Fantastic Jack Slack Breakdown: Wonderboy vs. Big Rig
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Read this earlier. Best in the biz when it comes to striking breakdowns.
J @Jack Slack I remember (but could be wrong) you saying you had to get the UFC's approval for every gif that you use, and I noticed you didn't have a gif of the actual finish in your article.
Is that because you asked and were denied or because the UFC generally doesn't allow you to use gifs of the actual fight ending?
J @Jack Slack I remember (but could be wrong) you saying you had to get the UFC's approval for every gif that you use, and I noticed you didn't have a gif of the actual finish in your article.
Is that because you asked and were denied or because the UFC generally doesn't allow you to use gifs of the actual fight ending?
Perfect write-up. You just knew there was going to be a great Jack Slack article coming after watching that fight.
Stephen Thompson beat the brakes off of Big Rigg, that's what's up!
That step back right hand that he throws has some serious zip on it as well. I don't think Stephen's opponents respect his power going into these fights....and then they find themselves hoping the ref will pull him off.
It certainly does, his technique and timing means he doesn't have to throw very hard because because Johnny was always in a bad spot, either conceding a bad angle or walking onto it. Like that sidekick to the liver followed by the head kick. Good lord I'm flinching now just thinking about it he marched straight onto in, looked like Wonderboy sunk the heal in a good 3 inches.
It's crazy how Hendricks had his best camp and was in his best shape but had nothing for Wonderboy.
I enjoy that type of win because there's no detracting from the win. Thompson is simply the better fighter by a wide margin.
I enjoy that type of win because there's no detracting from the win. Thompson is simply the better fighter by a wide margin.
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Agreed. Even though JH tried to make excuses about his training partners at the post fight presser, i don't think anyone bought that shit.
Blaming training partners is fucking shameful. I didn't watch the presser so I didn't know about that. I'll have to watch it now and hear for myself verbatim.
If that's the case though, Hendricks just lost a fan.
If that's the case though, Hendricks just lost a fan.
After watching the post fight presser, I don't feel like Hendricks was blaming his sparring partners, he was simply explaining how their reactions to the exchanges were different.
In sparring his partners would willingly play into Hendricks style of getting in close by firing back when he closed the distance after kicks, whereas Wonderboy (intelligently) retreated to a better position that was back in his range.
Hendricks even said that Thompson "made me fight his fight."
He gave Thompson credit for being the better fighter and using a better strategy.
Still a Hendricks fan, but it's hard to see his place in the division after Thompson won so handily. Woodley or McDonald seems like the only fights left for him. Despite their first fight being so good, the last fight between Lawler and Hendricks soured me on the idea of a rubber match.
In sparring his partners would willingly play into Hendricks style of getting in close by firing back when he closed the distance after kicks, whereas Wonderboy (intelligently) retreated to a better position that was back in his range.
Hendricks even said that Thompson "made me fight his fight."
He gave Thompson credit for being the better fighter and using a better strategy.
Still a Hendricks fan, but it's hard to see his place in the division after Thompson won so handily. Woodley or McDonald seems like the only fights left for him. Despite their first fight being so good, the last fight between Lawler and Hendricks soured me on the idea of a rubber match.
Hendricks certainly wasn't able to adapt to a guy who refused to fight in the style of his previous opponents. At the end of the day those in-fight adjustments are crucial. I feel like you're right for the simple reason that Thompsons style is a bad match up for a ton of people in the division. Pretty much everyone not name McDonald.
Ye basically Jonny doesn't have the footwork or entries, Saffidiene is another good match, as
@Zeph pointed out to me.
Yeah, I didnt see this as Johny making his typical excuses after a loss. I think he was just trying to explain what the issues were with changing camps, etc.
I thought Saffiedine would be good for Tumenov, for clarity.Ye basically Jonny doesn't have the footwork or entries, Saffidiene is another good match, as
Oh ye!! Don't mind me, clarity is not my forté.
The whole series of gifs presented by Slack lend great insights into Wonderboy's style. Note in the ending gif, how Wonderboy is continually poised to spring the offensive & punish the opponent. Wonderboy, IMO, does this kind of follow-up aggression far better than Machida as well as the typical point karate fighters in MMA.
Wonderboy's game is now very tight on pressing the advantage once it's made clear. This makes his apparently relaxed attitude a sleeper. Hendricks walked into a buzz-saw which he thought was largely a point fighter....
