Day 9 closes the distance. This Practice session is built entirely from infighting weapons: 20 seconds of knee strikes, 20 seconds of elbow strikes thrown free-style, and 20 seconds of the knee strike + elbow strike combination, at 5, 10 or 15 rounds.
Everything so far has worked at punching and kicking range - knees and elbows are what happens when that range disappears. The knee strike drives upward through an imaginary target, powered by the hips, with the hands pulling down to meet it. The elbows are free-style on purpose: horizontal, upward or downward, your choice per rep, because elbow versatility matters more than any single angle. The combination then teaches close-range rhythm - knee rises, foot plants, elbow follows through the space the knee just made.
Drive each knee up and through, rising tall on the standing leg, and snap the hands down as the knee comes up - that opposition is where the power lives. Keep the elbows short and hard: the strike travels a hand-span, not an arm's length, with the body weight turning behind it. Alternate sides on everything, and keep the free-style elbows genuinely varied rather than settling into one comfortable angle.
Punches and kicks argue at range - today you learned what the conversation sounds like up close.
Make it Harder: Rise onto the ball of the standing foot with every knee strike for extra drive through the target.
Make it Easier: Bring the knees to hip height only and keep the elbows short, relaxed and precise.
