Combined Arts Training and Tactics Foundations: Hand Strikes -- Jab and Cross Punch

C.A.T.T. hand strikes -- boxing adapted



Hooking Palm Strike

 The basic hand strikes in the C.AT.T. fighting system are based on one of the most effective striking systems in history (for hands anyway): Boxing.

We utilize the four basic boxing strikes: Jab, cross, hook and uppercut. The punches in my system are essentially the same as you see in any boxing class, except for one major difference -- we use a closed fist, but will also throw them open-handed, as palm-strike variations. But I'll talk more about that in a future post.

There are other strikes, but these are the foundation hand techniques. Remember, these are the basic techniques that you practice constantly and consistantly until they are second nature.
These are the hand strikes you work on every time you train. Every time.

So let's break down each strike:

Jab -- Well, if you've been reading this blog at all, you've seen my previous posts about the jab and how important it is. Simply put, it is the foundation for all the other strikes, including kicks and even setting up takedowns. A good jab is vitally important in my system, it will set up everything else. Check out my post on the jab for basic guidelines: http://martial-arts-fitness-stuff.blogspot.com/2012/02/jab-elements-of-effective-strike.html

Cross (straight) punch:

• This punch fires off the back leg, with the rear hand.
• Open up your hips and shoulders.
• Rear shoulder and hip shoot toward the target as you punch.
• Rear foot pivots toward the target.
• Rear heel lifts slightly, pushing your entire body into the punch.
• Strike with the big knuckles.
• Don't lock your elbow on impact.
• Keep your chin down and tucked into your punching shoulder
• This is a power punch, more so than the jab.
• Since it comes off the back side your body, it has more distance to travel in order to build power and momentum, and the entire rear half of the body -- from the foot, through the hip and the shoulder -- pivot toward the target.

The jab and the cross are the classic one-two of punching and, when thrown as a proper combination, will have more effective elements of speed and power than any other two strikes in your arsenal. Also a perfect combination for setting up power kicks off the back leg.

Here is a movie with a little C.A.T.T. boxing:

Next up: Power punching with the hook punch and the uppercut.

Combined Arts Training and Tactics: Basic Stance

The C.A.T.T. basic stance looks like this (that would be the picture at right).

I also call this the natural fighting stance. Natural because that's what it is--if I dropped my hands it would sort of look like I'm just standing there, not aggressive, not looking for a fight, just standing there, all natural-like.

This is the stance I use to launch my kicks and punches. Both hands and feet can easily be put into play from here. I can move in any direction--to the front, back and both sides with equal ease.

Elements of the basic stance:

• Weight is equally distributed on both feet.
• Feet are positioned at about shoulder-width.
• Front foot is pointed toward opponent. If you drew a line from my front toe, it would split the middle of my opponent's stance. I just have follow the direction of my front foot to land a perfect jab.
• Rear foot is pointed at an angle, away from opponent (for traction and preparation to turn the hip into a roundhouse or side kick).
• Knees are slightly bent.
• Hips and shoulders are directly over the feet.
• Lead shoulder is pointed slightly toward opponent (easier to defend than facing completely forward which opens up vital target areas. Also puts your jab closer)
• Hands are up--rear hand as high as your eyes, front hand just below eye level, pointed at target (nose, most likely).
• Elbows are close to the body (ready to fire a quick elbow strike or to tuck in tight in order to absorb a body shot).
• Chin is down and tucked in, eyes centered on opponent's chest (easier to see all peripheral movement and not be distracted by antagonist's eyes).

When I was a Tae Kwon Do and tournament fighter, I used a more sideways stance, so I could utilize a quick kick from my front leg or a fast backfist. For self defense and real fighting, I like to open up a bit more, keeping my "guns forward", that is, all my weapons in a position to easily and quickly fire.

This is not my only fighting stance, by any means. If it looks like the other guy is going to shoot in, I may get wider and lower for stability, prepared to fight off a takedown. And If I have a weapon in my hand, my stance will be quite different.

But this is the basic stance, the first stance, and everyone that learns my system would have to understand it completely, with all of its subtleties and nuances.

Here's an example of striking from the basic fighting stance:

Next: Hand strikes.

