
Originally Posted by
Hosien Zare
So, I've been landing an inside leg kick to a cross combo in class a lot lately... But I feel like after the cross I either need to 1) continue engaging if there are openings, or 2) get the heck out of striking distance before the other guy counters... So, are there any other options from here? And what kind of footwork can I use to create a better angle to continue my offense (i.e. should I try to get to the outside after the cross?)
For me, it depends a bit on how I enter with the kick. I will assume for now that both you and your opponent are orthodox. If you do a fast inside kick without stepping all the way through first, I would work on my placement of the left foot after the kick. Try to put it forwards at an angle, about 45 degrees outside of your opponent, and follow up with your cross from there.
If you manage to kick, land the foot at an angle and square up your hips while throwing the cross, thats a good spot to follow up. You could continue to your left while throwing an angling left hook, or blast through him with a cross-jab-cross maybe. If he stands his ground, a liver-shot is a good follow up to the initial cross.
Hope this makes some sense!
I would also introduce you to a concept we utilise a lot in Crazy Monkey Defense. The Safety Jab. It's main purpose is to help me make the return back to safety and the outside game, if I feel compromised on the inside. It's really easy to do, but can make a huge impact on your game. When I want to move back to safety I will throw a succesion of fast jabs while circling put. Not with the intention of hitting the opponent, but make him preoccupied with the jab, so that he will think twice about chasing you / attacking you.
Play around with this and let me know if it's helpful, or if I need to explain myself better.