MMA For Beginners: Tips To Know Before Starting

MMA For Beginners - Tips To Know Before Starting Mixed Martial Arts
Sven Mandel/Wikimedia

This article on MMA for beginners will explain practical styles and secret tricks and tips for beginners of mixed martial arts.

When you see a fighter in a mixed martial arts match, you may wonder if you can fight like that.

Whether you’re just starting or have already started training, you probably need these MMA tips, especially for a beginner.

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What is MMA?

MMA means mixed martial arts.

The history of mixed martial arts turned out to be much longer than anyone could imagine a common person in the street.

Today it is safe to say that MMA has acquired its final form as a combat sport and as a means of entertainment.

Is Mixed Martial Arts Safe?

The MMA game is highly competitive and requires combat from each opponent.

However, the chances of injury during the game are very high.

Still, statistics show that MMA is a safer game compare to boxing. 

MMA for Beginners: Equipment Needed

Mixed martial art is a highly competitive sport that requires special kits to protect you from injuries.

Some of these kits are listed as follows;

  1. Boxing Gloves are needed for training.
  2. Shin Guards
  3. Head Guard to protect your head
  4. Mouth Guard to protect your teeth and tongue
  5. MMA Gloves
  6. MMA Shorts
  7. Compression Rash Guards
  8. Groin Guard

Components of Mixed Martial Arts

MMA for Beginners – Components of Mixed Martial Arts
Wikimedia Commons

Basically, there are three major important aspects of the game, and they include;

1. Striking

This aspect comprises attack techniques or strategies against your opponent or sparring partner.

You may either use direct blow, elbow, or use your leg to attack your opponent.

2. Grappling

This aspect needs less energy, and it is quite technical compare to the former.

It is embracing your opponent and making certain skills. 

3. Submission

This aspect comprises diverse strategies to get your opponent to submission.  

MMA for Beginners: Fighting Tips

Even if the following tips are intended primarily for beginners, they contain truths that apply without restriction to all athletes at every level.

Without this, you will find it very difficult.

Advanced MMA fighters may find these rules a bit silly, but they should touch their nose and think back to their first weeks, months, and years of fighting.

Some of the tips for beginners are as follows;

1. Posture in Motion

When moving in the cage or the ring, you must always remain in your fighting stance.

If your feet are too far apart or if you lean too much in one direction, your balance and stability will suffer.

Not only does this make you easier to attack, but it also makes your attacks and counterattacks more difficult.

At first, it can be tedious to remain in a fighting stance while circling, advancing, and backing away, but that too is a matter of practice.

For example, as a beginner, you can tie a shoulder-wide ribbon between your legs when you are training.

After a few weeks, you will be surprised how much your footwork improves.

2. Never Cross your Legs

Never cross your legs because that endangers your balance.

To implement this rule of thumb, you have to start every movement with the foot facing in the direction of movement.

For example, if you want to go to the right, first put your right foot forward and then pull your left foot along, always staying in your basic posture.

The same principle applies to movements to the left, forwards, and backward.

If you follow this simple rule, your legs will never be crossed. 

3. Create Angles

In mixed martial arts, it is important to use footwork to create favorable angles of attack.

When you face your opponent directly, it can be difficult to hit or takedown because their line of defense is right in front of you.

If you want to punch your opponent in the face, they can block with their arms.

If you start the takedown, they can sprawl backward with their pelvis.

Instead of attacking the opponent’s line of defense head-on, it is preferable to bypass it.

To do this, you have to reposition your body to the side of the opponent with good footwork.

The point is that your pelvis is facing the opponent for a moment, but their pelvis is turned away from you.

Before your opponent can turn to you again, you attack from this new angle.

The better you can create dominant angles, the more successful you will be with your offensive techniques.

 4. Left Versus Right-Wing Peg

If you are fighting a southpaw, that is, one with his right foot in front, you have to try to place your front foot on the far left of his front foot.

This creates a dominant angle from which you are more likely to have success with a punch or a takedown.

5. Maintain a Sense of Distance

Without a keen eye for distance, you won’t get far with the best strokes and blocks.

This skill is not easy to develop, especially if you are punching the bag all the time.

Don’t get me wrong: Sandbag training can work wonders when it comes to punches and kicks, but it doesn’t prepare you for real opponents who know how to use their legs.

To train your sense of distance, you have to spar with a training partner and diligently train your footwork.

A useful exercise is to face your opponent head-on and mirror his movements.

If he goes forward, you go backward.

If he goes to the left from his point of view, you go to the right.

Initially, it should not be beaten.

It’s all about staying within striking distance by moving like a shadow with the enemy.

Once you have that, you can start with very light strokes.

Over time, you will automatically react to your opponent’s movements, even when sparring at full speed.

You then know exactly at every point in the fight whether you are within striking distance or not, and you can direct your actions accordingly. 

6. Don’t Get in Front of the Punching Hand

If your opponent is standing with his left foot in front and his right foot behind, he can strike much harder with his right.

His right straight then have a lot more impact than a jab with his left.

He can also kick much harder with his right leg than with his left.

Therefore, you should not get within range of his hitting hand as long as you are within hitting distance.

Of course, there are exceptions to this rule, but don’t break it if you’re a beginner.

You can switch to the dangerous side of your opponent as long as you are out of striking distance, but if you miscalculate, you will most likely take a heavy blow there.

To retake notes: If the opponent has his right foot behind, you should only move within striking distance to his left side; you only move to his right side if his left foot is behind.

When your opponent is attacking, your best defense is movement.

Blocking can certainly be effective, but why risk injury when you can dodge?

With this, you not only avoid unnecessary physical contact but can also throw your opponent off balance.

He wants to transfer his full energy forward to his point of attack, which is why he briefly loses his secure footing if he misses, and you can then take advantage of this favorable moment.

Final Thoughts

Hope this article on MMA for beginners has helped you.

It is important to identify which martial art you should learn first.

Every beginning is difficult; getting to a solid level in such a complex sport takes time.

You won’t be tapping all training partners after a few weeks of training.

Be patient, invest time in training, and success will come.

If you want to make real progress, consistent training is key.

Consistent training means, on the one hand, that you train regularly, but also that you slowly but continuously expand your game.

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