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So for the regulars in your class who have mastered the basics, does anyone have any great creative cues for the basic moves, to take them to the next level, or at least give some variety in coaching? I don't want the class to tune out because they've heard "lips/nose/chin" etc a thousand times.

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Free the body. The mind will follow.

I think this is where you tune in to the music and use it to help you out.

 For instance, in 36:

 T1 (second set of hooks) 

 Song:  Do a little number

Me:  On his face!

 T3:

Song: I remember, being all alone

Me: I speak over it: I remember, beating on his nose!

 So listen to the music and I'm sure you'll pick out little things here and there to use.  Et Voila - Natural variety.

Also, if you sort of new to Combat instructing, if there are some other instructors who've been teaching for a while, will lend you their DVD.  

Oh and of course, there is always participating in someone else's class and pinching their cues 

LOL. I like those.

I'm actually referring more to creative ways to coach initial and follow up cues. There are only so many times you can say "90 degrees at the elbow ... elbow follows fist ... aim for the side of the jaw ... " etc etc etc.

One I like that my best friend came up with is that the upper cut should be like a pez dispenser - hitting them under the jaw so the head flips back. ;-) It helps them visualise the target zone and the impact.

I remember hearing one about a side kick looking like you have a broken ankle - which I thought was a great way to visualise "heel up toe down".

Something to mix it up, while still coaching them in the basics. Even though they get the hang of the basics, it's important to still provide this info, but I'm looking for different ways of saying the same thing.

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Free the body. The mind will follow.

uppercut - "Drop and drive", "use the legs for added power"

hooks - "whip around", "twist the body", "thumping punch to the side of the head"

jab - I remember Rach saying "X marks the spot" and drawing an X in the air

just think of different ways to describe part of the move or the whole thing.  Go to other instructors classes, and different programs, you'll be surprised what you pick up from different programs. 

Ooh I like those, thanks!

I'd love to be able to pinch other instructors' cues (I do it for BP all the time!) but the closest BC class is a 160 mile round trip :-(  But do I use what I can from other programs. It's nice being able to hear how others word things!

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Free the body. The mind will follow.

Yeah I can't pinch other classes either-- we're the only LM club for at least an hour in each direction.

I said something in class about "if you uppercut a horse you end up with a giraffe' which got some giggles.  I think I pulled that from a Chuck Norris -ism ('Chuck Norris once uppercutted a horse and created a giraffe' or something to that effect). Actually, Chuck Norris jokes in general are great for cues or motivational, fun things to say in class. For example, I use variations on 'when Chuck Norris does push-ups, he pushes the earth away from him vs pushing his body away from the earth' during T9.

I like the Pez cue; I'm totally stealing that.   

Side and back kicks - "kick through the heel and work through the butt"

front kick - "go for length not height and push through your opponent", "it's like kicking open a door", "lengthen the hamstring"

knees - "tuck your heel to sharpen your knee" 

Back kick - "look over your shoulder, you can't hit what you can't see" 

Gotta love the good old Pez Dispenser cue

Another one I was thinking of using for the uppercut was "short and angry - just like me when I haven't had my coffee"!  Obviously it won't work if you're 6 foot tall but being 5'2" it's not too bad.

Ohh another one...

 "Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee" - can be used to describe the jab's quick retraction or the movement of the feet.

Totally stolen from Ali.

Try to find something in the words of the songs.

Remember in "Back in the UK" from 31 - there was a line that went "Somewhere in England Banging the Base" - I changed it to "Somewhere in England Bashing the Face".

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I'm damned, I'm hot and I just can't stop

Round-House kick imagine clearing a table with your leg.

Round-house set-up - imagine you're a dog cocking your leg up a lamp post.

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Rosy xx

For the roundhouse, I sometimes say - imagine a scorpians tail - sting with that kick!

 Upper cut - drop and pop

Side kick - look where you're striking - you need to see em so you can kick em where is hurts!

 Downward punch - rip that chainsaw!

 x

Stand in front of someone and mime being hit. Lift your chin for uppercuts, turn your head side to side for hooks. Let your self be pushed back for front kick and clutch your ribs in pain for roundhouse kicks. On the Zombie track of the current release, walk accross the stage like a zombie and stagger back each time there's a side kick.

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Never criticise someone until you have walked a mile in their shoes. That way when you do, you´re a mile away and you have their shoes.

And try making the "standard" cues more interesting by developing them. Drop and pop can become: We call this dropping and popping. Drop shoulder. Pop under the chin. Let's drop. Now pop

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I'm damned, I'm hot and I just can't stop

Hook:  Imagine your opponent is standing behind a lamp post and punch around it(stolen from Matt Wood on my module)

Uppercut:  If you can't see you're thumbs, you ain't punching in front!

Uppercut: Oi!  This isn't BodyPump!  We aren't doing bicep curls! (my pet peeve!)

Uppercut:  Lift them off the mat (From the BC Instructor Manual.  Might want to have a look again, there are some good ones, especially the initial cues.   )

Knees:  Pull their head to your knee -- This isn't BodyAttack!   We're not doing this (demo Attack style knees)

SBDP - Stick your thumb in their eye as you hold their head down and pummel them (stolen from Phil Harrison at QW). 

Roger, bet you nearly got chased out of class with the 'Back in England' cue, when you're up in Scotland