What Makes A Great Counter Striker?

[@TheModernMartialArtist]

Build Your Fight Style! BRAND NEW BOOK! E-Book: www.modernmartialartist.com/downloads/build-your-fight-style/ Paperback: www.amazon.com/dp/B0CQTN1QZ8 It’s time to Build Your Fight Style. This book takes a systematic approach to creating a style that works best for you. Looking at your body type, your goals, your inclinations and your prior training, you will create a system geared towards your own unique talents. We will determine your best attacks and create combinations built around them. Looking at your own unique attributes you will decide upon alterations to your stance, guard, head movement, footwork and general offense. Factoring in your strengths you will decide on the themes of your style, whether that be counter striking, out boxing, or another tried and tested strategy. And then you will put it all together, creating a coherent system that builds on your best attributes, turns your weaknesses into strengths, and lets you express the true potential of your martial arts.

[@JesseP.Watson]

I watch your videos because you go into a lot of detail... don't change it!

[@theepickaikarsynshow]

Excuse me sir, can you please make a video on Jake LaMotta

[@xctkillaprodigyx2586]

Please do a video on Dimitri Pirog. Hes is rarely talked about and would make for a banger video. Guy was something special!

[@lucasleite9009]

you say the video is too long... I'd say it ain't long enough... go as in depth as you think necessary, it's always great to see good commentary and breakdowns so don't hold back

[@zndr9056]

Word

[@B_THE_GODTV]

Ong I’ll watch a hour long vid

[@hectorastorga5536]

You right man

[@damonshekhem8906]

Agreed!

[@BuhBuhGuyMan]

Hell his video on the first fight between Ali and Frazier was 21 minutes long

[@grantbacon4471]

Counter the feet. Use your footwork, bait/throwaway strikes, and feints to draw them into footwork, timing, and spacing mistakes, that actually make it easier to land punches in all striking sports, and especially leg and body kicks in kickboxing and Muay Thai. Also great for setting up Thai sweeps. You can also change your tactics and tempo to create counter opportunities. You can begin aggressively, again, using throwaway techniques and then once they’re on the back foot continually change your aggression and tempo to keep them off balance. That way they’re never set in when they strike, and rarely fully committed and they’re easier to counter. You can also begin in a seemingly timid and defensive tempo and when they think they can just walk you down, you’ve got their timing down and their angles and can lure them into big sniper shots that they walk into. Counter fighting is an art within an art, and is beautiful.

[@TheModernMartialArtist]

A lot of that sounds like things described in The Book of Five Rings, which mostly consists on concepts like that. What's really interesting is that the way he conceptualizes it appears to be based in emotion for him more than anything else. He'll say something like, "Take a timid attitude to make them prideful, then drive into them with all of your resolve when they attack." That's not actually from the book, just an example of how he talks. It's funny the way different people interpret the world. But yeah, those are all great examples you gave! Targeting the feet like you said will really mess with guys who step in heavy if you can time their step.

[@grantbacon4471]

@@TheModernMartialArtist this is awesome insight! Thanks for that feedback. I’ve been in martial arts of all types since age 7 (just turned 47), and in boxing since the late 80’s and Muay Thai since the mid 90’s. It’s funny, I’ve read the book of 5 rings and the art of war, and never even thought of applying those concepts in the ring. I did many years of JKD, from multiple instructors, and had a number of different boxing and kickboxing/Muay Thai instructors over all these years and kept talking pieces of the styles they all taught. I went back to training with one of my original karate teachers who was still teaching my now adult cousins, who were his black belt students. He’d gotten them to the same level of point fighting as Raymond Daniels and that bunch. I think my older cousin actually lost a few semi final matches to Daniels and was always frustrated that he couldn’t beat him (as many people still feel). My cousins had also qualified for a couple U.S. Select travel teams for kickboxing and karate. So I returned to him after a very middling career in combat sports, and he said your skills are advanced and your athleticism is very advanced, it’s your mindset and strategy that are off. He told me to stop being so explosive ALL the time and learn to become a counter fighter. He taught me all these concepts and refined all the skills and techniques I had. He had had a somewhat successful amateur boxing career even before he got into karate, but was athletically limited. He learned to use timing, distance, and footwork/angles to be successful. Talk about combat mad scientist. And he and I just tinkered with my style over the years and I went from a blitz fighter to a methodical counter fighter and sniper. And his teachings have now made me a far better teacher, myself. Thanks for sharing your thoughts, and I LOVE your channel. I share all your videos with all my fighters. Your breakdowns are the best in the business…right there with Lawrence Kenshin.

