Here’s an MMA/Muay Thai striking technique that I’ve used throughout my martial arts career with great success.

When throwing an outside low kick is very important to set it up so that it’s not easily checked (blocked) by an opponent. Having your low kick blocked can hurt your shin and may even result in a fractured or broken bone in your leg. That type of injury is brutal and very difficult to recover from.

There are many different ways to set up an outside low kick; here’s one that you can use when your opponent is backed up against the cage or ring ropes.

Hope you can put it to good use in your training.

Today I finally got a chance to film some of the technique breakdown videos I was inspired to put together after watching the main event fight at UFC 134 between Anderson Silva and Yushin Okami.

This first video, of several that I’ll be making of attacks/defenses in that fight, breaks down the 2 arms low jab. The same type of punch that Silva dropped Okami with during their exciting fight.

The 2nd video is a variation of the technique, which I call the “Lead Arm Low Jab”, that I use all the time in training and during my fights –especially during my bouts against Josh Koscheck and Nuri Shakir — with much success.

I hope the 2 videos help you smack people around with your jab more effectively because they are both very fun techniques to land on an opponent.

Here they are:

Technique 1 – “2 Arms Low Jab”

and here’s the variation of the above technique that I find effective as well:

Technique 2 – “Lead Arm Low Jab”

After the great response to the “Elbows In” Solo Wall Drill video (click here to watch if you missed it) that I posted a few weeks back I decided to hit the gym to film the details of another great striking drill. It’s one that I use often to help accomplish the same goal: getting my students to keep their elbows in the optimal position.

This drill requires the help of a friend or coach but is still very simple to practice.

Here it is…

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MMA Basics – Striking Technique

I’ve been wanting to share this drill with you for a while and this week I finally had a chance to get it ready. I’m excited because I know that it will really help you in your training.

Do this drill and you’ll punch with much more power while using less effort; Your punches will land more often because you won’t be telegraphing your attacks before you do them; Plus your defensive abilities will improve especially when up against an opponent that throws a lot of body kicks and body punches.

How so?

Because it will train you to keep your elbows in close to your body before, during and after your punching attacks.

Try it out and let me know what you think.

Train hard!

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Jumping rope is a great exercise for boxers, kickboxers and MMA’ers. Actually it’s a useful drill for athletes of any sport where improved co-ordination, conditioning and footwork would be beneficial.

At times, the exercise can seem a little repetitive, especially when done daily as part of a workout routine. Mixing in different motions and tricks can spice things up and offer even more of a challenge.

Over the years I made sure that anytime I came across a new trick with the jump rope, I’d spend the time to learn it so that I could incorporate it into my training as soon as possible.

Here’s one of 18 that I teach within my new MMA QuickStart Training Program.

Try it out and let me know what you think…

A Beautiful Boxing Combo KO at UFC 123

It was a while ago when I last broke down a technique that someone applied in action. It was a series of videos that I made showing, describing and teaching the many styles of guard passes that BJ Penn had used in some of his fights. (Click here to see them)

I was hoping to break down other technique videos but wasn’t really inspired by too many techniques until this weekend’s fight card. Strange thing is that it was again a BJ Penn technique that did the trick. The technique, one of only the few executed during the fight since it was so short, was the movement BJ Penn used to set up and score the beautiful KO punch. I always love watching BJ fight because he really does use a lot of great technique in his fights.

The movement he used was an outside slip –usually to make a jab miss– followed up with a cross, hook, cross. BJ landed the cross solidly, missed the hook because Hughes was already falling and didn’t even have to throw the last punch of the combination.

This is one of my favourite combos: Nearly identical –I used an uppercut variation of it– to the one I used on Jon Fitch that opened up his lip and caused a lot of damage.

Anyways, let’s get to the videos…

(The last video was part of my 31 Video head movement workshop which is available online in the PREMIUM SHOP)

Here’s BJ doing it:

Here’s me using a variation of the same combo on Jon Fitch:

and here’s my breakdown of the technique: