The Ultimate Mixed Martial Arts Training Guide Pdf
Domenec Reynolds
Did you know there are over 180 different types of martial arts? Some, but not all, incorporate MMA training equipment, such as weapons like rubber knives, into the MMA conditioning. The common denominator among MMA training workouts is their ability to strengthen both your physical and your mental muscles.
We previously wrote about the eating habits of Bruce Lee, an actor and martial artist admired by many for his muscular strength. Bruce preferred 5 smaller meals a day, focused on energy-boosting foods and usually avoided sweets and refined carbs.
All you need to begin an MMA training plan at home is comfortable clothes, enough room to move and if possible, a mirror so you can see your form. Some people find it helpful to record their MMA workouts, then they can play the video back and compare their movements to whatever online video or article they are using.
As with any type of exercise, remember to warm up first. If you want to follow the footsteps of professional UFC fighters, make jumping rope part of your MMA warmup routine. Depending on your current physical condition and the exact type of MMA program you decide to follow, you might need a pair of dumbbells and/or kettle bells.
MMA fighters blend grappling and striking together so that they can fight both on the floor and standing up. One of the most popular grappling martial arts among MMA fighters is BJJ (Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu), but there are many other grappling styles to choose from if you'd prefer not to practice BJJ such as Judo or wrestling.
Here are 17 BJJ drills you can do at home.
1. Jab: Your front hand will come forward into a straight punch, with your thumb facing the floor. Your back hand will remain up in starting position, with your elbow tucked to your ribcage and your fist near your chin. Reset by returning your front hand to starting position.
2. Cross jab: Like the jab, the cross involves extending your back hand forward in front of your face. This time, twist your body to bring your back hand forward, pivoting your body. Reset by returning your back hand to starting position.
3. Front hook: Bring your front arm around in a hook-like shape. Pivot your front foot as you turn your hips inward and cross your arm over. When your elbow aligns with your shoulder, bring your front arm back to reset.
4. Back hook: Pivot your back foot as you make the same hook-like shape with your back arm. Turn your back hip inward as you flow through the motion; once your elbow aligns with your shoulder, bring your arm back in to reset.
5. Front upper cut: Bring your arm in a similar, hook-like position, but dropping your front arm and bringing it back up towards you, rather than around in front of you. Keep your palm facing your torso.
6. Back upper cut: With the same stance as the front upper cut, bring your back arm down and around. This time, pivot your back foot and twist your hips forward as you send your back arm to the front of the room.
However, you'll be extremely limited in how much you can expand your MMA fighting abilities without using specialized equipment like a punching bag.
Punching bags help you increase your speed, agility, punching power, accuracy, and they help you learn to execute techniques and combinations at full power.
If you already have some basic knowledge of BJJ, you can practice at home even without a grappling partner. At minimum, you'll need a large mat or open floor space. If you're serious about practicing BJJ at home, then you could purchase a grappling dummy to simulate having a grappling partner.
Mixed martial arts can be a tricky sport to strength train for. You use various energy systems, which can be very easy to overtrain. Unfortunately, many do not weight train and miss out on all the benefits. There have been plenty of matches that I have seen in MMA and especially Jiu-Jitsu, where you can see the stronger athlete dominating the match. If the skill set is roughly the same, I put my money on the stronger athlete every time.
For the mixed martial artist, it's the opposite. Weight training is just a supplement, and it needs to be balanced. I know competitors that are training five days a week, with many weight training and grappling on the same day. With my program, you'll be training three days a week. If you can only train two times a week, then omit Day 2.
Matt Mills is a graduate of the University of Connecticut, earning both his bachelor's and master's degrees in Strength and Conditioning. He is also certified through the National Strength and Conditioning Association as a Strength and Conditioning Specialist. As a strength athlete, he is an accomplished powerlifter with a best deadlift of 800 pounds. He is a middleweight pro strongman with best competition lifts of a 360-pound log press, 900-pound pound Hummer tire deadlift, and a 410-pound Farmers Walk. Matt is the owner of Lightning Fitness, located in South Windsor, Connecticut. He has worked with over a thousand athletes, helping them reach their fitness and nutrition goals.
