Stop Being Perfect: How to Throw Lead Hooks from Your Rear Hand

This is the correct way to load and telegraph your punches while being off balance and throwing lead hand punches from your rear hand.
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Music:
Title Song is Lying Low
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[@SenseiSeth]

I really can’t help it Mike

[@repressivethoughts]

Little brother energy.

[@SIMUL4CR4]

Based.

[@lifegiveslifeto]

What percentage of the kids in your class are taller than Mike?

[@KungFuCooter]

What can't you help?

[@SenseiSeth]

@@KungFuCooter throwing everything perfectly

[@daveyboytellem]

100% fact the people that comment "oooooh your big toe on your rear foot was only pointing 46 degrees when it should have been 75 degrees when you threw that front hook" have never actually sparred with a high level striker. If everyone learns the same shit everyone is going to know how to defend the same shit. Learn the "basics" then make it your own

[@ophiolatreia93]

75 degrees for a front hook you mean when you pivot Yh?

[@diablohashcraft8040]

“No one knows who you are!” - most accurate jab in this video.

[@PhreekeeProductions]

Gotta learn to do it perfect so you can learn to do it wrong. Remember when Connor said all Kahbib does is close his eyes look down and throw an overhand? What did Conner get hit with when they fought? That "wrong" overhand.

[@profoundpro]

Bingo.

[@therandomdickhead5744]

Ouch

[@dikobraz9247]

Its not wrong at all Conor is just tallking shot. Good wrestlers love overhands cause they make people drop guard easily threatening a takedown

[@PhreekeeProductions]

@@dikobraz9247 exactly! Tyron Woodley's ONLY punch was pretty much the overhand. Sure it's probably "wrong" in a boxing only context, but in the context of MMA and you have a mean ass double leg? They have no choice but to take that guess of "do I sprawl or do I slip/block?". And if they guess wrong they're on the ground, either knocked out or with you on top.

[@dinner8204]

Gotta learn the rules before you break them

[@john_2730]

Im getting a lot of “You’re not as good as you think so Fuck around and find out what works” energy. Unorthodox but brilliant.

[@andrewgiegerich153]

Very few champs were actually perfect in their form I find every great always does something that rubs coaches the wrong way Whether it be hands down or whatever

[@HeavyHardDrive]

They've done studies, you know. 60% of the time, it works every time.

[@RonniePTexan]

97% of scientists agree with that.

[@Will-ge7ri]

Dad?

[@TobyW360]

Sex panther

[@memegazer]

@@TobyW360 I read somewhere that according to one study only 60% of women report orgasm during sex. So when I heard that sex panther line that's what I thought of

[@Matt_PunchEnthusiast_Morris]

Stop being perfect? Jokes on you I've never even tried 😂

[@sigmagrey3236]

"I will destroy you ungracefully." My new catchphrase

[@ogrbell8297]

Excellent video! Jabing with the rear hand is a go to for us southpaws as you step outside. It covers your movement and lets you take an angle.

[@tjboylan20]

Exactly I’m a southpaw too i use these punches and have low hands it definitely works

[@courtneydale9048]

11:11 all the "it" factor you could ever want. Get that man a contract!! Been watching these vids for a minute now, seems like a great day to send up a shout out to all the boys (and the lovely Mrs. Icey Mike) that help make these videos awesome. From holding pads to holding cameras, I appreciate y'all on the daily. Good job team, keep up the good work.

[@honestlee9921]

It's actually very similar to competitive video games. The high level guys always follow a different game plan than what is considered correct. They can bend the rules because their understanding is just leaps and bounds above

[@hard2hurt]

It's true at a high level of everything

[@ivanhannel]

Love it. Been at MMA gyms for 17 years. Helped manage a big one with a UFC champ and plenty in Bellator and UFC. What you are saying is so true. Congrats. Also--love you Stephen Thompson, wherever you may be!

[@BadandBluejee]

That face the floor overhand right is one of my favorite sneaky bullshit strikes to throw, gets everyone at least once.

[@logandwyer8727]

“tHaTS WroNg” *cuts to Ali knocking out Liston with the exact same punch.

[@periodic98]

Ye but that fight was fixed. There’s a reason its called the phantom punch. For people who don’t know the mob had threatened Listons Family to throw the fight.