Combined Arts Training and Tactics

The C.A.T.T. Martial Arts System

Origins
I figured it's time to start chronicling my defensive art. It's called Combined Arts Training and Tactics (really, I just wanted to name something the C.A.T.T. system) and it's actually a subset of my original style, Freewind Martial Arts, so I suppose I should talk a little about that.

Freewind Martial Arts
I developed Freewind with a solid concept in mind: maintain a core style as a foundation and add essences of other arts, distilled down to their pure effectiveness. The foundation was Tae Kwon Do and all of my students were required to learn the forms and requirements of that style. On top of that, I added elements of Kenpo, Filipino arts, groundfighting, Jeet Kune Do and boxing as sort of electives. The concept was simple: a solid, well-practiced foundation with peripherals chosen purely for their usefulness and functionality.

Keep It Simple Stupid
What I wanted to do with the C.A.T.T. system was to strip everything down to a core of effective, simple techniques that can apply to a variety of situations. Too many martial art systems are bloated, in fact, most of them are. I wanted a system built around a few proven and effective techniques that the practitioner trained with constantly and consistently until they were quick, powerful and second-nature. I call these the foundation techniques--a package of strikes that one can always fall back on. When in doubt, go to your foundation.

A Need-To-Know Basis
On top of that, I added need-to-know techniques for joint-control and manipulation, grappling and weapons (the knife, the stick and the staff) as well as an array of secondary strikes. There are no Kata or forms to speak of (by that I mean that I incorporate drills and bag work which, in reality, are forms by any other name).

So Lets Get To It 
Over the next several posts (interspersed by whatever I feel like on any given day) I'll be covering the foundation techniques of the C.A.T.T. system:

• Stance
• Hand strikes
• Kicks
• Knees
• Elbows
• Footwork

Let the fun begin!

The Jab: Elements of an Effective Strike

The Jab is a near-perfect weapon for a striker: It's quick. it's hard to defend, defensively it doesn't open you up very much and it sets up a variety of other attacks. A very large variety.

Elements of a good jab:

• Use the lead hand. The hand closest to your opponent.
•  Proper distance.
• You need to know how long your arm is. You don't want to flail at empty air. You want to make contact but not try to go too deep, that will only jam the jab, decreasing its effectiveness. The jab should make contact right at the end of snap when you throw it.
• Make it snap.
• The Jab should snap out like a whip and return just as quickly to the starting position.
• The fist should turn at the end of the strike, adding to the snapping effect. I only turn my fist about a quarter rather than a full turn, maybe it's my imagination but it just feels quicker to me. By that I mean I turn it from a vertical starting position to just a slight turn at the end of the punch, as illustrated below.

Beginning of jab

End of jab



• Throw your lead shoulder with the punch. Your shoulders should end up somewhat perpendicular to your opponent.
• Put your weight into it.
• Shift your weight onto your front foot with the impact of the punch.
• Typically, you move your front foot toward your target. I'll describe in more detail in later blogs but here are a couple of ways to do this:
• Move your front foot forward, toward the target. I call it "splitting the middle". Draw a line from your opponent's nose or chin straight down to the floor and step forward onto that line as you jab.
• Step out as you jab coordinating front and back feet as they move to the side, in order to reposition yourself and avoid a counter. 
• Snap your hip into the jab, same hip as the jab.
• On impact, your front foot, shoulder and hip should have shifted sharply toward the target.
• Hit with the big knuckles.
• As always, keep your chin down and tucked and stay loose.

This video shows how I do a jab:

That's enough for now. I'll talk more about the jab and footwork that goes along with it in future posts.  

The Jab: A Lesson From a Street Fight

The pure effectiveness of the jab

An atypical street fight
I saw a street fight many years ago, back in the day when I was inclined to hang out in places where such things happened and with people who they happened to, and I have recounted this fight several times to many of my martial arts students and other likewise interested persons.

Now, I have seen a number of street fights, bar fights, etc. (and have even been in a couple or three myself) but this was different: one of the fighters had true skill and a dynamite jab.


