Science behind the liver punch

Posted on February 7, 2012 | 1,736 Comments


For those that have felt it before, there’s nothing worse then a well placed liver shot. A second after the shot, you think you might be ok, but then you’re instantly winded, your legs get stiff if they don’t outright buckle, your chest/abs just lock up and there’s this indescribable pain that lasts most of a round.

As much as I hate to be on receiving end of these, it’s a great way to stop or slow down an agressive opponent. I like to either go with an over hand right and follow it by liver punch or a counter left hand liver kick. Check out this great video explaining the science behind the liver punch after the jump.

Video after the jump:

Continue reading →

→ 1,736 Comments

Posted in All News, Miscellaneous

Tagged ,

Muay Thai Tip’s – Reverse Parry

Posted on February 6, 2012 | 2,211 Comments

I love the muay thai minute series, and here’s the latest one from MyMuayThai. In this one, Coach Damon Faulkner of the Singday Muay Thai Gym take us through a very simple technique to use to disrupt your opponents rythm. I personally like the parry or push off and step off to follow up with the hook. You can read a similar piece I did on disrupting the balance through these redirecting techniques here.

→ 2,211 Comments

Posted in All News, Miscellaneous

Tagged , ,

Nick Diaz talking about his conditioning for UFC 143

Posted on February 2, 2012 | 2,520 Comments

Nick Diaz is set to fight Carlos Condit at UFC 143 and it’s definitely one of the fight’s I’m looking forward to most. Both of these guys fight at a frantic pace and are exciting to watch. Not to mention, they are two of the most well rounded mixed martial artists around. One of the things I’m always wondering is what elite athletes are doing to keep in shape and how I can incorporate it into my own routines. Nick talks about it here, and when he’s not training to knock guys out he’s busying himself with triathlons.

 

Excerpts after the jump:
Continue reading →

→ 2,520 Comments

Posted in All News

Dynamic Stretching vs Static Stretching for MMA

Posted on February 1, 2012 | 2,436 Comments

In combat sports it is vitally important to maintain explosive muscles that allow a fighter attack or defend quicker. Almost every movement in fighting is preceded by an eccentric movement. Whenever you kick or punch you bend your legs first then explode forward so wouldn’t it make sense to have optimal power, coordination and eccentric strength to succeed? These are the reasons we stretch as it leads to injury prevention and performance enhancement.

Before any muay thai class, I have a certain ritual that I go through to prepare myself for the two hours of intensified work ahead. I like to arrive about 25mins early, change, clean my gear or rinse my mouth guard, wrap my hands, and then start a long stretching process. Not being a teenager anymore, I’ve definitely been more injury prone over the years but can’t emphasize the value of stretching enough. So, what’s the correct way to stretch?

Continue reading →

→ 2,436 Comments

Posted in All News, Nutrition

Tagged

Calf slicer submission explained

Posted on January 31, 2012 | 2,135 Comments

Charles Olivera made UFC history this weekend with his calf slicer submission of Eric Wisley. To be honest, at the time I thought the calf slicer was primarily a pain move and Wisely just tapped out of confusion. However, the calf slicer can operate upon the knee and wrench certain tendons and ligaments out of alignment. So there you go, the calf slicer does work.

Here’s the Gracie breakdown after the jump:
Continue reading →

→ 2,135 Comments

Posted in All News, Miscellaneous

Tagged

New technology will be able to measure punch speed and force

Posted on January 31, 2012 | 2,315 Comments

Remember those arcade games with the big speed bag that you hit at full force to give you a measurement? Well, the accuracy of those are that impressive since at time’s it looks like grandma could punch harder then Mike Tyson. Yeah, I’m bitter because I got a embarrassingly low score before. However, it looks like HBO is going one step above and looking to debut new technology to measure punching power and speed live during fights.

Continue reading →

→ 2,315 Comments

Posted in All News, Miscellaneous

Tagged , ,

Vibram Five Fingers Review

Posted on January 30, 2012 | 2,185 Comments

Damn, are you really wearing those funny toe shoes?Do they really work?

The answer my friends is yes and yes. After switching over for a year, I couldn’t be more satisfied and recommend you do the same.

I was first introduced to these shoes at my MMA gym when one of the resident bad-asses was wearing them during a roadwork session on the treadmill. I’d seen these at various points before, usually from strange folk riding the  subways and up till that point I gave it little thought while racking it up usual NYC weirdness. Seeing them up close in person confirmed how strange they looked. I did discover after some conversation that the Vibram Five Fingers were suppose to be good for running and could help if you  were a long time sufferer of common running ailments like knee pain or plantar flasciticis.

Continue reading →

→ 2,185 Comments

Posted in All News, Training

Tagged , ,

Is China the new hotbed for fighters?

Posted on January 27, 2012 | 2,489 Comments

It wasn’t so long ago that boxing was banned in China for being too brutal, and for having characteristics of capitalism. However, check out this clip from CNN, China as new heavyweight in boxing, as it covers Chinese boxers coming out of the shadows boxing. We first saw them at the games in Athens, where Zou Shiming took gold, but China has it’s eyes set on the London Games to make a even stronger impact.

It’s strange to think that even though Eastern countries have histories so engrained in martial training, that we’ve seen very little out of them in MMA or pro boxing ranks. However, it looks like China will be looking to make a impact with boxing. Similar to Thailand’s gym’s recruiting kids at a young age to start, China’s state system will be doing the same.

Continue reading →

→ 2,489 Comments

Posted in All News, Miscellaneous

Tagged ,

Develop killer instinct in sparring

Posted on January 26, 2012 | 1,689 Comments

Wednesday nights are sparring nights at my gym and it’s generally the hardest day of the week for me but also the one I look forward to most. Everyone shows up for sparring and it’s a night of guaranteed bumps, bruises, and seeing some occasional stars. Sparring here is equally hard and intense, and there are few pushovers. After a few hard rounds with a usual sparring partner, I found myself switched off and standing in front of someone of similar build but far less experienced. How did I finish this round? I could have coasted through it but I took this opportunity to take it to him.  Before you bash me, let me explain why.

Continue reading →

→ 1,689 Comments

Posted in All News, Training

Tagged , ,

Phil Davis training for Rashad Evans UFC on Fox 2

Posted on January 25, 2012 | 2,042 Comments

Here’s a day in the life of Phil Davis as we follow him prepping for his fight with Rashad Evans this weekend on UFC on Fox 2. This is a huge fight for Phil and the biggest test in his career. I’m not quite sure he’s ready for Rashad but wouldn’t be surprised by an upset here.

Phil Davis morning training day:

  • Wake up at 7am
  • Have protein shake
  • 7:30am Conditioning
  • 10:30am – team practice

This clip doesn’t really mention if there’s a 2nd practice after this but I’d have to assume he was doing two-a-days for a fight of this magnitude.There’s a teaser in the end for part 2 that should be coming out with more on his strength and conditioning.

Video after the jump:

Continue reading →

→ 2,042 Comments

Posted in All News, Miscellaneous

Tagged ,