[@kusiosine9868]

I’m still also not sure how Ali phantom punch worked but a KZbinr called The Modern Martial artist breaks it down and explains is better than I can; it’s worth watching and makes it less skeptical

[@alexandertheok5649]

​@@periodic98 bruh it's just a left that Sonny literally walked into with all his weight and didn't expect. It grazed his chin with all the mass he carried forward, and he just fell

[@Ninjacob00]

Moral of the story: Learn the rules so you know how to break/bend the rules

[@BaldOmniMan]

Overthinking is the worst thing to do

[@repressivethoughts]

I must be one of the greatest fighters in the world then.

[@eric.bullee]

I love how in the beginning of his videos I’m always like “wtf is he talking about?” And as the video progresses you have these lightbulb moments

[@Tunguska1]

thats cuz he's good at fighting, and at explaining things. two things that make a good coach.

[@mr28086]

Nates discipline and patience is admirable.

[@axllomein7215]

Good information, This video seemed to approach the subject from a competition perspective so the questions are: does proper technique help protect the hands when you don't have pads/gloves to protect them. Would you use an unorthodox strike that could increase the possibility of self injury in a street/self defense situation? I do think some of those situational punches can be thrown safely without gloves, but probably not all of them. To me it seems to boil down to a risk/reward concept, that may not matter much when sometimes you just need something to land, and/or you don't have the luxury of time to weigh out your options.

[@hard2hurt]

That's worth some consideration. I think all of this would work given you use moderate power.

[@saminsaqlain9099]

For fighters Timing, Accuracy, Sense of Distance, Angle, Cardio and Reaction time are more important factors than Technique, Power and Speed

[@daylightharnage242]

Angle refers to footwork, correct? Feel like its one of the greatest ways to beat a physically superior fighter.

[@JR-sz7dw]

The high level guys CAN do it incorrect, because they are high level guys. Mayweather kept his hands up until he got so good he didnt have to.

[@petercolon2217]

@@HarryGreenMathematician J R said Mayweather, for whatever reason Empnada is thinking Ali.

[@josephsackett8485]

@@empnadajhhh9469 maybe let the fighters decide whether their careers are meaningful. Many would say that whatever you do for a living is meaningless

[@josephsackett8485]

@@empnadajhhh9469 Learn who floyd mayweather is before you dismiss fighting. He doesn't have Parkinson and he's only been hit solidly a handful of times. Have some consideration for other peoples points of view and stop being a pussy. Life is dangerous. You get hurt sometimes.

[@konev13thebeast]

@@josephsackett8485 definitely more meaningful than his since this guy doesnt even understand what gives things meaning

[@tobyfoster7341]

@@empnadajhhh9469 meaningless 😂😂😂 making millions and establishing a great career is meaningless? You don’t even know who floyd is 🤣🤣 Parkinson’s?

[@Kottenification]

Thank you for this, Mike. Great fun and really useful (being a boxer myself). Great entertainment, and much food for thougt. (I will make sure that my son - or any of the boxers I train - never watches this, though) 😀(I wouldn't be able to cope with their sloppy fundamentals)😀

[@deivytrajan]

Hey! Don't limit creativity or else we will jab you from our rear

[@Docinaplane]

Great video! I've been doing the lead straight for years. I put a lot of shoulder torque into it.

[@juicicles5881]

These are both great. You're right that strategy is greater than technique. Anything that screws with what an opponent is used to seeing can be super useful. Every good coach will tell you that the punch that KO's someone is one that they don't see coming and don't expect. Bad-looking kicks make for awesome feints. Just one example of how you can open up someone's face with something that non-actual fighters probably think looks dumb. A real fighter sees something that can screw with people and will appreciate that. The truth is you don't always need all of your power to land, sometimes you need like 80% in the right place and at the right angle/distance. That's from someone that fought at 153 lbs. Pretty small and not inhumanly strong. But shit adds up, especially funky shit in the good spots. I'm righty but fight southpaw (I did jeet kune do for a while and just got pretty comfortable with my good side, first. You can be quicker and stronger with your good hand and pretty much anyone can get hip-twist with practice and so power with your rear hand). I did this jab a lot. Most kickboxers and boxers that I sparred with or fought don't really care about getting hit by jabs. They're worried about what follows it. Until one really hurts, then they get confused. That second or two can open up their body for a kick or give you time to get space where it's comfortable for you. Or let you get closer so you can clinch and slam them. It's a real good way for them to give up their legs, too, so you can take them down. I specifically heard a boxing coach yell at me for hooking like this, also. "Just because Ali did it doesn't mean you can make it work." Uh, sure I can, silly, that's why your best guys are all cheering. That wasn't the right coach for me. I'd have kept doing muay thai fights if my knees didn't quit on me and doc convinced me that I had enough concussions. Through football, karate and kickboxing I was probably over 10. We didn't know every KO was one, then. I'm glad i stopped.