[@azeembell3049]

Black belt lessons from demon hanzo the best to ever do it

[@Ensiferum888]

The body jab to lead hook from Mayweather was replicated by Peirera against Strickland! Tried it in sparring (light) and it works pretty well.

[@user-ve7hn2dh8h]

Wow body jab to lead hook.. Yeah nobody had ever heard of it until Mayweather came along... Lol.. So you're telling me, your gym let's you spar but never taught you that combo?

[@Lethalbanter]

​@@user-ve7hn2dh8h do you want a cookie for being a little know it all? Here's a cookie🍪, well done

[@dylanbarrett508]

@@user-ve7hn2dh8h i mean they never said Mayweather invented it, it was just a notable example being compared to a notable example

[@corvoadrian6970]

Having a good aim, knowing the maps well, and having cool skins on your weapons. Jokes aside, wonderful video, watching a counter striker fight is pure art

[@theblackmamba8686]

Please breakdown Evander "The Real Deal" Holyfield's gamelan for Tyson. You'd be perfect guy because you offer an unbiased insight and you'd a great job explaining the circumstances surrounding that fight.

[@TheModernMartialArtist]

Haha man ok fine, your persistence has paid off. May be a while but I'll do it :)

[@jasonellis9777]

That would be cool to see. Make sure you put in Evanders head use! Lol.

[@khoraaaa]

@@TheModernMartialArtistW man🙏 can’t wait to see it

[@kakashihatake6176]

​@@TheModernMartialArtistthat will be awesome to watch! l do hope the headbutts from the second fight receive a honorable mention tho

[@theblackmamba8686]

@@TheModernMartialArtistyeeessssss finally😭😭😭

[@pavelowjohn9167]

A good counter combo that always worked for me in MMA was a signature move of Dan Henderson's - fake the double-leg takedown, and if they lowered their guard to help defend with a sprawl, come up over the top with a hard right hand. Back when he first started switching from kickboxing to MMA, I caught Carlos Condit with it during sparring. As you can imagine, though, it didn't work very well after that first success, Carlos was just too good to fall for that counter twice....

[@jamesmarshall6619]

Way too long? Way too detailed? I don't know any of us who watch you who would complain about that, it's what draws us to your analysis.

[@bentejallow5272]

The goat of boxing videos alongside joseph vincent

[@StimmedPenguin]

Depending on whether you box (hit first without getting hit), counter-punch (hit back, without being hit), or fight (hit better, while being hit). You can approach a counter-puncher in different ways. If you mainly box from a distance, vary your attack, limit your openings, and fight long. If that’s not enough, you have to learn to counter-punch or fight yourself to even it up. Mostly pure counter-puncher vs counter-puncher requires one to either act first so that requires either a counter-puncher to either be a good enough boxer or fighter to draw punches to counter-punch or being patient enough himself to get the other counter-puncher to start boxing or fighting. A good fighter vs a good counter-puncher can pressure a good counter-puncher into fighting and exchange punches in the fighter’s favor all things else being relatively equal. Unless the other counter-puncher can fight as well or has more power or other attribute to give him an edge, the style matchup belongs to the fighter.

[@kj6468]

Juan Manuel Marquez made countering both a science and an art to me. More than willing to take punishment to get the better of an exchange. Truly an artist!

