Unfortunately, I’ve been looking for months, and if you’re not into a bunch of screaming or rap a good pre-fight playlist is hard to find.  So for a while now I have been sampling various lists, and built one that I think really works so I wanted to share it.  I hope you like it!

Burn it to the ground by Nickelback

Click Click Boom by Saliva

Coming Undone by Korn

Cult of Personality by Living Colour

Demon Speeding by Rob Zombie

Down with the Sickness by Disturbed

Feel so Numb by Rob Zombie

Freight Train by Brand New Sin (optional)

Hair of the Dog by Nazareth

I Don’t Wanna Stop by Ozzy

I Wanna Rock by Twisted Sister

Indestructible by Disturbed

Invincible by Adelitas Way

Let it Die by Ozzy

Let it Rock by Kevin Rudolph (a bit lighter, but I love the message)

Meaning of Life by Disturbed

Move by Thousand Foot Krutch

Porn Star Dancing by My Darkest Day

Rockstar by Nickelback (another optional one… good rock, but less in tune with the message)

Scum of the Earth by Rob Zombie

Sound of Madness by Shinedown

Stand up and Shout by Dio

Stronger by Kanye West

Ten thousand Fists by Disturbed

We Rock by Dio

Whiskey Hangover by Godsmack (optional)

Note: Okay, so maybe Porn Star Dancing doesn’t fit the Genre and should be considered optional.  But I just love that song

Let me know if you have more, and I’ll add them here!!

This is a kickboxing combination we worked on recently in class. I’ve been really digging the use of the uppercut as a counterpunch lately.  Remember – stay tight (protected). You don’t have to flap around to generate power in the uppercut. The power comes from your hips and really shoveling from the ground.

I believe this clip is from Pat Miletich’s Striking Strategies DVD or his Train to Fight and Win: Standup.

To comment on this post, please visit the original article click here

Among many of the awesome things at UFC 139, there were a number of solid uppercuts. Thus inspired, I threw together a little video with commentary.  Hope you enjoy.

 References:

BJ Penn’s book, the MMA book of knowledge, has a solid introduction to the uppercut punch with a couple of variations.

If you are just looking for a quick video on how to throw the uppercut, here’s one for that.

Or you can always go the boxing purist route with Russ Abner’s boxing fundamentals DVD.

To comment on this post, please visit the original article click here

To see the full original article click here

So…. Anderson Silva knocks out Vitor Belfort with a front kick to the face. It was beautiful. The timing, the distance the expression on Silva’s face … it almost made me cry. Both for the beauty of the thing, but also because my hope for a new champ got KO’d as well.

The fun thing for me was all the hoopla post fight about the kick. People were going ape-shiz like they have never seen it before, and true, its not a bread and butter thing in the UFC.

This you probably already know. What you may not know, is that Anderson learned this technique from Steven Seagal, or so says Seagal.

.

.

First of all, is it just me, or does Seagal look like “The Eradicator” from the Superman comic books? Because the glasses really sell the look.

As for his remarks about nobody really using it, etc, also like “The Eradicator”, there may be a small amount of fantasy going on.

The way I figure it, is that the teep kick from Muay Thai is close match to this kick, and that’s been around from the dawn of time – and Anderson is *ahem* fairly well versed in that. But hey, now that Seagal has brought the front kick to MMA, perhaps we will also see elbows to the face as well. Maybe even punching of the ribs. Who knows the crazy things is store for us?

Maybe he showed some different pointers or a style of doing it? I don’t know, but it would be awesome to hang out with these guys and find out. I bet its like a rap video, but with hot girls doing ninja stuff instead of clubbing.

I originally learned the front kick in Karate, and one time I accidentally kicked an opponent in the throat in a tournament (I was aiming for the face). It’s a nasty kick. A lot of force is going straight forward, and the structure of the stances with you and your opponent is like a head on collision. The kick is a bit slower and harder to hit with; the movement makes it tricky to adjust mid way through. Unlike a circular kick, which can just keep swinging onward to whack into an opponent, it can be avoided with good head movement. Below, a kung-fu version of the kick.

.

.

