Mex,HaHaHa
06-10-2011, 01:14 PM
HeadKickLegend Book Review: "MMA Instruction Manual: The Muay Thai Clinch, Takedowns, Takedown Defense, and Ground Fighting"
I have always been interested in the more technical aspects of the sport. From having Brazilian Jiu Jitsu teachers break down the finer points of the guard and sweeps to work with my body type to reading instructional manuals on how to elevate my skills and bring new techniques to the gym, I'm an information sponge when it comes to MMA. The best company out there for those who want to read about new techniques is Victory Belt and when I say the best, I mean they are the Gold Standard for training manuals. I got into them with BJ Penn's book "Mixed Martial Arts: The Book of Knowledge" which covered the everything from stand up to takedowns and finally BJ's extensive guard game. From there I became addicted just picked up any book that they released to add to the information that I learned at the gym.
Victory Belt has recently added to their already fantastic line of books with Anderson Silva's second book for the publishing company entitled "MMA Instruction Manual: The Muay Thai Clinch, Takedowns, Takedown Defense, and Ground Fighting" and at first glance, this is one of the most in depth books to date. Co-Authored by Glen Cordoza, It's 304 pages and legitimately breaks down every position from covering three different hand grips to clinch an opponent's head to ten different ways to deliver a knee, the book will break down techniques that the average fan and competitor may not consider. As with all Victory Belt books, the photography is probably the most important and overlooked aspect of the manual. Most books fail to show different angles to truly display the set ups, so when trying to execute the technique, the reader is often left guessing on what to do to what they are studying.
The book covers seven aspects of a fight: Muay Thai Clinch Attacks, Muay Thai Clinch Defense, Cage Tactics, Takedowns, Takedown Defense, Attacking the Guard, and Fighting Off Your Back. It also provides Focus Mitt Combinations as well for those that want to cover combinations to polish their stand up.
Muay Thai Clinch Attacks: The clinch attacks are my favorite portion of the book. Anderson is an absolute surgeon in the clinch and for fans who watched his destruction of Rich Franklin, many fans were left wondering why Franklin had such difficulty escaping Anderson's clinch. The explanations given on the three hand positions to control an opponents posture truly make this book special right out of the gate. The knee attacks build on this posture control and show how you can vary knees to damage an opponent.
Muay Thai Clinch Defense: This is the portion of the book that every person who trains Muay Thai must read. Where the first section breaks down attacking, this section shows you how to counter it. Anderson and Cordoza do a great job at showing 21 different ways to avoid and defend against the clinch. Ranging from elbows from the inside to fighting for position, it's a section that is an absolute must for anyone serious about competing in Muay Thai or MMA.
Cage Tactics: At first glance, SIlva isn't known for his cage fighting. He's recognized as a fighter who keeps distance well and doesn't let an opponent bully him up against the cage. However, just because he doesn't have to display these skills in the UFC, doesn't mean that his techniques aren't helpful. This section focuses on both offense and defense, with the defense portion being far more important as it explains how to separate from an opponent and create space to continue to attack.
Takedowns: Again, Anderson is not known for his takedowns and many would question why he would become an authority on such an important aspect of MMA. Anderson's takedowns in this book work off his incredible stand up game, almost as an extension of his punches and kicks. Working off counters, the section shows how to integrate takedowns off count jabs and crosses.
Takedown Defense: We recently saw what happens when a fighter is too comfortable giving up the takedown in the Anthony Pettis and Clay Guida fight at the Ultimate Fighter Finale. This section is broken down into three parts covering ways to counter the shot with either sprawls or knees and then defending against the single leg takedown. Covering 28 techniques, this section is broken down incredibly well and shows that there are more ways to defend against a takedown than just by sprawling or fighting hands.
Ground Game: I'm combining these two because I think they are tied to each other. In his UFC career, Anderson has displayed an ability attack and defend from the top and bottom and these sections will explain why. The section about fighting off your back is informative and shows creative techniques but some may not be easy for a first time fighter or competitor to pull off in sparring or competition.
