Monday, May 28, 2018

Welcome to Embracing the Grind


"True teachers use themselves as bridges over which they invite their students to cross; then, having facilitated their crossing, joyfully collapse, encouraging them to create bridges of their own." Nikos Kazantzakis

 "I don’t succeed when I make a guy or hope a guy becomes champion of the world. I succeed when I make the fighter champion of the world and independent of me.” Cus D’ Amato"

This is an archive of articles authored by Kostas Fantaousakis. 

Kostas Fantaousakis is a researcher of fighting concepts, tactics, and techniques, and a state-certified MMA, grappling, and wrestling coach in Greece. He teaches his unique Speedforce MMA mittwork system © which combines strikes, takedowns, knees, and elbows applied in the Continuous Feedback © mittwork system inspired by the Mayweather family.

Kostas is a black belt in BJJ under MMA veteran and BJJ world champion Wander Braga (the teacher of Gabriel Napao Gonzaga).

Between Jun 27, 2017 and May 4, 2020,  he joined the creative team of Bloodyelbow.com as a blogger/technique analyst.

He posted 90 articles on a mostly weekly basis in a series titled: "Combat Course: Lessons from the Cage."

Currently Kostas is writing for this blog and works on technical breakdowns for his YouTube channel.

Follow Kostas on Twitter: https://twitter.com/kostasfant and search #fantmoves for more techniques.


List of  Articles on Bloodyelbow: 






  Other Articles:

 

    Saturday, March 10, 2018

    Mittwork training for the jab


    The first thing you will notice in my mittwork highlight is that I use the right mitt as the target for the jab. This is based on Kenny Weldon’s mittwork method as you can see below:




    He is not the only one. Here is Floyd Mayweather Sr. :


    And finally Mike Tyson:



    There are significant advantages in using the right mitt for the jab:
    1. It teaches students to keep opponents behind their jab without crossing their punches.
    2. The mitt is closer to the head and the student needs to step-in to land the jab. If you use the left mitt the target is too close and is not realistic in terms of distance.
    3. Your left hand is free and you can always counterattack with a left hook. You can catch students coming in to land the jab.
    4. You can use your left hand to go for the Thai plum or go for a bear hug (I do this often when the student keeps getting too close. As a counter, the student needs to push me away and attack).