“The Iron Man,” Rodtang Jitmuangnon, is a person who hardly wants an introduction to anybody who’s critical concerning the sport of Muay Thai. The previous Omnoi Stadium Champion and 250-fight veteran has remained on the high of the ONE Championship roster since profitable his first Muay Thai World Title in 2019 when he defeated Jonathan Haggerty for the Flyweight Muay Thai World Title.
Rodtang’s success each within the Bangkok stadiums and ONE Championship relies on his stunning Muay Mat combating type. It’s a wonderful show, that mixes managed aggression with skillful defensive methods that set the tempo, vary, and tempo of a struggle.
If you happen to’ve ever needed to emulate “The Iron Man,” you’re in luck. On this article, we’re going to spotlight the important thing components of Rodtang’s offensive and defensive methods earlier than supplying you with a number of drills that you would be able to add to your coaching regime that may aid you undertake these strategies into your individual Muay Thai skillset.
Rodtang’s Combating Model
Rodtang employs a Muay Mat technique within the ring. Merely put, which means he favors heavy-hand combos to wreck and dismantle his opponents. Whereas he’s notoriously aggressive, Rodtang by no means rushes and can usually probe his opponents’ guards with a volley of punches earlier than deciding whether or not he’ll proceed his assault or put together certainly one of his defensive traps.
Being a Muay Mat will be tough, particularly as a result of with a view to throw palms, you want to get previous your opponent’s long-range kicking weapons. Then, as soon as you start to unload with heavy strikes your opponent will usually tie you up within the clinch as a protection. Rodtang has discovered a approach to counter this, usually standing again simply out of his opponent’s vary and making ready to counter them with teeps and low kicks as they transfer in to throw their very own strikes. When locked up within the clinch, Rodtang not often engages with knees or elbows however slightly presses himself in shut and sweeps his opponent at any time when they try a strike of their very own.
Rodtang’s Muay Mat Model
Rodtang’s boxing technique is easy and efficient. With a decent guard, he stalks into vary after which unloads with a mix of energy punches that concentrate on an opponent’s head and physique, altering ranges to create openings. After a single mixture, he pauses to evaluate the harm. If he has damage his opponent he explodes into one other vicious mixture, if they’ve maintained composure he retreats and initiates his ranged protection protocol.
How To Punch Like Rodtang
1) Boxing Pad Work
Rodtang’s punching type is pretty simple to apply however extremely tough to execute. In coaching, dedicate a while to boxing pad work with out utilizing some other Muay Thai weapons. Guarantee that you’re boxing for Muay Thai, which suggests you want to restrict your head motion and by no means slip or roll after throwing a mix so that you simply’re all the time able the place you possibly can defend all of Muay Thai’s weapons.
Deal with throwing a number of punches, mixing heights to each the pinnacle and physique. Bear in mind, Rodtang throws each punch, even his jabs, with knockout energy, so if you wish to punch like him, you’re going to want to place each ounce of energy you will have into each strike as nicely.
2) Coming into Boxing Vary
The toughest a part of being a Muay Mat is getting previous your opponent’s longer-range weapons. Follow defending towards these long-range weapons as you stalk your method into boxing vary. This could embody parrying teeps or catching kicks and pulling your opponent right into a rain of heavy punches.
3) Conditional Sparring
When you’ve mastered the fundamentals of coming into boxing vary towards a kicking opponent, it’s time to place it right into a reside sparring drill. On this conditional sparring drill attempt to have one associate solely attacking with punches whereas the opposite can solely assault with kicks. The puncher must discover a approach to reduce their opponent off as they try to remain at kicking vary and overcome kicks and teeps with a view to get the higher hand up shut.
4) Rodtang’s Ranged Defence
Spherical 1 of this traditional bout the place Rodtang fought Sok Thy demonstrates how “The Iron Man” makes use of teeps and leg kicks to manage the vary of a struggle while additionally inhibiting his opponents’ means to assault. You’ll discover, earlier than altering gears on the finish of the primary spherical, Rodtang stood simply out of Sok Thy’s efficient vary, utilizing leg kicks and teeps to cease the Cambodian from instigating an assault. Entrance leg teeps to Thy’s hip and thigh disrupted his stability and rhythm at any time when he tried to interact whereas punishing leg kicks made him reluctant to step ahead in any respect.