Final Thoughts: Overall, I'd suggest this book. At this point, after releasing so many manuals, Victory Belt has figured out how to truly make the most of the medium. The breakdowns are easy to follow, even when the techniques become more complicated and with three different photo angles, there is no way for the reader to miss out on any important pieces of information. At $22 on Amazon right now, you won't break the bank on a book that will definitely help you better your knowledge of the sport or your all around MMA game.
http://www.headkicklegend.com/2011/6/9/2216034/headkicklegend-book-review-mma-instruction-manual-the-muay-thai-clinch-anderson-silva
I have always been interested in the more technical aspects of the sport. From having Brazilian Jiu Jitsu teachers break down the finer points of the guard and sweeps to work with my body type to reading instructional manuals on how to elevate my skills and bring new techniques to the gym, I'm an information sponge when it comes to MMA. The best company out there for those who want to read about new techniques is Victory Belt and when I say the best, I mean they are the Gold Standard for training manuals. I got into them with BJ Penn's book "Mixed Martial Arts: The Book of Knowledge" which covered the everything from stand up to takedowns and finally BJ's extensive guard game. From there I became addicted just picked up any book that they released to add to the information that I learned at the gym.
Victory Belt has recently added to their already fantastic line of books with Anderson Silva's second book for the publishing company entitled "MMA Instruction Manual: The Muay Thai Clinch, Takedowns, Takedown Defense, and Ground Fighting" and at first glance, this is one of the most in depth books to date. Co-Authored by Glen Cordoza, It's 304 pages and legitimately breaks down every position from covering three different hand grips to clinch an opponent's head to ten different ways to deliver a knee, the book will break down techniques that the average fan and competitor may not consider. As with all Victory Belt books, the photography is probably the most important and overlooked aspect of the manual. Most books fail to show different angles to truly display the set ups, so when trying to execute the technique, the reader is often left guessing on what to do to what they are studying.
The book covers seven aspects of a fight: Muay Thai Clinch Attacks, Muay Thai Clinch Defense, Cage Tactics, Takedowns, Takedown Defense, Attacking the Guard, and Fighting Off Your Back. It also provides Focus Mitt Combinations as well for those that want to cover combinations to polish their stand up.
Muay Thai Clinch Attacks: The clinch attacks are my favorite portion of the book. Anderson is an absolute surgeon in the clinch and for fans who watched his destruction of Rich Franklin, many fans were left wondering why Franklin had such difficulty escaping Anderson's clinch. The explanations given on the three hand positions to control an opponents posture truly make this book special right out of the gate. The knee attacks build on this posture control and show how you can vary knees to damage an opponent.
Muay Thai Clinch Defense: This is the portion of the book that every person who trains Muay Thai must read. Where the first section breaks down attacking, this section shows you how to counter it. Anderson and Cordoza do a great job at showing 21 different ways to avoid and defend against the clinch. Ranging from elbows from the inside to fighting for position, it's a section that is an absolute must for anyone serious about competing in Muay Thai or MMA.
Cage Tactics: At first glance, SIlva isn't known for his cage fighting. He's recognized as a fighter who keeps distance well and doesn't let an opponent bully him up against the cage. However, just because he doesn't have to display these skills in the UFC, doesn't mean that his techniques aren't helpful. This section focuses on both offense and defense, with the defense portion being far more important as it explains how to separate from an opponent and create space to continue to attack.
Takedowns: Again, Anderson is not known for his takedowns and many would question why he would become an authority on such an important aspect of MMA. Anderson's takedowns in this book work off his incredible stand up game, almost as an extension of his punches and kicks. Working off counters, the section shows how to integrate takedowns off count jabs and crosses.
Takedown Defense: We recently saw what happens when a fighter is too comfortable giving up the takedown in the Anthony Pettis and Clay Guida fight at the Ultimate Fighter Finale. This section is broken down into three parts covering ways to counter the shot with either sprawls or knees and then defending against the single leg takedown. Covering 28 techniques, this section is broken down incredibly well and shows that there are more ways to defend against a takedown than just by sprawling or fighting hands.
Ground Game: I'm combining these two because I think they are tied to each other. In his UFC career, Anderson has displayed an ability attack and defend from the top and bottom and these sections will explain why. The section about fighting off your back is informative and shows creative techniques but some may not be easy for a first time fighter or competitor to pull off in sparring or competition.
Final Thoughts: Overall, I'd suggest this book. At this point, after releasing so many manuals, Victory Belt has figured out how to truly make the most of the medium. The breakdowns are easy to follow, even when the techniques become more complicated and with three different photo angles, there is no way for the reader to miss out on any important pieces of information. At $22 on Amazon right now, you won't break the bank on a book that will definitely help you better your knowledge of the sport or your all around MMA game.
http://www.headkicklegend.com/2011/6/9/2216034/headkicklegend-book-review-mma-instruction-manual-the-muay-thai-clinch-anderson-silva