Hatmaker’s ESP : mano a mano combat

Hatmaker’s ESP

Please enjoy this newest release by Mark Hatmaker of Extreme Self Protection and be sure to check out his RAW Products page. Good stuff.

ESP RAW 106: The Double Wrist-Lock (DWL) Inverse Set-Up Drills Vol. 2 / August 5, 2011
We pick up where we left off on ESP RAW 106 and continue to push the under-utilized Double-Wristlock (DWL)/Kimura into some sneaky directions.

(This volume can be used as a stand-alone but it is best used as an adjunct to RAW 105). We open this volume stuffing shots with an Over & Underhook that leads right into Arm Included Guillotine territory but…rather than trying to finish with an Arm Included Guillotine, a submission with a 30% success rate, we’ll outline 4 Different Ways to start a DWL/Kimura from this set-up right off of the stuff.

Next we’ll cover the contingency of a failed stuff (i.e. you got caught with a good takedown and have hit your back). From here 3 ways to hook up the DWL/Kimura and none of them call for you sitting up and stretching those ribs out for some punishment.

Then we’ll hook this submission from the top position with crafty set-ups from the top saddle/mount, cross-body, and 1/2 mount-1/2 guard.We’ll also cover how to flow directly into the DWL/Kimura at the tail-end of a rear-naked/sleeper escape.

We finish this volume off with how to fix every single stalled DWL/Kimura in your game with a vicious choke. (Seriously, you miss the DWL, this choke is there for you).

RAW 106 is a dirty dozen of immediately applicable drills and skills (24 if you count the fat-saving back-up choke).

ESP RAW 106: can be had this month for only $32 (S & H included) at the end of the month the price goes to $42 Domestic/$52 International. Here’s a sample video below:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JB9wLxFdPWU[/youtube]

To order

Karate College–Certification Course
June 24th & 25th Mark Hatmaker will be in Radford, Virginia for the annual Karate College. They’ll be teaching three full sessions plus a Certification Course (Multi-Position Submissions). Follow the link for details on how to register for Karate College.

To pre-register for our Karate College Certification Course you can pre-pay below. The price is only: $39.00.

Video Clip of the Week: Hanging Hurdles

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZTiPjhnGFE[/youtube]

Mark Hatmaker's Extreme Self-Protection

In a recent column we spoke of the power of marginal improvements, to find these marginal improvements we can look to the above two sets of initials. Basically, if one is constructing physical training regimens that involve many elements (strength, stamina, speed, explosiveness, et cetera) there are only two broad ways to attack the subject: GPP or SPP.

Let’s take a look at both of these in detail!

First, a definition of those initials.
- GPP–General Physical Preparedness
- SPP–Specific Physical Preparedness
Second, a brief bit about each approach and then we’ll discuss why it is vital to marry the two.

The GPP approach to training seeks to increase the body’s adaptive systems to a variety of potential physical stressors whether they are improved response to load bearing, increased adaptability to long-term endurance work, quick recovery post-anaerobic bursts and the like. The GPP approach does not assume specific end-tasks (training for this or that specific sport) and this lack of single focus is reflected in the make-up of the GPP program. A GPP program can consist of exercises and regimens from many sports, sports outside any specific area of focus to contribute to the whole.

GPP choices can include lifts from power-lifting, Olympic lifts, bodyweight exercises, basic gymnastics work, sprints (short to mid-distance), rowing, rope climbing, sledgehammer work, tire-flipping, et cetera. In other words, a broad-based (general) approach to the goal of improving overall fitness that may be applied to a broad (general) variety of stressors/physical challenges. In short, GPP gives little thought to the end result or what the GPP will be used for. GPP is more concerned with “ifs” or “just in case” scenarios and not certainties.

