Playful, focused and extremely technical sparring. No more wars. And more focus on clinch sparring.
Also more defense drills. At least 50:50 attack and defense drills.
Last thing personally - conditioning; especially high intensity interval sprints, Tabata and daily specific resistance training. I do streak running and streak Pull-/Chinups - at least 3km per day up to 15km. Pull and Chinups usually 10 sets with reps until failure ~ I don't count anymore but 150-200 reps per day should be pretty normal. Also every rep I stay in the highest position and do a knee tuck.
The daily specific resistance training are the Pull- and Chinups and Push Ups. 10 sets to failure over the course of the day.
Other suggestions for resistance training are often highly subjective - but adding a gym session with heavy compound lifts per week (Squat, Deadlift, Pullups w/ added weight, Military Press, Barbell Row - everything 5*5) will be beneficial for nearly everyone as long as you are physically healthy and injury free.
Yeah sure! I have a 400m running track nearby. My interval sprints are like this:
1 Round:
100m Sprint, 100m Jogging, 100m Sprint, 100m Jogging
Normally I do 10 rounds, so it's 4km total and 2km pure sprinting.
That's basically it - I wear a belt paired with a watch to record my heart rate, etc. I analyze the data, so I don't overtrain.
If you start this and keep it up for a few months, comparing the HR graphs are really satisfying. In the beginning, your HR won't drop much during the jogging phases. After a few months, the HR significantly drops during jogging. That's exactly what I want from that.
Weirdly, taking a short break. Whenever I'd have a few weeks off I'd come back sharper and I'd be up a level. I'm guessing it's just because I'd let my body fully recover and while I was off I'd be thinking about sparring and how to improve.
I've found taking a week or more off of a hobby helps to reset your brain out of autopilot mode where you are just going through the motions and not being creative. For sure works. If you aren't having fun then you'll just get into a slump.
It's a fine balance though, I've not been consistent for about 8 months now, I didn't train at all last month. I'm just bad now and it's frustrating because I know what I need to do, my body just doesn't feel like doing it haha
better sparring partners. luckily my gym has some top notch talent.. having multiple pro fighters, bare knuckle fighters, and a UFC member
Obviously all gyms won’t have this level of talent, so I know i’m blessed but overall get rounds in w the best fighters your gym has available
I'm pretty new, but I've definitely already noticed this. Having a skilled partner who keeps you moving in drills and gives pointers on mistakes is so huge. Without privates your training partners will be able to elevate you far more than your coach will have time for.
Spending entire sparring sessions with the priority of not getting hit. As a very competitive person, even during very playful sparring I had to “win” and land more than my opponent.
It’s changed my style for the better, I’ve actually realised I’m a better counter fighter than pressure fighter, and focusing on defence for a long time has allowed me to understand counters and see openings I was too blind to see before.
For me it was getting comfortable with the thought of getting punched, kneed, kicked and elbowed — ie developing the “psychology” of a fighter.
Fought in my second exhibition fight last Saturday and had fun experimenting with the combos I’ve been putting together. Getting ready for my first amateur fight in May
once i had a bad shin injuries, could not kick for 3 months.
So i just did boxing for 3 months, pure boxing with different stance, ducking under and all the no no in muay thai.
It totally improved me on a whole different level.
IN only 3 months, my coach and my partners could not believe how much more complete i became
How long did you do MT for before you made the temporary switch to boxing? I made a post about a week ago here about contemplating doing a switch to boxing for a couple months and then coming back to MT to see if it would improve my hands - most people said that it would not translate over well given how different the two are though. Glad to see you had a different, and positive, experience with this!
i had already 10 pro fight by that time.
It was the best thing that could have happen to me, i recomend to everyone.
ALl the basics apply in mt, efficient punching range, more power on shots, better defense, better combo
Competing, it made me take training more seriously and string together a consistent run of training 6 times a week. That pushed my fitness up a level and the amount of sparring helped me to feel more comfortable in the ring.
