Saturday, May 15, 2010

Machida's Takedowns and Foot Sweeps

I've sung the praises of Bloody Elbow's Judo Chop before. Spending some time with another edition (this one before the first Machida v. Rua match) has only deepened my love for this MMA analysis series.

UFC 104 Preview: Bloody Elbow Judo Chop: The Karate Kuzushi Waza Foot Sweeps of Lyoto Machida

I wonder if the best time to study a fighter's style is after he loses. I know I found myself more interested in re-reading BJ Penn's Book of Knowledge after his upset loss to Frankie Edgar. I'm feeling a little something similar with Machida. There's always something to learn from the truly elite mixed martial artists - and studying them AFTER they lose is a good way of keeping that in mind.