The one other area that some of the competitors who come out combatives nights really struggle (my new FMA instructor runs an MMA program and a boxing program, so they sometimes trickle into the other classes out of curiosity or because they get to know the few of us who do both) is on the take-down. It really takes a while for a lot of them to get their heads around this. Just watching any MMA event will show someone that as soon as a good grappler gets popped good in the head or is taking some abuse in the stand up, he shoots or clinches. In MMA, I don't blame them, because it is much harder to punish them for it. What happens repeatedly in the combatives class however, is that they shoot and when they don't get the shot, they continue to drive for it (just like you see in MMA competitions all the time). Problem is, while they drive for the single or push me up against the wall and hang on, I WILL use downward elbows on the back of the head, neck and spine. I will punt them when they have one knee on the ground. I will tear into their eyes while they drive the shot or clinch. I will use my other hand to draw my (rubber) knife they work for the take-down, sweep, for under hooks, hip control or whatever. They are SO CONDITIONED to drive for the take-down and so conditioned not to have to worry about any of that, that they give it no thought, and it takes numerous pummeling at 1/4 power for them to realize the dangers in shooting, but in particular, the dangers in pressing it if they don't get the take-down clean the first time.
There was one big guy 225 or so who wrestled at the state uni here who came in. Tough athletic kid. I'm 185ish lean and he watched me one night giving it good to the other grapplers and stood right up and said "I'll take you down". Well, I'm scrappy but not stupid, and I knew he likely would. I told him to change and jump in. While he was changing I grabbed one of my hard plastic training knives and put it in my pants under my shirt. He came back out and we started moving around. He pressed just enough for me to start letting my hands go and as soon as I did, shot under a punch and got me... slammed me hard to, but all that weight came down on that hard plastic tip and the point was made. Would have rung me good on pavement, maybe knocked me out....but he would have died. It's just a different way of thinking.
There was one big guy 225 or so who wrestled at the state uni here who came in. Tough athletic kid. I'm 185ish lean and he watched me one night giving it good to the other grapplers and stood right up and said "I'll take you down". Well, I'm scrappy but not stupid, and I knew he likely would. I told him to change and jump in. While he was changing I grabbed one of my hard plastic training knives and put it in my pants under my shirt. He came back out and we started moving around. He pressed just enough for me to start letting my hands go and as soon as I did, shot under a punch and got me... slammed me hard to, but all that weight came down on that hard plastic tip and the point was made. Would have rung me good on pavement, maybe knocked me out....but he would have died. It's just a different way of thinking.