Complete index
All MMAGuide guides
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.
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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 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.
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.
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.
Winning Scrambles and Transitions
Scrambles are decided by who commits to a direction first and who keeps their head higher. Both are trainable, and neither is about strength.
Building a Game Plan Around Your Strengths
A game plan is not a list of techniques. It is a decision about where you want the fight to happen and how you get it there repeatedly.
Structuring an MMA Training Week
Training several disciplines in one week means most fighters overtrain and under-recover. Structure fixes that better than adding sessions ever will.