Doubling Your Strikes by Rafael Cordeiro
In this Video, legendary head coach of Team Kings MMA, Rafael Cordeiro talks about the ability and usefulness of doubling up your strikes. A double jab is one of the first things you learn to do in striking and is one of if not the only same side combination that a lot of fighters have in their arsenal. In this video Coach Corderio not only goes over the double jab and its many uses but also other combinations that utilize the lead hand twice, one after the other and how effective that they can be.
Coach Cordeiro starts off the video by talking about how important the lead hand is in fights, saying that it is the most important weapon you have. This is fairly common knowledge but a lot of people don’t know why this is, they just know that it is because they have been told so many times by so many different people. The lead hand is the closest weapon that you have to your opponent’s head and body, so not only will it land the quickest, but it is also in the perfect position to measure distance, probe at your opponent and frame off of them.
Coach Rafael Cordeiro talks about being about to use the double jab to control the fight and eventually land your bigger shots. You are also able to double jab a lot if you are doing it properly. You shouldn’t be throwing every show had especially the double jab, which will act as a way to set up and find openings for your bigger shots. Coach Cordeiro also shows how you should be able to use your double jab in all directions, not just moving forward and pressuring. This is something that people tend to neglect because it can be fairly complicated but you should be able to at least throw a few strikes while moving backwards and sideways and not just forward.
If you can do this with your double jab you will be able to keep your distance and control your opponent no matter where they may be or where they are moving. Coach Cordeiro then talks about the importance of being able to mix together your offence and defense. It is fairly common for fighters to go into a round of sparring thinking “I am going to be offensive this round” or “I’m going to be defensive for a round”. This is a decent idea at face value, working on a specific aspect, but working like that can make it hard for you to have them work together during matches.
Coach Cordeiro then goes on to teach a combination, using the double jab as both a way to set up the rear hand and as an exit to control the distance. The combination is pretty simple, double jab cross forward, then double jab backwards. Footwork is very important in this combination, Coach Cordeiro makes it clear that on every jab, you should step and that they should line up with each other.
Coach Cordeiro then teaches variations on this combo. The first variation replaces the jabs in the combination with hooks, now becoming double lead hook-cross to double hook stepping back, al with the same footwork. The second variation is a combination that Coach Cordeiro likes for opponents that are constantly shooting for takedowns in MMA or ducking low for body shots. The combination is a lead uppercut, lead hook-cross going forward to using the uppercut and then the hook going backwards.
Coach Cordeiro then states one last time how important distance control is, saying that if “you control the distance, you control everything”. Check out Muay Thai Fundamentals with Rafael Cordeiro TODAY!