Pull Back Counter Strikes With Randy Steinke

What is the cornerstone of fighting? To many the concept is simple as hit another person without getting hit in return. Seems simple enough until you try to do it. Foot Position, head movement, angles and fake attacks all play a role in being effective in the ring. 

Look at the top boxers in the world. They throw punches in bunches and when their opponent counters they seem to vanish in thin air. It is like fighting a shadow. The frustration begins to build and the counters get harder, the effort increases and conditioning starts to become an issue.

It almost seems unfair. These men and women that can stand and just deliver punishment and seem to evade every major shot in the process. They are definitely not  superhuman, just well trained.

There are many things that a spectator does not see or feel that fighters in the ring do. The Anxiety of losing rounds. The doubt that starts to seep into the mind when the pressure is relentless and nothing they are doing can relieve it. Every step seems to be another trap. 

These unseen factors crumble many fighters. They collapse underneath the pressure, oftentimes exerting themselves to try and finish the fight. Much like quick sand, the harder they struggle, the worse it gets. 

So how does a fighter build that ability to hit and not get hit? Hitting mitts helps but you need proper footwork to make sure movement is not hindered in the process. You need feints or fake attacks to play mind games on your opponent and set traps. Proper head movement and position while striking also plays a huge role in this part of the game. 

In boxing they do not have to worry about takedowns, but in MMA those are a very real threat. So the foot placement and work has to be different. As most fighters and fans alike can tell you, when a fighter is being out classed on the feet they will resort to takedowns and clinch work at all cost. 

So effective boxing in MMA is important but a traditional boxing stance will lead to a fighter being picked up and sent through the canvas. 

MMA has had a very short history but there have been a few great coaches who have devised ways to blend great striking with movement that will negate strong wrestling. 

One of those coaches is John Crouch of the MMA Lab. He has a stable of fighters who have fought in all of the major promotions. Since 2007 John has hired some of the best coaches to help supplement his fighters and build a name in the domain of pro MMA.

Top fighters like “Sugar” Sean O’Malley, the infamous “Bruce Leeroy” and Rick Story are just a few of his top fighters on the roster. Then there are fighters who do both Fight and Coach. One of the top coach/fighters they have is Randy Steinke. 

Randy is a true Mixed Martial Artist. He has wins by Knockout, Submission and Decision. He has a record of 19-12 and has had some all out wars in his career. 

Randy takes his coaching role seriously and has a few tips and tricks to keep fights where he likes them. On the feet. Below is a video of what Randy refers to as the “Double Barrel reload Drill” 

This is essentially alternating punches in sets of two with a small pause between them to help throw off the opponents defensive timing. It uses a small step into range three sets of two punches each, then stepping out of range. Randy emphasises head position during the drill and this puts the head in the right position to slip when needed yet still being ready to fire off shots. 

During the drill you will notice that the name “Double Barrel” comes from firing the same hand twice. left , right...right, left. This helps create pathways in the brain to fire the correct hand when needed. In contrast to many fighters who will always alternate sides or have to reset before they throw the opposite hand again. 

Randy has created a full four part instructional that outlines how to correctly approach striking in MMA. From the open of the round and center ring fighting, to countering while moving backwards then he moves into how to use the cage to the strikers advantage.

That last point is especially important for similar reasons mentioned before. When a fighter is on the cage they will almost always attempt to clinch and create a takedown, or slow the fight down by preventing large shots from being thrown. 

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