The Best Reaction Training For Fighters

There are a ton of different reaction training methods and an ever-increasing crop of reaction training devices… And for fighters, they’re NOT all created equal.
Some methods really only function as warm-up or movement activities, whereas others can develop Saenchai-like reflexes in the ring!
In this episode… Which reaction training methods will make you a better fighter the quickest, and WHY?
Whether it’s throwing and catching tennis balls, punching top-to-bottom balls or boxing bars, hitting reaction lights or even evading striking robots… There are many methods vying for your attention when seeking to improve your fighter reactions.
And the truth is, some methods carry over into your fight performance while others don't at all!
Understanding what fighter reaction training is and isn’t is key to picking the most appropriate methods to boost your fight reactions…
Further notes and resources at heatrick.com/2022/05/20/best-...
And if you enjoyed this video, hit subscribe to stay up to date with our latest Muay Thai performance tips every Friday!
We’d love to have you on the team…
kzbin.info...
We help ambitious fighters and coaches take their game to the next level by bridging the gap between Strength & Conditioning, Performance Science, and Muay Thai.
You'll find all our Muay Thai performance videos, podcasts, articles, and guides at heatrick.com/
Join us:
/ donheatrick
/ heatrick
/ donheatrick

[@GaawutProductions]

Thank you for covering this topic, I asked you for an explanation around one year ago on Instagram, I'm glad you found time to cover it. This is one of the most misunderstood topics in the fighting world in my opinion, but thanks to this video it won't anymore. Excellent work as always 🙏

[@HeatrickMuayThaiPerformance]

You are so welcome! Yes, that's right, you did request this topic didn't you! :) ...It's taken me sometime as I wanted to have the time to cover the topic properly. Hopefully this video will serve as a complete resource on this topic, and help fighters train their reactions effectively.

[@GaawutProductions]

@@HeatrickMuayThaiPerformance It surely will 🙏

[@robertl.s.4303]

This is gold!! thanks Don..

[@HeatrickMuayThaiPerformance]

Cheers Robert ! :)

[@Ratamahata7]

Great video! you always have great quotes, Don ... I´ll keep this one this time: "The Brain is a prediction device"

[@HeatrickMuayThaiPerformance]

Haha! Good one! And thank you. :)

[@primalbiomechanics-willmon6166]

These videos are amazing, thank you so much for sharing these, the time you spent putting them together as well as the first hand experience is great, and much appreciated, keep them coming

[@HeatrickMuayThaiPerformance]

Thank you, that really means a lot. 😁🙏

[@arthurvictorgama3952]

Definetely, your channel and videos are just pure gold! I'm really glad to have these kind of explanations about muay thai on KZbin, thanks

[@HeatrickMuayThaiPerformance]

Cheers Arthur, much appreciated! 🙏

[@joeboyd8702]

Great upload.

[@HeatrickMuayThaiPerformance]

Thanks 😁🙏

[@livetogetherfeckers]

Really good breakdown for fighters of all disciplines. Translating into grappling the cues become more kinaesthetic and audible. Thank you so much

[@HeatrickMuayThaiPerformance]

You're welcome! And I'm glad this have proven useful for grappling too. 👍

[@jurhyify]

Amazing video. This deserves more views. So many methods are placebo and I’ve been trying to truly find the deeper science behind this to really see what’s the most effective for me. I’ve been through many drills and reflex exercises but never had a deeper explanation behind what it’s really helping besides a coach telling me” it helps for reaction” but nothing much more specific than that.

[@HeatrickMuayThaiPerformance]

Thank you, I’m happy this video was helpful 😁🙏

[@Mental_V]

Enlightening as usual!

[@HeatrickMuayThaiPerformance]

Cheers, much appreciated! 🙏

[@kelevera89]

Fantastic information 👌

[@HeatrickMuayThaiPerformance]

😁👊🙏

[@frederickdoyon]

That's gold information. I always thought that non specific exercise wouldn't help that much. Thank you Don!

[@HeatrickMuayThaiPerformance]

Glad it’s helped clarify things for you. 👊🙏

[@frederickdoyon]

@@HeatrickMuayThaiPerformance definitively! Your videos are so good and helpful.

