Choreographing Your Combinations

Monday night's class was pretty straight forward... work combinations that make sense. Once you’re at a level where you know all of your combatives and defenses, you then have to know how to put them into some sensible order of attack/counterattack. “Fights are not won by individual techniques but by combinations.”

Except for the last drill of the night, most of the drills were choreographed.

The first drill started with no contact.

1. Partner throws a left jab.
2. You defend with an inside defense.
3. You throw a left hook.
4. Partner defends by covering.

We also did… what I’d call… an observation drill. Now we have boxing gloves, headgear and shin guards on. You’re in a fighting stance and your partner is hitting you. He’s concentrating on hitting vulnerable targets and throwing combinations and then spinning off. You… on the other hand… are observing his strikes and visualizing your defenses for them.

Another choreographed drill added the kicking element into the mix.

1. Partner throws a left jab.
2. You defend with an inside defense.
3. You throw a left hook.
4. Partner defends by covering.
5. Partner throws a right round kick.
6. You defend with a shin block.

As the class went on, we progressed into longer chains.

The last drill was unique. Both you and your partner could punch… but only with your left hand. However, you could defend with both hands. Being relegated to punching with one hand made you focus on what targets were available with that hand.

Choreographed chain drills are a great learning tool. The chain drills help you recognize the strikes coming at you. They also help you with reacting, defending and countering them thus building muscle memory. The punches and kicks are real… but arranged.