Defending the takedown (for strikers)

When sparring its not always going be a case of exchanging strikes. Sometimes an opponent may try to take you down to the floor, especially if he feels dominated. A few suggestions to stop this from happening are, UNDERHOOKS - If you and your opponent are holding on to each other, always make sure that your arms are under his/her armpits. These should give you best control over the situation. HIPS LOW - By keeping your hips lower than your opponents it will be impossible to get thrown and by dropping your hips and pulling him/her down hard you will disrupt there balance and could pull off a throw of your own. SPRAWL - When your opponent dives in for your legs in a rugby tackle type attack, kick your legs back, and drop your chest onto his upperback area. You will both end up on the floor but lying on his back, it should be YOU in the dominating position. STOP HITTING - As soon as you see your opponent getting close to you, fire out a technique which tells him BACK OFF. Jabs are good for this as they are fast and there's less of a chance of being caught off guard with it.