Frank Sasso - Focus Mitt Drills: Boxing, Muay Thai, MMA & Karate Striking Drills You Can Perform Anywhere

Focus Mitt Drills

Boxing, Muay Thai, MMA & Karate Striking Drills You Can Perform Anywhere

1st Edition

By Frank Sasso

Copyright 2021 by Frank Sasso. All rights reserved.

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Table of Contents

Introduction

Before we delve deep into the specifics of focus mitt drills I want to thank you and congratulate you for purchasing this book.

Very few people end up taking action and pursuing their goals or dreams by obtaining a copy of my focus mitt drills book youve taken the first step in turning your desire to improve your fitness, health, and striking prowess into a reality.

Youve spent a portion of your hard-earned cash and youve acquired what I deem to be the ultimate focus mitt striking drills guide. It doesnt matter whether you have a decade or two of striking experience under your belt or whether youve only hit pads once or twice before in your lifetime regardless of how limited or proficient you deem your current striking skillset to be theres something in this book for you.

We wont be diving straight into the focus mitt drills though, unless youre a seasoned veteran in the ring perhaps youd like to skip ahead to the drills which begin in chapter 8.

Well begin by going through a primer on the martial arts included within the pages of this book from boxing and Muay Thai to Karate and MMA. What defines each of these styles? Where did they originate from? Youre about to find out.

From there well break down the specific strikes for each style of martial art along with how to perform it on your focus mitts with correct technique from the lightning-fast check hook in boxing to the piercing knees of Muay Thai and the spinning kicks of Karate youll be well equipped to perform each strike when we get to the drills themselves in chapters 8 through 11.

Chapter 1 A Primer On The Martial Arts

Maybe its just me, but I genuinely believe when it comes to the martial arts you should familiarize yourself with the history and ideology of the discipline of martial art that youre practicing.

You may know how to throw a Muay Thai round kick but do you know about the rich Thai history of the sport, often referred to as Thai Boxing or The Art of 8 Limbs? Knowledge is power, by understanding the martial art itself you can place more emphasis and meaning behind your strikes.

It sounds odd saying that but after spending time in Mexico and really getting among the boxing culture there to spending months exploring Thailand and both watching and training with the locals its the knowledge and culture gained that really took my striking to the next level not the small cues and pointers on technique.

Lets take a look at each of these proven martial arts

Muay Thai

Muay Thai, often referred to as the art of eight limbs originated in Thailand and is the national sport of Thailand (with Thailands King greatly supporting the sport). Formal rules for Muay Thai bouts were introduced not longer after the end of World War 2. Unlike boxing or other limited forms of combat sports and martial arts, Muay Thai uses the entire body as a weapon the hands, the elbows, the knees, and the shins.

Fighters engage on the outside with powerful teep and round kicks as well as fight in the pocket with slashing elbows and knees in the clinch.

From my personal experience Muay Thai requires the biggest degree of mental toughness, as conditioning your physique is high on the list in order to become a successful Muay Thai practitioner. And when were talking about conditioning, I dont mean doing hill sprints or the like to improve your cardio conditioning.

No were talking about throwing round kick after round kick at a Banana tree in the jungles of Thailand, continuing to drive through your hips as you throw kick after kick until either the tree goes down or you deaden the nerves in your shins.

Were talking about placing your hands above your head and tensing your mid-section while you voluntarily allow your training partners to throw hooks, knees and round kicks to your torso. Rather learn to deal with the pain in training than in a fight, right?

Muay Thai fighters know that often in order to land a strike they must be willing to take a strike.

In Thailand the average Muay Thai fighter fights every 3 4 weeks, with many individuals racking up a win/loss record in the hundreds, the result of a love for the sport along with the need to support their family (gambling on Muay Thai fights in Bangkok is huge).

Boxing

A good old fashioned fist fight. Pro boxers are equipped with hand wraps and a pair of 8oz 10oz lace up gloves while they attempt to score a knock out or technical knock out (referee stoppage) by throwing combinations of straight punches, hooks and uppercuts.

Boxing is often referred to as the sweet science, to the untrained eye boxing may appear as a primitive combat sport with two guys trying to knock each others head off their shoulders with little regard for anything else. To the boxing connoisseur its a work of art. It wasnt until I embarked on my own boxing journey that I could truly develop an appreciation for the intricate details such as the precise head movement, the angles, the offensive and defensive footwork the stance switches and circling.

Boxing isnt quite like Muay Thai one well-placed right hand to the chin and its likely lights out, as such boxers utilize a high guard, the Philly shell and a number of other elusive techniques to avoid taking any damage in the ring.

Its a game of making your opponent miss then immediately making them pay.

In Muay Thai, MMA and Karate its rare to see a decorated athlete in the sport with zero losses on their record, in boxing the greats will preserve their undefeated record at all costs.

To this day boxing remains to provide boxers with the biggest pay days in combat sports with millions of dollars being won and lost on the precise placement of straight punches and check hooks.