Impenetrable wall and Rocking Side to Side

CM1 (impenetrable wall of defense) and CM2 (rocking side to side)

This a great training drill to develop a solid boxing game CMD style!

Photo 1: CM1

Example 1: Right athlete (R) is feeding straight high line punches (jab & cross). Left athlete (L) is defending with CM1, hips squared up, matched heights, and maintaining a tight structure.

L is "sacrificing" his offensive capabilities for 100% defense leaving no gap in defense. In the CMD, we refer to this as "riding the storm" when R is trying to breach L's defense with a non-stop barrage of fast, accurate punches.

When we are being out-boxed, out-punched, out-scored, the best and most conservative response is to remain in a tight stance and present a hard exterior shell, almost as if you were inside a pill box so none of the punches can get in.

Of course as the defender you can't stay "riding the storm" for any extended period of time, rather it is a moment to prevent any more punches from getting through.

Once you have established the impenetrable wall you are aiming to start advancing (footwork) towards your training partner. The intention of this is to prevent your opponent from locking out their arms during their punches and to initiate your counter punching phase.

Doing the CM1 well and correctly is imperative for you to progress to the next phase of the stand up game. A solid CM1 defense gives you valuable space and time; two intangible commodities in the standup game. Of course, events happen so quickly that they become a fleeting moment so your task is to recognize its value once you have acquired it as you can lose it just as quickly. Recognition of the opportunity and timing of when to move to CM2 comes from sparring and flight-time spent wisely on the mats!

When L recognizes that R is not able to fully extend on his punches, he seizes the opportunity to initiate CM2, that is a side to side rocking movement powered with a timed level change and precise footwork.

In the following pictures you can see L moving to the outside of R's cross:

Photo 2: CM2

Photo 3: CM2

At the CM2 range, L has successfully freed up his arms from a 100% defense mode and because he has successfully moved to the outside of R's punches, L is now is a fantastic position to counter punch as R is in range now. Also L has the momentum on his side to chamber up his counter punches from the side to side rocking movement.

How often will I use CM1 and CM2 in sparring?
The majority of the time you will be spending in between CM1 and CM2 phases. Even if you specialise in a close, clinch game, breaching the distance to allow you to enter the clinch (CM3 and CM4) phase requires you not to get knocked out on the way in.

At the CM2 range it is also great to start your kicking combinations and set up your take downs for a ground game.

Want to learn more?
If you would like to find out more technical details on this and other drills, please give us a call or send an email to www.kdta.com and www.crazymonkeydefense.com.my

About the photos:
Photo credits: All rights reserved (c) 2009 Vince Choo
Photos taken during a live drill/training session and were not "posed".
CMD Athletes: Yap Will Lee and Rick Ali