MMA Workout: 3 Punch Combo

Joseph Benavidez and Urijah Faber demonste a 3 punch combo and some conditioning.  It’s a basic one-two combo with a strike to the body.  This combo is a very effective way to get your opponents hands up to be able to land a body shot.  You need to get into close range to land an effective body shot. Getting in the correct position to throw and land the punch is an essential factor when attacking the body. It may sound obvious but it’s essential to make sure that your feet are in punching range—if you’re out of range and over reach then you’ll lose all of the power from the punch. Having stepped slightly to the side of your opponent, all of your weight will be on your left side.  Make sure you’re not leaning over the knee of your left hand.  Make sure your body weight is just before you knee and then throw the punch to the body.

Muay Thai Training with Dan Hardy: Three-Punch Combo

Dan Hardy explains his 3 punch combo. The theory behind leg kicks is very simple.  Leg kicks can be very effective when fighting your opponent.  Striking your opponent’s  thigh until they have difficulty putting weight on the leg can hold as a major advantage.  A  fighter that takes too many kicks to their leg, will cause your opponent to  switch stances in an attempt to protect it. This causes the fighter to be on the defensive and  to change their style and approach during a fight.  It also, makes it more difficult for your opponent to iniate offense, as well as eliminating their striking power and explosiveness. 

A few effectively landed kicks will immediately affect your opponents mobility.  While low kicks are primarily considered a muay thai technique, they have long been used in karate and other striking arts.

GSP Take Down

GSP shows fighters a form of a take down in the Octagon. George shows and gives a brief explination how to take down a fighter below the knee during a match. He emphasises putting pressure on the knee and ankle. By even appyling a small amount of pressure below the knoee it will force your apponent down on the floor.  To outline what George does to ensure a take down below the knee:

• Begin your stance with your hands up in fighting position
• Fake punching to the opponents head-this will create your opponent to put more emphasis on protecting from a head shot
• Then drop sweep the leg by bringing your shoulder just below your opponents knee cap and by grabbing the ankle
• Doing this will cause your to fall to the floor
• When your opponent has his back on the floor this will put you in an offensive position to stike accorndingly

MMA Training “60 Seconds on Muscle” MuscleTech Agility Training Muscles MMA Workout

 Todd Duffee shows a great quickness and “agility” ladder drill. They provide excellent dynamic exercise. They develop brain-to-muscle connection and are excellent  stability. These are also a great tool to show to coaches who want “foot speed.”

• Ladder agility drills are an excellent way to improve foot speed, agility, coordination and overall quickness.
• They are an integral part of many programs and compliment many different sports and events.
• Speed ladder drills are about quality and form rather than producing overload. The drills are not meant to leave you fatigued or breathless in the way that shuttle runs might, for example.
• It is better to perform these drills at the start of a session after the warm up. Your muscles should be fresh to ensure good quality of movement. And because they will not leave you exhausted you can perform resistance or endurance training afterwards.

The athlete moves laterally through the ladder in an in, in, out pattern. They go out wide to one side and ‘stick’ their landing to work on their stabilizing ability. When they come back they go in, in, and out and quickly change direction back to the wide side. The second time through go wide to other side of the ladder.

Mark Hominick UFC Fighter

Mark Hominick who trained for UFC 119 in Canada.  He spent some time at Xtreme Couture and spoke about how he is getting ready for the fight.  Training in Canada for the fight he believes that he will have a big advantage not having to deal with travel and jet lag.  Bringing a lot of training partners from Vegas will also help Mark prepare for the fight.  Mark spent time with the kids that came out to see him and showed them some various punching techniques.

Mark Hominick is a veteran mixed martial artist and as fought in many organizations, including the UFC. He has continually improved his skills and is well known for his precise technical abilities.

Buzz Grant

By: Robin Hillis, CBBF National Bodybuilding Competitor

His fists are like a swarm of killer bees and by the time you hear the buzz, it’s already too late! This quote is from pro boxer, Buzz Grant, who I had the honor of meeting Monday January 17th at ‘Xtreme Couture’ in Etobicoke, Ontario. I was going to meet Candice Kay, Official Founder of WMMA (women in mixed martial arts), who has invited me to be involved in this new and upcoming organization to promote women coming together and staying healthy. The plan was to train Candice on camera and put her through 1 of my workouts. However, when I got there, Candice had a change of plans and that’s where Buzz entered the “ring”, I mean picture! She thought it would be fun to do a “role reversal” workout. Buzz would teach us some boxing and in return, I would put him through a workout in the gym! After our session, it was clear there was mutual respect for each other’s sport and the amount of discipline, dedication and sacrifice it took to get where we are. Buzz and I exchanged information and met again Thursday to train! We met at Xtreme Couture again (which is a phenomenal gym)! I took him through my back workout and he took me through 6 rounds of boxing drills! Then we went to eat all you can at Mandarin! This is where I got to know the very humble, laid back Buzz! He has been boxing since he was 17 years old. He always wanted to get in to the sport and was dedicated right from the start! He turned pro in 2005 and has been a boxing coach for 13 years. At the present time, Buzz is healing from a broken hand from his last fight and works as a locomotive engineer with split shifts. This gives him the chance to still train in between those hours. Here are his stats: Amateur record is 49 – 6 Won 2004 Ringside Championships Won 2007 Super Bantam Weight Canadian Championships Won 2009 OBC Lightweight Title Professional record is 10 -4 If you want more information on Buzz Grant, you can visit his website at www.buzzzcorner.com.

