Hello guys, so I had another hard sparring event.
Combination striking was highlighted by some users in a recently sparring video a week ago, and again I think thats one of the problems I still have, I need to drill some combos to have it ready in my arsenal.
Another thing to solve is that I dont follow the pressure, I throw and I retreat, I think is because a lack of cardio again, I felt I need to conserve energy. I improved my cardio and is a thing that i am doing, so thats nice.
Anyways, here's the video, there are three rounds, the first round is cropped for some seconds, the camera didnt get the begining.
round 1:
round 2:
round 3:
You're in the black shirt?
Having combinations like 2nd nature takes time to do. When I first started I was the same way. It took me 2 camps to adjust and throw combos instinctively. Practice, drill, and drill. It'll come over time. When I was doing it, literally everything was combinations: offense, and defense. I think I mentioned it in the other thread, and it may seem strange, but you'd interrupt your opponent/partner's offense with a combination. Repeating that day in and day out bred out the single striking habit I was doing.
One problem with not pursing may be due to the way you may spar. If when you spar and get your partner on the ropes/wall, then you throw a combo or 2, feel satisfied and back off, it creates a habit to do the same in your fights. To be honest, it benefits your partner if you continue throwing heat, it'll teach them to quickly get out of the corner because in a fight the opponent is not going to back down, and worse strikes will come (outside knee, liver shots, etc).
This is fairly common at most gyms, it happened with me as well in the beginning, when our coach saw the issues pop up in our first exhibitions, we changed the style to what I just described. He said it was cringe worthy to him to see, because guys (us and others) would do well pressing and getting the opponent into the corner, then after a flurry, sort o step aside and the guy would get out with no resistance.
Do some clinch work as well, he was with your range quite a bit, if you knew how to you could tie up and work from there. He also did some damage in the 3rd. Basics with clinching will seem very counter intuitive esp. if you've gone wrestling/grappling before. You feel you're getting pulled, keep hips to hips (junk to junk) right away and try to keep your head up (posture). If there is space, you will get kneed (straight), and those are the ones that hurt. Then work, if you don't know how to pummel or clinch, this at the minimum will help.
Do some drills where your partner barrages on you as well. Turning away is something you need to get rid of. Try to do 1 thing only: block (stay firm and stationary -- think being a boulder) or move, not both.
Overall, you just need more time and lots of drilling, drill combos, drill the gameplan, and keep pressure when on your partner is in the corner. Make them work to get out. Try to keep them there as well. They move to your right: bodykick and keep them back. They move to your left: throw hooks, and them keep them there again. Then work.
How's your breathing? Are you exhaling while not breathing in at all? Talk to your coach about it, knowing how to pace and control your breathing is what prevents gassing out. In between rounds, slow your breathing down, don't hyperventilate. It will be very difficult, it will feel like a fight trying to slow it down, but about 40 seconds in, you'll thank yourself you did. You can get back about 70% of your tank back once you get the heart-rate down from slowing the breathing down. The break in between rounds is used to recover, not to chill and have a seat. If all you've been doing is hyperventilating while your opponent has been recovering, you've wasted 1min and he's now in a better spot than you are.
If you already know this, feel free to ignore it.
Cheers
