Issue 089
June 2012
Olympic bronze medalist judoka, undefeated Strikeforce women’s bantamweight champ. Man or woman, everyone wants to thrown down like 5-0 Ronda Rousey.
A former Olympian in judo, Ronda Rousey took bronze at the 2008 Games. Now the Strikeforce women’s bantamweight champion she has since adapted her judo for MMA at Team Hayastan in North Hollywood under the legendary Gene LeBell and Gokor Chivichyan, and at Dynamix MMA in Santa Monica, California, helping her to 5-0 in her pro MMA career with all wins coming via armbar.
HIP TOSS
Often available from the clinch, judo’s hip toss translates perfectly for the cage. If performed correctly, it’ll land you in side control when you and your opponent hit the ground, giving you ample opportunities for strikes and other attacks. It must be performed quickly, however, as a sloppy and slow set-up could allow the opponent to seize back control as you turn away from them.
In the gym
In judo, the use of crash mats for drilling throws is largely frowned upon. Perfect your breakfall technique and drill your hip throws on standard mats! See ‘Skills and Drills’ on page 120 for breakfall tips and progressions.
In action
Rousey slammed Team Quest's Autumn Richardson with a headlock hip toss at Tuff-N-Uff in her second amateur MMA fight in 2010. She did the same in her title-winning performance against Miesha Tate in March this year.
HIP TOSS TO INSIDE TRIP
If a hip toss attempt cannot be completed due to an opponent’s resistance there is the option to switch to the inside trip. From a headlock and elbow control, turn in for the hip toss. When the opponent pulls back up defending the throw, inside trip and tap the far knee to take the fight to the floor.
In the gym
A good training partner will respond realistically and feed you the conditions needed to drill the technique you're working on. Drill the hip throw first, then drill the defensive posture, then finally drill the trip finish.
In action
Against Julia Budd at Strikeforce Challengers 20 in November last year, and against Ediane Gomes in her pro debut in March 2011, Rousey wasted no time in tying them up, pushing them to the cage and taking them to the mat with a trip after they resisted the hip throw.
IMPACT CONDITIONING
Becoming accustomed to receiving blows to the body is imperative for any mixed martial artist, not least one who has leaped to the top of the women’s division in less than a year, as Ronda has, without the significant striking background that some girls possess. Using a medicine ball to build tolerance is a controllable and long-favored method.
In the gym: Med ball strikes and drop and throw and leg push abs workout
Have your trainer make short strikes around your midsection with a med ball, then drop the ball on the abs and throw it back. Follow up by holding your trainer’s ankles, resisting a little while they push your legs away, to the left and to the right.
In action
Check out Rousey's YouTube channel 'RondaMMA' for a video of her training this routine to toughen up her torso.
ARMBAR
With three amateur and five professional wins to date all by armbar, there is no secret about what Rousey's looking for to finish the fight. Regardless ‘Rowdy’ uses fast and flexible hips to capture the arm before her opponents can defend.
In the gym
Use this drill above for increasing the speed and fluidity of the hip motion to allow you to surprise your opponents with the armbar as Rousey does. Start in front of your partner with a closed guard, shift your hips 90 degrees to one side and loosely apply the armbar. Then open your legs and make a wide, swinging motion to propel yourself 180 degrees to the other arm. Try starting with 10 reps on each arm as a warm-up before grappling.
In action
Rousey executed the armbar from the mount into a face-down arm lock against Autumn Richardson in November 2010 while she finished Taylor Stratford in January 2011 from the guard.
