Using Clever Footwork To Land Combinations By Alexsandro Pereira
Striking in Martial Arts can be a dangerous prospect, especially when you step in to throw a jab at your opponent. When you close the distance on your opponent you put yourself inside their range, this can be troublesome as your opponent will be able to reach you and easily land strikes.
Usually when you are coming forward at your opponent, this means that if they land a strike then the pounds of pressure is always higher. We all remember Anderson Silva’s knockout on Forrest Giffen, where Anderson lands a jab stepping backwards as Forrest steps in. This happened because stepping into punches is like adding extra momentum on top of what your opponent has already created, by throwing their jab.
In this video Alexsandro Pereira shows off his techniques for closing the distance without alerting his opponent. He uses clever footwork and different distractions to keep his opponent’s mind occupied, then he utilises his combinations to achieve the knockout.
Why Should We Trust Alexsandro Pereira?
Alexsandro Pereira is a Brazilian Kickboxer and Mixed Martial Artist who has competed in many promotions like Glory, Kunlun Fight and Superkombat FC. Alexsandro is the former Glory Middleweight champion and the current Light HeavyWeight Champion. Combat Press has him ranked as the #1 Middleweight #1 Light Heavyweight and #6 pound for pound fighter in the world. Alexsandro has an impressive kickboxing record of 33 wins 6 losses with 21 wins by way of knockout.
Check Out Alexsandro Pereira Close The Distance And Execute Strikes In The Video Below!
There are many ways to distract your opponent so you can get close enough to land your desired combinations. Alexsandro shows us his techniques that have landed him numerous knockouts on his opponents.
The first thing you need to do is distract your opponent, you can do this by using your hands to reach out towards your opponent. This creates a situation where your opponent has to be watchful of where your hands are so they can avoid your strikes. The second part of this technique requires you to stay planted on your front foot and almost dance your back leg around and move your shoulders from side to side, this will ensure that your opponent is uncertain of what you are planning.
Once you have created these distractions you need to sneak inside your opponent’s range, you can do this by stepping your back foot closer to your front foot. Now you can step forward off your front foot quickly as you throw your jab, this will not only surprise your opponent but it will give you plenty of momentum for landing your strike. Then you can back up your jab with any combinations you please.
Remember that if you step your front foot forward first then your opponent could easily hit you with their punches. It is imperative to step your back leg toward your front leg first, then attack with your jab as you step your front foot forward.
Using these techniques, your opponent won’t know what hit them, so practise this at the gym and then you will improve your striking game exponentially.
Learn More From Alexsandro Pereira On Closing The Distance!
If you liked this video from Alexsandro Pereira on closing the distance and landing effective strikes and you want to expand your knowledge even further, then check out his series Total Striking Control by Alexsandro Pereira Available exclusively on Dynamic Striking!