My MMA Sparring Progress • Journal #1 • With Coaching Advice

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#MMA #Sparring
This is the first recorded MMA sparring session I did to document my progress as I am doing intensive MMA training in SBG Portland. The video was filmed as I was three weeks into my intensive MMA training program. As you can see I am still a beginner in MMA sparring, so not much should be expected, but you will be able to see my progress when I will release the next sparring session.

In this video I am coached by Ricky Davison, head MMA coach of Straight Blast Gym Portland. I am sparring with James Livingston Taylor, who is going to have his first amateur MMA fight this December. We are keeping the intensity at a low, doing a light MMA sparring to work on sparring skills and avoid unnecessary injuries.

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Check the video which started it all:

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His advice was perfect. He immediately saw what you needed to do and informed you. Excellent stuff.
Great work bro!

SkemeKOS

Rokas, you're turning into a badass! but I hope you always keep that chilvalry and friendly personality you have!

Liquidcadmus

Amazing Rokas!!! And your coach is amazing too. Great advice from him. I think a lot of what he is saying, even if it doesn’t click now, will come with experience. Keep at it 👍🏾

baywest

Guy’s short looks fabulous on him 😂

That said good spar though.

godzilladude

Congrats, Rokas! I'm really happy for your progression!

Kebelix

I just discovered your channel. Subscribed! :)

mbunch

You've come so far and it's so great to see such a big improvement. I'm really looking forward to the rest of this series. Your grappling definitely looks better than your striking, I guess since most of your background is in getting a hold of people as opposed to hitting them, but I have no doubt you'll improve in both with your current training regime.

BecozPro

perfect partner treating it as a learning experience for you and not trying to destroy your confidence with any ego !

steelbosgrove

Great video, Rokas! Thanks for sharing your evolution. This is valuable content.

jamesowens

Getting better and better ! Great work !

Jenjak

Awesome, man!! That was very nice!! Congrats!!

Besides BJJ I also started Muay Thai this year! Sparring is hard as hell! I was awarded with some superman punches and liver kicks! Very pleasant! xD

Keep it up!

wagutoxD

Is good to see your progression Rokas. You've made massive gains since beginning your journey. Well done and keep posting. :-)

martinpratchett

Keep training and keep evolving!!! Great work.

DXIII_

Oh wow, I actually went back to watch your first video against that MMA guy back at home, MASSIVE IMPROVEMENT. And that coach guy nailed it. Surprised you've interview Brian Walsh but didn't take away the ear attack drill.

Here are a few drills you can do on your own time to help with what the Coach said.

Drill 1. (a karate guy/gal can help here, see if anyone is one, to help with this), stand stock still, hand behind your back, and stare them right in the face. Ask them to punch essentially within half an inch of your face with full power. This a drill karate peeps actually do, which is why I recommended someone from that art, but anyone with decent punch control will work. The goal is to NOT LOOK AWAY, blink or flinch, stare down their fist that's half an inch from hitting you. 15 minutes a day should suffice (this drill's usefulness expires in like a month though, it's useless after your flinch response has been killed, keep that in mind).

Drill 2: Buy a motorcycle helmet (no helmet in drill 1) with a clear visor and lots of it, you want plenty of viewing space -- no narrow vision. Get someone to spar with you (no kicks) and YOU'RE ONLY ALLOWED defensive maneuvers. Slap/pat the hand away, bob and weave, lean back, level change, elbow spear, etc. NO HITTING BACK. Go light on the intensity, the helmet makes breathing difficult and stuffy (great training though for real bouts!). Time limit is up to you, I'd do 3 minutes for 3 rounds.

Drill 3: This is where Brian comes in, I made up this drill up myself from his advice. Now give that helmet to your sparring partner, draw two rings, circles, X marks the spot, a triangle, batman logo, whatever your like, as long as it's basically the diameter of an ear, around where the ears would be under the helmet, both sides (I like to use a red marker).

Your ONLY ALLOWED TO HIT THE RED CIRCLES/MARKS, for this the sparring partner is doing what you were doing in drill 2, defense only. The only way to land a clean shot/hit is to shuffle from side to side, this a drill for developing side-to-side footwork/mindset. I recommend a helmet that's pure white or anything that's easy to draw on. You can throw any kind of punch, as long as it's aimed strictly at the ears. You want to try for 10 hits, per ear, in 3 rounds each lasting 3 minutes.

Drill 4: In relation to keeping your chin down, find a cherry tomato (or harder ball of equal size, but the tomato has a better penalty game), tuck in underneath your chin and use only your chin to keep it there, now shadow box at full power. If the tomato drops, you lose (ask someone to kick you in the ass real hard -- get a side kick like the calf kick, not a push, kick you want a smack with the top of the foot.), if you squish the tomato, well now you have to clean it up and that's a loss too (no ass kick required, cleaning the tomato off FROM YOUR SHIRT/FLOOR is its own penalty). You don't need to play the penalty game, and if you'd rather not, get a ball instead and just practice shadow sparring/boxing at full power without dropping it. Again, 3 minutes for 3 rounds.

Now, some advice on the actual fight, first start throwing low leg kicks, I saw like zero. Kick the calf bro, KICK THE CALF!!
When the opponent backs up for whatever reason, go to kicking, stick to Teep/push kick only for now (just aim it high, mid, low randomly to keep the opponent confused/guessing), you MAY mix in calf kicks if you're feeling up to it. When they close the distance, strictly boxing. Your punches are good, keep polishing them (a bit of over extension but it's not a huge biggie).

Don't be tempted to mix up kicks with punches when the opponent is far, you'll just get countered since you still over extend on punches a bit. Far=kicks, strictly. Close=punches, strictly.

So STOP running backwards (for now), use the lean back, it WILL fail a lot in the beginning, which is your cue for a double leg take down. So drill this sequence with someone you trust.

LEAN BACK, if success then counter (lead hook is good), if fail, double leg take-down, if fail, convert to single leg with the trip you did in your no-gi first match.

Your take downs fail right now cause they are slow, you do them only when overwhelmed with punches so the opponent sees them coming. You want the opponent extended, mid punch, and then fire a lightning quick take down. Also, set a rule for yourself, I, ROKAS, WILL ONLY SHUFFLE THREE STEPS BACK. If it's not enough to deal with the opponent then I will eat the punch.

Obviously this rule is terrible for hard sparring, but we're going light right now and you're in the early learning phases, we want to develop good habits now that will serve later down the line.

Hope I didn't bore you to death, of course double check this advice with your coach and if there'a anything else, just ask and I'll
see what I can do. I'm assuming your sleep and nutrition is well done by now? Can't wait for the next video!!

MohseenLala