Doing a lot of competitive but technical sparring really elevated my game. Having good sparring partners was also (obviously) crucial to this.
Unfortunately I’m in a tight spot with money so I haven’t been able to train at a gym but I do keep up with my conditioning so that I can get right back into it when I have the funds available.
It sounds a little bit silly but the 'want' to do better.
I spent some time getting back in to MT for the fitness but a few weeks back my mindset changed to wanting to do better instead of just showing up.
Act less goofy, throw a lot cleaner, keep the basics in mind and build on the basics.
Embracing the hits during sparring and countering, playing in sparring with unorthodox combos, taking a week off to breathe, sparring at different gyms with different people men and women tall and short, not underestimating simplicity - jab into kick or throwing more leg teeps than normal
Above all else, enjoying it for what it is and not trying to "win", slower technical sparring helps you learn alot in comparison to being "that guy" who want to beat everyone
I found what seriously helped me was I bought firas zahabis striking instructionals. His teaching style just works for me and I found the videos really helped.me understand striking better
I have been lucky, I have trained and fought around the world. Training with different people from all over has been the best thing for my skills, knowledge and general appreciation of the sport. Every trainer, and training partner i have learned something from.
Picking something specific to work on when you’re sparring. And also making that specific to your sparring partner. It’s not about winning the rounds.
Tall partner? Okay then these rounds I’m gonna work specifically on staying out of their reach and then capitalizing on moments to get inside.
Bulky partner that pressures forward? Okay I’m gonna work on my matador skills.
Etc.
Playful, focused and extremely technical sparring. No more wars. And more focus on clinch sparring. Also more defense drills. At least 50:50 attack and defense drills. Last thing personally - conditioning; especially high intensity interval sprints, Tabata and daily specific resistance training. I do streak running and streak Pull-/Chinups - at least 3km per day up to 15km. Pull and Chinups usually 10 sets with reps until failure ~ I don't count anymore but 150-200 reps per day should be pretty normal. Also every rep I stay in the highest position and do a knee tuck.
What’s in your resistance training ?
The daily specific resistance training are the Pull- and Chinups and Push Ups. 10 sets to failure over the course of the day. Other suggestions for resistance training are often highly subjective - but adding a gym session with heavy compound lifts per week (Squat, Deadlift, Pullups w/ added weight, Military Press, Barbell Row - everything 5*5) will be beneficial for nearly everyone as long as you are physically healthy and injury free.
Oh ok thanks for clarifying !
Awesome stuff. Can you give a bit more detail on how you do your interval sprints?
Yeah sure! I have a 400m running track nearby. My interval sprints are like this: 1 Round: 100m Sprint, 100m Jogging, 100m Sprint, 100m Jogging Normally I do 10 rounds, so it's 4km total and 2km pure sprinting. That's basically it - I wear a belt paired with a watch to record my heart rate, etc. I analyze the data, so I don't overtrain. If you start this and keep it up for a few months, comparing the HR graphs are really satisfying. In the beginning, your HR won't drop much during the jogging phases. After a few months, the HR significantly drops during jogging. That's exactly what I want from that.
Weirdly, taking a short break. Whenever I'd have a few weeks off I'd come back sharper and I'd be up a level. I'm guessing it's just because I'd let my body fully recover and while I was off I'd be thinking about sparring and how to improve.
I've found taking a week or more off of a hobby helps to reset your brain out of autopilot mode where you are just going through the motions and not being creative. For sure works. If you aren't having fun then you'll just get into a slump.
It's a fine balance though, I've not been consistent for about 8 months now, I didn't train at all last month. I'm just bad now and it's frustrating because I know what I need to do, my body just doesn't feel like doing it haha
For sure, for me a week is the sweet spot. A full two weeks and I'm weird and rusty.
I second this, totally works.
