Powell Combat Arts

A few days ago, I was discussing the difference between "traditional" martial arts, such as Karate and Kung Fu, and "non-traditional" martial arts, such as MMA, with one of my trainees ... I mentioned that many people these days go straight into "non-traditional" martial arts and miss out on the lessons of "respect" and "character" that are taught in "traditional" martial arts ... I recalled how in the movie "Return of the Dragon" ... after Bruce Lee's character killed Chuck Norris' character, Bruce spotted the top of Chuck's karate uniform and, as a gesture of respect, covered his face and body with it ... that is what you learn from "traditional" martial arts ... I admire Conor McGregor's fighting skills ... however McGregor's recent actions illustrate what can happen if you miss out on those important lessons of "respect" and "character" that are taught in "t...

There are a two schools of thought when it comes to sparring.  Some trainers like their fighters to go all out when sparring and some do not.  I am in the latter camp.  I do not see any reason to ever spar at more than 75% of your full power for head shots and more than 85% of your full power for body shots.  You primary focus when sparring should be to improve or hone specific skills you will need to win a fight, not to knock out your sparring partner! Sparring

Floyd Mayweather Sr and his son Floyd Jr Yesterday I had the opportunity to train with Floyd "Money" Mayweather's Dad.  Although I only worked mitts with him for one round, my brief training time with him was very revealing.  I watched intently as Floyd Sr trained other folks in the gym.  My main goal was to pick up tips that I could use to help the fighters I train.  The first thing I noticed is that Floyd Sr loves boxing.  He is in his mid-sixties now.  Boxing has been his entire life.  His nickname is Joy.  Which he lived up to by joking and laughing outside the ring with all the gym goers.  However, when he put on the mitts and stepped into the ring, he became a different person.  Floyd Sr became a boxing trainer.  He taught ... he motivated ... he pushed for your best.  Floyd Sr never received a lot of accolades for the great job he did training his son.  For some reason, folks assume Floyd Jr jumped out of the wo...

The heavy bag and speed bag get a lot of attention.  You often see videos of boxers slugging away at a heavy bag or showing off their speed bag skills.  The double-end bag is like the ugly duckling.  However, there are many benefits to using this tool.  It is excellent for practicing the placement of your straight punches, i.e., jabs and crosses.  It enhances timing and accuracy of your punches.  The double-end bag is also great for developing rhythm.  It can help you learn to coordinate your jabs with your footwork.  Step and jab in rhythm.  The other great benefit is that the bag will come back straight at you; assuming you hit the bag square on.  This allows you to practice your defensive slips. See clip of using the double-end bag below.

Filipino Boxing means different things to different people.  For example, some consider Filipino Boxing as strictly a striking art, while others include grappling in their expression of the art.  The art also goes by many names.  It is also referred to as Dirty Boxing, Panantukan, Suntukan, Pangamot, etc.  At its essence, Filipino Boxing is an empty-hand self-defense system whose techniques are derived from the use of weapons, such as sticks and knives, in Filipino Martial Arts ("FMA"). My understanding of Filipino Boxing comes primarily from training under numerous well-regarded FMA instructors.  I have also gained an appreciation of the art from spending countless hours studying books and videos on the discipline.  I have also been fortunate to be able to experiment and explore the use of Filipino Boxing techniques with my training partners and students. My personal expression of Filipino Boxing is a combination of traditional Western Boxing, limb des...

One of my pet peeves is watching folks stand stationary in front of a heavy bag and slug away.  I am not sure how that is helping their boxing skills.  The way to use the heavy bag for more than just a conditioning tool is to view the heavy bag as a live opponent.  In order words, pretend that the heavy bag can hit you back and move your body accordingly.  Intersperse your punching with defensive maneuvers and footwork.  See the short clip below for an example of using this approach to heavy bag work.

No doubt you have seen video of boxers jumping rope.  The flashy and mesmerizing moves.  It is not all for show.  Jumping rope is one of the best ways to improve your footwork for fighting; whether in boxing, kick-boxing, or MMA.  It helps your rhythm, balance, coordination, and endurance.  The exercise strengthens your calf muscles.  Jumping rope is great for a warm up exercise before you engage in more strenuous work in the gym. The basics - rotate your wrists, not your arms and try to just clear the rope with your hops, and look straight ahead and not at your feet.  Now grab a rope and start skipping!