START HERE
The stance is a compromise you should make on purpose
Punching leverage, kick defense and takedown defense all pull the feet in different directions. Here is how coaches resolve it.
Read the guide01
ALL THREE AT ONCE
Every skill changes when the others are legal.
Striking, wrestling and submissions explained as one connected problem, with the cage treated as an active part of the fight.
An integration-first mixed martial arts guide: how striking, wrestling and submission grappling change when all three are legal in the same exchange, and how the cage turns position itself into a variable you can use.
Find a guide
Search every MMAGuide guide.
Type a technique, a problem, a skill level, or a category. Search runs entirely in your browser across the 12 guides published on mmaguide.tv.
Try:
Search by title, category, tag, or level.
Browse by category
6 ways in
Every guide belongs to one category so you can work through a subject instead of jumping around.
Start reading
Featured guides
MMA Striking
Beginner
The MMA Stance: Striking and Takedown Defense at Once
An MMA stance has to answer punches, kicks and takedowns from the same posture. That compromise explains almost every difference from a pure striking stance.
MMA Striking
Beginner
Why MMA Striking Is Not Boxing
Small gloves, kicks, and the threat of a takedown change punching mechanics. The differences are mostly about range, commitment, and what happens after the punch.
MMA Striking
Intermediate
Low Kicks and How to Check Them
The low kick rewards accumulation: each one costs the opponent mobility. Checking is a timing skill, not a toughness contest, and it changes the exchange immediately.
Wrestling for MMA
Beginner
Level Changes and Shot Entries
A takedown is usually decided before contact. The level change is what turns a striking posture into a wrestling posture without announcing it.
Wrestling for MMA
Intermediate
Takedown Defense: Sprawl, Frame, and Reset
Takedown defense has layers: range, frames, the sprawl itself, and the recovery back to your feet. Most fighters drill only the sprawl and wonder why it fails.
Wrestling for MMA
Advanced
Wrestling on the Cage
The cage removes the option of retreating and turns a wall into a tool. Body-lock work, underhooks and knee slides all behave differently against it.
Ground Game & Submissions
Intermediate
Ground and Pound: Position Before Damage
Striking on the ground is a position problem first. Posture, base, and the choice of when to give up control decide how much damage is available.
Ground Game & Submissions
Advanced
Playing Guard When Strikes Are Legal
Guard in mixed martial arts is a defensive project before it is an offensive one. Distance control, wrist control and hip movement matter more than sweeps.
The library
Every category, every guide
RANGE
MMA Striking
Punching, kicking and knees adapted for small gloves, legal takedowns and a fighter who can change levels at any moment.
MMA Striking
Beginner
The MMA Stance: Striking and Takedown Defense at Once
An MMA stance has to answer punches, kicks and takedowns from the same posture. That compromise explains almost every difference from a pure striking stance.
MMA Striking
Beginner
Why MMA Striking Is Not Boxing
Small gloves, kicks, and the threat of a takedown change punching mechanics. The differences are mostly about range, commitment, and what happens after the punch.
MMA Striking
Intermediate
Low Kicks and How to Check Them
The low kick rewards accumulation: each one costs the opponent mobility. Checking is a timing skill, not a toughness contest, and it changes the exchange immediately.
THE HINGE
Wrestling for MMA
Level changes, entries, sprawls and fence work — the skill set that decides where the fight takes place and for how long.
Wrestling for MMA
Beginner
Level Changes and Shot Entries
A takedown is usually decided before contact. The level change is what turns a striking posture into a wrestling posture without announcing it.
Wrestling for MMA
Intermediate
Takedown Defense: Sprawl, Frame, and Reset
Takedown defense has layers: range, frames, the sprawl itself, and the recovery back to your feet. Most fighters drill only the sprawl and wonder why it fails.
Wrestling for MMA
Advanced
Wrestling on the Cage
The cage removes the option of retreating and turns a wall into a tool. Body-lock work, underhooks and knee slides all behave differently against it.
BOTTOM AND TOP
Ground Game & Submissions
Positional control, striking from the top, guard when strikes are legal, and the submissions that still finish without a gi.
Ground Game & Submissions
Intermediate
Ground and Pound: Position Before Damage
Striking on the ground is a position problem first. Posture, base, and the choice of when to give up control decide how much damage is available.
Ground Game & Submissions
Advanced
Playing Guard When Strikes Are Legal
Guard in mixed martial arts is a defensive project before it is an offensive one. Distance control, wrist control and hip movement matter more than sweeps.
Ground Game & Submissions
Intermediate
Submissions That Still Work With Gloves On
Sweat, small gloves and the threat of strikes narrow the submission menu. What survives are the attacks that do not depend on a fine grip or a stalled opponent.
THE SECONDS BETWEEN
Transitions & Scrambles
The unstable moments where position is undecided, and the habits that let you arrive on the winning side of them.
DECISIONS
Fight IQ & Strategy
Range selection, game plan construction, and reading what an opponent gives you instead of running a script regardless.
THE WEEK
Camp & Preparation
Scheduling several disciplines without accumulating fatigue, and knowing which sessions need freshness and which can tolerate it.
If you are new
A first year of mixed martial arts
An order of operations for building the three areas so they reinforce each other. Progress when the current stage survives light resistance from a partner, not when a set number of weeks has passed.
1
Months 1–2
Posture and position
Build a stance that answers punches and shots from the same base, and learn to change levels without dropping your hands or your head.
2
Months 2–4
Striking that accounts for the shot
Adapt punching mechanics to small gloves and short combinations, then add low kicks and the checks that answer them.
3
Months 4–6
Staying on your feet
Layer takedown defense from range through frames to the sprawl, and add fence work once open-space defense is reliable.
Useful next
Practical resources
PRACTICAL
What to bring to your first session
A fitted mouthguard, shin guards and gloves sized for the task. Sparring gloves and bag gloves solve different problems and are not interchangeable.
ORIENTATIONThe range checklist
Every exchange happens at kicking, punching, clinch or ground range. Knowing which one you are currently in is the first strategic skill.
CAGE CRAFTThe cage as a technique
Fence position changes what works. These guides treat the wall as an active variable rather than a boundary you back into by accident.
SAFETYSparring intensity, deliberately chosen
Hard sparring is a tool with a cost. The guides here favor constrained, positional rounds over open sessions run at full intensity.
Questions
Common questions
Which martial art should I start with before training MMA?
Starting in a single discipline gives you a base to build on, and any of wrestling, boxing, Muay Thai or Brazilian jiu-jitsu works. What matters more is training the other areas early enough that they integrate. A striker who avoids grappling for two years will need to rebuild their stance from the ground up.
How long does it take to be ready for an amateur fight?
Readiness is judged by capability rather than time served. You should be able to defend takedowns from a live opponent, survive from the bottom, and hold a stance while tired. For most people training several times a week that is a matter of years rather than months, and a coach should make the call.
Can I learn technique from written guides?
Written guides are good at explaining what a technique is for, which details matter, and what usually goes wrong. They cannot see your hips or correct your timing in the moment. Use them to arrive at training with better questions, and let a qualified coach handle the corrections that need eyes on you.
Do I need to train every discipline every week?
Not equally. A typical week touches striking, wrestling and ground work, but the balance should follow your gaps and your competition timeline. Neglecting an area entirely is what creates the exploitable hole. Rotating emphasis every few weeks tends to work better than giving every discipline identical attention constantly.
MMAGuide.TV
Mixed martial arts explained as one sport, not three stacked on top of each other.
An order of operations for building the three areas so they reinforce each other. Progress when the current stage survives light resistance from a partner, not when a set number of weeks has passed.