Jab master!
After the prerequisite shouting and pushing, one of the antagonists, a heavier, solid-built guy, charged the other, obviously going for a take down (he had been a state-level high school champ wrestler). The other man, tall and lanky and a few weight divisions smaller, stepped away and threw a picture-perfect, solid jab to the nose. Bam! Instant blood.

Stick and move
This went on for a bit--the big guy charging, trying to grab his opponent for a takedown or sometimes throwing wild, swinging punches, the skinnier guy jabbing accurately and moving away--until the bigger man began to stagger with each blow. Finally, the skinny guy followed the left jab with a hard right cross. This resulted in a spray of blood that splattered my shirt, and I was several feet away from the action. It only took a couple of these to lay the big man out, his face a mask of blood. As he struggled back to his feet, which took awhile, since his legs had been transformed into rubber, the skinny guy gave me a nod and took off (it was my job to keep the big guys friends from jumping him from behind).

Lesson learned.
So here was a huge lesson learned--not by the big guy, he didn't learn a thing, I saw him get in another fight a couple of weeks later, broken nose and all. But I learned how effective the jab could be. It became a foundation of my arsenal from that day on.

I also learned a bit about "fighting backwards." The bigger guy was, by any account, the more aggressive of the two combatants, always moving forward, always attacking. The other man backed away, sidestepped, and moved aside, even as he was landing ever-more-punishing blows.  In spite of the aggression of the bigger man, there was absolutely no doubt as to who won that fight. I laugh at amateur fight-watchers when they say "but he was more aggressive, he should have won." Aggression without effectiveness means nothing. "Fighting backwards" is a combat skill that is difficult to master, but perhaps one of the most effective.

In future posts I will be talking more about the jab--how you use footwork
to make it more effective, how you use it to set up other strikes, how to adapt it to self defense.


The jab is a near-perfect weapon. Every martial artist should work to perfect it.

My Martial Arts and Cardio

Cardio

I used to run about 2-6 times a week. I did this to complement my regular martial arts training. I felt that it was another aspect of cardio that I could add to sparring and Tae Kwon Do and kickboxing practice. I typically ran 3-5 miles, averaging 8-10 minutes per mile (depending on how spunky I felt).

Eventually, I had to give it up for two reasons. For one, my feet started to hurt so badly that I would end up hobbling around like an old man. I think this was due to decades of barefoot Tae Kwon Do training on surfaces that were usually nothing more than carpeted concrete. In hindsight, if I had it all to do over again, I would have treated my feet better. Back in the day, though, we were all tough guys and the idea of putting shoes on to train seemed pretty damn wimpy.

Aside from my aging, aching feet, the other problem was time--I found it increasingly difficult to make time for running and still keep up on my martial arts training. Something had to give, so goodbye running.

My Cardio Workout
Cardio is still a very important part of a workout though, so that's why I bought Bob (or as my stepdaughter, Tarrah,  named him--Otis), who is pictured here. Bob lives in the basement and he is my training partner. He's the best! Bob is always there, never complains or talks back and, maybe most important, no matter how hard I hit him, he NEVER hits back.

So now my cardio workout revolves around Bob. Here's how it goes:

• On the days that I don't do strength training (or take a day off) I practice kicking, punching, elbows and knees on Bob.
• I work in five minute rounds. A minimum of three rounds, typically four, sometimes five--whatever I can fit into my lunch hour. On a weekend day, it's always five rounds.
• The first round starts with punching, so I can get warmed up.
• I never stretch before a Bob workout. I think it's more important to raise your body temp and get the muscles nice and warm, like taffy that been sitting in the sun. As a matter of fact, I have pulled more muscles by trying to stretch them cold.
• I always work the basic punches: jab, straight (also called cross) punch, hook and uppercut.
• After I feel nice and warm, I start working in my kicks
• I work on the basic kicks: front, roundhouse and side kicks (although I always try to spend some time on my spinning back kick, just because I love it so).
• Between rounds, I stretch for 1 - 2 minutes

Thats it. Pretty simple. I work hard and fast and two or three times in each round I try to go as fast and hard as I can (make up your own jokes here).