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I see luv & hate for Jack Slack on these boards. I'm neither.
Slack does excellent write-ups from & for the MMA perspective. Slack, however, is not a traditional karateka... he's a striking technician.
In karate proper, technique doesn't win fights. Mental discipline wins, over the physicality of the opponent. The mental dimension of marital arts is intangible by observation; we can only see it metaphorically.
Keeping it brief, Wonderboy's success stems a more disciplined approach to fighting. That of course, on top of his outstanding, natural physical gifts which he has fully developed along sport karate lines.
If one watches the Hendricks bout closely, you will see elements of what I am saying. There is real purpose in how Wonderboy can strike. He's not just winging good shots like Woodley vs. Lawler (successfull) or Aldo vs. MAC (fail). That's the end difference in Wonderboy's striking success. The kicks & punches serve only as the physical vector.
When Wonderboy is not disciplined in his striking, when he reverts to the typical kind of physical kickboxing, pad, heavy bag drills he puts on... he is not so successfull, even gets smacked around himself.
To preview Wonderboy's next contest... a bit glibly.... it's not some clever or advanced boxing technical which Slack looks for that will make the the difference... it's purposeful striking. What felled Whittaker. What destroyed Hendricks. Slack has, in fact, zero'd in on a number of the weaknesses of sport karate conventions (see Daniels articles). Slack's work, IMO, should be required reading for MMA coaches. Karate, NO.
In closing, I don't give Wonderboy a blank check. He's beatable if he slips up in discipline. His sport karate style has weak points. His kickboxing, like all kickboxing is fundamentally flawed. Nonetheless, overall his sport karate base & related technique is very strong compared to MMA striking levels. The base in the latter is typically not.
In contrast to my other post later in this thread, Hendricks is exhibiting no mental discipline. He's winging out a little of this & little of that which has worked famously in the past against other physically-centered opponents. Wonderboy on the other hand, has prepared a tactical response for whatever Hendricks dishes out. RESULT: Hendricks is stymied for the 1st time in his career... ends up being a deer-in-the-head-lights.
Karate is a thinking man's game, although there are notable MMA competitors who are dangerous thinkers... Jon Jones no. 1 & Holly Holm, MAC @ times, come to mind.
Wonderboy can be a serious-volume puncher... but the difference when he pours it on tactically it's devastating. Whitaker drubbing the best example of a very tough MMA talent just being overwhelmed. As the Jake the Juggernaut fight wore on, before the TKO, Jugger pretty much began to feel himself getting punched all around the Octagon... again leading to mental breakdown.
End Query? Is Woodley a mental fighter?
TMA's 1-Step Sparring, Part 1.
Well I don't want to give all my secrets away. More than a decade, for starters. Forums cover a huge expanse of MMA topics, I'm limited to TMA, karate.
Second, TMA works when one philosophically come to the understanding, "...it's how well you know what you know, not how much you know." So much of the training in MMA is how much you know. TMA, the presentation there same drawback. I'll give an example that's floating around re MMA and TMA right know. The topic of TMA's "1-step sparring." Actually the answer to Hendricks' striking, everything he did wrong in the Wonderboy fight.
Not that Hendricks' striking is poor, or ineffective by sport fighting method. Quite the contrary & history proves that. The competitive issue, however, is how does one develop superior striking skill. Hendricks approach, then, a fail. Karate's applied answer (1 critical training method), is called colloquially named, "1-step sparring." Same is roundly criticized by MMA authorities, 'realistic' karate practitioners, etc. Here's a basic quote of such criticism:
"The practice of punching leaving the punch extended goes hand in hand with the practice of having the opponent throw the punch from out of range so that it couldn't even connect with the defender. This makes the problem (opponent punching and leaving the arm extended) much worse. Students can learn very bad habits concerning timing, distancing, angling."
By karate tradition, there are two fundamental failings, by observation alone, in this criticism of traditional karate training.
1. The last sentence, describes precisely the flawed striking form exhibited by Hendricks during the Wonderboy (brief) fight. OOOPPS.
2. MMA striking training universally employs trainors holding striking mitts, etc., the same purpose as provided by the 1-step opponent holding the arm outstretched. Same principle, except the 1-step "outstretched arm" is far more sophisticated in design & purpose. But you (the TMA student) have to figure out what that is....