Hudson Valley Martial Arts at Precision MMA is Striking a Cord with Local Martial Artists

LAGRANGEVILLE, N.Y. - June 28, 2013 - PRLog -- Hudson Valley martial arts is a hot topic lately.  While the Hudson Valley area of New York is known to offer a wide variety of martial arts, most of them are fairly one dimensional in their approach and tend to be quite limited in the various striking techniques that their instructors teach.  

“Striking techniques” or “strikes” are general terms for any way of hitting or making forceful contact with an aggressor.  The most common type of strike is a punch, of which, of course, there are many types.  However, kicks, knees, and elbows are also types of strikes which can be done from numerous angles, applications and modifications.  Most Hudson Valley martial arts’ schools do not teach the assortment of striking techniques that Precision MMA does, and this often leads to their downfall in competition as well as self-defense.

Precision Mixed Martial Arts in the Hudson Valley area of New York offers two main striking styles: Muay Thai Kickboxing and Boxing.  However, our Muay Thai classes in particular, as taught by 7-0 AKBF Muay Thai champion Karl Nemeth, include an area of different striking techniques from American and Dutch style Kickboxing and Western Boxing, as well as moves from several styles of Karate, Taekwondo, and even Capoeira.  We choose not to be limited in the attacks we teach so that if our primary strikes are ineffective in a combat situation we always have other options to fall back on.  For example, many styles of martial arts only teach varieties of round house kicks and the occasional front kick, while refusing to teach kicks that come from other unusual angles, deeming them ineffective.  In Karl Nemeth’s Muay Thai  classes, however Precision’s Hudson Valley martial arts students are privileged enough to get instruction in kicks which are much less predictable and seen more infrequently in competition.  One example of such a kick is the “question-mark” kick.  This a kick more often seen in other martial arts like Karate, which can be done either with the back or lead leg where the kicker’s leg at first swings forward like a front kick, seeming to aim below the belt, but at the last moment shifts upward and lands with the shin at a slightly downward angle across the opponents’ jaw line.  This is a classic example of misdirection which causes the opponent to forget to protect his head, thinking that leg kick is coming, only to be struck in the jaw when least expected.  Another unusual kick which Karl teaches is something we refer to as a “Michael Jackson kick” due to it looking like one of the late artist’s dance moves.  This kick is set up with a lower leg side step round house kick.  This causes the opponent to raise his leg in an attempt to check the kick the second time, at which point the attacker unleashes a lead leg “teep” or front kick to the body or head.  Few see this coming and it has worked for us in martial arts competition before in the Hudson Valley.  Karl also teaches kicks from styles of Karate and taekwondo such as hook kicks, spinning hook kicks, and sidekicks, as well as kicks from Capoeira like the “dragon tail kick” and “meza luna” kick.

Our Hudson Valley Martial Arts classes also include other sorts of strikes such as knees, elbows and different varieties of punches.  Our kickboxing classes show how knees can be effectively used in the clinch to disable any opponent, as well as how elbows can be uses to bring down an attacker.  However, our boxing classes also teach a variety of punches that a conventional boxing gym might not teach.  For example, one of our boxing coaches and successful AKB competitors John Joy has a signature “side fist” technique which he likes.  This punch is thrown like a jab, except that the fist is held sideways with the thumb pointed towards the ceiling.  The effect is that it has a more narrow surface area and more easily slips between the opponents’ gloves and guard to connect with his chin.  Another technique our boxing coaches teach which often catches our opponents in the Hudson Valley off guard is the lead hand uppercut.  Used very sparingly by conventional boxers, our competitors have found success with it many times in martial arts’ competition because it is such an unexpected attack.  Usually opponents are only expecting a jab or hook from that lead hand and so it often catches them off guard when we use it.

As can be seen, thinking outside of the box when it comes to striking techniques truly pays off in the world of competitive martial arts.  Hudson Valley martial arts instructors and fighters at Precision Mixed Martial Arts pride themselves in always having more tricks up our sleeves than the competition.  As the saying goes,” it’s the punch you don’t see coming that drops you.”

To get started on your Hudson Valley martial arts journey call Precision MMA at 845-392-8495 or visit http://www.poughkeepsiemixedmartialarts.com