The first time I saw the kick in MMA was with Bas Rutten. I remember thinking, “I’m going to have to keep that in my bag of tricks.” I know the resolution on the pics below aren’t amazing, but trust me, it’s Bas. (See video here).

Here’s a video of Rob Mccullough teaching the rear push kick, a variation of the one that KO’d Vitor.

.

.

Anyway, the front kick is something we’ll probably see more of know that attention has been brought to it. Here are just a few more pics to please you.

True fact: Anytime a front kick to the face happens, a leprechaun gets a pot of gold.

While often times there are no medals or accolades for losing or second place, the truth is that the true rewards and lessons often times will set you up for greater championships.

To link the word losing to rewards first, requires taking the right mental approach and to breaking things down to their proper perspectives. The fact is that competition and training are not easy and the path you have chosen says a lot about you as a person and as a warrior. Another reality is that unless you are either the world’s greatest prodigy or you lie about your fight record, that everyone loses at some point in their career. If you decide not to “take your toys and go home” and quit but rather compete again, then learning from your losses will be essential to winning. Here are 3 simple rules to help guide you through “the funeral” and get you back on track.

Rule #1 Look for answers in the mirror

When I wrestled as a kid my father used to say “you have 48 hours of morn your loss.” While your first reaction maybe to place blame make sure this mindset shifts quickly. Losing will produce a specific emotional response and one that makes it very easy to dwell on negative feelings. If you do not recognize or as a coach help others see the positive aspects of the loss, such as the risks taken, effort given and lessons learned then lasting damage can ensue.

Accountability is essential and represents base camp if you are to grow from the experience. If the judge made a bad call then as Dana White in the UFC likes to say “then you shouldn’t have left it in the hands of the judges.” Your opponent was not stronger than you but rather you simply were not strong enough, so do something about it. If you place blame or look outward for answers for your loss, then you will always comeback empty handed; which programs your mind that other people and not you are not in control of your density in the ring or on the mat. A valuable technique is that whether you win or lose to be sure to conduct an immediate post-mortem discussion. While the match is still fresh in everyone’s minds, discuss your tactics, strategy, execution and how to improve your performance along with, being sure to taking full responsibility for the outcome. Don’t cry over spilled milk but rather get a towel and clean it up!

Rule 2: Maintain your desire to win
Following a humiliating armbar submission loss in the finals of my first grappling tournament I left the mat feeling disappointed but approached my wife with an attitude of “hey I was just glad to make it to the finals.” My wife Shari quickly responded “so you trained for months, we traveled 2 states to get here simply so you could be content with a 2nd place finish?” “Next time do me a favor and just call me insted and let me know how your tournament went.”

While her goal was not to be a “smart ass” (not entirely) it was to make a point to say if you do not have the desire to win you never will. You can still be pleased with “putting yourself out there,” but make sure your sights are still set on winning by doing your best if you still plan on competing. Notice I did not say win at all costs. I am sure you talked with some people who say “having to win” is a character flaw, but if your reasons are based on personal goals and growth and not “bring down others” then don’t bother apologizing for seeking to win. The will to win is in the heritage of competition. Regardless of what you think about them as individuals do you think greats such as Dan Gable, Tiger Woods, Lance Armstrong, Michael Phelps, Wayne Gretsky or others don’t set their sites on winning? Sure they do by focusing their efforts inward and what it takes to compete against themselves first. If you do your best and fail then fine but if you decide to get back up and fight be sure you do so with the right mentality and belief in yourself that you can win.

Rule 3: Understand why and then do something about it
Simply acknowledging that it was you who was responsible for the loss will not help prevent a future one. You must take the time with your coach to dissect every element from your training, conditioning, profile of your opponents, level of execution, and your mental state going in order to develop the correct game plan. If your game is grappling then maybe you need to train with people who are bigger, stronger and better than you are, every day or simply better apply yourself to the areas you are weakest. I know we all see people at our gyms who will only spare or “roll” with people they know they can beat. These folks will always take “1st place” in practice and last when it comes to competitions. If you can video yourself in training and during your competitions even better, as this will give you an unbiased view of where you are strongest and weakest (in addition to adding 10 pounds). The strategies to maintain proper concentration, confidence and commitment are in fact very personal to you. They are however essential to moving forward past your loss and to setting you up physically and emotionally for the next challenge.

