MMA training in Kuala Lumpur

Haven't been blogging awhile but looking back, this year signaled a surge of interest in the Crazy Monkey Defense (CMD) class at our gym, KDT Academy.

From around 10-12 people training since 2007, the class has dwindled down to around 5-6 people by the end of 2008. Many stopped due to work commitments, traveling, relocation and etc. One of the highlight of 2008 was my fellow gym-mate Albert Lim graduating as Certified Trainer and opening his own gym called Studio 23 in Kuching, Sarawak. Congrats Bert and hope I'll have the chance to visit you in Kuching soon.

But come 2009, boom!! An explosion of interest and all of sudden, we have a big batch of newcomers to the Crazy Monkey Defense class till Vince have to allocate a separate session for them. This will help them pick up the basics faster and get them up to speed with us "old-timers". One of the best thing from this is now I get to train 2 hours a night instead of the normal 1 hour session we used to do last year. And so far, it has been most satisfying because not only do I get to train longer, I managed to refresh myself on the fundamentals again by joining the CMD beginners class. I began to notice a significant improvement to my game by going back to the basics which I've been neglecting in favour of a more flamboyant game.

Why the sudden increase in MMA (mixed martial arts) training, esp. in program with a questionable name like "Crazy Monkey Defense" in a country where traditional martial arts such as Tae Kwon Do, Aikido or Karate dominate the scene? Well, the answers could be many, but I suspect this is due to fast growing popularity of UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) reality shows or fights.

While originally MMA is meant for professional fighters, in the sense that it has a much more demanding training regimen than most typical martial arts, the Crazy Monkey Defense training is specifically catered for people who want learn MMA as a fun and exciting pastime, perfect for people like me who enjoys combat sports minus the killer regimen (or risk of injuries) of a pro-fighter.

With so many new people in the gym, I look forward to some really interesting and exciting training sessions with lotsa good stuffs to learn. If you are interested to train MMA in Kuala Lumpur, please visit http://www.kdta.com/ for more info.

Rodney King seminar in KL

Despite my super busy schedule (PC Fair's here again), I managed to sneak some time off to attend an awesome seminar by the founder of Crazy Monkey Defense Program (CMDP), Rodney King.

This is Rodney's first seminar in Kuala Lumpur and having attended his seminar in Singapore before, I would have to say Rodney is an amazing coach with crazy skills.

Day One - Crazy Monkey Defense
Altogether there were around 12 of us and we were introduced to the basics of the Crazy Monkey Defense. Although few of us were familiar with CMD, it's always refreshing and enlightening to train under the Chief Mentor himself. Instead of showing us a bunch of techniques, Rodney shared and talked about the mental aspect of the game: apprehension, fear, pride, control and how they relate to the respective range and skillsets of CM1, CM2, CM3 and CM4.

We were put through few drills not really for the sake of learning few techniques, but more for us to experience the "concepts" of CMD in action. Every drills allow us to experience and reflect not just only on our boxing skills, but to truly understand how important is the four main drivers (Balance, CMD, TES and Conditioning) in a fight. We were allowed to do wrong initally so that we can experience for OURSELVES the difference between the right and wrong ways. This holistic approach to coaching an already functional fighting skill like boxing is what set the CMDP miles apart from the typical I-teach-you-follow martial arts schools. Which is why Rodney prefers to see himself as a coach rather than a teacher.

Day Two - Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
With two superb and committed coaches in KDT Academy like Sam and Vince, I managed to pick up a decent ground game over the last few years although I'm more a standup guy. Having attended seminars from awesome BJJ fighters & trainers like Adam Kayoom and John Will, I wasn't expecting much from Rodney. I mean, Rodney is so well-known for his Boxing or Muay Thai that to me, it has overshadowed his BJJ credentials (Rodney is a BJJ black belt under Rigan Machado).