George Al-Koura

You have to like your trainer and hold them with great respect. George Al-Koura has an excellent working relationship with his trainer Jason Worth.  They train at ConstantGrowth where Jason teaches George the fundamentals of foot work,conditioning, power punches, and hand speed. Jason is not a good trainer he is agreat trainer. Jason and his expertise provide the fundamentals that help motivate George to push him to his limits.George works on different punches that can be thrown in rapid succession to form combinations or “combos”. George’s conditioning workouts consist of his jab and his cross combinations. This is usually an effective combination, because the jab blocks the opponent’s view of the cross, making it easier to land cleanly and forcefully. Other techniques Jason emphasizes with George include breathing, cycling his
opponent, training, and proper nutrition. These aspects of Al-Koura’s game will help him eventually get to the “pro” level. George works hard on never standing directly in front of the opponent for more that a few seconds at a time. He remains focused on consistency being in position where he can circle the
opponent giving him lesser chance to setup.

Jason’s training program at Constant Growth is impeccable. Jason includes all aspects of training at his club. Each training includes stretching, exercises,
shadow boxing, skipping rope, punching the heavy bag, and on some days, sparring with other boxers. Constant Growth firmly believes repetition, and hard work is the key in becoming a good fighter. All your punches and footwork must be practiced very often and with great desire to perfect them. Nutrition is very important of Al-Koura’s schedule.  George follows a strict diet so he can be in top condition for his fights. Even when you are trying to make weight it is very important to get your nutrition. Your body cannot burn fat if it doesn’t have food to burn. Feeding your body is the only real way to keep your metabolism going. George and Jason work hard together each week in aspirations of George becoming a pro fighter one day.

Ian Dawe Mixed Martial Arts

Although I have been asked ‘why do you fight?’ more times than I can
remember… it has been a while since questions about mixed martial arts and my
future have been asked of me (in conjunction with one another that is).

So, when someone asked me why I wanted to fight again… I really had to stop
and think about it. And although this may sound as though it has nothing to do
with fighting, my goal has always been to perfect the imperfection that is my
life, to explore the chaos and emerge an evolved man, win or lose… for better or
for worse. Fighting has always allowed me to do this, or, at the very least, it
is the only thing that I have experienced at this point of my life that has made
me feel this way. What better way is there to embrace the uncertain than to
voluntarily lock yourself in a ring or cage (in front of thousands of people)
with a man who has agreed to do the same? Two souls trapped together in a sea of
countless variables and one shared outcome, experience.

I imagine fighting to be something like skydiving or big wave surfing (two
things that I would love to experience). You can train two to three times a day,
drill specific techniques and situations hundreds of times over and still not
know what you will come across. You can run and sprint until your body resembles
a granite sculpture rather than flesh, and you can still become the victim of a
left hook, a right knee, or rear naked choke.

Because, in a fight, just as in life, there is no such thing as a ‘sure
thing’. And… during those moments in which all can be won or lost, I feel alive.
That is why I fought… this is why I would love to fight again. Not for money,
not for fame, not for a career… it is just something that I love to do. Something that makes me feel alive.

Tyler Asselstine Pro Boxer

Hennessy Sports Canada is proud to announce the signing of amateur sensation Tyler Asselstine to a long term exclusive promotional agreement. With just three years of experience, the 24 year old Kingston, Ontario native overcame a late
start in boxing, quickly excelling into a world class amateur. Asselstine was a member of Canadian National Team in 2009, competing against Poland, Ireland, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. This month he won the 2010 Ringside
World Championships in Kansas City, Missouri.

Adam Harris of Hennessy Sports Canada is thrilled to have Asselstine join his team, “We’re very proud to welcome Tyler to the Hennessy Sports Canada team. I’ve been following him closely over the course of the last couple of years and consider him to be a future world champion. We look forward to working closely
with him as he progresses towards that goal.”

In the world of professional boxing, prospects come along on a daily basis.  Most merely have youth and the veneer of potential on their side. Rarely,
however, does a fighter emerge from a successful amateur career seemingly hardwired for professional superstardom.

The southpaw hailing from Ottawa, Ontario has burst upon the professional scene with a vengeance, winning his first five
professional fights in startling fashion, including 4 via stoppage. On June 24th, at Mississauga’s Hershey Centre, Asselstine continued turning
heads of experts and opponents alike when he steped into the ring at “Friday Night at the Fights” presented by United Boxing Promotions, in association with
Hennessy Sports Canada.  He won his fight in a unanimous decision.

Along with being promoted by Hennessy Sports Canada, Asselstine is trained and managed by Eric Belanger in Ottawa, Ontario. Asselstine, who started boxing only three years ago, won the Canadian amateur featherweight title last year and the Ringside world championships earlier this summer in Kansas City.

“There are a couple of reasons (for him to turn pro). One is his age,” said Eric Belanger, Asselstine’s Ottawa-based coach. “At the lighter weights, the
clock ticks a little quicker and you usually peak around 26 or 28. No. 2 is for the Commonwealth Games (later this year), he wasn’t selected to go (as Canada
isn’t sending a fighter at his weight). The lighter guys are staying home, so there was really no reason to stay on the national team.”

Founded in England in 2002, Hennessy Sports opened a Canadian office in 2006. The company puts on shows — it is helping promote a pro card in Mississauga in
September — and manages fighters.

“We will guide Tyler’s career through the professional ranks and get the right matches,” said Adam Harris, managing director for Hennessy Sports Canada.

“We want to make him the domestic champion and ultimately the world champion.
But we believe in going the genuine route. Time is on his side as he’s a young
man. For someone who started boxing three years ago and to have fought at the
level he did, I figure his boxing IQ is off the charts.”