18/5/17: functional trapping masterclass

The function of trapping is to hit. If the hands are low; hit. If there is a gap in their guard; hit through. If they have a tight and alive guard; trap and hit. The two drills below were an opportunity to get flight time in the motions meaning no power, heavy paks or punches with depth.

There are many classical variations of using pak sau and lap sau, here are a few we looked at.

Pak sau cycle
Person A pak (R) and punch (L) (to get the attachment), Person B short parries across the centreline, with the rear hand, Person A comes under their punching arm to get an attachment on Person B’s arm. This could be a tan sau type shape or a biu type shape, so long as it moves his arm off the centreline to enable pak (L) and punch (R). And the drill continues.

Pak - lap cycle:
Person A does short lap (L) and punch (R) just to get the attachment but not a reaction from the rear hand, this is then followed by pak (R) and deep punch (L) and from here the drill continues in the above fashion.

Trapping applications in gloves and motion:

3 pak and hits against the jab
1: Before – ‘nothing’ is happening apart from movement, range finding and an alive guard from both people. No strikes are being thrown until you attack with pak and punch.

2: During – as above in terms of movement then he jabs, and as he jabs, you pak and punch.

3: After – as he jabs, you lean back like a shoulder roll and catch the jab and follow it back with pak and punch.

Lap and hit:
Send the left arm long, like an eye strike then pull with the lap to clear the arm for the simultaneous punch. There was also some triangular footwork in stepping right as you punch to give a clearer shot to the head.

Trapping into locking. The ‘locks’ below are wrenches, throws or breaks. We train slowly to be technically sound but the intention, which comes from the Filipino arts, is destruction and immobilisation

Pak and hit – wheel the arm and go edge on – chicken wing control and thumb in the neck. Ensure his arm is bent, elbow is tight to you and blade of outer wrist is across his elbow crease.

Lap and hit – dumog arm pull – his elbow tight to your chest – wrist lock #3 (figure 4 over the shoulder)

This is an interesting illustration of trapping in Muay Thai. Move the arm and hit, it is neither pretty nor classical but clearly effective.