Variations

• At least once a week I do my "thirties".
• that means I do 30 of each type of kick and punch, working on speed, power and technique for each one.
• I put my techniques together in combinations. For instance:
• Jab-cross-hook-uppercut
• round kick-jab-cross
• Front kick-jab-cross-round kick-hook

• Here is a link to an example of how I put together combinations: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Glx3T7xs_hs
• Another link to an example of my workout: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5y6N_rJJH4&feature=related.
• And another workout example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWXRyC2Wr10&feature=related

Keep in mind that I try to keep this up for a solid 5 minutes, with a 1-2 minute break for stretching and then 2-4 more rounds, mixing up punching and kicking. Its a great cardio workout.

My Martial Arts and Fitness

That's me, trying to look all badass. Okay, so I'm no fitness model. On the other hand, I'm 56 years old and I'm not trying to be a fitness model, I'm just trying to stay in shape and keep my martial arts skills intact. So, all things considered, I'm pretty damn happy with how I look and what kind of shape I'm in for my age. Here are some of my ideas about getting in shape and staying there.

My Workout Schedule

• I typically work out 4 - 6 times a week, if illness, injury or or other circumstance doesn't get in the way.
• During the week, I work out on my lunch hour, about 30 minute or so. It fits for me and I've been much more consistant since I've switched to lunchtime workouts. I did evening workouts for years (after I retired from regular Martial Arts teaching), but something would often get in the way.
• A former student of mine, Scott Harper, always said that you had to "steal time" for your workouts. It's just a matter of where you can steal time from. I steal it from my lunch hour. Don't get me wrong, if I couldn't work out during my lunch hour I would steal it from somewhere else, probably right after work.
• If you decide to work out, you have to commit to it. You have to understand that it is a lifelong commitment. As for me, I figure it's just another life function, like eating, sleeping, or working.
• On the weekend, I try to fit in 1 or 2 hour-long workouts.

The StrengthWorkout

I believe in order to have a complete fitness regimen it has to consist of three balanced elements: strength training, cardio, stretching.

• 2 - 3 days per week my workout is geared toward strength training.
• I have 3 types of equipment that I use: Bowflex, Total Gym, and dumbbells.
• I also use body weight exercises - push ups and pull ups mostly.
• If you don't have any other equipment, all you need are dumbbells and body wieght exercises.
• The strength training workout.
• I don't "lift wieghts". Most of my strength exercises are chosen for functionality not body buidling.
• I generally alternate between "pushing" and "pulling exercises.
• For example: I use the Bowflex for straight punches, hooking up the bars, grabbing the straps, and firing punches, making sure to turn my shoulders and hips into it so I work my core also. That is one of my "pushing" exercises.
• Also using the Bowflex, I grab the straps and alternate yanking the handle to my ribs, turning my torso with it. That is a "pulling" exercise.
• I try to include as many muscle groups into an exercise as possible, in order to make the most of my 30 minute lunch hour workout.
• For example, turning my torso fully into the punch and the pull, utilizes my back muscles as well as biceps, triceps, and forearms.
• Keeping the muscles balanced.
• I try to work as many pulling exercises as pushing exercises.
• I try to do the pulls and pushes on 3 planes.
• For pushes:
• Push straight out from my torso.
• Push down.
• Push overhead.
• For pulls:
• Pull straight in (toward my torso.
• Pull  upward (from the floor).
• Pull downward (from the ceiling)
• For instance, for a pushing exercise:
• I'll do a basic press, laying on a bench or a swiss ball, pushing the weights directly over my chest.
• I'll do a standing shoulder press, pushing the weights directly up from my shoulders.
• I'll use the Bowflex, pushing the grips straight down, from my chest toward the floor.
• For a pulling exercise:
• I'll do a bent over row, bending over at the waist, pulling the weight to my chest, twisting my torso.
• an upright row, standing straight, holding the weights at my thighs, pulling them up to my chest.
• Pullups on a chin bar (I have one of those Iron Gym bars that fit in a doorway) for the overhead plane.
• Mix it up.
• Your muscles adapt to a regular exercise, stagnating your workout if change it up every few weeks.
• I try to change the workout every 6 weks or so.
• I'll change the equipment I use (keeping the same basic motions).
• Or the weight (or resistance) and number of reps.
• Or the order in which I do the exercieses.
• Or how fast or slow I move the weight.
• It doesn't have to be a big change, almost any change will do in order to keep challenging your muscles.
• Be Consistent.
• Look, there are days (a LOT of days) that I just plain don't feel like working out. I'd rather relax for lunch. Or read ot write or watch TV instead of my weekend workout. I have to push myself hard to get going. On those days, I tell myself just to start and do as much as I can. Getting started is always the hard part. I find that once I get myself started, I usually end up doing the whole workout.
• Stay Motivated. What is my motivation for workng out? I often have to check my motivations whenever I have times that I don't want to workout.
• What are my reasons for working out?
• I want to stay healthy.
• I care about my body and how it looks.
• I want to able to stay active.
• One of my favorite things is to take trips with my wife. On those trips, we walk everywhere, so that we can see the sights and enjoy the atmosphere. I want to be able to enjoy that experience for many, many years to come.
• Pride.
• I am proud that I am still able to do things that I could when I was younger. Many things that most people my age are unable to do.
• Maintenance.
• As we age, our bodies begin to decay, wear out. Whenever I don't put an effort into maintaining it, I can almost feel my body rotting away, slowly but surely. Working out delays the rot. I want to delay it as long as possible.
• My Martial Arts.
• I love the martial arts. It has made me what I am. I love that I am able to still perform those arts well. I love that I can still kick a guy in the head! I want to be able to do martial arts effectively as long as I can.