The SPP approach is seemingly diametrically opposed to GPP in the sense that SPP begins with the end in mind. SPP programs assume certainty as you know exactly what sport/task is being trained for and thus makes exercise/regimen selections based solely on contingencies encountered in the specific outcome whether these outcomes are boxing matches, marathons, or long-range patrol missions. With the known outcome in mind, the trainer, coach, athlete is able to construct a program that is reflective of what most definitely will be and perhaps give a little bit of thought to “maybes.”

A sample SPP program for, let’s say, boxing would stun no one if it included roadwork, heavy bag training, focus pad sessions, some weight training, skipping rope and the like. You will already notice that there is more similarity between GPP and SPP than one would at first imagine in that although once one enters the boxing ring there is no lifting competition the boxer still trains with weights, there is no push-up competition and yet he still does push-ups, there is no running race and yet he still runs. SPP may train with a known outcome in mind but the broad based (general) approach is still utilized.

Beyond the borrowing of a few conditioning methods from other sports there might be even more of a reason to marry the GPP and SPP approaches and that reason lies in one tiny crack in the logic behind SPP conditioning. The crack is certainty. Yes, sports have set rules and to some degree predictable outcomes (predictable as to how the play will be conducted) but assumptions beyond the limits of rule play may be a bit misplaced. I’ll allow a quote from one of boxing’s legends take a knock at certainty.

“Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face.”—Mike Tyson

Don’t misunderstand me, the uncertainty in a specific sport isn’t a worry that you will suddenly be required to pole vault in the middle of round three or, that tennis payers will suddenly be confronted with a downhill slalom. The certainty of the rules of play is not in question here. We must marry GPP and SPP approaches within reason. What is in question are some assumptions about boundaries of conditioning performance required for a particular sport.

Let’s take one aspect of a boxing match, the main aspect, the punch (any punch you choose) and hypothesize what fuels that punch and see if we can figure out exactly which approach makes a successful punch what it is, a GPP or an SPP approach.

Good Punching Technique—SPP, undoubtedly.
Good Footwork to get the puncher there—Again, SPP.
Good timing on the punch—Another one for SPP.
Good power—Could be the heavy bag work (SPP), the push-ups (GPP), the bench press (GPP), and since power comes from the ground up it could also be the roadwork (GPP), the rope work (GPP), the squats (GPP), the plyometric box work (GPP), or perhaps all the core work that was done (GPP).
The punch was fired well under duress—SPP sparring work, here, definitely and, perhaps a bit of the resolve forged by tough GPP metabolic sessions.
If the punch was fired late in the rounds after a bit of fatigue has set in this shows a good adaptation to continuing workload—SPP sure but, we probably also have to tip the hat towards GPP.
Was the punch fired when the athlete was a bit off-balance?–If so we might have to thank some GPP instability work that “woke-up” and conditioned muscles seldom used in predictable balance or terrain conditions.

You get the idea, we can be certain about the sport itself, its rules and technical approaches but, there just may be a bit less certainty as to how a system as complex as the human body will adapt to the work. Plans do have a tendency to experience entropy/change on the fly and when that happens we have only two ways to cope with change.

Hope our journey to 10,000 hours of mastery (SPP) has progressed enough to deal with the new variables; or
Hope that our varied conditioning (GPP) can buy us a little time to cope/cruise through the uncertainty until a bit of order can be re-stored.

Of the two, one is easier to control than the other (#2). We can’t become time travelers and magically be 3,000 hours further into our 10,000 hour journey. No, we’re all subject to the same 60 seconds per minute rate and will eventually get there in time. But, we do have control over coping strategy number two. While we’re building our 10,000 hour bank of experience we can invest in GPP conditioning insurance and gamble that it will see us through some of the rough spots along the way where our hours haven’t taken us yet.

The Marginal Revolutionary embraces both SPP and GPP recognizing that whereas sports are closed somewhat predictable systems, the human body is an open complex system. And that by committing oneself to the mastery of the given sports technical vocabulary and preparing oneself for unpredictable but reasonable variables one can hasten the trip on the road to experience. In other words, utilize both SPP and GPP. SPP is your plan and GPP is your back-up for when you get punched in the face.

