Any tips for an in-fighter

[ChinoXL]

oh yeah.. i've been doing the light classes for over a year.. and then when i jumped into his classes i realized i'm not even prepared; that's why i wanna work on some other things to help me build confidence against good fighters, people at my gym told me to spar more and do survival drills (stand and block only for a round so i can start seeing the punches/kicks). I guess I'm going to practice bob and weaving, lots of slipping and survival drills for now.. then start to go back to his classes in two weeks.

[IndoChinese]

if your getting hit by combo coming in then your timing is off. you are waiting too long to attack. your opponent should be busy dealing with your attacks. not using you as a clay pigeon.

read and control distance
use angulation to control option
use a time frame that breaks his advance/kills momentum
use periphereal vision to see his general frame movement. then cut his lines.
develop combinations that are continous and have both level and angles changeups.

if you are an 'infighter' than develop shock/bumps, elbows, foot traps, and tight hooking motions, as well a few good takedowns. dont neglect the headbutt in lock/clinches, if he leaves his face exposed.

[mrblackmagic]

Because we haven't had a crackdown on striking that purged the stupid like we did on grappling. Also, at a Throwdown it is easy to own somone grappling and make them "See the light" however in striking unless you KO somone they have trouble understanding that they suck. Frankly it is hard for me to really KO a total stranger. I usually spar until I can feel out their skill level then I try to hang out right around there.

I know you know you have a point.

[Stinkfist]

Here's how I work the infighting:

1. learn to move from long range to close range quickly and don't get caught in the dangerous mid range. This might involve the use of feints or a real (long range) strike.
2. once you're in maintain pressure , maybe with your head, shoulder to keep him off balance. Use forward pressure but also be ready to spin, depending on what he's doing. But stick to him.
3. use dirty tactics, if allowed, whilst in close
4. Keep your feet moving. Shift weight from left to right foot which facilitates head evasions and loads up for strikes.

I suggest to work these concepts firstly on a heavy bag, using the head and shoulder bumps, get the bag moving and move around it; then move on to focus mitts with a good trainer who will feed you hooks to bob & weave etc, and set up some close range strikes. Maybe add some muay thai clinch work aswell. And finally try it against a sparring partner. Sparring need not be full-out to start with, and maybe you can set some rules such as close-range only.

[prs1002000]

I found watching Tyson videos helped me (5ft7 and stocky) with infighting against taller opponents. (had to adapt for Thai of course). Setting up with feints and weight shifts, then going for 2,3 or 4 hit combo's and going on from there.

But seriously Tyson (in early years) was great at that sort of thing.

Executive edit: This seems like a crap post about lol I learn from videos but if you are under 35 or so you REALLY need to see some Tyson fights before he was the champ. Even his amateur fights manage to be exciting.

[Sakmongkol]

do you fucking see ing un in my style list? To "me" it seems blatantly unapparent!!

This the joker who does TSD and "pretends" to do MT?

Please don't give "advice" on this forum unless you are at the necessary skill level in effective striking arts otherwise it gets cluttered up with ****.

Searching through this forum I've found some absolute gold but so much shitty posts made by shitty posters like you obscure it from newbies or even expierenced stand up fighters who really need/want to see it.

[warnerj5000]

if you are an 'infighter' than develop shock/bumps, elbows, foot traps, and tight hooking motions, as well a few good takedowns. dont neglect the headbutt in lock/clinches, if he leaves his face exposed.

On the other hand, throwing headbutts on your sparring partners is a dick move, and will piss people off.

[knocka]

Spar. Nature should take its course.

best.response

[Ecks]

a combo you may wish to try that sets up range very well is:

set up with a few jabs, double jabs, anything to get him thinking you're going to jab next.

next, feint the jab and go down with a right to the body. as you finish the right, step out with your rear foot so that you are now at your opponent's left, and throw a right uppercut through his guard. then follow up with a left hook.

do opposite side if you are southpaw, or if he is southpaw.

i find this combo really effective for infighting because you are both with in range and away from his power hand (assuming he is orthodox), and able to unload lots of short, compact hooks based on your positioning.

as far as general strategies go, much of what has already been posted is great advice.

[almcg2]

One thing I used to have my fighters do, was go head to head for two minute rounds. Up to you how long you go. I used to make my guys often train longer rounds with shorter rests a month or two before fights. I'd go back to normal rounds a week or so before the fight.Same thing with running. I'd make them do double miles for each round of the fight. Hills at least once a week. Anyway....You should have headgear for this unless you want to go home everynight with head/face lumps and rashes. Deffinitely use headgear when getting close to the fight. Very easy to get front, sides of skull and brow dinged up if not careful. You can also use your head on someone's chin in this position if you want to. Oh... shoulders too. Great position for raising up a little with a shoulder to the chin or face, after a hook from opposite side.......

Ok, so you put your heads next to each others and fight without breaking apart for 2 minute rounds (or longer). Anywhere from 3 to 5 rounds should do the trick. You work on feeling your partners weight shifting and and movement. You can only cover up with shoulders and close in arm checking. Work hooks and uppercuts. Example: Hook left to floating rib, then immediately hook hegh to head with same hand. As you throw high hook, swing your head to other side if it's on same side as hook, and lean over right hip a little. The shifting and leaning gives more power to a close in hook. After you hook the head, shift your head back to the other side and then uppercut with right hand, rising up a little as you do it to add power.

You can shift your head as you feel your partner shifting to head hook. Remember to take the ody shots on your arms and elbows. Don't always push into your partner, when you feel him push into you, yield and shift, following with uppercuts or hooks. Low hook w/ one side and then high hook with other hand is good combo here. Lots of things can e done from here. Start low and then shoot low for one or two lleg take down. You can practice sprawl as a counter for an in close clash and attempted take down. Sometimes the noobs want to back up when they feel the shoot coming. Better to sprawl quick and stay close. Apply pressure on partners neck or back of head and move into guillotine. Long wide sprawl, not close. Remember leverage forward.

One counter to practice with this is person doing shoot to loop an arm around partners mid section (lower back at hip level) as they feel/see the sprawl or pressure, then swing out to the same side and go for a single leg. Sometimes you can even slip into a sissor with ankle or calf lock and torque. Also possible to slip into RNC from this position, if you bob/weave and slip in hooks as you swing out.

If you stay as close as possible for most of the duration of the drill, as well as keep busy, the endurance work is great and you get some good in close sensitivity training, not to mention close in striking practice. arm parrying and push hip control. Push hip control is for slowing down the attack and maybe opening up a gap or just a good check.

Man.... this is bringing back old good times. I don't fighters anymore. I MISS IT!!!!
WAAAAAHHH, WAAAAHHHH!