To me, controlling the octagon serves the purpose of helping hit your opponent in the face without repercussion.  As a added bonus, it can add points to your judges scorecard.  Today, I give a few of my thoughts about cutting off the cage, or fencing in your opponent.

In essence, it is just removing your opponent’s ability to escape your danger zone. Let me explain by way of pictures.

Between your feet, looking down at the mat, you have a light-bulb shaped area where your strikes have power. If your opponent is on the outside of it, you’ll find its difficult to hit him/her with power, if at all.

Above, a common scenario – you and your opponent both have strikes that are in range (standing inside/on the edge of the pocket).  Both of you are at more or less equal turf to strike one another. For sake of argument, lets say that your opponent doesn’t want to continue trading strikes with you and feels it too dangerous to press forward;  there are only a few options to get out of your danger zone.

If they retreat straight back, they get closer to the cage wall and more fenced in. The lateral escapes are more interesting, and cutting off the cage involves making these two options either impassible or very dangerous.

Pretending you and your opponent are orthodox stance fighters, if  they move to your left you can beat them with your footwork – getting your left foot on the outside of their right foot-and can shut down that particular escape path. This will more or less guarantee they’ll try to escape towards your right … directly into your power punches AKA the hammer.  A lot of fighters will try to avoid getting hammered by circling to your left, so cutting them off as shown above is a good thing to get good at.

Remark: I’m aware that to side-stepping to your left potentially exposes you to your opponent’s power hand. However, we’re looking to cut off the cage and that comes with risks and rewards.

More often than not, your left hand will be the fence, your right hand will be the hammer. Your jab, left hook, and stepping to the outside (cutting them off) fences them in. Your right cross, overhand right, and right kick or knee are collectively, “the hammer”.  Occasionally, a right uppercut or hook can also work. While you can pick any target on your opponent, I know many boxers like to keep an enemy on the ropes via body shots. The premise is that if your headshot is dodged, your opponent escapes to freedom (and is no longer fenced in). Body blows, on the other hand, keep escape routes shut down even if they are blocked. See this video on cutting off the ring for a little more about that.

There are a few variations of note. You can fence opponents in either with actual strikes or fakes; if you’ve pounded a guy with a solid back-leg knee, they’ll fear the fake and react to it (see Lyoto Machida vs Randy Couture).

You can cut off the cage to your right side too – it just means your hammer will have to be the front leg karate style kick (no wind up, as a thai kick would be too slow to keep them fenced in) and the leaping left hook.

I’ll leave you with this video that shows Frankie Edgar keeping an opponent on the cage wall.

Let me know your thoughts, tips and tricks in the comment section below.

Do you have questions? I know you do. I’ve checked my search engine logs and collected a list of things you were looking for.

I’m going to attempt to succinctly answer every question – no matter how ridiculous – I’ve received over the six months or so.  Sometimes I’ve had to modify the grammar of the questions, because that’s one thing the internets doesn’t teach you.

Also, if you have any questions to submit to me, let me know in the comments section below.

And no, I don’t think I know it all – even though I think I do.

How do I develop/increase knockout power?

You can read what I’ve wrote about hitting harder, but I’ll summarize. Not everyone is genetically disposed to have that bomb-dropping explosiveness but all can get better. Do upper body plyometrics. Hit tires with sledge hammers, throw medicine balls/hay bales/shotputs/heavy bags, shovel snow/manure/dirt vigorously (throw not push). Do cable punching twists. Film yourself working the heavy bag and critique. Focus on getting the force from your hips and legs and turn over those punches. Practice ”siting down on your punches”.

How to beat a wrestler in mma /how do I deal with MMA wrestlers?

You have to beat him on your own terms. In general, that means being able to dictate where the fight goes and stays – something wrestlers are very good at themselves. To do so, you either have to get good wrestling or counter wrestling or develop another strategy that allows you to control the fight. On top of the that, you’ll want to practice specific wrestling counters that will keep you from getting sucked into their game.

How old is Ori Hofmekler?  (Author of the Warrior Diet)

He was born in 1952, making him ~60.

How do I eat like an mma fighter?

Here is the basic out line: Cut out all processed foods/refined sugars and flours. No soda or candy or fried food. Eat 6 times a day making sure you eat high quality protiens, carbs and veggies at nearly every meal; energy levels must be well maintained. Think of eating as fueling your body. Drink a lot of water; drink protein shakes before bedtime and post workouts. The most important meal of the day isn’t breakfast, its the post-workout meal (followed by the pre-workout meal).  Supplements should be overseen by a nutrition specialist or be kept to a minimum. Creatine, multivitamins, protein powders, pre-workout energy boosters are common.