[@cypriankassiankavera9227]

True he was a counter punching machine

[@adamkadir3803]

Ive found your counters will be determined by your physique and style. Countering uppercuts with rear hooks or teeps with scoop crosses, but that breaks the rule I got given. Early in my training was told "rounds are met with straights, straights are met with rounds". Which is a decent starting place I reckon. Counter low kicks with rear snaps. Draw jabs to counter with casting hook.

[@XSR_RUGGER]

This is one of your better videos. They're all great but this was one of those where you don't realize the time is just going by. Great job!

[@panikk2]

chuck liddell was almost always trying to get the momentum through purely countering. he had such short tight hooks that always clipped people that never saw them coming.

[@imstupid880]

The motorcyclist one was a great idea, I'm going to have to save that one for later.

[@ajuicejemas]

I'd love to see a breakdown on how much of an advantage being southpaw ACTUALLY gives you. There's always one or two people invalidating a southpaw champ because of his stance and it might be cool to get some insight on how valid it is. iirc there was a study that analyzed this a while back too

[@bakedcrystal915]

It’s situational I feel. If you know how to deal with it you can shut it down. If you don’t train to deal with it you’re not gonna be able to.

[@codyclark5995]

Jack Johnson was one of the original counter punchers

[@mider-spanman5577]

Timing that pull back right hand corner is what makes a great counter striker. It's really all about the momentum and moving with it when you strike. I sometimes think these guys are superhuman!

[@kyddying591]

I think one cool series of videos is like, you picked a technique, for example, cross, and breakdown and analyze many different ways to set it up and land it. Because many people may feel good about some techniques and relatively weaker about other techniques.

[@pascalscherr5206]

A counter jab is underutilized and underrated. It doesn't do a lot of damage (it's a jab) but it's great for keeping range. When your opponent throws a jab (same stance) you paw it away with your rear hand and jab back with your lead. When they throw a cross you parry it down with your lead hand and jab over the top. This is by far the easiest counter to land honestly, and it keeps you in a pretty safe position, hard to get off balance etc. It won't ko someone but the guy whose jab is landing is usually in control of the fight

[@syncmonism]

One of the most unstoppable counters is what I like to call the Polynesian counter. This is when a fighter has a combination of durability and toughness which allows them to counter punch even immediately after their opponent lands a hard shot against them. When you land a hard shot, you will likely be off balance, and your guard will likely be down, but usually your opponent will not be able to fire back, but it's very hard to resist firing hard shots against an opponent who seems to be wide open, especially if they also seem hurt or tired. It's important to always keep in mind that skill and training can only do so much, and to remember your own physical limitations, and to be mindful of your opponents physical strengths and weaknesses. Boxing fans like to make fun of boxers who seem to rely too much on physical gifts, but it can be easy to under-estimate boxers who have seemingly ugly and un-refined skill-sets. They may not really be as "unskilled" as you think, as their seemingly sloppy defense, or poor footwork can actually be part of a trap to tempt you into taking unnecessary risks.

[@coachryanmartialarts435]

Personally I love long in-depth film study. If you post long martial arts material I’m here for it.

[@angeladiffley6876]

Best in depth analysis on boxing out there.

[@KJ7Tillymann]

Thank you for your boxing breakdowns. I’d like to just say that your videos have helped me a lot. I’d like to box, but I’m much more here to learn different styles of fighting. Plus the counter and techniques as well. I’m trying to plan out writing a story with each character having their own unique fighting style. Watching your videos has helped me immensely with noticing a fighter’s habits and what won of lost them a fight. Whether it’s fictional or real life. Thank you for your videos

[@JiuJitsuAdventureGuy]

This is so well done. Thank you for this insightful, thought provoking documentary. Some of these historical exchanges moved me to tears. So beautiful to watch.

[@bentejallow5272]

I like the cross-counter and the jab-counter

[@NA-oo4ls]

Emmanuel Augustus makes me smile every time.