Boy, was I ever so wrong! Although I don't profess to know much about BJJ, what Rodney taught and shown in this seminar totally blown me away!! It's not so much about the techniques (although they were awesome too), but more about his APPROACH to BJJ. His approach to Jits is quite radical in the sense that there were so simple, yet so effective that you wonder why didn't you think about them (or use them) earlier. But like any functional fighting skills, concepts and strategies will only work if you put in the mat time.

The day end with some free rolling without any submission. Rodney explained that if everybody is so eager or afraid of the submissions, they will be a hindrance to learning. So removing them will allow us to learn more in this instance.

Day Three - Mixed Martial Arts
Final day and my favorite thingy, MMA! Again, using the Crazy Monkey Defense as the coaching methodology, Rodney showed us a progression from standup, takedown and striking from the controlling or dominating position. And then he showed us an escape from bottom back to standup. All using only a few high percentage techniques.

Rodney mentioned the drawbacks of focusing exclusively on sports BJJ (pure grappling) and how this might develop bad habits (translate bad for your health) in a self defense situation. He said that the original BJJ was meant for the "streets" and can be applied both for combat sports or self defense.

Interestingly, Rodney shared that having a set of great fighting skills meant nothing if you do not live a good life, or set a good example to those who know you or look up to you. This is because some people define themselves just by how well they fight. Take away those skills, they have nothing else in life, just like an empty shell. Personally I find this very meaningful because we should strive to be a better person first before striving to be a better fighter. It's our deeds that define us, not our skills. Probably why many people like and respect polite and humble fighters like Randy Couture or Matt Hughes.

My only regret is I failed to take time off to bring Rodney for some sight-seeing in KL. Thank goodness for Mikey who managed to do the honour before Rodney left.

Kudos to Rodney for a great seminar and look forward to seeing you returning to KL soon!

Alive and Kicking

Last 2 months we have been working on our kicks, specifically Muay Thai low kicks. For warm-ups, we have been doing 2,4 and 6 punches, each followed by 2,4,6,8 and 10 kicks. This adds up to 30 kicks per set and on the average about 90 kicks per session. By then, I would be totally exhausted and burned out. What a warm up!

Finally I get to learn the much feared Muay Thai thigh kick. But our variation involved a switch step. I failed to understand why this is so (or I forgot to ask) because personally I prefer the typical "step 45 degree and kick" technique. I was taught to switch step fast and use the hip rotation + swing the arm back to generate the power for the kick. Easy to understand, hard to do for me. I'm afraid I have little flexibility left in this "chubby" and "seldom workout" body of mine. Still I'll train hard coz this is one kick I really want to learn.

During sparring, what I suspected became true: I was too slow to execute the kick without telegraphing it to my opponent. Without the switch step however, it's easier to execute, especially after some neat punches. Some of the my kicks landed on the side (the lower ribs) of my opponent instead of the thigh. Not sure if this is good. I also found out that I'll get deck in the head if I don't protect myself when kicking. The plus side is that it means I can move in and use boxing to counter kicking.

Wanna see a clumsy old man kicking? Click HERE.

Me Time

This has been a tumultuous year for me. After a good 06 and fantastic 07, my business suffered severe setbacks this year. Coz of that, I've been unable to make it for training consistently.

For those few times that I managed to attend, I really enjoyed the training despite some confusion due to me missing too many classes. It's the one thing I look forward to when I felt down from my business turmoil. Hmmm... perhaps I like to beat people to de-stress, or get beaten in return. Lol...

This is also the year Vince introduced to us many elements of MMA (kicks, clinches, takedowns, grappling, submissions, ground & pound etc). I absorbed some techniques (eg. passing the guard MMA style, basic clinch) like a sponge and yet failed to register some seemingly easy techniques (sprawl, basic low kicks, throws from clinch, breaking the half guard into submission etc).

There are times I contemplated stopping for good. I gave myself many reasons not to continue something I've been doing since the last 7 years. I told myself I'm too old for this shit, too clumsy and slow, this is not a priority in my life, my business is in a mess, I got a growing daughter to take care etc etc. I even said to myself that grown men mutually bashing one another for an hour is not healthy for my spiritual development and bearings. I got so demotivated that sometimes I just let time pass beyond 8pm to gave myself an excuse to skip training.

