Today we will go over some Basic MMA Striking Techniques. When it comes to fighting striking is very important. It allows you to break down your opponent so you can win the fight.
I’ve seen many people in a fight break down due to a number of kicks and punches to the body. You’re striking can literally make you opponent crumble if you execute it right and you strike with accuracy.
Let’s face it if you are just throwing kicks and punches but not landing any or just a few you will tire yourself out and also become discouraged because you are not hitting your target.
Your opponent will pick up on that frustration and start to dominate you. So in this lesson please be aware that technique and speed is everything, but also accuracy will allow you to hit your target and chip away at his confidence so you can win the fight.
Striking In MMA
Striking in mma comes from different fighting systems such as boxing, kick boxing, and Muay Thai. The mixed striking systems within mma allows you to choose from a variety of blows to inflict upon your opponent. If used correctly with precision you will be able to outfight your opponent. But keep in mind just because you are a great striker does not mean that you will win every fight.
There are amazing Jiu Jitsu and wrestlers out there that can counter your strikes and close in on you for a take-down. While on the ground if you are not skilled to fend them off they will easily submit or ground and pound you. So it works to your advantage to be well rounded in strikes and also your ground game.
Boxing Techniques For MMA
As I mentioned earlier the striking in MMA lends itself from different martial arts and striking system. A good MMA fighter will practice boxing and draw from that sport to use in an MMA fight.
But there are some mma fighters who are taught to throw a punch and not a jab. There’s a big difference between the two.
Also, you should keep in mind the stances for a boxer is different from an mma fighter. Boxer’s slightly bend at the knees and lean forward a bit. They angle themselves so they are less of a target to hit. Mma fighters stand straight up and have a squared stance. This is because they don’t plan to duck, bob or weave, because if they do they will most likely get kicked in the face. Boxers don’t have to worry about that because they only use their hands.
The most basic striking we’ll go over first is one that everyone starts out with and that is the jab. When it comes to punching an untrained person will throw a punch in a fight and more times than not fracture his hand or throw out his shoulder.
There is the right and wrong way to throw a punch. Throw it the wrong way and you will end up hurting yourself. Throw it the right way and you will you avoid injuring yourself.
The Right Way To Throw A Punch
The jab is thrown with the lead hand. Begin with the knees slightly bent, feet staggered, chin down, and hands raised by the sides of your face (start from this basic fighting position before throwing any punch). Push off your back foot and snap the jab out quickly. The lead foot will slide forward slightly before impact. For maximum power, twist your arm in a corkscrew motion before landing.
Types of MMA Punches
Cross Punch – The cross punch is also called the “straight right hand” (if you’re right-handed), it starts from the face and follows an imaginary straight line directly into the target. To execute this properly you have to drive and pivot from the rear foot, rotating the hips forcefully as your body weight shifts toward the front foot. Now extend your right arm toward the target, snapping your wrist downward. On impact, the palm is down and the knuckles up.
The Hook – The hook can be a devistating strike to your opponent. To execute the hook you have to shift your weight toward the rear leg as you rotate forcefully to that side and pivot inward on the ball of your front foot. At the same time, whip the lead arm toward the target in an L shape (the elbow should be bent about 90 degrees). Turn your hips into the punch. You can angle your hand one of two ways: vertically, so your palm faces you on impact, or horizontally, so the palm faces the floor (as shown).
Uppercut – I love seeing uppercuts in a fight. It’s awesome to see the guys head just snap upwards to the point he’s looking up into the sky lol. The execution for this punch is straight forward.
Shift your weight to the hip on the side of the rear leg. Dip that side’s shoulder as you crouch down a bit. Next, with the palm up and the arm bent 90 degrees, forcefully rotate toward the side of your lead leg and push off the ball of your back foot, driving the punch upward (aim for the chin of your imaginary opponent). On impact, your palm should face your chest.
Basic Elbow Strikes
Muay Thai Elbow Strikes
Elbow strikes in MMA lends itself from Muay Thai. We’ve all seen UFC matches when an opponent gets severely cut from an elbow or knocked out by one. Elbows are very unique weapons that can cut, bruise, and knock out someone if used properly.
Elbows in Muay Thai can give very severe injuries to the opponent as it will be used to attack when opponent is closer distance and the major targets of elbows are generally head facial areas including jaw, temple, neck and so on.
Using elbows is very flexible, you can move or swing your elbow in any direction to attack, both vertically and horizontally but different method will give different impact to the attack. Believe it or not there are actually 8 muay thai elbow strikes a figher has at their disposal:
- Sok Ti (Slashing Elbow)
- Sok Tad (Horizontal Elbow)
- Sok Ngad (Uppercut Elbow)
- Sok Chieng (Diagonal Elbow)
- Sok Sab (Chopping Elbow)
- Sok Tong (Smash Downward Elbow)
- Sok Ku (Double Elbows)
- Sok Klab (Spinning Elbow)
Out of the list there are literally 3 that MMA fighters often use. We won’t get into how to execute all thexe elbow techniques now, but there will definitely be a post on it soon so stay tune.
Knee Striking Techniques
Knee striking techniques are effective for many close range situations. You see it all the time in UFC matches because it is an effective tool to use in the clinch. Although we do see fighters use methods such as the flying knee technique on their opponent.
This is mostly for entertainment because if you try that method out on the streets you are likely to get knocked out cold. When was the last time you seen two people out on the streets fighting and one does a flying knee? It’s just not practical in a street fight. Knee striking is often combined with clinching or holding the attacker so he can not escape and move outside the limited range of the knee strike. Targets for a knee strike include the attacker’s head/chin, ribs, groin, quad muscles, etc
So to execute the knee strike you want to be close enough to clinch or holding your opponent so he can’t escape and move outside the limited range of the knee strike. The different targets for a knee strike include your opponents head/chin, ribs, groin, quad muscles, etc.
Below are the types of knee strikes you can practice doing in your mma gym on a partner:
- Diagonal Knee Strike
- Flying Knee Strike
- Front Knee Strike – This is also known as a vertical knee strike.
- Jumping Knee Strike
- Knee Bomb –
- Knee Drop
- Knee Thrust
- Round Knee Strike
MMA Kick Techniques
The last mma strike technique we’re going to get into is the kick. The kick is effective because it can be used to keep your opponent at a distance (the front kick) or used to break and chop him down (The thigh kick). Just like elbows and knees there are a variety of different kicks you can inflict on someone.
What kick you use all depends on your distance from the opponent and also what you’re trying to accomplish. Also remember that these kicks can be countered. So make sure you set them up properly or your opponent can counter and strike. Setting them up properly means to disguise them with a few other strikes first or with faints.
Below are the lists of kicks you can practice executing:
- Front kick
- Side kick
- Spinning back kick
- Axe kick
- Roundhouse