The Leader In Muay Thai Training and Competitve Fighters In State College and Penn State For Over Fifteen Years

Titan Fitness(formally, SCMAA) has been teaching Muay Thai kickboxing to hundreds, if not thousands, of local State College and Central PA residents, as well as Penn State students for over 15 years. 

This strong tradition of producing effective Muay Thai practioners at the Titan Fitness facility started back in 1993 under the guidance of world class martial athlete, Sifu Bill Gebhardt, founder and owner of the State College Martial Arts Academy.

On Bill Gebhardt’s sudden death to Cancer in 2002, student and long time friend, Bruce Lombard, aimed to continue the legacy and tradition that Mr. Gebhardt left behind. 

Hundreds of men and women of all ages continue to benefit from the highly effective and practical art of Muay Thai kickboxing at Titan Fitness as they did with Mr. Gebhardt in the 90’s and early 2000’s.

Titan Fitness continues’ the tradition of  SCMMA to be the leader in the Central Pa and Penn State region for developing successful Muay Thai competitor’s.  SCMMA and Titan Fitness have  had over 25 amateur Muay Thai competitive fighters’ in the last 15 years with a collective winning perscentage over 75%.

The author of this blog, Bruce Lombard, is a Certified Coach of Combat Submission Wrestling(CSW) and is available for training and provides a free initial consultation. To contact Bruce to setup your free consultation, please dial 814-404-7307 or write tfgma@yahoo.com for more information.

Muay Thai Counter Striking

• Video Courtesy of Muay Thai World Champion, Duke Roufus.

 

Overview - To have initial and consistent success in the ring or cage a fighter has to understand the importance of counter striking.  Every fighter usually gets hit multiple times during their fight.  Accept that it is part of the sport, and strike back. 

Counter Strike Strategy(options) -

• Strike first, strike last, and adjust to what happens in between.  
• Opponent punches - you kick, opponent kicks - you punch. 
• Utilize a first counter strike uppercut - hard for opponent to pick it up. 
• Counter with combinations, not just single strikes. 
•  Let their jab set up your power tools: cross, hook, uppercut, kick, knee.
• Simultaneous striking! 
• Use your foot jab(Teep) to counter opponent’s boxing or round kicks. 

 

Conclusion:  A fighter will be successful if they have great conditioning, dictate fight pace(strike first), and counter strike(strike last).  Sparring with experienced and ego-less training partners who hit you constantly is the best training to becoming a better counter striker.  SPAR, SPAR, SPAR!!

The author of this blog, Bruce Lombard, is a Certified Coach of Combat Submission Wrestling(CSW) and is available for training and provides a free initial consultation. To contact Bruce to setup your free consultation, please dial 814-404-7307 or write tfgma@yahoo.com for more information.

Counter The Muay Thai Clinch

 

• Two-time World Shooto Champion, Erik Paulson, breaks down two options to counter the Muay Thai clinch(Plumm) position. 

Overview -The Muay Thai clinch is a very dominant offensive position for Muay Thai or MMA competition. One of the most effective ways in my own and my fighters experience’s to counter the dominance is by utilizing this wedge or over/under arm position.  

Advantages -

1. This is a high percentage counter to the Plumm position. 
2. At the very least you will neutralize your opponents dominance. 
3. Weakens your opponents arms ,and therefore, the clinch.
4. Gives you better opportunity to re-clinch your opponent.
5. Provides a stronger possibility, with the elbow pop, to shuck your opponents arm or arms off your head to clear the clinch.
6. Allows you to create space so you can trade effective and powerful knees against your opponent.

Position Break Down -

1. Your top forearm needs to be wedged into your opponents throat while grabbing on to his far trapezius. (Glove-less or MMA gloves)
2. If wearing a 10-16oz boxing glove you should push your glove across his face to grab the opposite trapezius. 
3. Lift your forearm/elbow up to pop your opponent’s chin up. This helps to create space to weave your free arm in to re-clinch your opponent
4. Hard to weave arm through if you have 10-16oz gloves on. 
5. Bottom arm is to block opponent’s straight knees  
6. Think to block opponent’s high thigh and not their low quad or knee in case he pulls you sharply forward into their own knee. 
7. Hips are thrust in, while making yourself tall by lifting up onto the ball of your feet. 
8. Angle your feet outward(like a Duck) so you will have better lateral balance.
9. In this rare case, you want your chin up instead of down, think short strong neck so opponent cannot pull you into their knees, spin you, throw you, or front choke you. 
10. Elbow pop, instead of arm weave, is higher percentage technique if wearing gloves.
11. Elbow pop opens up a diagonal or curve knee to opponent’s body
12. Easier to shuck opponent’s arm off when you pop one of their arms off your head

 Conclusion - The Muay Thai clinch is a very difficult position to counter.  Though, in my opinion, the most effective counter is the over/under or wedge technique.  At the very least it can neutralize your opponents control. Best case, there is a high percentage if trained enough and your timing is on, you can re-clinch your opponent or clear the clinch all together.

The author of this blog, Bruce Lombard, is a Certified Coach of Combat Submission Wrestling(CSW) and is available for training and provides a free initial consultation. To contact Bruce to setup your free consultation, please dial 814-404-7307 or write tfgma@yahoo.com for more information.

Muay Thai Leg Kick

•  Video courtesy of Duke Roufus

Overview- World Muay Thai Champion Duke Roufus, demonstrates and breaks down the highly effective Muay Thai leg kick.

