Hey, I finally got to watch the vids. Mike, you looked pretty sharp! Good speed on your strikes. Your sparring remeinded me of the stuff that RazorFoot and I used to do.

Thanx Matt, I felt pretty good for an almost 40 year old who hasn't fought in a year. I was sucking wind by the end of the second fight though. It is hard work keeping ahead of the younger guys.

I don't think it was to bad. I don't agree with the "Don't kick at all" advise, yes hands are faster, but if your not kicking then it is basically a boxing match (plyometric training can help with kicking speed). You telegraph your spin back kick, you have a tendency to re-position your kicking foot just before you throw the kick, kind of bringing it a little behind you so you don't have to have it travel as far. I like the sweeps, wish they were allowed in our competitions, but how come no follow up was allowed after the takedowns occured. One last comment, I don't want to hear no more comments about TKD fighters (more so olympic style)keep their hands down.Both of you left your hands down substantially in the first clip. You were better in the second clip, though they were still down some. All and all, good job (and yes. I'm part of the 40 plus club as well).

VDJ

Hi Mike! Thanks for posting the vids.

Looked pretty good for your age and lack of active sparring. More sparring and implementing the good advice will work wonders.

I noticed too much spinning,hands down,kicks were not set up,and a waste of headgear,lol, but I also realize this was just a practice.

Keep it up!!

Thanx Brian. Yeah the hands. The first guy fights no head contact ever. The second guy fights with head contact all the time as do I so our hands were up more. In fact in the second fight I just touch his head gear with a jab and he launches one at my head that I sneak under. When you take the head away as a target the fighting just takes on a completely different tone.
As for the spinning, bad habit I know but I was trying to set him up for a right leg roundhouse later on in the first fight. It turned into a left but what the heck. Video is a great tool.

Thanx.VDJ I noticed ( know) that I reposition my foot. Lazy? I was trying to corner him ( first fight) He wanted to throw back leg roundhouse to the bogu. The spin kicks were mostly thrown to set up a front leg roundhouse that I never got to throw but because he was always trying to slip past me the spin kicks seemed reasonable at the time. More practice!