Thanks everyone and for more information, go here!
Mark Hatmaker

NO SECOND CHANCE (NSC) BOOT CAMP – WEAPONS—OFFENSE & DEFENSE

This ain't your momma's boot camp!

This year’s NSC boot camp will be held on Saturday and Sunday, May 14th & 15th at Bill Whitworth’s beautiful octagon-equipped facility in Morristown, Tennessee.

Here’s the skinny:

10 AM start both days.
2-days of hardcore street-combat work–no fluff, no magic, no esoterica, no fobbing off MMA-as-the-answer-to-reality. Come with notebooks in hand as we will fill them up.
Day 1—We will focus on deep-seating The “X” Weapon System which will introduce the classes of improvised weapons and run drill vocabularies that will elevate your ability to use what is at hand as your self-protection tool(s).
Days 2—We flip the “X” Weapon equation and run drill sets to educate unarmed versus several classes of weapons.
Successful completion of both days earns a Coaching Certificate. If you think it’s time to get started or to bump up, this is the place to do it.
This Boot Camp is suitable for all levels of experience and/or fitness. All we ask is that you work to the top of your own ability/limits–not anyone else’s. Our job is to push you hard but never fear, we’ll take care of you, too.
Gear: Mouthpiece & MMA gloves are required. Knee pads, elbow pads, and similar gear are highly recommended but optional.
If we are a crew of hard-chargers and complete The “X” Weapon material we will then test some of the skills in a series of Outer Limits Drills.
This is a limited attendance Boot Camp. With that in mind we strongly recommend registering early rather than later. We like to keep the numbers low at these Boots so that we can provide individual attention.
The price is $200 for the 2-days. (Prior Boot Camp Attendees can participate for $150 for both days).
Attendance will also confer Lifetime Membership status meaning that you will receive a 15% discount on all Products from that day forth.
To register, simply contact us via email with your intention of attending. A $50 deposit will secure your spot.
Again, I emphasize, this is a limited attendance Boot Camp. Once the spots are full–they are full.
For those with family in tow who have better things to do than to watch you sweat and go through simulated hell, we are less than 1/2 hour drive from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
For accommodations, search in the Boot Location area: Red Dragon Martial Arts Center; 284 South Daisy St.; Morristown TN 37813; (423) 587-3755 (School)
For those of you flying in, your destination airport will be McGhee-Tyson in Knoxville, TN.
It is suggested you read the text NO SECOND CHANCE before attending to understand the mind-set that will be encountered.

Again, I assure you that this Boot is no-frills, BS-free reality work conducted in an atmosphere of respect. Are you ready to work? Say the word.

Thanks everyone and have a great day!

Mark Hatmaker

*Note from editor: Wouldn’t you just kill to attend this boot camp?! ;-0

Hey Fighters,

It’s Friday and time for this week’s Legends and, as always, commerce before content.

First–Info on our newest DVD…

ESP RAW 95: THE 3/4 NELSON REVERSE LEVER
For those of you who have been wondering where all of the submissions have gone, this volume re-introduces some new “old” toys from the lab. Fight metrics shows the superiority of striking (both vertical and horizontal) over straight submission work and the data also shows only a single handful of subs contributing the most results–that is irrefutable. But…there seems to be a second handful of submissions that could rise in the hierarchy of utility with better engineering and increased familiarity. This second handful of submissions needs to emphasize both ease of assimilation (easy to learn) and have maximum entry points (applicable from multiple positions).

Structuring our game towards a smaller but tighter arsenal leads to easier choice making in chaos and broadening the scope of submission entries breeds a more offensive submission game–a game that sees submission insertion points at every step of the way rather than only one or two entry points. Formerly, it was necessary to have a larger vocabulary of submissions, esoteric tricks for each position and it’s subdivisions, here, we strive to cut the submission choices to a minimal (but mighty effective) bunch and educate the athlete in hitting them from unexpected but easily accessible angles.

