Issue 105

September 2013

Aggressiveness, intimidation, the encouragement of fear: ‘The Axe Murderer’ was a master of them all. Learn how he did it 

The ultra-aggressive Wanderlei Silva of the Pride era set the standard for aggressive MMA striking. ‘The Axe Murderer’ thrived on intimidating his opponents with intense stare-downs, explosive starts and punishing kicks, knees and punches. Power and brutality are the hallmarks of Wanderlei’s style – with all his weapons. 

SOCCER KICKS AND STOMPS

Illegal under the Unified Rules, as used by the UFC, kicks to the head of a downed opponent were a mainstay of Brazilian vale tudo and Pride MMA. Many fights that take place today may well have had wildly different results under the old-school rules, and Wanderlei perhaps more than any other fighter has suffered from the UFC rule-set.

DRILL

If your pad man holds a kick shield on his chest you can practice controlling the open guard and landing the kick. 

1/ STAMP THROUGH THE GUARD

2/ STAMP AROUND THE GUARD

EXAMPLE: VS. KAZUSHI SAKURABA, PRIDE 13, 2001

The Chute Boxe team terrorized grapplers with kicks and knees to the head in the Pride days. Wanderlei even opted against taking plenty of opportunities for back mount on Japanese MMA idol Kazushi Sakuraba in their first bout in 2001 to kick and stomp his head instead.

3/ THAI CLINCH

Wanderlei’s Thai clinch was an unforgettable part of his repertoire in the Pride era. The key to good control from the Thai clinch is correct hand placement. Put your palms over the crown of the head, not on the neck, and squeeze your elbows together to prevent the arms being cleared. Have your partner hold a kick shield and try to knock him back with the knees. 

EXAMPLE: VS. ‘RAMPAGE’ JACKSON, PRIDE 28, 2004 The knockout that left Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson hanging dramatically through the ropes was an iconic image that highlighted Wand’s fear-inspiring power and aggression.

4/ HOOKS

Wanderlei’s hook barrages can be imitated on pads by a skilled pad holder who can catch right and left, quickly adjusting to intercept the oncoming punch. Build up from two hooks, to four, six and so on, ensuring each punch is powerful and fully committed.

EXAMPLE. BRIAN STANN, UFC ON FUEL TV 8, 2013

There’s not a Wanderlei fight that goes by where he doesn’t unload some of his punishing rushes of hooks. For the most recent, observe his March bout with fellow heavy hitter Brian Stann. Silva happily stood in the pocket and threw batches of these, and it was a right hand, left hook combo that eventually felled the former Marine.