MMA is a great sport for those who enjoy vigourous training sessions and lots of body weight moves. Some of the best UFC fighters such as Georges Saint Peire and Anderson Silva have the full package; fitness, a strong stand up game and great ground work skills. The self defencive side to the sport also helps to build self confidence and lets face it, its cool to be able to round house kick a bottle of someones head.
Basics:
You need to get your fighting stance laid out before you start to learn the moves. This boxing stance will give you a great defensive game and provide a strong base position for most kicks.
Firstly stand with your feet shoulder width appart and slide your right foot back. Turn your toes to point North East and bouce up and down on the spot to get comfortable.
Your hand positions are important. Your lead hand (left hand) comes up to rest infront of your face with your elbow tucked in to cover your floating rib ( bottom rib). Your back hand comes up level with the bottom of your nose and agian the elbow tucks in to guard your ribs. Tuck your chin in behind your lead hand .
Takedowns are key to MMA, especially if your main aim is to submit your opponent. the most basic takedown is the double leg takedown. This is basically a rugby tackle. You want to crouch down infront of your opponent pushing your body weight forward, driving your shoulder into their stomach. As you drive forward your hand lock onto behind their knees pulling them towards you and removing their base.
Okay now I'll talk you through a decent takedown defence move. This is known as a sprawl.
So staying in your fighting stance you want to drop to the floor pushing your legs back into a press up position but spread your legs out to prevent your opponent grabbing hold. As you fall wrap your arms around the opponents back so that when on the ground you have a more dominant position.
Stand Up Game:
Kickboxing or Muai tai is probably your best option for your stand up side to MMA. They provide youwith a much wider range of offensive moves than boxing alone.
I'll talk you through a few good moves below.
1. Roundhouse Kick
This is probably the most used kick in MMA and the most well known. From your fighting stance raise your back knee stright up into the air as you twist to the left on yuor lead foot. Now kick out aiming to hit with your shin or where the laces are on your shoes. Once you connect with the kick, snap your knee back and return to your fighting stance. Try starting off aiming for a low target like the opponents inside thigh and gradually work your way up to midsection and head height.
2. Push Kicks
These kicks are exactly the same with either foot. For the lead leg though there are a few minor adjustments. Again raise the leg into the air keeping your knee bent. Then kick out straight aiming to hit the opponent centre chest. With yuor back leg you want to hit with the heel, but with the lead leg you want to be hitting with the ball of the foot. Also try a little hop forward when kicking with the lead leg to generate more takethrough power, pushing the opponent further away. After you perform the kick make sure you snap your knee back and return to your fighting stance. If you just set the foot down you are now in the opponents striking range and will get hit. So make sure that you finish where you started!
3. Jab and Cross
This simple punch combination is quick and easy to learn. Firstly you r left had jab is a straight punch twisting your hand to a horizontal knuckle position as you hit the target, twist on your left foot pushing the heel forward as you do this to get extra power.
A back hand cross is exactly the same only done with the opposit hand and twisting on the right foot . You also want to twist your hips to thrust that right hand further forward.
4. Hooks
These are famous punches but always done wrong by ametuer fighters. Firstly NEVER pull your hand back and then swing. that reduces the punches power. Instead raise the hand out to the side so it is bent out at shoulder height. turn your knuckles to a vertical position( thumb pointing up) and twist through on the balls of the feet and hips to generate much more power. it is the same with each hand.
Brazillian Ju Jitzu:
This is my favourite part of MMA. Groundwork and submissions is a great way to improve your fitness and an impressive way to win. Just like above I'll talk you through some basics:
1. Gaurd position
This position is usaully a defensive position but you can get many good submissions from it. You will be on your back after a takedown and your opponent on top. Wrap your legs around your opponents lower back and lock your feet together. Also grap the opponents head with both yuor hands behind their head and pull it down into your chest. NEVER LOCK YOUR FINGERS together or they could get dislocated.
From Guard position you can get a guillitine submission. Simply wrap one are around the opposite side of the opponents head and grab your other arms wrist. From here simply squeeze their head as you arch your back pushing your bum into the air(keep the legs locked) This should force them to tap out.
2. Side control
If you can escape guard position or fall into the oppents side after the takedown try this position. Firstly place your body sideways across their chest and push your knees into their throat and hip from the side (not on top) Then do the same with your elbows on the opposite side of their body. make sure to keep pressing your weight on them to prevent them escaping.
From here a kamora submission is easy. take their arm on the side which your hand are placed at and with the hand closest to their head grab the underside of the opponents wrist. Their palm should be facing up. Now with your other hand slide it under your opponents arm and grab your wrist. from here slide theit arm down their body as you raise your lower arm into the air, bending their arm to force the submission.
3. Mount position
If you can escape the opponents guard you want to try to get to mount. This is when you are sitting on the opponents stomach or chest with a knee on either side of them (on the floor). From here you have a great ground and pound position so feel free to throw some punches.
Arm bar from mount. Firstly pick a hand, any hand and pull it up in the air. Now from the hand you take raise your opposit leg up and plant your foot on the floor. Stand up and quickly sweep your other leg( not the palnted one) around and across the opponents neck. the arm should now be between your legs. keeping your legs locked across the opponents chest adn neck prevents and escape. Now simply keep the thumb pointing up as you bridge to force the submission.