This is the first volume in a series that re-boots the submission encyclopedia with this new goal in mind.
We begin with the 3/4 Nelson, not the high school or collegiate version but a tighter version that removes the defensive handles from the grasp of the defending fighter–this key.

We then take that 3/4 Nelson and demonstrate how it moves directly into an arm-included Reverse Lever Choke (think of the JJ Darce choke and you’re in the ballpark but, I think you’re going to find this Reverse Lever with it’s three tweaks oh, so much tighter).

Next, we take this powerful 1-2 (3/4 Nelson to Reverse Lever) and start moving it around the body to show how this sequence which is commonly only visualized from the referee’s position is hiding in multiple locations.
We then introduce drills that will have you hitting this from the side, from head-to-head, from collar and elbow, from arm drags, arm drag switch-offs, and off of a sprawl.

Next we hit a drill set that allows you to see your opponent’s underhooks with new eyes–eyes that recognize the 4 big dropping takedowns that lead directly (and I do mean directly) into this tight finish.
This sequence seeks to reduce the takedown-grapple to position-submission formula from 3 moves to 1 (takedown into submission).

Remember that arm-included guillotine tweak we offered a while back? Throw it out the window, this new drill set will change how you approach one of the most commonly obtained positions in MMA with 4 drills on how to obtain and finish.

There 17 Drills on this volume applicable to both MMA and submission wrestling. This volume of RAW (as with all volumes) comes with a printed syllabus for inclusion in your training notebook. It can be had this month for only $32 on&H included (that includes international orders). At the end of the month price goes to $42 and we no longer pick up shipping.

To order just hit the link.

Wanna get this month’s RAW and all others automatically and save money to boot? Go here.

Wanna load your training notebooks and test yourself though 2-days of hardcore MMA Training? Come play at our next TN Boot Camp–for info or to register go here.

OK, enough yakking, on to this week’s Legends which seeks knock your heart right out of your chest..

WRUNG OUT – Mark Hatmaker

Today’s little offering is a conditioning challenge to perk up the weekend. It is a barbell complex combined with old school bear walks designed to push your metabolic capacity to the limit—at the end of each round you may detect that mondo-drained feeling that follows a hard, hard fight—it is for this very reason that we should always structure our training to mimic the torture that we ask our bodies to endure in the sport of choice.

GEAR & EXERCISES
First, a short primer on each aspect of the exercise set.

BAR COMPLEX GEAR

Olympic Bar and plates.
Load the bar to 135 lbs. for athletes 185 and above, 125# on the bar for athletes 145-165. and 115 on the bar for those under 145.
A medicine ball or other butt-bumper approximately 15” high.

BAR COMPLEX STEPS

Clean the bar from the ground (for the uninitiated, to clean is to take the bar from the floor to your collarbones).
Squat until your butt hits your butt-bumper (do not lift the weight directly into a squat-clean, be sure to make the clean and the front squat two separate motions).
Rise from the squat and push-press the weight overhead—lock the elbows and hold aloft for proof-of-lift (a one second hold).
Lower the bar to the rack position (bar behind your neck, the weight resting on your shoulders).
Squat to the butt-bumper again then rise performing a back squat.
Push-press the weight from the rack position again striving to take it overhead for proof of lift.
Return the weight to the ground—that is one repetition.

BEAR CRAWL GEAR AND PROTOCOL (awww – Bear Crawl…no….!)

Place a cone (or any marker) just to the side of your bar complex station.
Pace off 15 yards and place a second cone.
You will bear crawl from cone one, around cone two, and then pass the starting the cone.
You must keep your hips high and the weight loaded forward over your arms/hands.
Light-handing (keeping most of the weight on your feet/legs) is a cheat.