It has gotten to a point where I told myself I'll sign up a fitness center because I can workout anytime I like and to find something more "suitable" for my age, like Tai Chi, Chi Gung or Aikido, the latter being more appealing to me having so many friends into it. But I did not act on any of these. I'm still busy with work.

Then on Wed night, the guys asked me if I'll be more free now that I've released my company and will be going back to a regular working life. They asked me come to open mats on Sat. I was reluctant to answer because I knew there are many other things to do on Sat even if I don't work. My coach and old buddy Vince looked me in the eyes and said candidly, "Hey, look at it as some ME time... ME... get it?"

All of sudden, a realisation came to me. Why have I been so edgy this year, it's because I was derived of ME TIME. The Crazy Monkey Defense Program in KDTA has always been my favourite pastime. I have been neglecting my "hobby" for too long, hence no proper R&R. Of course there are other martial arts or sports I can do but this is me, full contact combat sports has always been my cup of tea. And the camaraderie in the gym is awesome, call it Brotherhood of Gloves. ;)

Guess I'll keep on this road till my tyres are punctured or worn out.

Throwing proper body hooks

I had few nicknames that the guys gave me in Facebook. One of them is Uncle Choy Lay Futt. I guessed this had to do with the way I sparred. Although I can no longer be considered a newbie in boxing, I still do few common no-nos like dropping my hands (see the pic in previous entry) and throwing those telegraphic long winded haymakers like a gorilla swinging his arms wildly.

Although my last entry detailed out the steps I need to do to correct these mistakes, it wasn't until I observed Mike sparring recently that I realised the beauty of proper boxing moves. Mike just rushed in and threw textbook body hooks that were not only beautiful to watch, but also painfully effective.

His body hooks were simply by the book: bend the knees, keep the hands close to body, rotate the elbow and hip 90 degree and use the legs to drive the shots. Read this entry for more details.

The only advantage he probably had is his height where he doesn't need to level change much when throwing those body hooks. I imagine any tall guy would have real troubles from his body shots. Way to go buddy!

Boxing - back to basics

Just broke my own record. Not fights won or lost, but attendance record! I managed to train twice a week since, err... this year. ;D

This week we sparred one pair at a time while the others observed. Everyone will then comment on their performance. This is really helpful for us to reflect on our strengths, and to correct our mistakes.

Although I wasn't aware of it during sparring, it appears that I dropped my hands too much (see pic above), esp when delivering body shots and was slowed to pull my hands back when doing straight shots. Everytime I dropped my hands to do body shots or even hooks, I got decked in the face. I felt like a sitting duck in an open field.

Some comments were:

1. I need to pull my hand back faster. Earlier I was worried about my control when I jab and pull fast I might hit too hard. Then Vince suggested I pull back fast but keep an open hand instead of a clench fist. This worked rather well for me tonight.

2. Remember TES - Tight Economical Structure. Hunchback, hands up, diving board punches and circle off.

3. Stick to boxing basics: level change when throwing body shots, bend the knees, keep the hands close to body, rotate the hips and use the legs to drive up the shots.

4. I need to do more pad works and focus mitts. Argh, how to spare time for this lar?

Thanks guys for the feedbacks.

My first MMA sparring

I finally got a taste of the what MMA sparring is like on Wed. And it was nothing like what I imagined it would be!

After another class featuring more takedowns from the clinch, we move on to some light sparring covering standup, clinch and ground aka MMA. I've done sparring before during my Karate days and Boxing lessons but none in a proper MMA format.

Things I learned from my first MMA sparring:

1. You can tire easily especially when you clinch or grapple too much. OK I admit, I'm as fit as pig trying to do horse jumping.

2. Be careful when kicking because it compromise your balance. Don't let your opponent trap or catch your leg. Anderson Silva vs James Irvin comes to mind.

