My boxing so Coach will book a MMA fight sometime after the first of the year. To fight local ammy MMA you really don't need more than blue belt level BJJ and some wrestling on the grappling side. I'm a purple belt and my wrestling is decent enough to get the fight to the ground. I just need to be able to strike enough not to get knocked out and get the fight to the ground.

My particular issue is my counter punching or a takedown shot off a slip. It is subpar and needs work.

I'm working on my 6-10 one step sparring. But, my immediate concern will be how to modify my training while my knee heals. No forceful or bag kicks for me

Geocitiesuser wrote: »

Even if we all practice different martial arts, we all have goals. Things we are trying to perfect. Bad habits we're trying to break. New moves we're trying to master.

My current self made goal list involves

- Throwing/practicing more roundhouse head kicks. I've been relying on axe kicks but they're too slow.
- Making sure I hit with my heal when doing any sort of thrusting kick. I need to build the muscle memory
- Working on my spin hook kick to get it ready for states this spring

@Geocitiesuser Round kick to the head is one of my staples in sparring. Small tip you might be able to use: when chambering the kick, draw your knee straight up with the heel tucked under, as if you execute a front snap kick. Pivot the foot, turn the hip and execute the kick simultaneously.

This is especially effective for close range lead leg round kicks to the head - done correctly, they are lightening fast and land quite handily.

Aha - I see you are ahead of the game as far as the sparring round kick is concerned. I don't usually see folks doing that until 1st dan.

You are right on the timing of the kick being essential.. and I think that mostly comes from experience.

I want to improve my speed, technique and motivation. I think because I am not training properly for the past 2 to 3 years due to the medical treatment I am quiet slacking. Its more that I do not see a point on putting a lot of effort for 2 weeks a little effort in week 3 n no effort in week 4 or some months I can't even go at all. When I then go again its like I need to start off at 0.

Its fertility treatment including ivf. So during the cycle you can't do sport not even yoga or Pilates due to risk of ovarian twist. On a normal cycle I take it slow in the second half.

Strength and endurance that will ultimately help my form...

bwmalone wrote: »

That sounds very frustrating!

It is but my attitude n motivation is pretty much the only'thing I can'control so I should get control over it. Instead of getting depressed about unskilling

First goal is getting my gimpy knee back to full strength, so I can get back to rolling. It's been frustrating, not being able to train fully.
BJJ, I've been working on being more proactive and trying for submissions, instead of just defending for my life, even if I end up tapping more often. It's hard sometimes when you're the smallest, lightest member of the class, and everyone is roughly at the same level, but I'll just have to get better faster. I have a competition coming up in October, hopefully it won't be as much of a shellshock as the one I did in May.
Muay Thai, the main thing I need to work on is fluency, and not overthinking everything. Also, my defence is poor during sparring, especially checking low kicks, blocking bodykicks, and using my teeps. I'll have my first Interclub in the next few weeks, I'm really excited about that.
In general, flexibility is something I ALWAYS have to work on.

Hi Val,
do you know what's wrong with your knee? I suspect what you are able to do depends on what the problem is. I go by the theory that if something doesn't hurt, it's ok to do it.
I dislocated my patella just under 3 weeks ago. I didn't do any training for about 10 days, as I was on holiday anyway, but I actually did a fair bit of walking while I was away, just to stay mobile, and I started doing some physio exercises straight away. I'd say it's 90% back to normal now, and I went back to Muay Thai training last week and nothing we've done in the last few sessions felt uncomfortable, so I've been training as normal there.
The one thing I can't do yet is kneel on the floor and sit on my heels. This has stopped me from doing the BJJ classes for now, as that's something we do a lot of. I have been doing movement drills at home, again working on the basis of 'if it hurts, don't do it', and plenty of stretching and strength and conditioning exercises to get the muscles, tendons and ligaments around my knee strong and supple again.
Hopefully I'll be back in class in the next week or two, and back to rolling a couple of weeks after that.
I am desperate to go back, but because the injury happened when I was rolling, I'm wary of rushing back and it happening again.

My coach gave me a target of 8000 kicks by my fight (Nov 11th) roughly 150 per day on either bag or catch pads cos counting during sparring is too hard.

CaptainBoing wrote: »

I've been out of training for a bit due to a silly injury which irritated a nerve in my neck (trying to work on handstands) so mostly I am working on getting my strength back in my arm and building my fitness.
Long term, I need to work on takedowns (I have issues with falling due to a couple of concussions) so I can return to competition and I want to get my blue belt before my 40th birthday (20 July 2018).

I find that my biggest problems with TDs - specifically off of a shot for a double leg, is find that sweet spot between a good shot where the knee just skims the ground and accidentally driving the knee into the mat. Almost 5 years later that is still an issue for me - hence why I gravitate toward arm drags and more clinch based trips, etc.