WRUNG OUT RULES

Grab a timer—you have 2-minutes to complete the following.
5 repetitions of the bar complex.
Bear crawl from cone one around cone two and back.
Your hands must stay on the bar throughout the complex—take one hand off, that rep is dead, start again.
You must not rest on the butt-bumpers. If you do, subtract a rep.
If at any point in the bear crawl you light-hand or, rest in any position that takes weight off of the hands or drops the hips you must re-start at cone one.

WRUNG OUT SCORING

You will perform 5 rounds of WRUNG OUT with 2-minutes of rest between rounds.
A round is over when either A) You complete the round with no penalties before your 2-minutes are up or, B) the time expires.
You receive one point for each round completed inside the time limit. In other words, a possible five points but, to be honest I’ve only witnessed that perfect score twice.

Enjoy!

Thanks everyone and have a great weekend!

Mark Hatmaker

PS-This old man hits 45 next week and we’ll be running an old guy B-Day Special–look for it on the 14th. Take care!

Hey Fighters,
It’s the first of the month and time to release our newest DVD ESP RAW 95…here’s the skinny.

ESP RAW 95: THE 3/4 NELSON REVERSE LEVER
For those of you who have been wondering where all of the submissions have gone, this volume re-introduces some new “old” toys from the lab. Fight metrics shows the superiority of striking (both vertical and horizontal) over straight submission work and the data also shows only a single handful of subs contributing the most results–that is irrefutable. But…there seems to be a second handful of submissions that could rise in the hierarchy of utility with better engineering and increased familiarity. This second handful of submissions needs to emphasize both ease of assimilation (easy to learn) and have maximum entry points (applicable from multiple positions).

This is the first volume in a series that re-boots the submission encyclopedia with this new goal in mind.

We begin with the 3/4 Nelson, not the high school or collegiate version, but a tighter version that removes the defensive handles from the grasp of the defending fighter.
We then take that 3/4 Nelson and demonstrate how it moves directly into an arm-included Reverse Lever Choke (think of the JJ Darce choke and you’re in the ballpark but, I think you’re going to find this Reverse Lever with it’s three tweaks oh, so much tighter).
Next, we take this powerful 1-2 (3/4 Nelson to Reverse Lever) and start moving it around the body to show how this sequence which is commonly only visualized from the referee’s position is hiding in multiple locations.
We then introduce drills that will have you hitting this from the side, from head-to-head, from collar and elbow, from arm drags, arm drag switch-offs, and off of a sprawl.
Next we hit a drill set that allows you to see your opponent’s underhooks with new eyes–eyes that recognize the 4 big dropping takedowns that lead directly (and I do mean directly) into this tight finish.
This sequence seeks to reduce the takedown-grapple to position-submission formula from 3 moves to 1 (takedown into submission).
Remember that arm-included guillotine tweak we offered a while back? Throw it out the window, this new drill set will change how you approach one of the most commonly obtained positions in MMA with 4 drills on how to obtain and finish.

The 17 Drills on this volume are applicable to both MMA and submission wrestling but it is composed with an eye more on the MMA game.

This volume of RAW (as with all volumes) comes with a printed syllabus for inclusion in your training notebook. It can be had this month for only $32 on&H included (that includes international orders). At the end of the month price goes to $42 and we no longer pick up shipping.

To order just hit the link. This volume of RAW (as with all volumes) comes with a printed syllabus for inclusion in your training notebook.

It can be had this month for only $32 S&H included (that includes international orders). At the end of the month price goes to $42 and we no longer pick up shipping. To order, just hit this link.

Wanna get this month’s RAW and all others automatically and save money to boot?
Don’t wait – check out our RAW Products page.

Thanks everyone and have a great week!
Mark Hatmaker
http://www.extremeselfprotection.com

P.S. Friday’s Legends will discuss a theory as to why little gems like the 3/4 Reverse Lever currently go under-represented in competition. Take care!