“James I've been a fan of your site for some time now I would like you to look at this takedown defense and hear your opinion. Thanks.”

-R. M.

Okay, R. M. I can tell you with absolute certainty that James Gabert can take James LaFond to the floor anytime he wants to, unless I have a powered up chain saw.

I like this defense. It is basic and is adapted for people who box a little, kick some, and grapple a lot. He is using what in boxing terms, is an ‘inside hand-span measure’ or a bent stiff arm from a peek-a-boo boxing style.

For you more traditional boxers, guys like Sean and Armando, look at minute 5:08 and examine the sequence, in which James does a rear hand trap with his open hand. That, in boxing, is measuring, and it can be turned into a stiff arm and used to “goon-surf” around your man. This is almost all I work on when training martial arts people in boxing, as they seem to lack this measuring concept. Grapplers have it naturally and is part of what makes James’ get an instinctual grasp on this. If you look at films of old time boxers you will notice how much more measuring sense they had.

The fact that James discusses fatigue off hand is a good sign. He is not just working technique, but application.

I like this guy’s energy.

Just for the record, R.M., I was the worst 118-pound wrestler in Maryland for two years running, never scoring a point—but never getting pinned either. However, in adult criminal altercations, I have never gone to the floor, and in mutual combats I have only been taken to the deck once.

In no-rules stick fights I have avoided all but two take downs by bigger men in over 200 stick-fights that permitted takedowns, but have done poorly against younger, quicker fellows in this category, with the smaller Damien Kestle, who was once ranked 4th by NAGA, and Aaron Seligson, who was a world class stick fighter, pretty much taking me down when they wanted to.

Damien did it by going underneath, like James discusses. His concept can be applied to no-rules stick-fighting, by using the lead hand as he suggests and doing level change head strikes and body stabs with the refused stick-hand, getting you under him without letting your stick get stuck under his arm.

For the peek-a-boo boxer this tactic would be a great way to keep a big mug from laying on you and tying you up. Be quick about it though, so you can hit him on the free break instead of having to let him go while the ref breaks you.

Aaron was just able to do what he wanted because he was beating me like red-headed step child. Some Damien bouts are linked below. You might say I’ve been dedicated to the idea of not being taken down based on the 6 years of ground and pound beatings I took as a soft-squishy boy, between age six and my psychotic puberty.

Damien & An Aging Flesh Pretzel Stick Takedowns