[@lancergt1000]

Its incredible how many of the concepts described in this video translates 1:1 to fighting games

[@raoulparant7569]

10/10 video so cool please continue the work enjoy it very much & appreciate it

[@jamielondon6436]

Congratulations on the new book, David! :-)

[@Risingtides50]

As someone who wants to get better at defense this video was amazing appreciate it 💪🔥

[@JoeLouis32]

I love this video! very helpful.

[@mikedangerdoes]

Video concept idea: knockout power and where it comes from. Not sure what there is to say about it, but its very interesting to me how some guys just seem to have the touch of death, and other guys have pillows for hands. And it's not always the biguys who have heavy hands either.

[@escueladeartesemocionales]

This was an amazing video, thank you very much!

[@jessebell1930]

Great video as always mate👍

[@larryragland887]

We REALLY need a part 2 to thus video

[@mikeslowinski6497]

Parry Counters with elbows over the top, wing chun Lop Sao with the back fist ect. some of my favorites

[@__babymexico3980]

The best boxing channel learnt so much

[@griffoncs6431]

Bro the more detail the better! I love your videos!

[@anamulrahman543]

ONE OF THE BEST ON KZbin BUD. KEEP GOING. THANKS.

[@georgiosvavliaras1066]

I would have loved an even longer video going even deeper Thanks for the fantastic content brother!

[@Njofrekk]

Awesome examples! Prince Naseem's fighting style was nuts.

[@tomatosoup6949]

I would totally watch a 30 mnts video this is pure genius

[@ChocolateMilkCultLeader]

This video wasnt wayy too long. More detail would be very cool. A follow up would be great

[@dimensionalshade8290]

Love the experimental format, nothing like you´ve ever postd before but im quite a fan

[@Thegamingpro-fw8ze]

I like the roll counters roll under a shot and a low high mix

[@azeezoyewale3782]

I thoroughly enjoyed this one. Well done.

[@HassanScherzad-y4t]

Thanks for the help brother ❤

[@CAOdres1]

This video was too short. Please make longer videos it’s awesome

[@ParisLawLess]

As a fighter myself I appreciate this video

[@fxdmiggi5294]

Bought your book can’t wait to start reading

[@petergreen5337]

❤Beautiful and lesson and demonstration.Thank you very much first class as usual

[@WonderrrBred]

I like the first second and last punching method

[@animaltaglits]

Your videos aren't too long. They should be longer!

[@nade5557]

A great counter striker needs excellent aim, good gamesense and knowledge, a wide array of utility and most of all the desire to improve. And a good gaming chair

[@dominicbravo6794]

Top bananna mate! Spot on!

[@vanzetti7]

I thought your breakdown of Bradley beating Marquez was one of the best examples of how to stop a counter fighter (with Bradley beating Marquez of course).

[@Vithedel]

Great stuff as always.

[@cliptomaniac2562]

This was fantastic!

[@fkeyae4217]

You should make longer videos I don’t think anyone minds

[@383jpark]

As always, an excellent study. I think you missed an opportunity to (again) call attention to Max Schmelling's gameplan against Joe Louis--based entirely on the potential for a counter. This is prime Joe Louis, my #1. Neat moment in boxing history.

[@pacoval4577]

great vid. good research.

[@marvinj1000]

Great reflexes make a good counter puncher

[@MentalMachine]

Joe Louis is the man!

[@Tybrarian]

For a beginner, if you're actively thinking about countering, you're probably doing it wrong. The best counters aren't thoughts, they're reactions. Planned, trained, drilled reactions that happen almost automatically. When you graduate to an intermediate level, maybe you can start constructing productive counters mid round. At least that's my experience. To defend against counters, use a lot of head movement combined with swarming combos where every punch has bad intentions. Be extremely fit and take care not to punch yourself out.

