Getting Back to Basics on the Mat
Alright, so today was another day hitting the mats. Felt a bit stiff getting started, usual morning aches, you know? But I knew I had to get my MMA practice in. Been watching some clips, thinking about different approaches. Saw some stuff from Cody Wilson, not like I’m trying to copy him exactly, but it got me thinking about being more aggressive with takedown defense.
So, I got to the gym. First things first, gotta warm up. Nothing fancy. Jump ropes, some shadow boxing just to get the blood flowing. Loosening up the shoulders, hips, everything. You skip the warm-up, you’re just asking for trouble later. Learned that the hard way a long time ago.
Drills and Sweat
After warming up, we got into the drills. Coach had us working on a few combinations today.
- Jab, cross, leg kick. Simple stuff, but getting the timing right is key.
- Sprawl drills. This is where I was thinking about that Cody Wilson defense stuff. Really focused on dropping my hips fast and getting the underhooks.
- Basic guard passing drills. Just grinding it out, trying to stay heavy on top.
We spent a good chunk of time on the grappling side. Partnered up and just went through positions. Starting in guard, trying to pass. Starting in mount, trying to maintain. It’s tiring work, man. Seriously tiring. You’re pushing, pulling, trying to anticipate what the other guy’s gonna do. Sweat was just pouring off me.
Then we did some light, controlled sparring. Not going crazy, just trying to put things together. Tried to be mindful of keeping my hands up, moving my feet. Landed a couple of decent shots, got taken down once when I got lazy with my footwork. That’s how it goes. You mess up, you learn, hopefully.
Wrapping It Up
Finished off with some conditioning. Burpees, some kettlebell swings. Just enough to completely empty the tank. Then, finally, the cool down. Stretching everything out, trying to get my breathing back to normal. Sitting there, totally knackered, but feeling good. That post-training feeling, you know? It’s a mix of exhaustion and satisfaction.
Reflecting on it, the sprawl practice felt better today. Maybe thinking about keeping it simple but explosive, like some of those guys including Wilson seem to do, helped a bit. Still got a long way to go, obviously. Always something to work on. But hey, put the work in today. That’s what matters. Show up, sweat, learn a little something. Tomorrow’s another day.