How To Defend Like Rodtang
1) Withdraw From Vary After Putting
Rodtang doesn’t waste power urgent ahead with assaults that aren’t having an impact on his opponents. He opens an trade with a punching mixture the place he’ll goal excessive and low to his opponent’s head and physique. If none of his strikes have an impact, he’ll usually step again simply out of efficient vary to goad them into overreaching on their counterstrikes.
On pads, have your pad holder name a 3 or four-shot hand combo the place no less than one punch targets the physique, then have your pad holder press ahead with a number of fake strikes. Your aim shall be to land the combo after which use quick footwork to bounce again from vary earlier than they will reply. Simply make sure you keep your composure so that you’re able to cowl or defend if mandatory. Discover within the video above how Rodtang withdraw from his opponent’s vary after placing after which, throwing one other heavy mixture.
2) Time Your Teeps And Leg Kicks
This drill will be achieved while mild sparring or with a associate who’s carrying a physique pad in addition to a leg pad on their entrance leg. Follow standing simply out of your opponent’s efficient vary and watch for them to step ahead to strike. After they step ahead alternate between throwing quick, lead leg teeps to their hip and thigh, or chopping their leg. Bear in mind the very best time to cut an opponent’s lead leg is once they have stepped down onto it in order that it’s extra damaging, they usually have extra problem blocking.
3) Mix The Drills
Now that you simply’ve mastered withdrawing from vary after placing and punishing an opponent as they step into vary, it’s time to mix the 2 drills both on pads or within the context of conditional sparring.
Throw a mix of punches to the pinnacle and physique after which rapidly step again from vary to teep or chop your pad man/sparring associate whose aim is to catch you with counter strikes earlier than you possibly can land your defensive kicks.
Rodtang’s Clinch Model
If Rodtang’s opponent advances earlier than he has the prospect to withdraw into teep or leg kick vary, he’ll tie them up within the clinch earlier than they will strike. Then, as an alternative of participating in a clinch battle, he presses himself up shut the place they will’t knee on to his midsection. Then, once they try to knee across the aspect of his physique he turns them right into a sweep.
Within the above bout towards Jacob Smith, the powerful Englishman confirmed little respect for Rodtang’s energy and persistently marched ahead to fulfill him. You’ll discover within the many clinch exchanges that Rodtang not often throws a knee and as an alternative consolidates his hand and foot place in preparation for a sweep.
How To Clinch Like Rodtang
1) Flip A Kneeing Opponent Drill
Step one to sweeping a kneeing opponent like Rodtang is to get a really feel for when an opponent is about to knee you. Begin at vary like within the above drill so as to see when your opponent is about to return up onto one leg. Then when they’re up on one leg, flip your entire physique and pull them over their standing leg in order that they stumble backward. You possibly can even throw in a knee afterwards as a counterstike.
After getting the knack for this at vary, transfer in near a chest-to-chest place the place it’s tougher to see the knees and you must ‘really feel’ for the shifts in your opponent’s weight. If you happen to actually need to excellent this ability, you possibly can even apply this along with your eyes closed.
2) Sweep A Kneeing Opponent
After getting mastered turning an opponent as they knee, it’s time to extend the problem and switch the motion right into a sweep. There are various methods you possibly can sweep your opponent in a clinch once they have thrown a knee strike.
Conclusion
Rodtang is a Muay Mat who controls the tempo and vary of a struggle with highly effective strikes. He’s not solely a grasp of coming into punching vary and punishing opponents together with his palms, however he’s additionally a grasp of shutting down their offensive capabilities together with his close-range clinch and disruptive leg kicks and teeps.
Rodtang acknowledges that combating the Muay Mat type is a tough ability to grasp, it’s not nearly touchdown punches, but in addition guaranteeing that your opponents can’t outscore you with kicks. So, you’re going to want to keep in mind that punching is just one-half of Rodtang’s combating type. additionally going to want to grasp these defensive methods if you need to have the ability to benefit from his aggressive punching type.
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