Get a copy of Grappler’s Guide to Sports Nutrition; I think its the best resource out there.  Also, check out some MMA diet tips here.

How do you do the Mckenzietine choke AKA the prayer-grip guillotine?

Good question, do a normal guillotine choke but grip your hands palm to palm and push it into the side of the neck. See more video on Mckenzietine choke here.

How do I improve my MMA?

In general, you’ve got a couple of strategies. One is to fix the leaks, or weaknesses in your game – areas you know you aren’t good at. Another is to polish what you’re good at – aka play to your strengths. Another still is to become “more well rounded” overall, branch out and learn techniques from a variety of disciplines.  Try videoing your training and analyzing it. You can even pay to get a coach to watch it and give his critique.

How do throw a sidestep uppercut?

You need to correctly anticipate your opponents strike – it typically has to a jab or straight cross to make this possible.  Also, your relative stance is important.  When you and your opponent share the same stance (left lead vs left lead)  and you are countering the jab, push off the front leg,  side stepping to the outside and lean and throw that uppercut underneath his guard; counter the cross by pushing off the back leg and finishing in similar manner.  When you are a mirror image (left lead vs right lead) the process is  basically the inverse. BTW, the uppercut will probably only be in range your opponent stepped in and planted (ie, is coming forward) other wise you’ll be on the edge of the pocket with the side step.  Also see this video with Pat Miletich doing a slip jab counter with uppercut, which is an analog of what I’ve detailed here.

For punching power: Russian twist vs Full contact twist?

Full contact twist – it models punching better and you can also handle more weight. If you want to learn how to do it, check out Pavel’s BulletProof Ab book or this post on the body building forums.

Who Did Jeff Monson get his black belt from?

He got in late 2007 while training at American Top Team from Ricardo Liborio.

How to avoid knee injury in mma?

Do prehab exercises (some more prehab info here), avoid overtraining, and minimize risk wherever possible. You can only diminish the probability of getting one – accidents can always happen in training and competition. I’ll write a full article on this later.

Bench press and push ups for fighters?

Yes please.  While these exercises don’t generally increase punching power, but they do increase strength and are great multi-joint exercises.

Would push ups make you a better fighter? How do I do MMA push ups?

Yes. Good push ups are exercise and can make you a better conditioned athlete. Check out pushups for fighters and if you want to do one armed push ups, buy Pavel Tsatsoline’s Naked Warrior book.

How many mma pushups?

A lot. Push ups are generally pretty easy (without added resistance) so you’ll need to increase the reps to get benefit. You should be able to crank off 15-20 without burning out.

How to grip for pull ups?

Lets assume you’re doing pull ups on a regular pullup bar.  There are three basic areas of alteration.  The orientation of your palms as you grip the bar (both palms facing towards or away from you- or one of each), how far away your hands are from each other (“wide grip”, etc) and the way the hand is actually contacting the bar (rock-climbers/finger hangers, towel pullups, tennis balls, etc).

One area of alteration not listed above is the one arm pullup, a beast in its own right.  Due to the probability of elbow tendinitis, I’d pass on this one if you are training to fight.

What does pulling the head down in a triangle do?

It tightens the choke by pulling the neck down into the narrowing clamp of the triangle (tightens the noose). It also helps break down the posture of your opponent, making it harder for them to escape. See picture below.

What are the nutrition needs for a mma athlete?

All people (regardless of athletic endeavors) need the same nutrients. However, due to frequency, length and type of training, athletes (MMA included) will need more calories and fluids. Any quality book on sports nutrition will help you figure this out.

However, there are a few things to keep in mind.

Because MMA training involves a lot of strength-based exercises, its probable that one would need slightly more protein than usual (depending on the type, duration, and frequency of training – ADA says about 10-12% of calories consumed should be protein 1.6-1.7 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight).

I need help curing a fungal skin infection from a grass seed caught in my sock.

Two things. That’s not really a question, and wow – thats pretty specific.  As a poor man, I go to freinds who are also nurses, the internet, and my pharmacist to see if I can self diagnosis. However, a dermatologist would be the one to really help you out. Some fungal infections are on the skin, some are inside you. In the former case, some OTC anti-fungals could work.

Pedro Sauer a womanizer?

He does have a handsome face, so I get how you might think that. However, from my second hand-experience from I believe him to be monogamous, honest and loyal. If his devotion to the purity of Gracie Jujitsu says anything about him, he doesn’t mess around with messing around.

What is the best gracie school Utah?

The one that is closest and has the best atmosphere in line with your training goals. Some schools are more focused on sport, some on self-defense.