[@johanndaart7326]

Just my observation about my reaction time - when I'm consistently practicing playing guitar with metronome, increasing the bpm (for example 110, then 120, then 130 etc), then I feel that my reaction time goes up in daily life too. I'm catching falling things with ease and my reactions during sparring are better. It's not sports specific at all, but it somewhat DOES translate to other things. I suspect that the reason it improves overall reaction time for me, is just simply spending time on focused practice of timing. In your model of reaction time 1:41 as first block you point out Stimulus/Notice, but for it to occur, we first need to be FOCUSED to receive it and observe. Your opponent can have worse reaction time, but if you are tired and hurting from his blows and you lose FOCUS on observation, then you've stopped receiving Stimulus to be even able to react. IMO part of the reaction time is keeping a meditative focus on your enemy.

[@HeatrickMuayThaiPerformance]

Absolutely right! Without the prerequisite attentional focus, you can’t notice the stimulus in the first place… like not hearing the starting pistol in a sprint (regardless of how fast you are).

[@SuperMonkeyCult]

This is gold, thank you Don! When observing a sparring/training partner for physical cues, where do you generally recommend looking? Shoulder, neck, eyes, chest, etc. I've heard mixed reviews on this and would love to get your take.

[@HeatrickMuayThaiPerformance]

For me, it’s the chest. I intend to do a video on this in the future… watch this space! 😜👊

[@antondelacruz9362]

Fantastic explanation. I love the table tennis example as it calls to mind such drills as asymmetrical sparring or sparring without moving from one place. I thought those were skill improvement drills but i see now that theyre prediction and reaction time drills. Just a couple questions though: why do some people have vastly better reaction times than others regardless of training, and is it possible to generally increase the speed of detecting and identifying cues, even if the reacting person doesnt necessarily understand the cues?

[@HeatrickMuayThaiPerformance]

Great to hear you found this useful. Good question! It could be that the physical movement time is efficient (physiological component), even if the reaction time isn't. And a big part of detecting the stimulus/cues is adequate focus. Extreme concentration can increase the likelihood of detecting a stimulus, even if you're still not calibrated as to exactly what the stimulus means yet. And you'd be surprised how much a background in other sports or activities that also interpret posture and movement will fast track Muay Thai reactions too. Something to consider though, is that those that use excessive focus and concentration rather than efficient, relaxed focus, will burn through cognitive energy FAST! They can't keep it up too long!

[@antondelacruz9362]

@@HeatrickMuayThaiPerformance youve given me a lot to think about. It is really interesting to go back to stuff i trained up to 2 decades ago with new eyes. I never even thought of cognitive energy as a limited resource. Thanks so much.

[@whoknows8223]

@@HeatrickMuayThaiPerformance talking about focus/concentration wouldn't caffeine help with it? So like drinking an espresso right before the training/ fight. A lot of people swear on the boost and it also was even on the doping list until 2004.

[@HeatrickMuayThaiPerformance]

@@whoknows8223 Good shout! Lots of benefits from caffeine, improved focus is certainly one of them! Just got to be careful that it doesn't cause anxiety in introverted fighters.

[@STUDY_ZEF]

Squats are quads/knee dominant Jogging and jumping rope are knee/ankle dominant..am i correct?

[@HeatrickMuayThaiPerformance]

Front squats are knee dominant, whereas back squats are more of a hybrid of knee and hip dominant (depending on how you perform them). Jumping rope is knee/ankle dominant. Jogging is more hip dominant on flat or uphill gradients, and knee dominant coming downhill.

[@whoknows8223]

So in short this just proofes my assumption: If you want to get better at sparring, spar more 👀

[@HeatrickMuayThaiPerformance]

Haha! Yes! But also breakout drills to work on specific areas that you need to work on, so that you fast track the repetition to build recognition, accurate prediction, and skilled movement habits.

[@animal9370]

So, does watching Muay Thai can be consider a Fight Stimulus????

[@HeatrickMuayThaiPerformance]

Yes! Although, the closer your perspective to a first person fighter’s eye view, the better. 😁👊

[@kenaddoh4693]

Great points…IMO, there are too many gimmicks in fitness and martial arts…The best training for sparring is sparring. This is probably why Thais spend a lot of time touch sparring.

[@HeatrickMuayThaiPerformance]

Totally agree there Ken. :)

[@martywall4219]

So what is the right to do it then I'm not understand thank you

[@HeatrickMuayThaiPerformance]

Muay Thai partners drills, sparring, and pad work with a pad holder hitting you back. Good strength and conditioning training - developing, mobility, stability, strength, power, speed, and endurance. kzbin.info/www/bejne/bmGpo4N4ntSgh8U

[@aidanhanna9981]

Regardless if you use this fighting style or not, some of the exercises aid your reaction time a ton. But then again so does ping pong. 😂 (Wouldn’t recommend ever using this in a fight)