[@GluttonforPunishment]

Great video! There are some silly MMA striking classes out there for sure. I've been blessed to have some good ones, though. One ended up coaching at the MMA Lab and cornering Benson Henderson after leaving the gym I was at prior, and he coached similarly to yourself. "The way you train is the way you fight. If you want to be able to pull off something flashy, you need to practice it here where you're safe first!" He'd say basically that just about every single class and encouraged playing with new techniques.

[@deathblade01]

These techniques are great!! Added these and some of the leg kick trickery to my game and it has helped a ton! Thanks Mike!

[@jameslough6329]

Olexandr Usyk actually does the “lead straight” that you teach in this video often. He will throw light quick jabs to keep his opponents on guard and then once in a while fire a lead straight to break through his opponent’s guard. Modern Martial Artist has a great breakdown on it.

[@loquatmuncher]

"Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an (martial) artist."

[@heavymetalnewsdesk]

I like this video. I grew up having to fight all the time. I got most of my incorrect techniques from fighting bullies. My methods may not look crisp, but I don't get hit a lot, and I hit hard

[@ChocolateMilkCultLeader]

Gabriel Varga has a pretty good point of working in slightly wrong technique (missing, the guy stepping out of range etc.) Into pad work/shadow boxing.

[@romanlarribas1696]

That first lead straight is something I've seen both Howard Winston and Willie Pep use often in their fight footage.

[@robbybee70]

I'm one minute into this video and I have discovered, I am the perfect fighter

[@craigross341]

You should watch the former SAS soldier Phil Campion on the range explaining that technique is a way to get everything right before the firing pin hits the cap, but if you can do that independently of all the rules it's just as accurate. Quite interesting.

[@Lpj4]

Great Video. That lead hook and low overhand right also sets up a powerful left uppercut or right whichever you use for the hook

[@j_gibbon]

7:00 i swear Conor McGregor knocked eddie down with that rear jab.

[@thehastingsdojo2332]

He's not wrong, thankyou for sharing and inspiring us all to train hard and smart

[@backwoodskarate9300]

Totally agree mike.

[@KungFuCooter]

I have a class full of white belts. They already throw everything wrong. I hope they don't see this video until after they get the basics down.

[@TheAbysmalBrute]

Even if they were black belts your students wouldn't be able to do shit in this video because it's like Taekwondo.

[@KungFuCooter]

@@TheAbysmalBrute I teach taekwondo

[@TheAbysmalBrute]

@@KungFuCooter yeah you dont teach punches thats y you wouldn't want ur students learning this. They wouldn't even know what to do with this knowledge anyways. Taekwondo is not very practical for mma or self defense

[@billpence5444]

this was fantastic! thank you for making this man. Nate seems like a super cool dude as well

[@sethburro6031]

Gene Fulmer reverse croosarm choping jab and marchstep overhand right, also sonny liston marchstep jab

[@unknown_nub2173]

9:40 mike: woo woow oow owowoow woo, its comming up and over, winggg

[@joennejordbaer]

Educating and entertaining. Great! Thanx for your content

[@Buri8128]

Was so good to see this. Just like flow sparring. This should be called creative sparring or goofy sparring or h2h sparring. Should be part of every club. So many gyms have these rules. No you cant switch stance, no you cant drop your hand, no you cant use high kicks, no you cant have a long guard. Next time Ill just say I am creative sparring h2h style.

[@jamesmanning8795]

Dude, you and Nate crack me up. Thanks for the video!

[@malkomalkavian]

This was a good one :) thanks

[@alanmiller7875]

I've always equated fighting to poetry; in poetry you can disregard the rules of grammar. However, you should break those rules for a reason, to give the poetry meaning... and in order to do that you have to first learn those rules. Glad to see you making a video about just that concept.

