Training Log: Entry 244

MT class tonight

Note: Today I made a goal to focus solely on keeping my hands up.

Drills
Sparring
Conditioning

Drills:
Start out with light boxing sparring.  Partner was a bigger stockier guy.
-Straight shots were getting the job done.  My defense was doing pretty good in regards to parrying and patting.  Still awful at head movement.
-Worked on moving at angles rather than just straight in.  Move to side and circle left hook.

Drill 1: Straight shot boxing with goal of defending partner to time the jab or cross of the attacker and hit them with a same side bodykick
-Can get the rear leg off the jab alright, but leadleg off the cross needs more work.  Too timid about blocking the powershot rather than executing the counter.

Drill 2: Same as before, except this time we're alloted a leadleg inside along with outside body kicks.
-Always a fan on the inside leg kick.  Same issue in regards to countering the powershot as before, but at least I never let it get through my defense.

Sparring with all  boxing techniques, and all manner of roundhouse kicks allowed.
-Focus on keeping my hands up payed off.  I never once got punched directly in the face.  However, I'm patting too far out, and ended up having my gloved punched into my face like a rookie.
-Clowned a lot of people with staight punches.  I don't know why most MT folks don't know how to keep their elbows in to avoid it, but I won't complain.  Boxing training was paying off.
-Need to have better control of right cross so that I can start throwing it into combinations during lighter contact sparring. 
-Need to stop throwing isolated kicks.  Work them into combinations.
-Doing good on counter kicks.  Most people don't know how to recover well after throwing a kick.  They also leave themselves open to punches because once they throw the kick, they drop their hands way down low.
-Defense was doing good tonight.
-Did something stupid and ended up getting kicked in the back. 
-Throw a combo, then move out.  Once I landed a good punch to the face, I would follow it up with 3 and be ok, but by 5 they woudl start throwing counter leg kicks.
-Fought from a "hitman stance" (lead hand down by waist, rear hand on cheek) at one point and was baiting straight shots to evade and parry.  Worked pretty well.  Wouldn't use it in a match, but a good way to work defense.

Overall Note of interest: Stance has shifted back to peek-a-boo style.  Really comfortable with it.  Affords great defense.