Have a look at this video of Ronda Rousey and the commentary on her strategy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqBoyekp_ZY
The first thing that impressed me was how she brings her strengths into play. She goes straight through the Flak Zone and gets head control on her opponents. This enables her to use her Judo skills and her opponents invariably end up on the ground with her on top and from what I've seen of her other videos, she seems to really like arm bars. The octagon also works in her favor by creating a barrier to help her round-up her opponent, it certainly helps prevent an opponent circling out.
Her opponents have attempted to overcome her strategy by using straight punches to try and keep her outside of grappling range but punching has the effect of slowing their footwork which makes it easier for her to round them up and complete her strategy.
You can also see that she has plenty of 'will' and she intends to get her target and is not bothered if she takes a few strikes in the process. You can see that the opponents are worried by it. It reminds me a bit of John Smith who would get his single leg takedown no matter what.
For the record I don't pretend to know anything about Judo. My only experience with it was sharing a training hall with a Judo club a few decades ago. Occasionally a few of us would sit down with some of the Judo guys and talk about what we were trying to achieve with our respective arts and have the odd friendly encounter to experience some of what was being said.
Seeing this video makes me glad that none of them ever thought much of the dragon tail footwork we trained. It was designed to teach the skill of moving rapidly and safely through the flak zone (the zone where you and your opponent are in striking distance). If they had been proficient in something like that then the Judo guys would have had it all over us.
In a way the video shows what can happen when you begin to take on a battle mindset.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqBoyekp_ZY
The first thing that impressed me was how she brings her strengths into play. She goes straight through the Flak Zone and gets head control on her opponents. This enables her to use her Judo skills and her opponents invariably end up on the ground with her on top and from what I've seen of her other videos, she seems to really like arm bars. The octagon also works in her favor by creating a barrier to help her round-up her opponent, it certainly helps prevent an opponent circling out.
Her opponents have attempted to overcome her strategy by using straight punches to try and keep her outside of grappling range but punching has the effect of slowing their footwork which makes it easier for her to round them up and complete her strategy.
You can also see that she has plenty of 'will' and she intends to get her target and is not bothered if she takes a few strikes in the process. You can see that the opponents are worried by it. It reminds me a bit of John Smith who would get his single leg takedown no matter what.
For the record I don't pretend to know anything about Judo. My only experience with it was sharing a training hall with a Judo club a few decades ago. Occasionally a few of us would sit down with some of the Judo guys and talk about what we were trying to achieve with our respective arts and have the odd friendly encounter to experience some of what was being said.
Seeing this video makes me glad that none of them ever thought much of the dragon tail footwork we trained. It was designed to teach the skill of moving rapidly and safely through the flak zone (the zone where you and your opponent are in striking distance). If they had been proficient in something like that then the Judo guys would have had it all over us.
In a way the video shows what can happen when you begin to take on a battle mindset.
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