[@TheModernMartialArtist]

I disagree with this one, but about half the great pro fighters I've talked to have been "instinctual" fighters. Even so I think it's a good idea to start drilling counter combinations early on, if not use the harder ones. I think certain counters are essential from day one though. Defend a jab, then return a jab. Check and return a leg kick is also necessary to have. Step back at an angle and cross or roundhouse to pretty much anything. But countering a cross with a hook? I can see holding off on stuff like that in the ring for a little bit, for sure.

[@Tybrarian]

I've seen a lot of beginner fighters get "locked up" thinking about counters, which I've observed as the biggest roadblock to developing effective counters! Having good instincts and having good reflexes makes the job MUCH easier, but a new fighter that doesn't have those gifts can still learn to be an effective counterpuncher by drilling and trained automatic counters. To better define my original statement; if you're actively thinking about countering in the moment, the moment's probably already passed. However, it's a good sign that you're thinking about it! My advice to new fighters is that countering is actually really hard. You're not going to get it without putting in some work and developing those instincts. @@TheModernMartialArtist

[@genises200]

I disagree with this but this is my opinion why. I noticed that if you take a newbie and just give him nothing but the basics for a few week and if he's a casual you can't expect to be good. However doing the basics PLUS focusing on countering is a great job at them encouraging to always attack even when getting hit. At least they think they have a chance. Experimenting from a local gym but the coach has been getting people in a basic defense pose where there guard is up and they hold it while running, foot work drills, and shadow boxing is all head movement then he will yell out a punch and you have to slip, roll, or parry then counter. It really seems to be working really good. Two dudes I think made a mature USA boxing team.

[@calibur6707]

Hey David, Can you please breakdown Maromero Páez. Hes a underrated mexican boxer with a interesting style. He also has a intriguing way of baiting counter like you mentioned in this video. When you get the time please analyze him.

[@SouthSideGaming713]

Need more mma counter striking in here like wonderboy, conor, anderson, dustin, some good mma counter strikers out there

[@Lorendrawn]

Counters in ONE: Johnson vs Moraes 2 (Straight Punch) Superbon vs Ozcan (Lead roundhouse)

[@fikriasrofi5312]

Return counter and manipulate my opponent defense is my favourite

[@Bob-jn8jt]

Merry Christmas everyone. Take care of yourself. Peace.

[@thebun2364]

"What makes me a Good Counter Puncher? If i were a Bad Counter Puncher, I wouldn't be Sittin Ere'! Discussin it with now would I?!"

[@chargree]

Another excellent video. It is soo impressive that you are able to compile all of these examples. I would love to know HOW you achieve this, in regards to the order. Do you pick a topic, then after determining all of the elements necessary to qualify for the topic, you would watch random fights and look for those examples? Or some other order, like maybe watching the fights for your fight analysis videos and looking for specific instances of everything, then logging those to be pulled from like a file system? Either way, in your fight analysis videos, it blows my mind how you recognize so many different strategies and how they adjust and adapt throughout. I can recognize a counter and the basic stuff, but you key in on some high level stuff. Keep up the good work!

[@TheModernMartialArtist]

All those clips are from videos I made on those fighters. So I just picked a topic and remembered examples from the previous videos I've made lol. For concepts I just took them from the book I just wrote on building a fight style and then simplified and condensed them. It actually took way less work than usual.

[@chargree]

@@TheModernMartialArtist I want to buy your book, but dont you already have one? I will look in the description or something to see what I can find. I boxed out of South Mississippi for several years until I was 18 and went to serve a proselyting and service mission for my church for 2 years in Mexico. When I returned, I lacked the aggression and rage that I had learned to harness that I had before I left. It originated from an abusive half brother who used to literally torture me. I digress again. The point is that I remember alot of what I was taught, and it interests me that I have learned things from you about strategy and even technique that were not taught to me at a BOXING GYM in years. By the way, I wonder if you would ever consider doing a series on matches with very controversial scoring and focus on trying to determine the true winner based on the official judge instructions on the determining factors(effective aggression, defense…)? You could even keep a tab on which judges have the worst scores and.by how many points and run an average on them. Maybe even tie them to specific fighters, fight venues and cities, management companies, gyms, boxing organizations, etc to help determine who could be tied to who and where, so that we can form a clear image of the path to follow to find a solution. What say ye? I got excited to try that myself, although I dont even have a channel and lack the credibility you have built through your experience.

