The third combat day completes the striking trilogy. Day 3 gave you a turning kick, Day 7 gave you a side kick, and Day 11 gives you the close-range option: knee strikes. Four 15-second intervals - punches, knee strikes on the right, punches, knee strikes on the left - one minute of rest, three to seven sets.
A knee strike is what happens when the distance closes and there is no room to kick. From a guarded stance, the rear knee drives up and forward while both hands pull down as though hauling an opponent onto the strike. There is no chamber and no extension - the whole movement is one sharp upward drive of the hip and knee, which makes it the fastest strike in the program and the one that hits your hip flexors hardest. Fifteen seconds of continuous knees will tell you exactly how much your midsection has been contributing to the last week and a half.
Drive the knee up rather than forward, and pull your hands down and in as the knee arrives so the two halves meet. Rise onto the ball of the standing foot with each strike to add range and keep your torso from collapsing backwards. Reset your guard between reps rather than leaving your arms low.
Three kicks, three distances - your combat toolkit is now complete enough to start combining.
Make it Harder: Add a small hop on the standing foot with each knee strike so the whole body commits to the strike.
Make it Easier: Take the knee to hip height without the hands pulling down, and let the tempo settle into something you can hold for the full fifteen.
