We started off instructing at the corto range - the use of HKE, and the close range hand strikes, eye gouging, and the now infamous "forearm shiver".
We played the Thai roll drill - which has a "cousin" in Greco.
We looked at the sleeper choke in context.
We had those who wanted to roll on the mats doing so. I was able to personally instruct fighters in the importance of escape and defence. Like KB, if your defence structure is no good, he'll knock you out first. Against a stronger or more experienced player it is important to have your defence and counter working.
If you can't defend his lock and his pin you'll never get one of your own.
Members were able to roll with each other and try moves out. As with anything it's all about "flight time".
On the wood we got the focus pads and Thai paids out. Again we worked more on single shots and the attributes such as form, speed and power, before looking at naturally flowing into combinations.
In freeplay we looked at simple SDA to ABC:
SDA:
punch
kick
block
ABC:
punch punch
punch kick
kick punch
kikc kick
Defensive ABC:
Opponent punches - you block
Opponent kicks - you block
block and punch
block and kick
It soon builds into a skillful exchange of free sparring.
Back on the mat we played VT - the kickboxing soon went to a clinch and the we had groundfighting.
We saw more use of the strikes on the ground and some fights were finished with ground and pound.
We also started to see some natural takedowns occur, and we were able to do away with "stop and kneel" in at least one match.
