SW Portland Martial Arts Blog

Handy Hammerfist

March 11th, 2016

What a versatile and relatively simple strike the hammerfist is.  You can hit from almost any angle.  You can hit hard with a reasonably low chance of injury.  You can make a really loud noise on the focus pads…

The strike, like all strikes, can still be improved with a bit of practice.  The video above shows the students hitting the pads, hitting each other and then finally doing some full reps with an emphasis on finishing their partner with hammerfists.

One thing that did crop up for people is the risk of tweaking your wrist upon impact.  This problem is best solved by spending some time with the heavy bag, slowly ramping up the contact level and making sure to clench your fist at the moment of impact.

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A Beginner’s Leglock

March 3rd, 2016
Guard break to calf cutter

Leglocks have a scary reputation among some martial artists but, like everything else, they are simply another tool to be examined, practiced and used.  It is true that they can be dangerous but so too can a good hook or a good throw (or a sloppy angry partner).

As with most tools, making leg locks safe involves practicing good technique (learning some slow basics against a cooperating partner), slowly building up to live rolling, and practicing safety (tap early).

The video above shows a basic calf cutter/ankle lock set up.  Practice it.  Take some of the fear out of leg locks and turn them into just another (fun) tool in your martial toolbox.

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Technique

February 25th, 2016

image
Thanks to Joe (of Vulkan weightlifting) for coming over and guest teaching for a second class on snatch technique.
Having taken the same class twice now from Joe, what follows is my takeaway. Technique reigns supreme. Practice basic movements twice a week for a few months with an empty bar. Don’t get greedy and add weight too soon.
I’ll be passing specific movements on to peeps during the regular classes. If you were in the class, don’t hesitate to share what you learned with other people.

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Coach Justin

February 3rd, 2016

imageJustin Murphy is the coach of the Wednesday 8pm BJJ class.  If you like spending half an hour delving deep into a single technique and then trying to get it to work in live sparring, you will love his class.  As a rolling partner, he’s awesome at giving the perfect amount of pressure so that you are always challenged and never feel overwhelmed.  Justin holds the rank of purple belt in BJJ under coach Bill.

If you haven’t been to the Wednesday night class yet, come check it out.

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Arm Drag

January 26th, 2016
Kids Orange/Purple: Arm Drag

The arm drag is such a wonderful, basic tool for the martial artist.  It is a simple way to improve your position from being directly in front of your partner to being at their side or back.  Even cooler, it can be applied from standing and the ground.  As an added secret bonus, when you really get a grip on the arm drag, the leg drag will drop right into your pocket as well.

In the video above, you’ll see the adult students demonstrating the technique by provoking a push from their partner and then accelerating that push and pulling themselves into a better position.  The kids are demonstrating a simpler version, where they simply practice executing the motion against no resistance.

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