Here's my problem fellas

[Red Ranger]

I'm 16, been doing Muay Thai for a little over a year now. I consider myself pretty good i guess, all my offenses are technically great. (Except some clinch work -.-) but there's one pressing difficulty that is driving me absolutely insane.

It's combos with another person. I throw combos without much of a problem but when we're paired up and he wants us to do like a jab, block, cross, block block, hook roundhouse, I just lose my train of thought and I can't remember what I'm doing. But usually I can get that down, then we switch so the other person does it. Then it's like a whole new combo and I lose it again. It's embarassing! I hate it. It's like I'm standing there just like what the hell am I doing? I throw this then what what?

Is there some kind of technique to remember those super long combos that people do?

 

[Kitty]

Sorry I had to reply as this really made me laugh………………I have the same problem too! in fact my trainer last night was laughing and also teasing me at me as we had done several combination ( focusing on trick moves) and we went to do these in pad work and he shouted them out I could not even remember the ones I had done 5 mins ago! And had to get him to show me again! (Nightmare! I mean seriously I looked very stupid!)

Anyway he taught me two tricks last night,
1, on the spot combinations on pads, do it 2- 3 times slow and say names of the punches kicks in your head. Then speed it up- I find this works.

2, Long term - sounds geeky but write it down. All the “fake move and combinations” I have been taught I write down then I read before sparing classes or run through then every now and again in my own training. It does help a little in re freshing me with what I have learnt also I kinda think the more you practice the easier the movements will flow together.

I hope that helps…. If not at least you know your not alone!

 

[Giorgio]

I understand what you're going through, Red. It's the transition from technique and drilling to what sometimes gets called "ringcraft". That's why your coach is making you jab some, block some, and counter some, instead of the straight jab/cross/kick that gets taught in so many lesser gyms.

One tip I would give you is not to try to solve your problem by "ingraining" or "hardwiring" these combinations into your brain. This is a somewhat contentious issue. More than a few gyms I've trained in have advised students to try to make combos "second nature", so that when the opening comes, you'll bust out a 4-strike combination sharply and crisp without needing to think about it. That's a fair enough point.

But how often do you actually see 4-hit combos in Muay Thai bouts between professionals? Very, very rarely, and only when there's a huge disparity of skill.

My advice would be to keep your head in the game, THINK about why you're throwing the cross then covering up, or why you're following up your hook with a roundhouse. When it comes to free sparring or an actual bout, most of those sharp and crisp combos will fail you. I've gained most by learning to constantly be aware and thinking about my opponent's movements and my own, rather than hardwiring combos into my subconscious.

Again, though, not everyone agrees with me.

 

[mariaclara]

yeup. had d same prob. couldn't remember the combis.
at first, i thought i could memorize it in my mind.
but when i got to the gym, all that i memorized vanished.

the old-timers told me , no prob. just do it.
they said the excitement, fatigue,pain,tiredness clouds up our memory so our mind forgets.

But repetition (shadow boxing, on the pads, on the bags, sparring) over and over again will make the combis automatic.
even when we get tired, huffing and puffing to catch our breath, our body remembers/knows what to do.

I guess that's it. Just do it over and over again.

Then, more repetition, and more repetition. on the pads; on the bags; give/take sparring. over and over.

Well, at least , for me repetition did.

have fun