MMA Fundamentals with Kyle “Crash” Bochniak
One thing you must love about Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is you know exactly what you are getting into just from the name. Before that, the name used was No Holds Barred (NHB) Fighting or in some circles the term “Pit” Fighting was used. The name honestly says it all. So much better than Water Polo where the name brings the illusion of drowning horses.
In MMA each contestant brings a Mixed skillset to a fight, with a game plan that will most likely revolve around that fighters strongest skill. In this past weekend we saw former colligate wrestler Karmaru Usman use his wrestling in later rounds to neutralize Jorge Masvidal’s striking capabilities.
Before that we saw Thug Rose use her speed and foot work to out maneuver the Brazilian powerhouse Jessica Andrade. Which to be noted the previous time these two fought, Jessica used her unreal power to lift and powerbomb rose from the guard, to knock her unconscious and win the title.
Often times fighters have to switch gears in a fight, or during their career to deal with a opponent or the general ebb and flow of what is popular at the time.
A famous example of this is George St.Pierre, who is a legitimate striker but did not have much wrestling capabilities early on in his career. St.Pierre had only two submission wins in his first six fights before he lost to Matt Hughes due to arm bar.
This was a catalyst for GSP, He knew it was the wrestling that gave Hughes the edge in the fight. GSP wrestled like a mad man, legend has it he was going to top DIV. I schools and working out with the teams until he managed to take down their top wrestlers.
For GSP and many other successful fighters it is knowing how and when to utilize techniques. When to strike when to wrestle, when to press into the fence, when to back off.
We can still see specialist in certain disciplines dominate so long as they are well rounded. We don’t see Damian Mia winning via Knockout, but we do see solid striking creating an entry into takedowns, then him utilize his world class Brazilian Jiu Jitsu to strangle people for the victory.
The idea that Francis Ngannou shooting a double leg is mind blowing. Why? Because he is a knockout artist. The heaviest hands the MMA world has ever seen. Does this mean Francis cannot wrestle? Not at all, He has great defensive wrestling and control that puts him in the best position to strike.
The concept is simple, but the application is unfathomably vast.
If you have made it this far into this article dear reader it is obvious you are a striker, or want to be a striker in MMA. If you have boxing or kickboxing experience learning how to get into and out of the different ranges that involve wrestling can be a steep learning curve.
It is entirely possible that as a striker entering into MMA, you need a few easy takedowns to earn quick points on a scorecard to cap off a round.
Below is former UFC Fighter Kyle Bochniak. Kyle was released from the UFC for going 2-5. And this may seem discouraging. Yet look at who he fought. His second fight in the UFC was with that monster Zabit. That animal of a fighter trains with Khabib and is looking at a title shot very soon. Zabit had to win a decision over him when he normally finishes everyone he meets.
What Kyle has done is used a few terms that are not normally seen outside of high level gyms. Normally when someone is teaching the idea is a fighter throws a punch and the other person has a set reaction. What Kyle speaks about is using a “Trigger”, a Long jab to poke the bear so to speak. This will initiate a reaction to which Kyle will have a response for the three most common responses.
The way to drill what Kyle is showing is to first drill each of the three responses independently. Next have your partner choose one response at random so that you can utilize the correct response. Building the neural pathways of decision making through an unknown response is a proven method for retention.
If you are looking at an MMA Career or just looking to explore the idea of stepping into a cage, Kyle’s instructional on MMA Striking, is a great starting point. He goes overs subjects like Striking, Clinching, Takedowns, Counters and Drills on putting it all together!
Check it out!