Alright, let’s talk about what I’ve been up to in training lately. I got kind of hooked on watching Joe Duffy fight again. You know, the Irish guy from the UFC? Yeah, him.
Getting Started: Watching and Noting
So, I started by just watching his fights. Pulled up whatever I could find. I remembered hearing about his background, heavy on the pro boxing side of things before he fully committed to MMA. And man, you can see it. His hands look sharp, real clean. He doesn’t seem to waste much movement either.
I wasn’t trying to become him or anything, but I wanted to borrow some ideas. Especially how he moves and sets up his shots. Looked pretty smooth.
Practice Time: Hands and Feet
First thing I did was focus on my own striking during drills. I really tried to channel that crisp boxing feel. Basics, you know?
- Worked on just the jab, trying to make it faster, more of a snap.
- Practiced moving my head off the center line when throwing punches.
- Focused on footwork. Trying to be lighter on my feet, moving in and out, cutting angles more. Not just plodding forward.
Honestly, just drilling the footwork took a lot of time. Trying to move like that and still be ready to throw or defend felt awkward at first. My coach just had me do basic angle drills over and over.
Mixing It Up: The MMA Factor
Then came the tricky part. Duffy’s good with his hands, but this is MMA. You can’t just stand there like a pure boxer. Kicks come, takedowns come. I noticed how he seemed pretty composed dealing with that stuff too, usually.
So, I started trying to blend things. After doing some hand combos on the pads or bag, I’d immediately practice sprawling or checking a pretend kick. Trying to keep that striking stance but be ready for other attacks. It’s a balancing act, for sure. Keeping my hands ready but not leaving my legs totally open, keeping my weight right so I could defend a takedown attempt.
That felt clumsy for a while. Sometimes I’d be too focused on the hands and feel slow reacting to a shot. Other times I’d be too worried about the takedown and my striking felt stiff.
Putting It Together (Sort Of)
I tried bringing some of this into very light sparring. Nothing crazy, just trying to use the footwork to create space and land simple combinations. When I managed to use an angle and land a clean shot, it felt pretty good. Efficient, like I wasn’t just winging punches.
But yeah, it also showed me how much work it takes. Timing is huge. And conditioning – moving like that constantly takes gas. Made me appreciate how guys like Duffy make it look easy.
What I Took Away
Spending time focusing on this stuff, inspired by Duffy’s style, was pretty useful. It wasn’t about copying him exactly, more about learning from his approach.
It definitely reinforced the importance of fundamentals: good footwork, sharp basic punches, managing distance. It also highlighted how tough it is to integrate high-level striking into a complete MMA game. Still got loads to work on, obviously, but it was a good exercise. Made me think more about being efficient with my movements.
