How to Keep the Opponent Guessing with Daniel Woirin!
Daniel Woirin is one of the world's most acclaimed combat sports coaches. Head Muay Thai coach at the famous Black House MMA Gym, where fighters such as Anderson Silva, Lyoto Machida, Pedro Rizzo and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira trained! Here Coach Daniel Woirin shows how to use your level change to keep the opponent guessing and double jab to effectively set up strikes on an opponent who is staying out of your range!
Let's start with the Level Change!
The level change is a wrestling technique used for shooting in on the opponent to clinch and take them down with techniques such as double legs and single legs explains Coach Daniel Woirin, but it can be used to set up strikes as well. Coach Woirin demonstrates that when he bends at his knees to get lower, his opponent will usually react by lowering as well. If the opponent does not react, Daniel can just shoot his takedown or attack the body. Knowing that his opponent will most likely level change himself in response to Daniel’s level change, Coach Woirin level changes and immediately comes back and throws his jab, cross at the opponent's head as they come back up as well meeting the punches.
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Coach Woirin further shows that his level change can keep him unpredictable. If Coach Woirin lowers his level, the opponent does not know if he will attack low to the body, shoot in or come back up. This unpredictability makes it hard for the opponent to properly counter. Some more striking options Daniel shows is he can level change, come back up with a jab, cross, lead leg body kick. He can level change, come back up with a jab, rear leg low kick. Coach Woirin can also attack high before level change. Coach Woirin shows a high jab to mask his level change, once he is low he throws a rear straight to the body, comes back up to a lead hook to the head and finishes with a rear leg low kick.
Being at the proper distance to level change is extremely important when performing this technique. If you are too far away they will not be threatened by it and will have time to react, if you are too close you can be kneed, Coach Woirin likes to be around jabbing distance for his level change. Coach Worin calls this his safe distance, it is just a little bit farther out from the jab. Close enough that you cannot punch or be punched by the opponent without taking a step in. Coach Daniel Woirin finishes by explaining you can use any combo after your level change or even throw a flying knee after it and do not forget that at any point during your level change you can shoot in for your takedown or clinch. That is the beauty of MMA, you never know what your opponent will do because the ruleset allows for you to fight at a distance, in the clinch and on the ground so you can mix techniques from each discipline to help you transition between the ranges of an MMA fight!
Now let's take a look at the Double Jab!
Coach Daniel Woirin begins by explaining that a lot of times in MMA, if you throw your jab at the opponent, they will move backwards out of your range and if you try to kick their leg after that jab you will hit their knee with your foot and that can be very dangerous if the opponent turns their knee out to check your kick. To get you closer to land your kick or any other follow up attacks, Coach Woirin demonstrates that throwing two jabs can get you in range. When Coach Woirin throws his jab the opponent moves back so Daniel throws another jab to keep them moving back but shows that the second time the opponent goes to move back it is not as drastic as the first, allowing him to follow up with a hard leg kick, connecting with his shin bone and not the top of his foot like before.
This double jab is not the same as a traditional double jab from Boxing says Coach Woirin. In Boxing, you will typically throw your jab and bring it back your guard then throw your second jab the same as the first. Coach Worin demonstrates that after he throws the first jab and only brings his hand back halfway to his guard before throwing the second jab. The second jab will not be as strong as a traditional jab but it will be faster, allowing you to set up your powershot before they can escape again. Daniel explains that he has different options to follow his double jab up with, The first is straight into his low kick. He can also follow up with a rear straight to the body, lead hook to the head and finish with a leg kick. Another great option to keep the opponent guessing is to vary the heights of your jab. Coach Woirin demonstrates a jab to the head then on the second jab Daniel lowers his level and goes to the body, then comes back to the head with his rear hand and finishes with a lead leg roundhouse kick to the liver. These are just a few options on how you can follow up your double jab, there are many ways to capitalize on the distance your double jab covers.
The final piece of advice Coach Daniel Woirin gives is about your feet when throwing the double jab. If you take too big of steps and over extend your punch, you will be open to the takedown. The opponent can lower their level and shoot in on you. To help prevent that, Coach Woirin suggests taking smaller steps and not over committing on the jab!
Striking For MMA by Daniel Woirin is a 3-part series where Daniel breaks down his favorite combinations, drills, and MORE! Available NOW!