Quote:
Originally Posted by SideofKO
Yeah, this rings true for a lot of fighters. At least it should. There are certain things that are sure to happen in the fight so you have to be ready for it. If you know your guy has a great guard but take a lot of punishment sometimes, drill tying up the opponent with a high guard, rubber guard, over hooks and under hooks, and controlling the guys posture. Things like this can mean the difference between a win or a loss sometimes. And they are basic things to drill.
I seriously watched one guy try to show his fighter how to do a tornado kick right before a fight. Which is fine I suppose, but the fighter looked confused as hell. And it's just something that he probably wouldn't have needed. He was going over a tornado kick when I would have focused on him keeping the right hand up when he jabbed so he wouldn't get countered with a left hook... which he did and it didn't end the fight but it was one of those things that happened all night long.
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I am still a novice when it comes to cornering--I've only done it one time. I've also never fought at an event--just gym stuff. But I have a pretty good fight IQ and I study a lot and train as often as possible.
What you said makes a lot of sense. At the fight in Long Beach, I noticed other teams literally teaching their fighter a book's-worth of detailed techniques before the fight, and I was thinking, "what the hell are you doing... your fighter is losing focus."
I've seen similar episodes play out at grappling tournaments.
I imagine keeping it simple like you advised is the way to go. The basics seem to be what reall serves a fighter's best interests.
Tonight for instance, Joe Lauzon was using excellent fundamentals on his way to victory. When in the bottom in his guard, he constantly worked to break posture and on top, he kept is hips real low. He used his punches to close the distance so he could clinch. Things like that are often overlooked. And right before a fight, those are the things to stress to your fighter.
Also, like you said, always keep your hands up. When you punch, promptly return your hands to their protective position. Keep your chin down. Little things, but the most important.