Next: Cardio

UFC 101

UFC 101 -

My Viewpoint

UFC 101 is in the books. I was very excited about this one. Anderson Silva, Forrest Griffin, B.J. Penn, Kenny Florian; this had the potential to be one of the most exciting UFCs of the year (except for UFC 100, which is a tough act to follow, by any measure). But, all in all, it turned out to be a little lackluster for me.

First of all, the Amir Sadollah vs. Johnny Hendricks fight was a dissapointment. I think it was stopped too quickly. Dan Miragliotta jumped in a little too fast to end the fight. It was a judgement call on his part, but I think a few more seconds would have been appropriate. And, is it just me, or did anyone else think that Hendricks was totally punching the back of Amir's head while he was down on all fours? Amir is a very talented kid and could be a very exciting fighter in the future. He is still young and relatively inexperienced. He deserves another shot in the limelight I think.

Anderson Silva vs. Forrest Griffen. Anderson is amazing to me. There is no one else in MMA that fights like he does.He pulls thngs out of the hat that just blow me away. His hands were hanging at his and he shoots off a straight punch like lightning. Wow. On the other hand, Forrest didn't seem quite right to me. He looked a little off and kind of sluggish. Not too take anything way from Anderson, he is incredible.

Forrest is one of my favorite fighters. I love his attitude, humor and humility. He is refreshing in an MMA universe that is full of predictably oversize egos. I'm hoping that he hasn't been in one too many wars. The knockout seemed to come a tad too easily. We all saw the same type of thing happen with Chuck Liddell. While the all-out battles are exciting, they tend to shorten a fighter's career. Silva and Machida are two of the only fighters that are savvy enough to remember that smart fighting is all about hitting the other guy effectively and taking as little damage as possible while doing it. Most fans aren't so savvy about that either. Anyway, my hope is that Forrest can regroup and still have a successful career.

B.J. Penn vs. Kenny Florian. As I have said before, in spite of his ability, I don't like B.J. Penn. I think he's a dick. But he is a very talented dick. And he seemed a little better in this outing. A little. Maybe, just maybe, the beatdown from GSP taught him a little humility and maybe, just maybe, he'll be a better person because of it.

The fight itself was not all that exciting, mostly due to Florian's strategy of charging Penn and pressing him up against the ropes. He just wouldn't give up on that. It seemed smart for the first two rounds -- try to wear Penn down and gas him in the later rounds. But, he would't listen to his corner and give up on that to concentrate on his kicks. I think Florian should have kicked the crap out of Penns legs and then worked in the takedowns later when Penn's legs were too tired to fight them off.

The Aaron Riley vs. Shane Nelson fight was boring. Sorry.

