How To Close the Distance With Next Level Striking Tips by Alexsandro Pereira
Alexsandro Pereira is a Brazilian Mixed Martial Artist and Kickboxer. Currently Alexsandro is the GLORY Middleweight Champion and the Interim Light Heavyweight Champion. Coach Alexsandro Pereira has been ranked in the top 10 for Middleweights since 2014, currently ranked the #1 Middleweight, #4 Light Heavyweight and #7 Pound for Pound fighter in the world! Here, Coach Pereira shows how to land your jab without getting hit on the way in and how to follow up with a right hook and finish with a left hook!
Close The Distance Using Calculated Strikes
The Jab is usually the first strike you learn and the last one you perfect. Being able to close the distance and land your jab is one thing, being able to land it without being hit on the way in is another. Alexsandro Pereira begins by explaining that he will be training this technique by standing at a distance from his opponent where neither of them can reach each other with their strikes, without first moving in. This is where the difficulty arises. If Coach Alexsandro simply steps forward with his lead leg not only does this widen his stance, but his opponent can hit him as he comes in. To close the distance, Coach Pereira will move his back leg first, this gets his rear leg closer to his lead leg.
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Notice Pereira is not stepping forward into a Southpaw stance (right foot in front), he is just stepping it slightly closer to the lead leg, still staying in an Orthodox stance (left leg in front). When Coach Alexsandro steps his back foot he makes sure to not let his head change levels, he does not want to give any telegraph about his foot movement otherwise the opponent may counter or step out of range. Another detail to take note of is what Coach Alexsandro is doing with his upper body, he is not standing still moving stiffly. Coach Alexsandro keeps his hands and upper body moving to help mask the movement of his back leg.
Once Coach Alexsandro Pereira steps his back leg up he can not stay in this position, his stance is too narrow, but because it is narrow it allows him to safely step in with his lead leg into his jab without widening his stance. Coach Pereria explains that he is not throwing his jab and staying square with his opponent, instead he allows that jab to turn his torso, allowing him to load up his right hand. Once Coach Alexsandro has thrown his jab and the right hand is loaded, Coach Alexsandro will rotate back to his left and rip a right hook to the opponents body. Coach Alexsandro attacked the head with his jab, ripped the body with his rear hook and will finish with a lead hook to the head by allowing his torso to turn through on his rear hook so his lead arm is loaded to throw a hard lead hook to the opponents head!
Key Details To Take Away
Some key details to take note of, first is the way Coach Alexsandro Pereira is constantly moving. When out of his opponents range, Coach Pereria is keeping his hands and feet moving to distract the opponent from his real step with the back leg, remember Newton's First Law of Motion: an object at rest stays at rest, an object in motion stays in motion. If you are continuously moving it will be easier to get your body to react and close the distance when it is time.
The second key detail to take note of is the back foot of Coach Alexsandro, notice he is always on the ball of his foot. Being on the ball of his foot allows him to drive off the ground with his leg more effectively to step his foot up, which in turn allows him to step forward with his lead leg and close the distance faster. The third and final detail I want you to take note of is how Coach Alexsandro Pereira uses his jab to set up his body hook, to set up his lead hook. By rotating his torso through on each strike he effectively loads up his other arm for a hard punch!
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