It may not happen often, but when it does, it's good to have an answer for it. We're in the flank position, and our opponent is holding our wrists to shut down strikes. We're not in a good position for knees, elbows, or kicks. Many of the throws (Shuāi 摔) in our arsenal are shut down. What do we do?

I spent some time last year adding the clock choke into my game. It's an awesome submission and one I had never really used until early last year. It became quite useful when attacking people's turtle defense.

After using it repeatedly, I ended up in side control with…

Coming up in January we're having a special event for women. Holly (our first Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Brown Belt), will be running an open mat session for women/girls/teens to come in and train BJJ.

I absolutely love this heel kick defense. My favorite one to practice, as you'll see in the video; thank you Thomas! There are two variations of this depending on…

"If, if's and but's were candy and nuts, my what a fine Xmas we'd have."

Here's a great counter to the heel kick. This move is actually inside Tai Ji Quan forms, but I adopted into my Mantis Boxing system after seeing it in Muay Thai and realizing what it was. It's an awesome counter/defense against the heel kick, and definitely one I want in my arsenal.

There are some nuances to it, and inside this video I'll highlight 3 fail points that are common and how to avoid them. Check it out.

Here are some tips on how to deal with that opponent with a nasty spider guard. I use three S…words to remember these - Stuff, Stand, Step. Once we train them, we can bounce back and forth between them if the first one gets countered.

Lean (Kào 靠) - to lean against one’s opponent. Due to the heavy reliance upon grappling and clinchwork in Mantis Boxing, Kào is an important keyword when engaged close range with the enemy.

Postural Defense

Once we are entangled…

Adhere (Tiē 貼) - space management. Creating space when on the defense, and removing space from our opponent when on the offensive. If you want to reduce the level of control an enemy has on you - framing them, slipping the hooks, and increasing distance can help keep you from getting toppled.

On the inverse, when attacking the opponent, removing their…

Strike (Dǎ 打) - at it’s root, Mantis Boxing is a style of stand-up grappling. However, we need tools to get to the clinch and then throw; especially against an active and violent opponent. The style includes strikes and kicks to either...

MMA Gloves or Boxing Gloves? Which should you train with? This is a great question we are going to tackle today in this new Swamp Talks. The type of glove we use in training…

Crush (Bēng 崩) - to ‘collapse and fall into ruin’. Also known as 'crushing' in many Chinese Martial Arts usages. Bēng is used to attack the vital targets in the midsection of an opponent. Effective strike targets such as: the liver, stomach; ribs, and the real treasure - the solar plexus, or central palace in Taijiquan. All of these targets can…

Enter (Jìn 進) - or advance. This encapsulates a variety of ranges in a fight. Starting from the furthest range to the closest. Check out this article and video for details on how ‘Enter’ works with Mantis Boxing…

Check out this preview of an awesome video put together by…

Today I'm going NERD LEVEL on blocking. This is an interesting detail I found that can make or break your blocking. I can't explain the why, so I'm calling on all…

It's that time of year again! Sign-up deadline is June 15th.

HEAVY ASSAULT - Go heavy, or go home! This striking combination, plucked right from the catalog of Mantis Boxing techniques passed down for centuries, is to overwhelm the opponent with big, destructive, blows. Connecting with the first one is ideal and effective, but if they duck, or move back, the second…

What's the difference between a Hook Punch and a Circle Punch? Are they really that different? Yes, and yes. 

The Hook Punch is used at a closer range, similar to an uppercut. It works well when you are striking in tight, or engaged in a Clinch (Lǒu 摟). In here, a long range strike will extend beyond my opponent. We position the arm in a tighter hook shape to help…

Light, fast, yet highly effective'; the Whipping Fist is a great punch to have in your arsenal. Check this video out for more on how to throw it, and pad drills, and bag drills that you can use to perfect this sneaky shot.

My Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu teacher (Andre 'Dedeco' Almeida) showed me this awesome Side Control drill when I was a new White Belt. It is one of the best drills I've seen for…

The Scraping Fist - like a low uppercut, or body shot. One of the advantages of this punch, is the fact that unlike throwing a straight punch…

One of my favorite choices for a delicious healthy breakfast, lunch, or a snack. Occasionally it works as…

I had the honor of being invited onto Fight for a Happy Life martial arts podcast with host Sensei Ando. The episode just released today. 

Check out our conversation on topics like - freedom, defining success, barriers to students progress, living life, and weird questions about what I want on my deathbed/tombstone (is this guy planning to kill me???), and lots of laughter.

Falafel - a deep fried chickpea fritter with lots of spice and flavor inside. This is a food that I wish I had discovered many, many years ago. I first discovered it about 15 years ago while working in Boston. It was hard to find, and after years of sporadically coming across it in...

This is my homemade lemon garlic hummus recipe. Easy to make. Quick. Fresh. Goes great on salads, wraps, or use it for dipping veggies in, or your very own Mezze Platter. The best part is you can store it in the refrigerator for a couple weeks and use for lunches, dinners, snacks.

Note: I use dried beans in the soak method versus canned chickpeas (garbanzo beans). I recommend sticking with this unless you are in a hurry. The difference is immense, and the dried beans create a fresh lightness to your hummus. Enjoy.