Losing or becoming a loser?
While such refocused plans, practices, drills, and off-the-mat methods are essential, the lessons it takes to not only be a champion are best learned in the moment. Winning requires relatively little tutelage. Once you have experienced a victory, you recognize its value immediately. The value of becoming a true champion and warrior however, is more complex, and unfortunately it is generally best ingrained through defeat. Every time you compete or train be reminded of other life lessons you are also leaning. Including, that just like in sports, life is not always fair. However, the way in which you choose to live life has its own rewards. Yes the referees, our coaches and even my wife from time to time will make mistakes, we all do. But it’s what we do in the wake of those mistakes, and how we handle challenges that truly defines us and determines the outcome of the next match whether we are winners or losers not just on the mat but off.

Fitness vs. Skills

There is no perfect balance that works for everyone as to how much of a training session should just work on skills, and how much of it works on getting you into shape.

If all you do is work on moves, even if you include a fair bit of Randori, you are missing some of the cardio work that will make you a top competitor.

If however, the first half of the class is spent doing cardio, then some people (myself included) will find themselves questioning why they are paying to come to a class when they really are not looking to eventually earn a black belt in Jumping Jacks.

It can just be frustrating some times when we are so pressed for time in our lives, to use up that precious time doing activities only to improve our cardio.

Enter Muay Thai.

I grapple hard.  I often find myself at the end of a night laying on the mats, barely able to move, wrapped in a gi completely soaked in sweat.  But as I have begun to do Muay Thai as well, I have found that it is something very different.  It pushes my lung capacity.  It cleans me out, and helps me to breathe.

Now, you might say the same of many other exercises… I can jump rope or do jumping jacks.  The key difference however is this:

I DON’T WANT TO WASTE MY TIME GETTING GOOD AT JUMP ROPE AND JUMPING JACKS!

But what is appealing is getting that same level of workout and lung capacity building from something that is teaching a valuable skill at the same time.

I have only recently begun my Muay Thai Journey.  But so far I am definitely a fan.

Sakasem plans to visit the club, once a month, and help us with our program.  His first chance to do that was recently, and I was there to watch.

Whatever your sport is, there are people you know that are beginners, and people who are a bit more advanced.  You likely even know some people who are pretty darned good.  But let me tell you… watching a World Champion work is on a whole different level.  I remember my reaction , as at the time I summed it up in three words:

Ho. Lee.  Shit.

When you get those chances to train with someone at this level, when you see world class talent doing seminars locally.  I highly recommend making the effort to get out and attend them.  Thank you Kru Valentine, Hidden Valley Mixed Martial Arts, and Master Sakasem for an amazing experience!

This post comes from our newest Author: John Valentine.

Following a class I was teaching recently at Hidden Valley Martial Arts, Steve Spencer approached me about writing a piece on Muay Thai kick boxing. I was honored to do so, and then began to reflecting on my Muay Thai path and the things that originally drew me to the sport. While it has been over a decade since I first stepped into the gym, I could still remember the excitement and nervousness I felt as I contemplated my decisions. I also remembered that I had many questions. The following touches on some of the things you may be asking yourself as you consider starting your own journey into Muay Thai.

What is Muay Thai and where does it come from?

As one might guess, the art of Muay Thai originates from Thailand, and while there are conflicting opinions as to the exact date of its creation, many indicators point to it having been around in one form or another since the Middle Ages. Tracking the history proves difficult due to the lack of written records during Muay Thai’s early years, where we must rely primarily on its oral traditions.

What is not in dispute is that Muay Thai’s history is deeply entwined with the history of Thailand itself. Many believe that origins of Muay Thai were born out of necessity as constant invasions led the Thai people to look for effective ways to defend themselves in hand-to-hand combat when tactical weapons had failed or were unavailable.