This article was co-authored by David Engel. David Engel is a Muay Thai Instructor and Self Defense Trainer based in the San Francisco Bay Area. With over 15 years of martial arts instruction and training experience, David runs California Martial Athletics with co-owner Joe Chernay. He has created and maintained martial arts programs at Rise Combat Sports in San Francisco and Round 5 Martial Arts Academy in San Leandro, with a mission to provide students with a level of comfort and competency that manifests both within and outside the martial arts context. He is also a registered cornerman for amateur and pro competitors under the IKF (International Kickboxing Federation). David was the youngest apprentice instructor of the Thai Boxing Association of America under Ajarn Chai Sirisute (2009), and was a top-ranked amateur competitor in his weight class (127-130 lb) in California between 2013 and 2015.
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Mixed martial arts, or MMA, is an exciting fighting sport that showcases a variety of martial arts disciplines from around the world. Contemporary MMA fighters must become proficient in striking skills, grappling, and wrestling. To start training in MMA, you'll need to sign up for classes and hone your newly learned skills with consistent practice. With the right level of dedication and skill, you can to train and compete at a high level.
Mixed martial arts uses techniques from various combat styles to create what many call the ultimate fighting system. A competent mixed martial artist is comfortable with a fight taking place anywhere. They understand the intricacies of both striking and grappling-based styles. Most importantly, they know how to combine everything, which depicts what a real fight looks like. Learning mixed martial arts is a rewarding undertaking that gets you in the best shape of your life.
Some people naturally enjoy exchanging strikes, while others instinctively look to grapple when they find themselves in a confrontation. Figure out what your natural fighting style is and make it your base. Make it a priority to master your base without neglecting the other aspects of fighting.
Make it a priority to master a few takedown techniques, even if you prefer keeping your fights standing. The scoring systems used in MMA award points for takedowns, and a well-timed takedown can turn tables in a closely contested round.
Learning how to defend takedowns makes you more rounded as an MMA fighter. It forces your opponents to stand and bang with you, denying them any points they could have scored from takedowns. Good takedown defense also helps to wear opponents down since takedowns require a lot of energy.
Most people would think that fighting is all about skills and techniques. But, when you put two equally experienced and skilled MMA fighters in a cage, the better-conditioned fighter often emerges victorious. Your techniques become sloppy when fatigue creeps in, and your will to fight starts to fade away. It is not common to see fighters give up their necks or arms simply because they want a way out of a fight due to fatigue.
Sharpening your fight IQ will make you more efficient inside the cage. Watching MMA fights, particularly high-level ones, allows you to observe how experienced fighters react to different situations. Videos allow you to visualize, predict and experience the various situations and scenarios that would likely occur. Fight tapes also help create mental notes that make you more likely to react appropriately when placed in similar situations. Little things like knowing to clinch if you get hurt with a strike can turn the tides in mixed martial arts competitions.
Aim to spar a few times a week and do so intelligently. You can go close to 100 percent when rolling (grappling sparring), but you should bring the intensity down to 50 percent or less when exchanging strikes. By sparring often, you also increase your exposure to different MMA styles allowing you to adapt quicker and easier to various opponents.
Your core muscles are activated when you perform countless martial arts techniques. Strengthening your core muscles makes you feel stronger against opponents while increasing the explosiveness of your techniques. Training on its own builds your core, but you should also add core exercises to your fitness routine. Who knows, you might end up with a set of visible and developed six-pack abs in the process!
Strength, balance, mobility, and flexibility training helps improve your performance inside the cage, so create a fitness routine that complements your MMA training. While strength and conditioning increase muscle mass and strength, dieting helps to remove excess fat on your frame.
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