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.
Beginner pathway
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.
5 stages12 guides available
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.
4
Months 6–9
Both sides of the ground
Learn top control with strikes available and a bottom game that prioritizes standing up, then add submissions that survive sweat.
5
Months 9–12
Joining it together
Drill the transitions between all three areas, then build a plan around what you actually win and a training week that supports it.
Where to next
Browse by category
Once the pathway feels comfortable, work through a single category end to end.
MMAGuide.TV
Mixed martial arts explained as one sport, not three stacked on top of each other.
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.