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How to Set Up a Superman Punch in MMA

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Superman punches can look pretty cool, but they can also fail big time if you don’t set them up correctly. MMA Coach Vince Salvador shows how he likes to set up the Superman punch for the most effect.

VIDEO TRANSCRIPT:

Jamarr Coleman:
Hey, what’s up everybody? This is Jamar from The Arena and I’m here with striking coach Vince. So hey, I’ve been watching GSP and I love how he sets up the Superman punch. Every time I try to set up the Superman punch it seemed like I got kryptonite in my damn Superman punch. So is there any way you can help me learn how to set up the Superman punch?

 

Coach Vince Salvador:
Oh yeah. If we’re going to throw a Superman punch, we’ve got to put something in front of it. Maybe a set up counter strike to be able to set the guy up. A lot of times, if I can get this guy on one leg by checking the kick, it makes it easier for me. Right. So a lot of times I’ll throw the low kick as a setup for the Superman punch. So when I told the low kick and he blocks it, the second time I come back, I know he’s going to pick that leg up.

 

Right. So when he picks that leg up, I can punch over the top. So I can throw my leg. I see that come up. I’m coming over the top. So one more time I can throw right here, he blocks. Same thing. I see his leg come up and instead of throwing the kick all the way through, I’m going to bring my leg up and back down and then Superman punch. So it’s going to look more like this if I do it fast. I throw up here, he blocks, I throw the hook. He cuts up, I’m over the top.

 

Jamarr Coleman:
That was too fast.

 

Coach Vince Salvador:
I mean, that’s a good setup for it. It was off that leg kick. You could even touch. And you can touch, bring it back down. And then go back there and then back to the leg. So I can go here. He blocks, here, block, boom, back to the leg.

 

Jamarr Coleman:
Beautiful.

 

Coach Vince Salvador:
That’s a good way to set up the Superman so you don’t end up kicking the legs. And it’s a good way to set up this punch with him thinking that you’re going to kick his legs. When I take kick his legs, as they come up, when I touch it, it’s going to get him on one leg. That’s the tip of the week.

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