Training the boxer’s muscle
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The serratus anterior, often called the “boxer’s muscle”, is a muscle used for punching. This muscle allows for scapular protraction which means the shoulder blade can shift forward on the ribs. This is important for punching because it gives you more reach so you can punch from further away. .
Here is an exercise that helps activate and train this muscle.
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Wall slides: maintain neutral spine as you reach up and slowly pull back down. Start with a towel then progress to a foam roller. To make it even more challenging add a theraband to your forearms while maintaining parallel. Perform 2-3 sets of 10-15.
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The intention of this drill is to first make sure you have the muscular control and can activate the muscle properly. Second you have to have the muscular endurance to repetively activate it over a course of sparring or a fight. .
Make sure to practice punching with full thoracic rotation and fully protracting your shoulder blade after the drill. .
The only thing cooler than punching someone in the face is punching them when they can’t hit you back.

Kimura proof your shoulders: Part 2
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As I mentioned in my last post the most common complaint I hear on the mat is shoulder stiffness. Overhead movement is dependent on having adequate mobility for the 4 joints in the shoulder complex + thoracic spine.
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Here is one joint mobilization I use to improve overhead motion. This technique is used to distract the glenohumeral joint from the glenoid fossa as well as stretching the lat muscle. I prefer to use a mobility band so there is some stretch. Note: I try to relax my hand and arm as much as possible and just loop my hand through to get a sufficient enough distraction force. Use a gentle pull and stop when you feel the shoulder open up. Stop if there is pain and if you feel pain after you pulled too much.
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After you improve your shoulder range of motion make sure to perform end-range isometric contractions and full active overhead motion to teach your body how to use the new available range.
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I would not use this mobilization for any of my patients who have shoulder instability, “looseness” or history of shoulder dislocations.

Maximizing Rotation for improving punching
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Two components that are key for effective striking is thoracic and scapular mobility. When someone lacks the mobility or motor control to use all of their range it limits their offensive and defensive capabilities. Generally I want to be as far way as possible while still able hit my opponent. The power from striking comes from the legs and hips where the spine and arm are a vehicle for delivering the power. My upper body is loose and mobile.
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Here are two easy drills to improve your thoracic rotation and scapular protraction.
1) Open book: lock your pelvis down and rotate at the upper body. Hold the end-range for 2 seconds. Perform 10-20 on each side.
2) Windmill: reach your shoulder blade forward and keep your hand in contact with the floor as you reach overhead. Perform 10 on each side.
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#kickboxing #dutchkickboxing #dynamixstrikingsystem #physicaltherapy #mma #dynamixmma

Scientifically escaping the heel hook Part 2: reverse heel hook
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This is one of the most damaging submissions that you can perform yet many practitioners have a poor defense and or do not understand what to do and why.
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For the inside heel hook or reverse heel hook the attacker needs the same thing as with a standard heel hook:
1) Clamp the thigh to isolate movement at the knee.
2) Externally rotate the heel at the knee.
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Defense: In my last video where I explain defense for the standard heel hook I emphasize rolling to alleviate the pressure and clearing the knee line. Clearing the knee line is still the goal but rolling from this side will not work. I can roll to alleviate minuscule amounts of pressure but once I roll to my side with my opponent on top of me I will be stuck and victim to the attack.
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From this variation on the heel hook I need to escape differently.
1) Fight the initial grip. I need to start fighting the grip immediately while using my heel in his anticubital region to temporarily stop my opponent from rotating
2) Once my heel is free I want to turn my leg away to hide my heel and then put all my weight into my heel. This will buy me some time as my opponent will be unable to finish the submission without unbalancing me first.
3) Next I need to clear my knee line. I use my arms to undo the triangle vice grip. From there I can use my foot as leverage to pry my leg free.
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As I said in my last post: heel hooks are a poorly understood submission and many people are ignorant of defenses. Often novices will rely on flopping side to side in hopes to escape and may even roll into the force of the submission thus damaging their own knee. By understanding how the attack works you can deconstruct your defense so that you are no longer in danger by this attack.
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#bjj #jiujitsu #mma #sambo #bjjlifestyle #leglock #leglocker #heelhook #dynamixmma #mmaleech

Scientifically escaping the heel hook
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The heel hook is a dangerous submission that is poorly understood by many in the grappling community. This variation of the heel hook functions by clamping down on the thigh and internally rotating the shin to damage the ligaments in the knee. So how do we escape this position?
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Lets breakdown what the attacker needs to be successful.
1) The attacker needs to clamp down on the thigh to isolate movement to the knee. If the attacker has a weak clamp then when they apply the finish they will be bleeding energy as the hip will internally rotate as well.
2) The attacker needs to internally rotate the shin by connecting to the heel.
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As the defender to stay safe you need to take away those key points.
1) As a defender you can roll with force of the submission so that the knee ligaments are not stressed. The problem is if you continue to roll without escaping the clamp you will eventually run out of room. I see many leg lock novices attempt to escape this way.
2) if the attacker is using a reap you must clear the reap or else your roll will be limited. A properly applied knee reap minimizes a defender’s roll to alleviate the force of the leg lock.
3) As a defender you need to clear the knee line. Once your knee clears their clamp then minimal stress will be applied to those knee ligaments.
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This is my first reaction to escape a heel hook as I go belly down my knee is able to find the hole to escape.
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Important note: This defense only works with a standard heel hook where they are internally rotating the shin. For an inverted heel hook if you roll this way you will be applying stress to your own knee.
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Heel hooks are a safe submission to train with as long as you have good controlled training partners who do not let egos interfere with learning the art.
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#bjj #jiujitsu #mma #sambo #leglock #leglocker #heelhook #submission #prehab #kinesiology #dynamixmma #mmaleech #hiddenjiujitsu