[@shaynelorenson9816]

imma get screeched at..but Bruce talked about being uncrispy (unrelatible and off rhythm and form) while fighting to create a sense of confusion for yiur opponet since most are classicly trained for seeing perfect timing, rythm and technique. Mike's right to say stop being perfect.

[@liukang85]

To be honest I think it's a matter of expression and style. Some people invest more in fundamentals, some people like to be more unorthodox. One doesn't generally beat the other. I myself am a big friend of unorthodox boxing though. Emanuel Augustus is my favorite

[@isaacneel7829]

Truly enjoyed this video!!

[@wlphantom]

So it's ok to be a right-handed southpaw now right?

[@nanayawberko3212]

He'll never acknowledge us

[@wlphantom]

@@nanayawberko3212 The Right-Hand Southpaw Crew will not be marginalized

[@OldBadger1]

I switch stances a lot. It seems to be a trend.

[@dirtpoorchris]

I call that dip fade invasion hook a "gorilla hook" because that is pretty much exactly how they fight. Head off center and leaning dodge overhands. Or they will do like a square off and sumo pummel. Or they will do like a hop kick backwards. Actually they do a bunch of moves.

[@m_js5709]

"The lead straight isn't a proper punch 😱😭" Yea tell that to Kamaru Usman who dropped Gilbert Burns & defended his title with that exact punch lol

[@camfer9616]

I just realized Mike is the Bill Burr of martial arts

[@jamesmiles1328]

Little bit agree with you and some whatever don’t lol,I believe hands down unorthodox stuff is definitely needed to,look at best boxers and even Mma normally unorthodox with the way they fight,but you got to remember all these same guys teach beginners to do the basics first,then you can take libertys change things up,always better to have perfect technique first,end day boxing in particular fundamentals work,fury vs wilder and Joshua vs usyk prime two examples of this,wilder sloppy no skills all had was a wild right hand,but fury outboxed him,usyk the same with Joshua was he’s perfect boxing technique and skills that outwitted Joshua,but do agree with Mike in some things he’s saying good to have something different in the locker

[@BenKuyt64]

Max Holloway and Dom Cruz are some of the best fighters in the world, ever, and have the weirdest footwork, weirdest hand movements, etc. When Max was talking to the commentary team while breaking Kattar's face, his hands were down as he snapped jabs and crosses. When you're just that good, you can be that "bad".

[@MrDrummerboi182]

when Isreal Adesanya fought Robert Whittiker he punched moving backwards with his chin way up in the air and hands down, and his other hand was a mile from his face, and knocked him out... twice. However you have to be careful when breaking rules, because Luke Rockhold disengaged a clinch with his chin up and got starched by Jan. The commentators will point out "that's why you keep your chin down" but fail to mention that Adesanya did something wrong and won a title with it, and has kept his title by mostly doing things wrong, yet is touted as one of the best strikers in mma. Why? because it is effective.

[@Wtfisahandlebar]

Yesssss using the weight of your head to throw a punch. I don't think there's a wrong way of doing things, there's just unexplored ways of doing them.

[@Potts2k8]

I've always thought that the whole point of drilling technique and correct form etc is so you _could_ mix it up and develop your own "style" from a solid base.

[@thomascintron9576]

Amazing stuff new sub!!

[@thatdutchguy420]

This is the art of martial arts

[@jtsn667]

This is actually pretty true, aslong as you stay composed and timing and defence is good it doesn't really matter tomuch about what you throw. Can see his point

[@liukang85]

That wink at 11:10 😄😄😄

[@neonjesus8831]

Holy shit, this video speaks to my soul.

[@tmoneyofficial1]

facts

[@nomprenom9337]

I swear to god Mike is the funniest

[@gustavosuenaga]

Note to self: *inject flavor*

[@joshspicey9043]

I like this guy

[@therandomdickhead5744]

Context is king

[@BeReadySelfDefense]

"No one knows who the fuck you are!" Funny and stung at the same time.

[@hard2hurt]

That one might have been aimed with a little more precision than the rest lol.

[@detachedatomm3019]

'cover up your face, I'm gonna jam this thing in there's 🤣🤣🔥

[@OnyxXThePunch]

For the lead straight I would definitely look at 19th century and backwards boxers who use that heavily at that they done it with the vertical fist Which might seem crazy but honestly makes a ton of sense.

