shorter in MMA, Should they be ?'
'MMA guys never seem to go to the body. I don't know why, but I'm sure there's a reason. '
Just a theory, but I expect its simply because MMAers aren't very good boxers. I have seen very few good displays of boxing in NHB fights. Most just wade forward throwing alternate punches at the head. So I think its less because of the different demands the game places on fighting technique, and more to do with most of the fighters not being very good at boxing.
In mma when I am getting ready for a fight I to train the hell out of 2 punch combinations followed my a leg kick. In mma the leg kick can replace the body shot to a degree ( My boxing coach says finish to the body whenever you can to prevent counters and a leg kick can sub for a body shot) so that is one reason there are not many body shots. another is the range, once one guy feels alot of pressure from the other he doesnt stay in the middle distance, he clinches fast.
Best combinations- jab/right kick= very fast and hard to read good early on to see if you can score.
Right cross/left uppercut = lots of guys in mma have some bad habits and tend to look at the floor when a punch comes their way, making the left upper land well, which can be followed by another right cross.
Right cross/left hook/ right kick - My bread and butter. I can use this for a guy running or a guy coming at me as I am throwing at him. IF the guy retreats the hook usually doesnt score but the kick plants him. If the guy comes forward, the hook shakes him up and the right kick goes to the INSIDE OF THE REAR LEG (assuming rt handed fighter) as you are too close to hit the front leg effectively. This one really confuses an aggressive guy and makes him slow down some so that you can make him start reacting to you rather than vice versa.
Those are as long as I like to use in MMA, guys with a different build/philosphy will use different things and have different opinions. If you are shorter for your weight class and can sprawl mine should work for ya.
"'MMA guys never seem to go to the body. I don't know why, but I'm sure there's a reason. '
Just a theory, but I expect its simply because MMAers aren't very good boxers. I have seen very few good displays of boxing in NHB fights. Most just wade forward throwing alternate punches at the head. So I think its less because of the different demands the game places on fighting technique, and more to do with most of the fighters not being very good at boxing."
Actually, (and I'm not saying your statement is wrong in general, but specifically for this question) it may have more to do with the positioning to get a good body shot (like a hook/shovel punch)...you want to set and dig, lower and in-tight. This could set you up easily (more easily) to be clinched and kneed...or elbowed depending upon the rules (Thai boxing)
At least that's the way I was taught....
Yeah... I think real crosstraining with boxing muay thai/ wrestling and submission is still too young. You can't tell what would work best just by watching the fights. This new breed of fighters is still undeveloped.
Thanks for the good answers ! I still believe in long combinations and bodyshots just like traditional boxing.... I just have trouble putting it all together and when you never see this kind of boxing in top MMA fights it makes you go "hmmmm do they know something I don't ?"
Mspports1 : I agree with you that bodyshots open you up for clinching a little more but I still think they have a place in MMA. I know they do in Thaiboxing, just watch Hoost.
Definitely agreed...I believe they very much have a place...I just don't think that they are used as much because of this....and again it's something that I was trained to be wary of when trying to get in close like that...by no means an absolute.
ttt
stlnl, if you are too close to kick the front leg in your fave combo (r.cross, l. hook, r. kick) have you tried an inside thigh kick with you left leg instead? You can change it up too so if he expects it, reach with the left thogh kick and hit the outside of the back leg instead.
IMO, the kick to the inside thigh of the back leg can work to make them lose their balance, which is great, but it cannot, will not, has not ever done any serious damage to a fighter used to it.
Back leg with the left kick is good, but if I am too close to hit the lead leg to the outside with my right leg I am also too close to effectively hit the inside of his lead leg with my left leg.
As for the balance, that is more what I want to disrupt, to kkep an aggressive guy from counter punching. As for hurting a guy who is used to it by kicking the inside of the rear leg, i guess the three guys I have hit in MMA fights with it who had trained extensively in Thai need more training, because all three of them looked to have pissed their pants when I hit em with it.
There is a femoral nerve running inside the thigh over the knee cap, it isnt as debilitaiting as an outside kick, but you can DEFINITELY do damage to anyone with the kick, used to it or not.
Being hit with a strong kick on the inside of the rear leg is a horrible experience. Only reason I don't do it more is I feel it takes me to close to his right cross.
for mma we train MT and we do a lot of boxing drills. We work heavy on boxing combos and really work the Cardio. Boxing will go a long way in mma and there is much you can learn from boxers. Believe me I have. My dad is ex golden gloves and he has helped me to become better at my boxing combos. Rember for mma in standup part of the fighting. Hands set up the feet ,feet set up the hands, but both have to work togeter. I hope this helps. My 2 cents woth.
best to all
You're not necessarily too close to kick to the inside when you are too close to kick to the outside. Because you kick off the front leg to the inside, you can angle, kick and keep the head out of range a lot easier. Takes a lot less time, so the counter (and block) is much harder. Same idea as the left jab vs right cross. Requires less upper body weight commitment, is annoying as hell, easy as pie to land and accumulates damage on the muscle.
And even if the guys did look like they pissed their pants when you kicked them, I still doubt the kick to the inside back leg dropped them. Broke their balance maybe, stung a little perhaps, but no way would it drop them unless they had never conditioned their legs properly. The angle means the radial nerve effect is less. Extensive training in Thai doesn't necessarily mean anything against this kick.
Kick through straight like a football punt. Definitely don't chamber the kicking leg. When their body dips forward, take their head with both hands, pull it further forward to your right (where it is heading - no pun intended) to keep the balance stuffed up. Then as you switch weight back to the kicking leg, rip their head back and around in a slight circle to the left and into your knee. Turning their head in the circle allows you better control of your balance. If they start to get their balance back to the point where you can't finish them, keep the head spiralling down to the right and into the mat and spin to their back or whatever is your specialty there.
Androushka, you are right, it does take you to their right cross, but it is a great simultaneous counter against left kicks and even against the right cross when they have too wide a stance, which happens a lot in MMA. Just weave the head a little more than usual to the left against their left kicks and against the right kind of keep your body straight so your head leans back a bit out of range. And don't chamber the leg but kick inside back with more of a straight leg.
$0.02 worth...