How To Fight Like Jonathan Haggerty

Jonathan “The Normal” Haggerty is a British Muay Thai fighter and reigning ONE Muay Thai and Kickboxing Bantamweight World Champion. Haggerty has an aggressive, however extremely cerebral, model that any fighter can be taught from. Change-hitting, ring generalship, and feinting to arrange knockouts are just a few of the various tenets of Haggerty’s elite placing. Immediately, Evolve Each day is happy to share a information on methods to combat like Jonathan Haggerty.

Stable Putting Fundamentals

Haggerty’s dynamic combating model begins with a strong grasp of placing fundamentals. The Normal started coaching Muay Thai from the early age of seven, making his novice debut at simply twelve years of age. Beginning Muay Thai, or any fight sport, at an early age has many advantages for the general growth of a fighter. Certainly one of these advantages is ingraining stance, stability, and motion patterns to the purpose the place it turns into second nature. This interprets to fluidity within the ring; each when it comes to motion and composure.

Haggerty’s stability and weight shifting are world-class, optimizing his velocity and energy to the complete extent. He hardly ever, if ever, overextends, holding his weight centered and head behind his lead knee. Sustaining stability in your combating stance permits you to react defensively by pulling or shifting your head to keep away from your opponent’s strikes.

Stability additionally performs a essential function in Haggerty’s offensive capabilities. Stability is essential when throwing a number of punches and kicks together. Committing an excessive amount of of your weight onto your lead leg can lead to you being “caught” after throwing, leaving you open to counterstrikes and sweeps. Above is a video of The Normal’s highlights in combat towards Mongkolpetch Petchyindee at ONE Championship.

Lead Aspect Probes

Haggerty’s complete combating model relies on probing together with his lead aspect to arrange energy assaults. Certainly one of his most harmful and versatile weapons is his lead teep. Haggerty will typically begin a combat by establishing his teep, akin to how an out-boxer establishes their jab. Haggerty’s teep is an particularly well-developed strike, permitting him to combat on the highest stage.

As soon as the teep has landed a number of occasions, Haggerty is ready to raise his lead knee to feint the teep. From right here, Haggerty chooses certainly one of a myriad of follow-ups to use any openings in his opponent’s guard.

To shut distance off of the teep feint, Haggerty glides forwards on his rear leg whereas his lead knee is raised. That is referred to as a Thai hop and is used to get into punching or clinching vary. When sliding into vary with the Thai hop, it’s essential to regulate your opponent’s palms by way of a protracted guard to stop any counterpunches. As soon as inside clinch vary, Haggerty typically throws his signature strike, the tomahawk elbow.

The lead aspect swap kick is one other probe that “The Normal” makes use of to nice impact. Attributable to his slim combating stance, Haggerty is ready to switch-step in a short time, permitting him to enter exchanges together with his lead swap kick. Between his lead teep and lead swap kick, Haggerty is ready to prod his opponent’s guard and maintain them at vary whereas he gathers details about their combating model.

Feints

Haggerty’s bread and butter is feinting, then working off of his opponent’s reactions. In contrast to many fighters who’ve a few feints they make use of, “The Normal ” can feint virtually any sort of strike. One instance is a lead teep feint adopted by a rear tomahawk elbow. The teep typically will get the opponent to shell up, permitting Haggerty to step into clinch vary safely.

One other feint “The Normal” employs is the rear kick feint adopted by a lead leg swap kick. Haggerty lifts his rear knee, feinting a teep or roundhouse kick. He then drops his rear leg to the bottom whereas concurrently throwing his lead aspect low kick. As an alternative of a conventional swap step, Haggerty lifts his rear leg, utilizing the momentum generated by dropping it so as to add energy to his lead aspect low kick.

Ring IQ

Haggerty’s psychological attributes are a key a part of his success within the ring. His ring title, “The Normal”, was given to him as a consequence of his talent in ring generalship. The essence of ring generalship is controlling the place the combat takes place. Haggerty is ready to take the middle of the ring for a lot of the combat, permitting him to dictate the place the placing alternate occurs. When he’s backing up, Haggerty is cautious to maneuver away from his opponent’s energy aspect, limiting their offensive capabilities. When his opponents lastly shut distance to clinch vary, Haggerty sweeps them and retakes the middle of the ring. With the identical video from fightTips, at 0:50 seconds, Shane Fazen will clarify Haggerty’s Battle IQ used within the ring.

Stance Switching

Stance switching is a sophisticated placing idea that few fighters are actually adept at. It is because merely studying the mechanics for each stances takes for much longer than specializing in a single stance. Haggerty’s methodology of switching stance is kind of distinctive; he’s momentarily switching to alter angles or help motion. He’ll typically step backward right into a southpaw stance after he kicks together with his lead leg. This provides to the various different layers of motion that his opponents must maintain monitor of.

After stepping again right into a southpaw stance, Haggerty will typically throw a left teep as he steps forwards, again into an orthodox stance. This permits Haggerty so as to add large energy to his left teep whereas popping out and in of vary. The step backward into southpaw place typically attracts opponents into assault. Haggerty occasions the ahead motion of his opponent together with his loaded teep, making a head-on collision. Whereas this isn’t essentially the most damaging strike, it does typically push the opponent off stability, resulting in extra placing alternatives. Beneath are three combos to follow in shadowboxing and the heavy bag that emulate Haggerty’s extremely efficient combating model!

Change Kick – Step Again Change – Faux Rear Teep – Change Ahead – 1 – 2

Lead Teep – Step Again Change – Faux Rear Teep – Change Ahead – Rear Elbow

Change Low Lick – Change Step Again – Change Step Again – Change Ahead + Lead Teep Feint – Rear Tomahawk Elbow – Change Step Ahead

Conclusion

“The Normal’s” distinct model has been efficient towards the very best stage of competitors. Incorporating the above ideas into your individual coaching and combating model will assist you to elevate your total placing capacity. Tell us which strategies are your favorites!

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