Setting Traps To Counter Lead Hook With Jake Mainini
Coach Jake Mainini is a veteran Muay Thai fighter with over 20 fights as well as being the head instructor at Hard Knocks Gym located in Boston. Here he coaches many high level fighters who fight in organizations such as the UFC, Glory Kickboxing and Lion Fight Promotions. Today Coach Jake Mainini shows how he likes to bait the opponent to throw a lead hook and three ways he likes to counter that lead hook!
To start, Coach Jake Mainini shows how he will be throwing his jab, cross for this bait. Jake shows that he will not be throwing your typical boxing style jab, cross, but instead he will be throwing a shorter range jab, cross. Coach Mainini explains that you will not be fully committing to these punches and you will not be turning them over, this style of jab, cross look similar to the short punches seen in Wing Chun where you keep your palm facing in without fully turning it over, looking more for speed and drawing a reaction instead of keeping your opponent at your full range and dealing damage.
Coach Jake Mainini closes the distance, throws his jab, cross, after Jake lands his punches he slides back out of range expecting his opponent to throw something. As the opponent comes in with a lead hook to try to counter Coach Mainini, Jake keeps his right hand high to block the strike while simultaneously moving forward to close the distance and enter into the opponent's space while throwing a straight elbow with his lead hand spearing the opponent. The trick is that after you move out from your jab, cross; you enter right back in as the opponent advances with their lead hook, you beat him to the punch essentially.
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The second trap now will start off the same as the first. Coach Jake Mainini will enter with his short jab, cross, slide back out of range and as the opponent moves in to attack with the lead hook, Coach Mainini will look to counter with a check elbow. Similar to a check hook but Jake will be even closer to the opponent so he can utilize his short range weapon, the elbow.
To do this check elbow, instead of stepping straight in as he did in the first trap, Coach Jake will look to take a slight step up and to his left. Once Coach Mainini’s lead foot touches the floor he will pivot his lead leg to the left while throwing a slashing lead elbow over the top of the opponent's shoulder with his lead hand, the finishing position of this technique should leave you perpendicular to your opponent where you are facing him but he is not facing you for a split second and that split second of him being out of position is all you need to deal massive damage. Make sure that as you are doing these elbow attacks your rear hand stays in a high guard, if you are close enough to elbow your opponent they are most likely close enough to elbow you as well!
The final trap Coach Jake Mainini will show looks to utilize a clinch, an off balancing technique and a knee to the opponent’s head. Coach Mainini sets the trap the same as the first two, short jab, cross to enter followed by sliding back out of range. Now, as the opponent enters back in with a lead hook, Coach Jake looks enter into the opponent's space while telephone blocking the hook with his right hand and jamming the shoulder with a stiff arm on his lead side hand to keep the opponent in place, doing this block and shoulder jam in conjunction to each other will take quite a bit of steam off of the opponents hook, making it safe to absorb the strike.
Once the hook has been blocked, Coach Jake Mainini will look to take a step out to the side with his right foot while pulling the opponent’s head down with his lead hand. After Coach Jake has made his step and pulled down the opponent's head he will look to use his left foot to kick the inside of the opponent’s leg, all of this done together will off balance the opponent and leave him extremely vulnerable to follow up with a knee to the face from coach Mainini’s right leg. Notice Coach Jake’s right hand stays hooking the opponents bicep and elbow area once he transitions his left hand to the head, this will help him manipulate his opponents upper body for the off balance as well as keep him protected from further strikes on that side!
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