[@CombatSelfDefense]

I agree with everything you’re saying but also I’m the “hands up, chin down, you fuck”instructor.

[@Kamingo170]

I actually agree with this title

[@Choppy_Z]

Can u make a video on the Question Mark Kick?

[@kampar82]

Love the energy. Feed the algorithms.

[@SIMUL4CR4]

That's okay Nate, I said jab too...

[@CFSF69]

We all did

[@deafsmith1006]

Col. Jeff Cooper wrote that a technique/tactic, no matter how bad, if executed so fast there was not intelligent way to counter it, is a good technique/tactic. It is great to have perfect technique and perfect tactics, but speed and accuracy outweighs it. Do work on better techniques and tactics, but do emphasis speed. Get into your opponents OODA loop and stay there.

[@zitoschouten5068]

Love the energy they shouldve called you firey mike. I hope thats a word fiariieeehh haha

[@juantermo6996]

Mike after 1 (one) Ryan Hoover: It's all cotextual, it depends.

[@ives3572]

Master your fundamentals so that you can be more creative with them

[@korakai_406]

8:04 the Mortal Kombat version of boxing

[@LuccaHz]

11:25 Was that... Choy lee fut? lol

[@CoolToMe_]

its not the same punch Mike was talking about but shoot back to Bisping Rockhold - He caught him with that off to the side hook. Fair enough was a traditional lead hook but the surprise was there.

[@izzy6012]

I definitely teach my beginners the proper way to do stuff and as they get more advanced I teach them that everything I taught basically has a time and place to be done wrong

[@grant640]

Bahahaha, your mean to your giant beast of an assistant but he seems to love it xD

[@kylemaki6510]

Could you do a revisit of hammer fist basics for competition, street, and self defence ? … like do this and don’t do this for all 3 scenarios? Seems like one could really damage their hands if done incorrectly

[@vishnuprasath499]

Mike, please do a video about using cut proof industrial gloves as a protection against knife attacks. I think it's atleast a B tier self defending tool.

[@nightshade7240]

We use the same principle in swordsmanship. In fact the Polish sabre techniques enjoy unorthodox and unanticipated techniques so much that a functional aspect of their sabre designs developed because of it. This idea of perfection is present in every art and it's frustrating. If we only ever do anything to match someone else's standard of what is and isn't considered right or perfect and what does and doesn't work, then we miss so many things that do work and exceptionally well but people have the stick lodged so far up their arse they won't try imperfect things and that's why so many fighters remain as only decent fighters. They've got no imagination. Technical fighters can be brilliant fighters but the guys with imagination at the top levels become champions.

[@jacksonchristensen7093]

"Hit the pads look like a million bucks but no one knows who the fuck you are" damn Mike thats cold.

[@ItzHardbarNI]

You want flavour, one man comes to mind. Emanuel Augustus.

[@Aro2001]

Ah, I see you're a man of culture as well.

[@ItzHardbarNI]

@@Aro2001 *tips hat*

[@Aaronthegreat4]

Lead straight🔥🔥🔥rear jab my new signature moves

[@DaroLinguiniJohnson]

"Get whimsical" Ok. Behold the _spinning gazelle punch_

[@nomprenom9337]

1:22 Hahaha that's 100% true

[@Jenjak]

I have a stupid trick that works almost everytime (at least on hobbyists and amateurs, I never dared to try it on pros, I'm too busy trying to survive): I raise my right hand, like I want to ask a question or show my palm to them, and just jab. 80% of the time they look at my right hand and eat the jab.

[@sevenduster27]

Lol you’re the best Mike!! Cheers from Texas brother.

[@IHateHandleNames]

I've done that rear hand jab a lot and it lands. Where people get messed up here is that they don't understand that you're breaking convention because it messes up your opponents rhythm. This whole thing is a dance where, instead of complimenting one's rhythm you're trying to disrupt it.

[@JonathanS995]

Thank glad to know I'm not the only crazy prick in the gym 😁 looks so wrong but works so well lol

[@therandomdickhead5744]

The boxing class thing you mentioned is why I got so bored of my gym. The coaches there just don’t know how to have fun every once in a while.

[@snortchgortch4253]

That dude is a gentle giant, but don’t piss him off.