Utilizing The Post And Rift For MMA With Greg Jackson
One of the most beautiful things about the art of striking is the ability for people to take their understanding of certain concepts, and discover other entire avenues of the sport with it. This seems to be the goal of so many coaches; to teach the fundamental concepts and watch what their students do with it.
These same handful of fundamental techniques continue to be perfected and added to by both top athletes in the game, as well as so many people who just train casually. That is what is so amazing about this sport, the creativity and freedom that it offers.
A technique used in many different areas of striking is the post and rift technique. Explained in the video below, Greg Jackson provides insight and demonstrates a technique for the post and rift application for MMA, check it out!
Greg Jackson Sheds Some Light On Striking In MMA
Greg begins the video by reiterating the earlier point about the goals of coaches, stating he knows he is doing his job right when he sees his students taking the fundamentals they have learned and developing their own unique game with it.
Greg starts by sharing a very classic example of the post and rift in kickboxing. He states that the objective of this technique is going to be to create a post in which he can move around. What he means by this is he wants to make his partner post, making it harder for his partner to adjust his position and making it easier for him to move around his partner.
To set this up, Greg is going to use the traditional left hook to right leg kick combination. While this seems like a simple combination, Greg is going to explain the underlying technique and how it is a part of a much deeper strategical principle. Greg prefaces the technique by giving credit to both the Dutch and Thai fighting styles.
Want To Adapt Your Striking For MMA? Click Learn More!
The underlying principle of this combination is to use your strikes to manipulate your partner's weight into a position that makes it hard for your partner to counter your next strike. You are going to begin the combination with a right cross, and then go to a left hook. The most important strike in this combination is the left hook. Greg explains that for this technique, the left hook gives you the best of both worlds. If you hit your partner with the left hook, you get what you want. However, even if he blocks the left hook you still get what you want.
No matter what he does you still get what you want, because really the left hook is just a bonus; what you are really looking for is to shift his body weight which you are likely going to do either way. After throwing your straight punch you will begin to transition to the left hook. Greg states that your left hook can be a long or short hook, as long as you understand what your goal is.
Target Multiple Vulnerable Spots On Your Opponent
As you throw that left hook, if you can hit him in the head, that's great, but you can even go for the shoulder if you want. The goal is to hit the hook with enough force that it manipulates your partner's body weight onto his opposite foot, in this case it would be your partner's left foot. What this does is creates a semi static post in the ground, making it easier for you to either move around or attack that post.
As you hit the hook and cause your partner to post, you have simultaneously loaded up your right leg, allowing you to land a powerful kick onto his posted leg. This fact that all of his body weight is on this leg will make it much more difficult for him to raise it in time to try and check your kick. If enough weight is distributed onto that leg, you may even be able to sweep your partners feet out from beneath him. This technique covers tons of fundamental technique and well thought out strategy.
Greg Jackson is an MMA trainer who co-owns Jackson Wink MMA Academy in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Greg is widely considered one of the best MMA coaches in the world, and the record of the athletes he has trained including Jon Jones, George St-Pierre, as well as many others drive that point home. He founded his own school in the early 1990’s, and in 2007 he was joined by striking coach Mike Winkeljohn, where they now run the Jackson Wink MMA Academy together.
In his instructional, Greg covers the fundamentals of MMA. Included in this instructional you can expect to find techniques such as ¾ surrounding concept, mongolian attacks, Ooda loop concept and application, gemini twin concept and application, and so much more.
The success of those who have trained under Greg should be more than enough evidence of his talent. Perfect your game with the professional technique and explanations of Greg Jackson, check out his instructional here!