The two best fights, as far as I'm concerned, were Josh Neer vs. Kurt Pellegrino and George Soritopoulos vs. George Roop. Neer is a jerk and I was glad to see Pellegrino handle him for the most part of three rounds. Couldn't happen to a nicer guy. This Soritopoulos guy will be something to watch in the future. He put on a tutorial in groundighting. Excellent.

So, other than that, the evening was a bit of a letdown for me and I can't get very excited about the upcoming events. Except for the return of Randy Couture, there are no standout fights coming, espescially after the stacked cards that we have seen recently. And, jeez Dana, give us a break, two pay-per-views in a month is a bit of a burden on my pocketbook.

My Martial Arts and the UFC

UFC 101 is this Saturday, August 8.

I have a love/hate relationship with the Ultimate Fighting Championships. I have been watching since UFC 1, way back in 1993. That night, I had a few students come over to my house to watch.

Now, keep in mind that my martial arts philosophy has been geared toward being practical, even though I was originally a Tae Kwon Do practitioner. I had named my art Freewind in 1980 and it's concept was to be grounded in the Tae Kwon Do style and then add the essence of other arts that were effective, and, of course, appealed to me.

I first added some Kenpo (Ed Parker style), because I liked the way the art was put together and was influenced by a very amazing Kenpo stylist named Sandy Sandovol. Next, I was introduced to an amazing martial artist named Kelly Worden and followed him as he journeyed through the Filipino martial arts under the tutelage of his mentor, Remy Presas. More about Kelly, Sandy, many others, and my evolution in the arts in later blogs.

Back to to the UFC...

That night, the night of the first UFC, we were shocked by the dominance of Royce Gracie. I had never seen anything like it. On the other hand, I thought he was kind of an ass.

Anyway, we added groundfighting to our style, as much as we could in our isolated little town, and my style grew again.

I followed the UFC ever since, well, as much as I could through it's embattled "human cockfighting" years (thank you, John McCain), when it was banned by our local cable company, but even then, I kept up by purchasing or renting the DVDs.

I am a fan. A big fan. I believe that the UFC has revolutionized martial arts like nothing before it (except Bruce Lee, my hero and the subject of a future blog, I'm sure).

That all being said, I have issues with the UFC. My history in the arts has been grounded by a firm belief in honor, integrity, respect, dignity, etc. The UFC oftentimes does not display these virtues. In fact, there are many UFC competitors that I found downright distasteful.

Brock Lesnar is being groomed to be the new poster boy for the UFC it seems, and, as talented as he may be, I find him disgusting.

B.J. Penn may be the most purely talented and well-rounded fighter in the UFC or maybe MMA in it's entirety (in spite of his inconsistent work ethic), but, from what I've seen, he's an arrogant, disrespectful dickhead.

Sorry, B.J., I own your book, I appreciate your talent, but tomorrow I'll be rooting for Kenny Florian all the way. Ken-flo is a class act and a very talented martial artist in his own right.

Gotta go. I'll check back after the fights and let you know what I think, whether you want me to or not.

Martial Arts and My Life - 1st Blog

Welcome to my blog.

This is my first attempt at blogging so let's see how it goes.

My plan is to discuss all things related to the martial arts: traditional martial arts, self defense, weapons, MMA, UFC, etc.

I will also talk about fitness. I'm not a young man anymore, but I still work very hard to stay in shape. My workouts are built around the martial arts but I have a variety of things that I do. Of course, my favorite is my kickboxing workout with Otis. The picture at the top is me and Otis. He's the best training partner I ever had. Always shows up. Never complains. Doesn't hit back. Perfect.

Here is a link to a clip of my kickboxing workout on YouTube (excuse the clutter, my workout room is also the basement storage room):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWXRyC2Wr10&feature=related

I've practiced martial arts my entire adult life. I owned and operated a martial arts school for close to 25 years. I had to give it up finally for a real job that actually made money, but I have always loved the fighting arts passionately and will train for the rest of my life.

Enough about martial arts for now, I'll get back to it later (but I'll always get back to it!)

So, the title of my blog is Martial Arts & Fitness & Life & Stuff. I will obiously talk about martial arts and fitness, but I have some things to say about life in general, and there will be other stuff that I will throw in now and then just 'cause I feel like it.

That's it for now. More to come...