Triangle choke: shin or head?

First, “seal the circle” – don’t let the head get out, and that means grabbing the shin. After you “lock the gate”, ie get your shin/ankle in the back of the opposite legs knee, then pull down on the head.  Of course, if the head/posture isn’t broken down to begin with, you’ll have a heck of a time locking the triangle up.

Why do i have a bluish discoloration of calf below sore knee?

That’s bruising, which is blood hanging out in the tissues (mild hematoma).  Bruising doesn’t always have to be right on top of the injury site (ectopic bruising) and gravity kind of pulls that blood down through loose tissue.  It theoretically could be bursitis from tendons that go over the knee and the bruising showing up down near the end of the tendon. But I’m no doctor and that’s only a theory.

Anyone know Anderson Silva’s diet?

His diet isn’t explicitly given, so only the insiders know. From interviews, we know he tries to eat legumes and salads at nearly every meal, consumes around 3000 calories a day, and doesn’t eat much sweets and junkfood (although he loves Big-Macs, when the mood hits him).  He also digs sushi.

If you have ringworm does that mean you are dirty?

Yes – you have a gross fungus growing on your body. Does this mean you are a dirty person? Unless you like to train for hours and then not shower for days, no. Fungus happens to even clean people.

How to escape sprawl/ bottom sprawl escape?

A well-timed sitout escape should serve you pretty well. Keep in mind how your opponent grips you may change the exact method of sitting out. If you can break his grip, you can try weasling your way back to standing. You could also try to secure a single-leg grip and muscle a finish. You also can try to  pull yourself to a good position – one where your head is above your hips above your knees, ideally.

How to prevent triagle choke slaming by grabing leg?

You underhook one of your opponents legs (and can gable grip to seal the circle) and try to pull him down and possibly cut an angle to upset their balance.

So there you go, ask and ye shall receive!

Here’s a fun video showing off some neat tech involving the reverse collar tie and below that, Tim Boetsch knocking out Yushin Okami with a crazy uppercut from a creative clinch position. Also, check out Anderson Silva’s DVDs on the Muay Thai Clinch for the textbook if you’re so inclined.

(If you need some general advice, check out the basics of a double leg takedown here)

To fully load up your stance for a penetrating double leg attack, I have two words: Drop and Drive.

While there are probably hundreds of different styles of the double leg takedown, both of these elements really need to be in place to lunge in quickly for a tackle.

The Drop

The first step is to change your level from a regular mma fighting stance to a lower, wrestling type position. This level change is “the drop”. When you drop, make sure to bend via the knees, not the hips.  Above, Denis Kang shows good form with his hips are beneath his shoulders. He’s not bending over at the waist – which will nerf your explosiveness.

Above, you’ll see Tito Ortiz about to shoot into a double leg blast. Note how wide and low his stance is – his loaded stance allows him to push off the back leg and drive forward.

The Drive

Denis Kang finishes his double leg takedown by driving off his back leg, and penetrating below his opponent’s center of gravity. In addition to bursting forward like a runner at the start of a race, DRIVE can also refer to your tenacity in finishing the takedown.  You keep pushing and running through an opponent until they are on the mat or cage wall.

Why cant I do both at the same time?

I know its tempting to try to slide down the hypotenuse (that’s the long side) of the triangle drawn above. Do not do this.

The main problem is that by trying to drop as you drive, you don’t do either very well. It opens you up to getting kneed in the face, since your are leading the whole movement with your head. It also make it easier to defend your double leg attempt because your drive isn’t as fast, powerful, or well positioned  (ie a good stance to back up your tackling motion).

Below, a small example of why leading with your head (sliding down the triangle) is a very bad idea.

Resources

For fighters looking for a little extra, here are the videos I took the screencaps from, plus a few more for the lavishing’s sake.

Tito Ortiz shows a double leg takedown, etc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TH5_eW5lBmk

Duke Oursler from Redline MMA shows some technical points on the double leg; notice how he drops!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVi2pzMgt6U

Denis Kang and Steven Kesting show double leg takedowns against the jab – nice details to MMA specific takedowns.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmJFxkaUI0k

The Utah local Damage Control MMA crew show another take on the double leg takedown.

http://damagecontrolmma.com/wrestlings-jab-the-basic-double-leg-takedown/

You’ll see some nice strikes to liver and diaphragm – remember that the liver is on the left hand side of a fighter (as you face him). If you want to jump to the proverbial punch line (who has time for the buildup these days?), the good stuff starts at 5:30, 2:20, 0:20, and 0:15.

No matter who you are, its good to take time and analyze fights to sharpen your mental game.