Advantages

• Slightly more difficult for opponents to defend against, as opposed to body or head kicks.
• There are four targets to work with on the legs: outside lead leg, inside lead leg, inside rear leg, outside rear leg.
• Allows striker to reach the target quicker and retract their leg back to the ground faster for additional strikes or to defend.
• The more you chop away at your opponents leg, this helps open up punches and kick to your opponents body and head.
• When you break down your opponents base, their game is less effective with movement, speed, and power.

Set-ups

• Leg kicks are most effective when set up with your own punches or simultaneously countering your opponents punches.
• Think high to low combinations, such as, jab cross hook - leg kick.

Defenses and Counters

• shin up check
• bounce back evade
• overhook catch
• straight cross
• lead hook
• return kick with opposite leg opponent kicked with.(Opponent kicks with their right, return with your left)

Conclusion - The Muay Thai leg kick as demonstrated by World Champion, Duke Roufus, is a frequently used and high percentage strike in the sport of Thai Boxing and also Mixed Martial Arts.  Though there are defenses against this strike, it is difficult to consistently pull them off. The best way to neutralize this strike is to counter back with strikes of your own, such as a straight cross.

The author of this blog, Bruce Lombard, is a Certified Coach of Combat Submission Wrestling(CSW) and is available for training and provides a free initial consultation. To contact Bruce to setup your free consultation, please dial 814-404-7307 or write tfgma@yahoo.com for more information.

Titan Fitness Students’ Thai Pad Training

Titan Fitness students, Sean Deeney and Andrew Mackey, pair up for a round of Thai pad training in the ring at the Titan fitness facility.  I coached Mr. Deeney for about two years and not only was he a skilled student but also a great representation of the respectful, humble, and hard training student that Titan Fitness likes to pride itself on.  So with saying that, let me critique Sean’s round for old time sake.  Sean kicks hard, but, if he would turn over his shoulder a little more and pivot his foot more fully, it would allow his hip to come through the center more and he would be maximizing his already good power.  Also, he needs to fold his kicking knee a little bit more…lead with the knee.  Leg speed is very good.  Sean’s hand speed is good.  He needs to rotate and keep his hands up more consistently on his punch combinations though.  This is being a little critical, Sean looks better than most and is a good kickboxer.  It would have been nice to have him at Titan a little longer to see how he would have done in competition.  Safe training and best wishes to Sean!

If you are interested in group lessons goto TitanFitness, for personal lessons, view this page.

The author of this blog, Bruce Lombard, is a Certified Coach of Combat Submission Wrestling(CSW) and is available for training and provides a free initial consultation. To contact Bruce to setup your free consultation, please dial 814-404-7307 or write tfgma@yahoo.com for more information.

Programs

MIXED MARTIAL ARTS - Combat Submission Wrestling

Coach Lombard exposes student’s to the fighting system, Combat Submission Wrestling(CSW), founded by world-renowned MMA fighter and coach, Erik Paulson. CSW training focuses on elements of kickboxing, clinching, and grappling. There is a blend of Muay Thai, Western Boxing, Wrestling, Jui-Jitsu, Shooto, Catch-Wrestling which molds this fighting system as one of the premier in the world. Student’s can work towards reaching personal goals in fitness, self-defense, sport development, sport competition, and CSW ranking

WOMEN’S KICKBOXING - A full-body workout like nothing else!

Women’s kickboxing training is an effective way to increase muscular and cardiovascular endurance, while learning practical self-defense. Instruction is based on the sport of Muay Thai, the national sport of Thailand. Training introduces kickboxing techniques including punches, kicks, knees, elbows, counters, and defenses. Training also emphasizes how to strike and defend in the clinch(tie up) position. Women’s kickboxing is appropriate for all levels of fitness.

SUBMISSION GRAPPLING- Taking it to the mat

Instruction is designed to evolve a student’s takedown and submission grappling game. Training blends wrestling, Jui-Jitsu, Shooto, and Catch Wrestling ground systems. Grappling game development includes takedowns and takedown defense; top-position control; bottom-position escapes, reversals, and sweeps; submissions(chokes, arm locks, leg locks, and neck cranks); submission defense; and submission set-ups. This technical development is appropriate for sport, street defense, and fitness.

THAI BOXING - The National Sport of Thailand

Thai Boxing(Muay Thai) is recognized as one of the most devastating and destructive kickboxing systems in the world. Training focuses on Thai Boxing’s renowned 8-point fighting system which includes: punches, kicks, knees, and elbows. Instruction also includes effective striking combinations, counters, defenses, and sport strategy. Student’s will also gain exposure to the acclaimed clinch game of the sport. Thai Boxing training increases the student’s fitness level, and enhances skills for self defense and sport.

BOXING - Skills for the Ring Sport and Self Defense

Training combines a progression of western boxing skills, including punching, punching combinations, balance awareness, fakes, footwork, blocking, head movement, and counters. Student’s will be put through conditioning drills with pads, heavy bags, ring work, and core(abs) training. Boxing training increases the student’s fitness level, and enhances skills for sport and self defense. Boxing has become a popular enhancement or alternative to conventional workout programs.

The author of this blog, Bruce Lombard, is a Certified Coach of Combat Submission Wrestling(CSW) and is available for training and provides a free initial consultation. To contact Bruce to setup your free consultation, please dial 814-404-7307 or write tfgma@yahoo.com for more information.