To Excel in Shidokan, a Fighter Must Be Proficient in All Ranges of FightingIn early December, at the 2005 World Shidokan Open, Muhsin Corbbrey of the United States, squared off with Canada's Jeff Mrtyniak. The Canadian is a tough, strong fighter who has impressive knockout power. Corbbrey, a South Carolina resident with a ton of titles to his credit, including in boxing and grappling, was up for the challenge.
In the first two rounds, the fighters went at it under bare-knuckle rules. In this segment of the fight, Corbbrey punished Mrtyniak with an all-out assault of kicks. The middle two rounds featured kickboxing, and Corbbrey seized the opportunity to pound on his Canadian opponent some more. As Shidokan rules dictate, the fight went to the ground for the final two rounds, and this is where Corbbrey ended Mrtyniak's night with a textbook triangle.
In the following story, Corbbrey, who owns Island Boxing and Fitness in South Carolina, discusses what it takes to be successful inside the ring of fire ... better known as Shidokan. -Editor
| Dealing With Heavy Hitters Going into the fight against Jeff Mrtyniak, I really was not concerned about his power. I box professionally, so I have to deal with heavy hitters on a regular basis. I knew my combinations and hand speed would have him confused. -Muhsin Corbbrey Preparing for Shidokan We keep it pretty simple. On an average day, I get a morning muay Thai workout that consists of shadowboxing, pad work, bag work and skipping. Mid-day, we run 3 to 5 miles. At night, from 6-8, is jiu-jitsu. We get in a lot of live grappling and drilling. From 8-9 p.m., we work our stand-up sparring and finish with speed work, which is the double-end bag and speed bag. Sparring is the most important part of any training program. We spar four to five times a week. -Muhsin Corbbrey Looking for More? For more information about Shidokan, go to www.shidokan.com. Total Appreciation Muhsin Corbbrey would like to thank the following people for playing an integral role in his success: • Manu Ntoh • Lloyd Irvin • John Blanken • QKO Management |
As a kid, I started my training with taekwondo and boxing. As an adult, I wanted a little more contact, so I got into muay Thai. I started training in judo and jiu-jitsu about nine years ago and also worked with an Olympic wrestling coach to help my takedown game. Most of my focus nowadays is muay Thai, boxing and no gi jiu-jitsu.
After many years in the martial arts, I decided to get into Shidokan because it combines everything that I've studied into a fast-paced, grueling tournament. It definitely pushes your limits, so I wanted to test myself on a national and international level. I wanted to compete in the 2004 tournament, but I had other engagements.
Shidokan, for those who do not know, is regarded as the triathlon of mixed martial arts. The first two rounds are bare-knuckle karate rules, rounds three and four are kickboxing rounds and the last two rounds are MMA rules. Shidokan is different from MMA because the [Shidokan] rules make you fight at every range. If you are a pure grappler, you have to make it through four rounds of striking before you can take your opponent to the ground and attack. It really doesn't allow you to not be a well-rounded fighter.
To be successful in Shidokan, there are several key elements. First and foremost, you must be in great cardiovascular shape. With the tournament setup, you will have a bad day if you run out of gas. Also, you must be able to fight at every range. If you can't, someone will exploit your weakness.
Keys to Success
Key No. 1: Punish the Legs
In the opening two rounds, we fight bare-knuckle. For me, there are several keys to being successful in this segment. I am an advocate of punishing the legs. I use the first two rounds to break my opponent down for the later rounds. A fighter's power comes from his legs, so if they are not working at full capacity, neither is he.
During these first initial rounds, I believe there are some mistakes to avoid. For example, I am not a big fan of high-volume punching during the bare-knuckle. My hands are my livelihood, and it doesn't take much to break them when you're not wearing gloves.
Keys No. 2 and 3: Volume and Effective Aggressiveness
To be successful in kickboxing, there are also keys. Most importantly, I'd say volume and effective aggressiveness. It is critical to move forward and throw a variety of techniques to keep your opponent off balance and on the defensive.
There are also some mistakes to avoid. You don't want to move in straight lines. You always want to create angles. If a train is coming at you full speed and you move straight back, it will eventually catch up to you. But if you jump off of the track, it will go right by you.
Keys No. 4 and 5: Attack and Use Combinations
To be successful on the ground, there are also some important keys. To be concise, you have to attack, attack, attack. The jiu-jitsu I play and teach is all about attacking. Throw multiple submission combinations at your opponent and lead him into a trap.
Of course, there are some mistakes you should avoid. It is imperative to control the position game. A lot of fighters make the mistake of going submission-crazy, but they don't think about the position they need to be in before, after or during the submission. Proper positioning on the ground is as important as a jab is in boxing.
The Mental Game
Because there are different types of fighting in Shidokan, people often ask if my mindset changes for every element. For each segment of the fight, I have a game plan that my coaches and I have formulated. So every round I have a task or group of tasks that I have to accomplish. My mindset stays on the task at hand until we move on to the next task. The ultimate task is always to finish my opponent by KO or submission.
Similarly, is there a change in strategy for every aspect of Shidokan? The strategy is pre-set. Once I get into the ring, it is all about following instructions.
As I mentioned, Shidokan is broken into three different types of fighting. In each segment, there are, of course, different rules. Blending these different rules into their respective rounds is not difficult for me. I've been fighting pro boxing, MMA and Thai boxing, so I'm used to switching up. The rules really don't faze me at all.
Making It Work
To be sure, it is critical to be well-rounded in all phases of fighting. If you are not well-rounded in Shidokan, it's not likely you'll do very well. You have to have a good understanding of every range to fight and be well versed in all to win.
SPINNING ELBOW
MANU'S BASE LEG SWEEP
THE CHAMPIONSHIP MOVE
After achieving mount position, Muhsin attacks with strikes (1). When Richard attempts to cover up, Muhsin secures Richard's right arm (2). After trapping the arm, Muhsin throws his left leg over Richard's shoulder and wraps it around his neck to secure triangle position from the mount (3). Muhsin then rolls to the left, maintaining head control, and finishes the triangle from the guard (4).
LLOYD IRVIN'S FAMOUS BRABO
Richard attempts to escape a head and arm choke by turning toward Muhsin (1). Muhsin then reaches under Richard's left arm and grabs Richard's head with his right hand (2). Pulling him in tight, Muhsin grabs his biceps to apply the brabo choke (3). A close-up of the brabo choke (4).
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