Apart from landing a flush head kick, many Muay Thai and MMA students dream of being able to finally land a superman punch in sparring. The superman punch is a strike that requires immense precision, timing, and power because it heavily relies on the element of surprise to be effective.
Most notably used by former UFC Welterweight World Champion Georges St.Pierre in many of his fights, the superman punch certainly has the ability to generate monster KO power and stop one’s opponent in his tracks.
If you’ve been looking to add the superman punch to your arsenal of weapons, you’re in luck. Today, Evolve Daily shares 4 Secrets To Finally Landing That Superman Punch:
How to throw the superman punch:
In this video, UFC Lightweight superstar Rafael Dos Anjos explains how to execute the superman punch:
Notice how he extends his back leg the same time he extends his rear hand to throw the strike. Doing so helps him counterbalance his weight and generates more power at the same time.
1) You Need A Great Set-Up
The key to landing a superman punch is great timing. With a great set-up, you could get your opponent to lower his guard, giving you access to his head. Your set-ups need to distract your opponent to get them to look low while you are striking high. In this video, multiple-time Muay Thai World Champion Petchboonchu FA Group shows 5 different set-ups for the superman punch. Notice how Petchboonchu uses a teep or push to create distance between himself and his opponent to give way for the superman punch.
2) You Can Try To Throw It When Your Opponent Is Pressed Up Against The Ropes/Cage
Another way to get your opponent with a superman punch is to swarm him with punches and kicks, pressuring them to back up into the cage or ropes. In this video, UFC fighter Cub Swanson walks forward and overwhelms his opponent with strikes, forcing him to walk back to defend himself and use the cage. At this point, there is very little room for proper defense. Thus, you have the perfect opportunity to land a show-stopping superman punch.
3) You Need To Surprise Your Opponent
The element of surprise is very important when throwing a superman punch. Because of the amount of movement required to execute it, the superman punch is very easily telegraphed and easy to defend. This is why it is very important to use feints to set up the superman punch. In the UFC, perhaps nobody is more familiar with the superman punch than GSP. In this video, watch how GSP feints with leg kicks before launching the superman punch. By using leg kicks, GSP keeps his opponent’s vision focused on his feet, distracting him from the punch, causing him to lower his guard.
4) Work On Your Reaction Time
A superman punch needs to be perfectly timed. In order for you to effectively land a superman punch, you need to quickly take advantage of any opening you may see. In this video, watch how Denner Sitbandon quickly transitioned from a shin block to a superman punch.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKhHWou8sYM
Similarly, in the video above, the fighter lands the superman punch right after blocking a kick. The block creates the perfect angle for the fighter to throw the punch, stunning his opponent momentarily.
To add the superman punch to your repertoire, you must perfect the movement by practicing it on the heavy bag. When you are more comfortable, drill the superman punch consistently with a training partner, gradually adding resistance each time.
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