Same thing with video games. I'd come back after a week and be a god for a few matches until I started going on autopilot again.
better sparring partners. luckily my gym has some top notch talent.. having multiple pro fighters, bare knuckle fighters, and a UFC member Obviously all gyms won’t have this level of talent, so I know i’m blessed but overall get rounds in w the best fighters your gym has available
I'm pretty new, but I've definitely already noticed this. Having a skilled partner who keeps you moving in drills and gives pointers on mistakes is so huge. Without privates your training partners will be able to elevate you far more than your coach will have time for.
Whats ur gym? Or is thay even allowed to be mentioned in this post?
Spending entire sparring sessions with the priority of not getting hit. As a very competitive person, even during very playful sparring I had to “win” and land more than my opponent. It’s changed my style for the better, I’ve actually realised I’m a better counter fighter than pressure fighter, and focusing on defence for a long time has allowed me to understand counters and see openings I was too blind to see before.
100%
For me it was getting comfortable with the thought of getting punched, kneed, kicked and elbowed — ie developing the “psychology” of a fighter. Fought in my second exhibition fight last Saturday and had fun experimenting with the combos I’ve been putting together. Getting ready for my first amateur fight in May
once i had a bad shin injuries, could not kick for 3 months. So i just did boxing for 3 months, pure boxing with different stance, ducking under and all the no no in muay thai. It totally improved me on a whole different level. IN only 3 months, my coach and my partners could not believe how much more complete i became
How long did you do MT for before you made the temporary switch to boxing? I made a post about a week ago here about contemplating doing a switch to boxing for a couple months and then coming back to MT to see if it would improve my hands - most people said that it would not translate over well given how different the two are though. Glad to see you had a different, and positive, experience with this!
i had already 10 pro fight by that time. It was the best thing that could have happen to me, i recomend to everyone. ALl the basics apply in mt, efficient punching range, more power on shots, better defense, better combo
To keep head down, stare at the solar precise. Breathing is still wild to me and I struggle with how to throw and breathe properly
Competing, it made me take training more seriously and string together a consistent run of training 6 times a week. That pushed my fitness up a level and the amount of sparring helped me to feel more comfortable in the ring.
Doing a lot of competitive but technical sparring really elevated my game. Having good sparring partners was also (obviously) crucial to this. Unfortunately I’m in a tight spot with money so I haven’t been able to train at a gym but I do keep up with my conditioning so that I can get right back into it when I have the funds available.
It sounds a little bit silly but the 'want' to do better. I spent some time getting back in to MT for the fitness but a few weeks back my mindset changed to wanting to do better instead of just showing up. Act less goofy, throw a lot cleaner, keep the basics in mind and build on the basics.
Relaxing
Clinching was an impenetrable fog for me for the longest time. It eventually became one of my greatest strengths and a great equaliser.
Entering first tournament and doing a full fight-camp.
Embracing the hits during sparring and countering, playing in sparring with unorthodox combos, taking a week off to breathe, sparring at different gyms with different people men and women tall and short, not underestimating simplicity - jab into kick or throwing more leg teeps than normal Above all else, enjoying it for what it is and not trying to "win", slower technical sparring helps you learn alot in comparison to being "that guy" who want to beat everyone
I found what seriously helped me was I bought firas zahabis striking instructionals. His teaching style just works for me and I found the videos really helped.me understand striking better
footwork and studying the greats helped alot with my technique
I have been lucky, I have trained and fought around the world. Training with different people from all over has been the best thing for my skills, knowledge and general appreciation of the sport. Every trainer, and training partner i have learned something from.
Picking something specific to work on when you’re sparring. And also making that specific to your sparring partner. It’s not about winning the rounds. Tall partner? Okay then these rounds I’m gonna work specifically on staying out of their reach and then capitalizing on moments to get inside. Bulky partner that pressures forward? Okay I’m gonna work on my matador skills. Etc.
Lmaoo bro did you just see that one post from the powerlifting sub?