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
The three areas have to be built so they reinforce each other rather than compete for the same recovery. Each stage adds one, and only once the previous one survives light resistance from a partner.
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.