Even while I’m doctoring I still find time to get my ass kicked. Always a pleasure (or is it?) getting to train with this killer, @lucas_drews.
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#dynamixmma #dynamixstrikingsystem #kickboxing #dutchkickboxing #muaythai #boxing #fighting

What makes Conor’s striking so special?
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There are many factors that make McGregor such a dangerous striker: power, speed, durability, confidence, but in the case of his last fight with Eddie Alvarez it was his balance that made the difference.
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Eddie Alvarez is a very skilled fighter whose striking primarily focuses on his hands. The problem with relying on arm strikes is reach plays a bigger factor and in the case of his fight with Conor resulted in a 5 inch reach disadvantage. Early in this fight Eddie used some kicks which frustrated Conor but abandoned the strategy.
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Conor maintained balance and counter struck every time Eddie was unbalanced. Three of the four knockdowns occurred when Eddie initiated a strike he uses often, the ‘dart punch’ where he lunges forward. This unorthodox punch helps to compensate for his reach disadvantage but also caused him to he be temporarily unbalanced. During his state of unbalance he was unable to properly defend Conor’s counter strikes.
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This video is an example of poor distance management where Eddie missed and Conor was able to land several punches before Eddie was able to re-balance himself.
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Controlled movement and proper balance are what separate good strikers from great strikers.
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#mma #ufc #ufc205 #conormcgregor #kickboxing #muaythai #boxing #dutchkickboxing #karate #movement #dynamixmma #mmaleech

Post training manipulation. Benefits of having a physiotherapist who trains jiu jitsu @nickheinmma @ufc #ufc #mma #physicaltherapy #bjj #judo #dynamixmma #hiddenjiujitsu

Strengthen your neck like Rickson Gracie
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Neck Strengthening for combat sports- Part 3 of 3
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In my last 2 videos I explain my methodology for cervical strengthening, first with isometric holds in neutral then with end-range holds. This last variation is the most advanced because there is an external resistance that may offer more of a challenge compared to your own manual resistance.
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In this video I use a mobility band but you can also regress the exercise to use a regular theraband, however you have to be careful of those bands snapping in your face.
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Keep your neck strong like Master Rickson!
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#bjj #bjjlifestyle #jiujitsu #jiujitsulifestyle #graciejiujitsu #ricksongracie #choke #mma #ufc #hiddenjiujitsu #dynamixmma

Arguably the most damaging submission hold across all grappling styles is the heel hook. This technique works by isolating your opponent’s femur and rotating the tibia beyond its normal range of motion. This is a standard heel hook finish with ashi garami control.

The knee (tibiofemoral joint) has 2 degrees of freedom: sagittal plane and transverse plane motion. This means that the knee is able to not only bend and straighten but there is rotation that occurs as well. The tibiofemoral joint can allow for up to 40-50 degrees of total axial rotation with a 2:1 ratio of external rotation to internal rotation. The primary constraints to stop excessive axial rotation are the ligaments that connect the two bones. The ligaments most commonly involve to prevent this motion include the anterior crucial ligament (ACL), medial collateral ligament (MCL) and the lateral collateral ligament (LCL). There are 3 reasons that makes this technique so devastating:
1) Ligaments do not have the same sensory receptors that muscles/tendons have so by the time tension is felt there is a very small window of opportunity to tap.
2) The structures being attacked, ligaments, do not heal as easily as other tissues in the body. Often these ligaments require surgical intervention to repair, specifically the ACL. Rehabilitation of ACL reconstruction is very long, often taking 6 to 12 months, before someone is cleared to return to sport.
3) Many grapplers are ignorant of the technique and do not respond properly when being attacked by this submission. Often the ignorant grappler will tap too late or attempt to escape by spinning without control which may accidently cause excessive tibial rotation resulting in injury.

As a martial artist I think it is foolish to not be educated on such an effective technique. As a physical therapist I feel that with proper training methods and controlled training partners this submission can be trained effectively without damaging your training partners. #jiujitsu #brazilianjiujitsu #bjj #mma #mixedmartialarts #ufc #sambo #grappling #catchwrestling #wrestling #submissionwrestling #heelhook #leglock #dynamixmma

Head kicks are probably the coolest and most satisfying strike you can land in kickboxing. Often people complain that they lack the flexibility. I think what people are referring to is lacking the mobility, which is the ability to move and control a limb within a specific range of motion. Not only do your joints have to articulate properly and your muscles require the adequate length but you also need to have the motor control at end range or else the stretch receptors in your muscles won’t let you go into that new range.
Here is a dynamic warm up drill to prepare your body for kicking prior to class. Start off low, gradually increasing the height of the kick working up to your end range. These aren’t ballistic motions where I’m swinging my leg uncontrolled, I make sure to control the entire motion. 10-15 each leg – front and side. #dynamixmma #dutchkickboxing #kickboxing #muaythai #mma #mixedmartialarts #karate #headkicksareawesome #physicaltherapy #rehab #PT