In boxing this drill is also referred to as a corner drill, used as an essential element of a fighter’s ability to take and defend against a punch, and to see where the attack is coming from. It dates back to the Filipino boxing era and was employed by many knife fighters to teach them how to acknowledge the lines of attack and the body movement necessary to set up the combinations following the primary attack. Dan Inosanto originally trained many of his students and fighters with this drill that was passed down through several of his teachers and trainers.
This drill was originally shown to me by Tim Tackett and Bert Poe, who once trained a specific few in their garage and was kind enough to share some great information every Wednesday night in Redlands, California.
The drill originally consisted of one person standing against the wall with both hands up while the other would punch non-stop to the head and body for one or three minutes. This drill conditions the person getting hit as to how to take a shot and cover. For the feeder, it tests his/her arm endurance to punch from one-three minutes straight, working on angles and attacks.
This drill is great for developing your pain threshold. Everybody loves to dish out pain, however very few can accept or put up with it. For a fighter, it comes with the territory.
During my fight career, this drill was the “bread and butter” for my daily training routine. I give credit to this drill for saving my face and brain to take as little abuse as possible, while remaining in the slugging range both standing and on the ground. This drill became a substantial part of my daily rounds of stand-up training. I used it as my “resting” rounds between my punching, kneeing, kicking and sprawling.
Instead of stopping and resting, I was thrown into the corner on the ropes and had my trainer throw all types of angles and ranges of punches at me. Using only two guards, the windshield wiper defense and the double pillar defense, along with head and shoulder movement, I was able to read my opponent’s intentions and attack combinations. My whole theory was to remain fighting toe to toe and not get hit. If I didn’t use this standing, I used it on the ground when I was getting my head punched at. I modified this drill to best fit my body structure and style of fighting.
I changed it into five parts:
1. A) Windshield wiper defense: I’ve found to be the best punch cover defense against a boxer (rear hand catches everything).
B) Double Pillar Defense: Great for punch, kick and elbow defense, best used against a kickboxer (both hands, forearms and elbows block everything).
2. Clinching on the 1/2 beat. You should clinch on either the 1/2, 1 1/2, 2 1/2 or 3 1/2 beat motion. No more than 4 punches should be thrown at you before clinching. Clinching should be done on 3 levels: 1. Head 2. Body 3. Legs (drill teaches timing on when to engage).
3. Striker stopping, stuffing or nullifying the clinch attempt. This trains the striker how to stop the grappler from completing or playing his game (keeps you standing).
4. Shooting or clinching, getting stopped, then re-shooting or clinching makes you aggressive and persistent at a non-stop pace.
5. Puncher stops clinch or shoot and re-shoots. This trains the striker how to stop the clinch or shot attempt and re-shoot to go on top.
This drill is specifically formulated for the MMA fighter. It teaches you a defense no one can penetrate, timing the shot, stopping the shot and re-shooting to put your opponent on his back so you can control top side. It’s great for stand-up, on the ground and succeeding without getting hit.
This drill is also easy to find training partners for. All you need to do is walk into your gym and yell, “Who wants to punch me in the head!” I guarantee you’ll get a few takers.
Remember to start slow and then pick up the pace. Mix 1 1/2 punch combos, break in and out and step in at three different angles: 1. Diagonal left 2. Straight in 3. Diagonal right.
Start out with conventional boxing’s five punches: jab, cross, uppercut, hook and overhand. Then add backfist, hammerfist, spinning backfist, liver shot, spleen shot, kidney shot and heart punch.
Mix and match punches, change the rhythm of attack speed, and fake or feint your way in!
HAVE FUN, GET GOOD AND LEARN HOW NOT TO GET HIT!
See the complete drills in action at erikpaulson.com.
