Help with the ridge hand

[skullsplitter]

Ladies and Gents, I'm looking for some help in defending against the ridge-hand.

I've been to three tournaments this year and participate in point sparring. I've went against this one guy at tow of those tournaments. We've beat each other once. This guy loves to throw a ridge-hand and I'm having trouble with it. I'm just not seeing it. One second I'm ready to strike. The next second my head is getting rocked. First tourney he nearly knocked my headgear off. This last tournament he hit me with it hard twice leaving me with a rather bad headache.

Part of my problem is that at my dojo nobody uses it in sparring. We learn it, but it's not a favored sparring tool.

The obvious answer is to keep a guard up to the outside of my head, but then that leaves my face open. Of course it would also help if I saw it coming then I could move my guard or move in or out.

Any tips?

I have another tourney in 2 weeks and he'll be there too.

[pittbullJudoka]

Ask your instructor for help. He knows your sparring style best and could give you some pointers on what block or evastions that would work best for you. Have you sparring mates to throw some ridge hands in there so you can get some live practise at the defense of the techinque.

[MasterPain]

Ask your instructor for help. He knows your sparring style best and could give you some pointers on what block or evastions that would work best for you. Have you sparring mates to throw some ridge hands in there so you can get some live practise at the defense of the techinque.

That about covers it.

[Dobbersky]

Ask your instructor for help. He knows your sparring style best and could give you some pointers on what block or evastions that would work best for you. Have you sparring mates to throw some ridge hands in there so you can get some live practise at the defense of the techinque.

That about covers it.

Agreed, I can't add much to that!

Apart from you know he uses it so what him fight other fighters to see WHAT comes immediately before the Ridge Hand and look for that instead

OSU!!!

[DWx]

Ask your instructor for help. He knows your sparring style best and could give you some pointers on what block or evastions that would work best for you. Have you sparring mates to throw some ridge hands in there so you can get some live practise at the defense of the techinque.

Best advice.

Also if you have any video footage from your previous fights, watch them over and over again to see when and how he throws his ridgehand. He'll have some tells that you can learn which'll hopefully mean you can see it coming sooner when you next fight him. Stuff like how he positions his body everytime or does he shift his weight in a particular way? etc.

[pittbullJudoka]

DWx that's one of the best things to do. I don't know why I didn't think of that with as much tape as I watch on myself and the others in my dojo just to help improve technique. It's an under utilized tool in my opinion.

[Wastelander]

Definitely watch how people throw it in competition and have your sparring partners emulate it and ask your instructor what to do about it. I have found that a lot of people are open for ridge hands and spinning backfists, actually. I love doing both of them off of a duck-cover-and-turn so they rush in at me and right into either of those strikes, and I know a guy who is really good at catching you with them off of a step back while my instructor knows somebody who loves to step in with them and do a sweep at the same time. There are lots of ways to land a ridge hand, so you'll have to find out what ways are landing on you so your instructor can help you with those.

[DWx]

DWx that's one of the best things to do. I don't know why I didn't think of that with as much tape as I watch on myself and the others in my dojo just to help improve technique. It's an under utilized tool in my opinion.

Agree its underrated. Just gotta get over that initial "my butt looks way too big on camera" then its a very very useful tool.

Especially if you're lucky enough to own a good quality camera with a high frame rate. Then you can slow it right down and look at each little bit in detail. I mean people can say to you that you had an opening for something or that your opponent is telegraphing their roundhouse but seeing it for yourself is 100% better.

[pittbullJudoka]

I use video constantly review tape on my bjj to see why a sub or position didn't work for me. In fact I reviewed tape from Tuesday night this morning. I love it when I can see stuff that I can capitalize on.

[sensei8]

Ask your instructor for help. He knows your sparring style best and could give you some pointers on what block or evastions that would work best for you. Have you sparring mates to throw some ridge hands in there so you can get some live practise at the defense of the techinque.

I concur!!

Also, be mindful of your opponents shoulders...telegraphing give aways, imho.

Are your opponents usually blitzing in on you when you get tagged with the ridge hand? If so, the motions of the blitzing might be consuming/overloading your senses and this is allowing your opponent to slip the ridge hand in.

Please let us know how things are going.