Science of Fights

The Roundhouse Kick. No, it is not as fancy as it may sound but it’s one hell of an offensive weapon in fighting. There are lots of Chuck Norris Roundhouse Kick jokes going around especially on the web and many would get a kick out it (pun intended). Yet, I am pretty sure many think of the roundhouse kick as a fancy type of spinning kick. Surprisingly, even people who have been following martial arts and MMA matches would still confuse a roundhouse kick with something else. Let’s get everything straight, talk all about the roundhouse kick and how it’s done.

Are you one of those people who scour the web looking for fights? No, I don’t mean someone who picks fights in forums or comment spaces, not that kind of keyboard warrior but the type who searches YouTube for a Kimbo Street Fight, MMA matches, or compilations of knockouts and fight highlights. If that’s your thing, you are what I call a fight fan . You have the thirst for primal human action and also have the acumen for fight science. Discrimination is not in your vocabulary eventhough you may favor one type of martial art or prefer a particular fighting sport. You enjoy watching and understanding fights. Whether it’s MMA, Boxing, Karate point fighting, Muay Thai, backyard brawl, or a Kimbo Street fight – your interest is genuine and profound. There are different kinds of fight fans. Here’s a short list:

Once again, Floyd “Money” Mayweather Jr. has proven his slickness not only inside the ring but also outside of it as well. What did Mayweather accomplish last Saturday? Well for starters, he did what he was supposed to do and that was to beat a smaller aging fighter that he cherry-picked for his so-called comeback fight. Sure, it was a dominating win and many might marvel at the technical brilliance of Floyd’s defensive boxing. Personally, however, I have done that a long time ago and in his last fight dubbed as, “Number One vs Numero Uno”, I expected a blowout, a knockout even.

Will Juan Manuel Marquez defy odds and come out victorious against former pound for pound king Floyd Mayweather Jr.? Mexico’s “dinamita” just turned 36 this August 23. For most boxers, this is already considered as a retiring age. However, for the Mexican people’s champion, age has only made him more crafty and intelligent inside the ring. His recent battles had also proven that his body can still hang with the young and the best.

Everybody likes the heavy bag. You can hit it with all your might and as much as you want and with every hit, it gives you a feeling satisfaction. Since it is made to absorb enormous amount of impact, it will develop your power. There are speed bags, double-end bags, banana bags, kick pads, power shields… They all have a place in fight training. These equipments, when used properly, improve accuracy, speed, and power. Each gear trains a specific area in your game. Example, double-end bags will develop accuracy and timing; power shields will enhance kicking power; speed bags will build shoulder endurance. Each one provides a different objective but they all have one thing in common…. You have a tangible target. You have something to hit.

A true challenge lies ahead of Frank Mir. The former UFC heavyweight champ and now Interim heavyweight champ will battle the other holder of the belt, Brock Lesnar, in UFC 100. Mir had proven that he have the skills and the will to be the best. Even after the seemingly career-ending injury, he bounced back to fight again eventually beating the MMA Hall of Famer, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, to claim the Interim championship. Now, to settle the best UFC heavyweight, he will try to defeat Brock Lesnar --- the physical powerhouse he narrowly defeated last year.  It should be noted that at that time, it was still at the infancy of Lesnar’s MMA experience and development. Frank Mir was severely pummeled and it looked like he was losing. But suddenly, with a stroke of brilliance, he caught the inexperienced Lesnar in a sensational kneebar to win the match. After that match, Mir had shown huge improvement in his stand-up striking and cardio. He dominated Nogueira and taunted Lesnar sa...

Jab Slip and Left Uppercut 1) As the opponent throws his jab, sidestep forward while angling to your left 2) Outside slip his punch and throw the uppercut to his jaw 3) It is best to follow up with a straight right Very good against fighters that has a high guard and can't be hit by straight forward punches. This counter heavily relies on reflexes and intuition. If you're quick and your opponent throws a lazy or overcommitted jab, it will be much easier to pull off. In the video, Marquez already knew that when he rushes in, Jandaeng throws a defensive jab at him. So JMM executed this counter to neutralize the Thai's jab. Keep in mind that Juan Manuel, is already a move ahead in this exchange because of his ring intelligence and keen intuition. Let me emphasize that Marquez executed this counter move perfectly. How to improve this technique: Flow Drills Focus Mitts Constant Sparring note: This is against a southpaw can be done against the ri...