3. Keep the defense tight. Do not neglect defense in favour of an offensive game. Do not engage openly if you are exhausted. Slither away to catch your breath. I failed to learn this the umpteenth time and guess I need some hard knocks to be reminded of this.

4. Setup for kicks or takedowns. Do not blindly rush in or you'll eat many nasty shots.

5. It's real hard to defend strikes when you are in the bottom. See my post on Ground and Pound.

6. Focus on my strengths and do not try too many things at once. This is probably more applicable in a real match because it's only through sparring you can discover what works best for you. So it's ok to try out whatever you've learned. Sparring is also the best way to discover one's strengths and weaknesses.

7. Despite learning maybe 4-5 throws/takedowns from the clinch, I didn't get to make it work during sparring. Guess I just need to put in more mat time.

Looking forward to the next sparring sessions.

The Whizzer of Octagon

I gotta admit I know very little about takedowns. I preferred standup striking to takedown or grappling, except for the clinch or Muay Thai neck tie.

Things have gotten to be very interesting this year. With focus sessions and integration of MMA techniques into our Crazy Monkey boxing structure has ignited my interest in a whole different way. I missed pure boxing, and BJJ rolling too. Too bad we have limited time to feed our infinite interest.

One of the most interesting technique I've learned is the whizzer, or some called it overhooking the arm. This common MMA technique has multiple use: from defending a single leg takedown to controlling your opponent or taking him down.

As demonstrated above by one of my favorite MMA instructor, Mark Hatmaker, the whizzer is a must have tool in any MMA fighter arsenal. Because of my hectic schedule, I still haven't got the opportunity to put this to a test. Will write more as soon as I get the chance to try this in sparring. Felt kinda awkward having learned so many MMA techniques recently. I'm worried I'll be slowed down by the increase of techniques in my fighting toolbox - too many to choose from. Hope more mat time will disprove this.

Single Leg Takedown

Learned my first "proper" takedown early this month: the common single leg takedown.

Bert was the instructor that night and I must say his coaching skills have improved tremendously ever since he signed on to become a Trainer-in-Training of the Crazy Monkey Defense Program. There are occasions where I felt I enjoyed his class more than Vince. Hope I won't get my ass kick by Vince for saying this. ;D

Now onto the single leg takedown:

1. You must first set it up, normally with some strikes (eg. a fast jab-cross).

2. Level change to the opponent's hips and grab his lead leg using gorilla grip (no interlocking the fingers). Grab it tight and lift up his leg.

3. Rise up and place your head on his chest as if listening to his heart. This will make it difficult for him to sprawl or guillotine your head.

4. Push him forward to bring him down or swing him around by moving your lead leg to the rear.

5. Follow up with side control, mount, knee ride or anything you prefer.

Another variation below where you see the instructor did not grip his hands together but rather place one hand behind the opponent's knee and the other on his ankle. He did not rise, he just drive forward and pull the ankle up to bring the opponent down.

My understanding is single leg takedown has a higher percentage of working compare to the double leg takedown, and it's a widely used technique in many MMA fights. Looking forward to practice it in this month sparring.

Crazy Monkey drills as introduction to MMA

Lately the Crazy Monkey Defense Program here in KDT Academy has been incorporating many drills covering more than boxing: punch-kick combos, takedown defense, sprawl, escape from sprawl and recover to standup.

I found these drills to be great introduction to MMA techniques and I realised what I thought I knew (from BJJ, Boxing and watching too much UFC) were quite different when tried, bringing the old adage to mind: it's easier to say than to do. For me, it's ten times of that coz my cardio is crap (isn't it always) and I haven't been training regularly this year.

Perhaps it's better if we spend more time drilling on a single aspect of MMA, eg. sprawl to recover and sprawl escape instead of doing the whole standup, clinch and ground within an hour. Nevertheless, these drills brought to life what I imagine MMA training to be: functional, complete and thoroughly enjoyable. Can't wait for us to try all these techniques out when we spar. For my buddies who have done it while I was away: save some fun for me ya. ;)

PS. For those who are wondering, I'm the clumsy dude in the white shirt.