For U of U students, the assignment is as follows:

Go to http://www.allthebestfights.com/best-mma-fights-of-2011/

Watch any one of the fights of your choosing.

Post a comment in this post using your first name and first letter of your last name. (Eg. Bart B, Mike F, etc)

State the fight you watched at the begining of the comment. (Eg. “Jim Miller vs Melvin Guillard)

Following the title, in about 200 words summarize the fight briefly and attempt to analyze the keys to victory for the winner. If one fighter was faster, stronger, a better striker … or even just lucky, explain how things played out. Think about how fighting style, aggression and technique may have affected the winner’s victory. Use all the knowledge at your disposal to craft your insights – don’t worry about being perfect or knowing it all, just do your best.

Before hitting the “submit comment” button read the comment  OUT LOUD to yourself and make any changes you’d need to. Remember, if you type something like ” XOXOX I lulz’d and <3  MMA so when d00d got jacked from kickz i was like OMG! ” the spirits of justice and grammar will find where you live and punch you in the face next time you fall asleep. Also, I will not accept your assignment.

Remember, after submitting your comment, it will not immediately show – they go to my inbox for approval before being visible.

If you have any questions, let me know.

Just thought I’d leave this here.

(Above, a clash of style and stance: Lyoto Machida’s karate and Shogun Rua’s Muay Thai)

Your fighting stance governs a great deal about how you fight.  All of your attacks will be influenced by it; your defensive structure is set by it. While there are many variations, there is a general sense of what is most useful and a majority of successful fighters only differ only 10-20% from it. Think of it like a steak.  Some people like medium-rare, others well-done.  If you were cooking for a large group (of carnivores, of course) and couldn’t individually serve them, you’d probably pick medium to medium well to best satisfy all. Serving rare steak or going with uncooked steak tar-tar would probably end poorly.

Below, a great, middle of the road stance (from local MMA instructor Brian Yamasaki) vs extremely low and impractical Shaolin kungfu stance.

I’ll call this middle of the road stance “the standard narrative”.  Remember, no one particular technique or stance is the 100% correct thing to do in all situations. Fighting is fluid and dynamic, but this standard narrative does a good job keeping in pace with all the places a fight can go.

Guarding the upper body

The main two concerns here are reducing damage to your vitals and allowing quick and powerful strikes. We’ll mainly focus on the defensive aspect, but the guard described here doesn’t really sacrifice much in terms of firepower for the benefit of great defense – one reason it so popular in MMA.

With protection in mind, your hands should to be held above your collar-bone,  your knuckles above your chin, protecting your face. Depending on your style, you can keep your knuckles at your temples (better defense), like you are answering the phone or even lowering them to the chin-level (better offense, riskier) to increase your speed of punching and relaxed shoulders.

Below, upper body high guards.

Here are some suitable relaxed lower guards with the arms.

In almost every case, you’ll want your elbows (chicken wings) to be down and in towards your body protecting your midsection. In the pictures above, many of the fighters are midway into a punch so their lead-hand elbow has drifted away from the standard position.

Especially for beginners, it is vital to keep the hands up and elbows tucked in even while punching, as it can save you from taking damage. Below right, Cain Velasquez’s high guard with the rear hand blocks his opponents punch while his punch lands flush.

Your chin should be tucked in towards your chest, “hiding” it and rooting your head to your torso.

When you are out of range of your opponent’s punches, your hands can drop slightly, but the standard narrative warns against it. This conserves some energy and allows for loose and fast punches as well as increasing takedown defense, but making your head more vulnerable to attack.

One other thing to consider – the tilt of your upper body.  Generally, you want your spine pointing straight up (chin tucked in) and only lean 5-15 degrees off vertical. When a fighter is bending at the hips past about 15 degrees, they are typically looking to wrestle (or defend it). Below left, Jose Aldo is tilting forward to be aggressive via strikes while Gray Maynard is tilting slightly away in defense.

Here, Tito Ortiz is looking to wrestle, his torso bent at about 30 degrees of vertical.

Advanced Considerations

When you are good enough, you can break any of these “rules” when the occasion calls for it. Below, Anderson Silva dropping his hands to Forest Griffin, then knocking him out. Lets be clear on this one. Silva uses superior knowledge of range to keep his opponents from hitting him, obviating the need to block. As one of the best fighters of all time, he is allowed to do what he pleases.  However, he does teach the standard narrative in his excellent DVD, Striking Combos for MMA.  He’s also got a book that goes over the basic stance – if you need a hard copy.

These are just a few of the major considerations – let me know what other things you think are important in comment section.