Muay Thai is famous for and is commonly referred to as “the art of eight limbs” which comes largely from its use of punches, kicks, elbows, and knee strikes (eight points of contact). When you compare this style to others such as traditional western boxing that has only 2 points of contact (fists), you soon learn to appreciate the real life and deadly applications that this art holds. Muay Thai is a both a professional and amateur sport, and also has a popular following in the fitness community for its “hard charged” work-outs.  It has also made a name for itself as one of the most effective and at times devastating forms of self-defense, a fact that has been proven time and time again in the UFC and other MMA venues.

However, for the people of Thailand, Muay Thai is more than just fighting. It represents a spiritual way of life and is deeply engrained in their history, culture, community, and identity. Like baseball here in the states, Muay Thai is Thailand’s highly revered national sport.

Is Muay Thai right for me?

Before you can answer this you must first decide what you hope to gain from your martial arts training. Is it to get in shape? For self defense? Your health? Challenge? Discipline? Fighter training? Regardless of the reasons you choose, you need to make sure that they are the right reasons for you.  Knowing why you are training will help you understand what, how, and where to train.

For me, my goal was to become a more well-rounded fighter.  I was already coming from a strong wrestling background, so Muay Thai seemed like a perfect choice for me to round out my already strong take-down and ground game.

Should you choose to train in Muay Thai, you will find that while there is much to learn, you can progress fairly quickly if you apply yourself to building and mastering a solid technical base. While the sport does have some physical demands you can go at your own pace and focus on those techniques that are within your limits.  Additionally you can enjoy Muay Thai even if you are not ready spar, gaining skills through focus mitt and heavy bag training.

If you are looking for other rewards they are plentifully; transcending beyond simply the physical advantages.  The art has enriched the physical and moral well being of the Thai people for generations, and when you become connected to the history and tradition you will find it will become an increasing part of your way of life.

Additionally, you should feel good about learning one of the most applicable forms of self defense making it a perfect choice for the young, old, both men and women, and yes children as well. So whether you choose to be involved as a fighter, student, or future “Kru” (instructor) Muay Thai is well worth your attention and a closer look.

How do I find the right gym?

While this process can be stressful at first, finding the gym can be easy if you know what you are looking for.  Here are a couple of suggestions:

First, find a teacher that is both knowledgeable in the fundamentals and has training goals for his students that are aligned with yours. If he wants everyone in his gym to spar or be a fighter, then depending on your goals this may or may not be for you.

Second, try to understand as much about the gyms moral fabric and character as you can; this can also be referred to as the “vibe.” I often tell students that you can get a read on this if you take the time to talk to the students, and the instructors. When meeting your future instructor, share your goals openly and ask him/her how they can help you meet them.  Respect is the cost of entry into this sport so if it is not shown by your instructor then keep looking!

If you find that the main focus of your discussions with the instructor seems to be about contracts or money, keep looking!

Case in point, when I was looking a new gym for my Jiu Jitsu training I stumbled upon Hidden Valley Martial Arts. The Gym’s owner, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Judo Black Belt, Michael A. Hermosillo told me, “The new student is the most important person in our gym and everyone needs to pitch in to help them develop.” For me these were the types of attributes I was looking for in my next Sensei (martial arts instructor).

We will each have our own criteria we are looking for when we look to choose a gym.  But if you take the time to understand their atmosphere as well as their goals and intentions and how they align with yours you will find yourself building long-lasting, treasured friendships with your new gym-family.

What’s the hardest part of Muay Thai?

I tell prospective students that the hardest part of Muay Thai is the same as making any positive change in who we are: Taking the first step to begin your journey.

I still reflect back on when I started my Muay Thai training over a decade ago in a small gym in Las Vegas run by Grand Master Toddy and Master Chan.  I remember feeling nervous, uncomfortable and yes a bit scared as I first slapped on the gloves. All of those feeling were not only normal but were also signs that I was about to embark on a special journey. One of character, humility, respect, and one that would push me farther than I ever thought I could go.

Today, while I am fortunate enough to be able to share knowledge through teaching, I am still approaching Muay Thai with a “new student mentality”, respect, and in many ways gratitude. I hope to meet you in the gym soon to discuss your Muay Thai goals but until then, good luck with your training and keep fighting!