kosherkickboxer competition footage

**Matt Phillips** · Posted On: 11/09/2012 12:29pm

4 years ago kk attended his first TD and sparred strikistanian. Ben was 12 and Strike was 17. Today Ben is turning 17 and looking for his first full rules ammy MMA match, and Strike is one day away from his pro MMA debut. Both have fought and improved so much since then. They were both white belts back then, and now ben's a blue and kin's a purple.

Amazing how young they were, and how much progress both have made.

Here's their original spar way back when

**itwasntme** · Posted On: 11/09/2012 12:44pm

Congratz on all his progress!

**Matt Phillips** · Posted On: 11/09/2012 5:44pm

Originally Posted by itwasntme

Congratz on all his progress!

I will tell him.

**Matt Phillips** · Posted On: 11/26/2012 8:21am

Finally got the full video of Ben's smoker fight. Sloppy at times, and fluid at others. He shows his potential at 2:45... I count 10 solid shots, 3 of them kicks, delivered in 4 seconds. It was nice.

**erezb** · Posted On: 11/26/2012 9:03am

He "won" that one IMO. It shows that he cross trains, he doesn't use knees in the clinch and prefers to throw.
Notice that he punches a bit sloppy, when he throws his overhand cross his hand drops a bit, his chin goes up and basically he telegraphs the punch. A quick remedy is to use way more faints, especially before his right cross. He hardly lands them because they are telegraphed (he has good timing). He needs to add angles to his punches, if you throw the same one over and over, the opponents learns where to put his guard to block the best. I would say more about his boxing but that is MT so i understand there is a difference in stance and stuff. (Also hardly any evasive head movement). Not bad though for a MMA fighter.

**Matt Phillips** · Posted On: 11/26/2012 9:11am

His stand up training is SanDa/Chinese kickboxing; no knees allowed and throwing from the clinch is emphasized.

**erezb** · Posted On: 11/26/2012 9:37am

Oh ok than, that is why the clinch work is different. I actually think San Da is best for mma. I still think he could gain a lot from some good classic boxing training. He could have done more damage with the punches that did land. But unless he is full time training you can't do it all. Though adding more feints before he punches and in general is really missing, he should think about it when he re-watches this fight.

**Matt Phillips** · Posted On: 11/26/2012 10:08am

They're very good points; I will be sure he sees them. His straight boxing is actually pretty good in sparring, but I agree that most of it doesn't show here. 1st ring fight in front a large crowd.

**erezb** · Posted On: 11/26/2012 10:46am

Originally Posted by Matt Phillips

They're very good points; I will be sure he sees them. His straight boxing is actually pretty good in sparring, but I agree that most of it doesn't show here. 1st ring fight in front a large crowd.

A great way to capitalize on his boxing background is to spar when the opponent is KickBoxing while he only boxes. If he competes in a MT rule-set, they aren't accustomed to bobbing and weaving while executing counter punches, their hands are more for faints and as a preparation for a kick (low to mid level classic MT not the dutch), so when they receive a really solid boxer's punch they get shaken, especially with the younger less experience MT guys. He could also probably benefit from some punching specific weight lifting drills to improve his punching power.

**Matt Phillips** · Posted On: 11/26/2012 11:19am

He was younger here, but there is some TD footage of him sparring Sirc under kickboxing rules, but not kicking due to hurting his foot earlier in the day. He's using hands plus SanDa's kick catching to cope. Not exactly the exercise you described, but close.

Thanks again for your comments; they will all be passed on to him and/or his coaches.

Edit: you're looking for the footage that's IN the ring