[@toreytheterrible]

You should Make a video of the many archetypes of mma

[@josh1212121]

I have a suggestion for a new series. Make a series of videos where you commentate on past fights and explain different concepts and strategies used by the fighters as they happen. Kind of like a play by play on different fights. That'll be useful for people who want to increase their fight IQ.

[@mrhussain386]

i be watching the vids hoping it doesnt end maybe make some long vids for us who are fighters ourselves

[@jediaeldesir354]

I love pull counters. They seem more effective when I'm fighting guys shorter than me though.

[@ricardoloy6532]

Can you do a video about sean strickland his style for mma is nice to watch

[@closefomo]

Please may you do a video breakdown on Fedor Emelianenko’s explosive MMA style

[@randomacousticthoughts]

Great vid

[@عبدالرحمنمحمود-ج1خ]

I waited for part 2❤

[@yamazaki997]

Only one thing is necessary - your name to be Juan Marquez

[@ammana6553]

Make a part 2 for this video

[@ElGamerCosplayer]

Good Video ✌

[@clickbaitexpert1527]

Can you make a video explaining the most effective unorthodox techniques

[@bigman6781]

Is there gonna be a “what makes a good pressure fighter”, or “what makes a good outfighter” series?

[@TheModernMartialArtist]

Yeah this whole series will be based off what's in my new book. There will be one of these a month for a long while :)

[@ashursmithen5451]

That's fantastic news, David. I've been watching your videos since the "War," and this is honestly my favourite one since Ali/Frazier 3. Can't wait for the rest!!! @TheModernMartialArtist

[@shinobu19]

Great video. Can we do one on Fedor?

[@ArmandoFloresAvila]

What up y'all, merry Christmas

[@miguelhernandez1one]

Love the vid can you do a vid breakdown on Crawford vs Spence jr

[@thatsoon72]

Hello Ben David Christian, im a amature boxer and I love your videos. I use your videos to study boxers so I can use their techniques in sparing and amature fighting. I have a request for you to make a video of a boxer if you can. Is it ok if you can do a video about Jake Lamotta?

[@paigerocks884]

hey man, look around you. long, hour+ video essays are becoming the new standard. 12m should not be considered long. obviously rn there is a glut of short form content. and people are appreciating longer, deeper dives. videos that took real planning and effort and become the definitive go-to for any given subject matter. cheers.

[@blankblank1622]

Damn what happened to Lee Wylies channel? I went to visit after you mentioned it and all the vids are gone.

[@CoFFee-uw5sv]

1:53 onwards reminds me of miyatas jolt and how if he gets countered he gets stacked dmg

[@gabrielesquaratti5709]

man. that maidana counter on floyd was at the end of the third rounds...not in the "later rounds". he countered floyd successfully but he never landed the same punch again for the remaining 9 rounds.

[@zzzzzz69]

A good counterstriker covers fire for his teammates

[@jasonellis9777]

A cool fight, fights, to break down would be the chess match with Toney and McCallum. You can’t find 2 better boxers. Those were both awesome boxing matches.

[@DanielMartinez316]

I would like to buy your books on kindle. Why are your books not on digital format?

[@mustafaatalay212]

Please post video about ken norton vs ali third fight which is the one of the controversial fight

[@joelcastro-reyes1667]

He mentioned at some point that he doesn't wanna particularly do Ali fights that happened during his decline, which most would agree was after Ali/Frazier 3.

[@Malakaijaxandsuhaylkamali]

Pls make 20 mins Muhammad ali style breakdowns

[@artspaceninja]

2:29 - Miyata counter

[@justas423]

Please go into more detail during your videos. It's like hearing Mozart whenever you start talking about those little crisp details.