How to Teach Basic MMA Striking
- By Grant Young
Stepping into the gym for one’s first MMA (or any other martial arts) class can produce crippling anxiety.
Not only is there the inherent fear that the practitioner will make a fool of themselves in front of more experienced peers, but the stakes of failure in a combat sport are much higher (meaning, more painful) than in just about any other sport.
While all aspiring martial artists will need to enter the gym and test their skills eventually, learning a few basic techniques from a MMA course online is a fantastic way for them to develop their striking base without subjecting themselves to a strict martial arts coach or unforgiving classmates.
Having a simple, straightforward way for coaches to teach these basic techniques is also a great idea to make the initial MMA endeavor for students more digestible.
And Constellation 52 Global (C52G) has the teaching of MMA striking’s most important techniques down pat.
Constellation 52 Global (C52G) is a Martial science program based in Maryland that’s dedicated to genuine 52 Blocks Combat, Culture & Fitness, and focuses on the tri-star method of the 52 experience. The program’s “52 Combat” is a stellar Boxing and Self-defense program that is taught by genuine Instructors who have earned their community's respect.
52 Blocks is a simple system but inside its simplicity lays layers of complexity discovered by the practitioner. The number 52 represents the geometry that the hands take while defending/shielding the body from harm.
This is why Constellation 52 Global’s ‘52 Blocks MMA’ course is an excellent tool for new students and martial arts coaches alike. Not only will it teach them how to be an effective striker in MMA, but their course also emphasizes how to shield oneself from harm while delivering offense. And as any martial artist knows, having a solid defensive base is even more important than having a solid offense.
Basic Strikes
The jab is the most important strike in MMA (and in any other striking sport) because of how simple, quick, and effective it is. But just because the jab is simple doesn’t mean that it’s necessarily easy to throw, nor that it’s impossible to mess up.
This is why any basic striking course for MMA should always start with some basic information on how to best throw a jab.
C52G notes that before the jab technique, fighters should be sure that they’re postured in an athletic position with their torso pointed slightly outwards, their face directed toward their opponent, and remaining light on their feet with their hands up near their cheeks/temples for defense.
When the jab is thrown from this position, the first movement should be with your lead foot (left foot for righties, right foot for lefties). The foot should be stepping between 3-6 inches forward and slightly outward while the punch is thrown. As for the jab itself, it will be thrown with the lead hand and should be thrown in a slightly upward direction.
The reason the jab should be practiced getting thrown slightly upward is because it will help prepare for facing a taller fighter, and will also train the puncher to keep their chin tucked under their shoulder while they’re throwing the jab.
Just as important as throwing the jab is bringing that lead hand right back to its position beside your cheek/temple regardless of whether you land the punch or not, your lead side will be susceptible to a counter-punch if your hand doesn’t quickly return to its starting position.
Basic Footwork
While the jab is the most important punch in combat sports, the second most important is the cross.
The cross is thrown with the rear (strong) hand and generates more power than the jab. The footwork involved with throwing a cross is also imperative if the puncher wants to maximize their power output and generate as much damage as possible.
For this, C52G says that a great concept to consider for striking footwork is dividing the floor beneath you into quadrants, sort of like the points on a compass (North, South, East and West). When you’re trying to get within striking or grappling range with an opponent, it would be wise to not just move North on the compass in a completely straight line, because that will lend itself to receiving offense from your opponent.
Instead, C52G suggests that one should be moving laterally to avoid incoming attacks while also moving forward to get within one’s range. A good way to think about it is moving either northwest or northeast in order to get within range and land offense against your opponent while staying off of the center line.
Combos Off The Slip Inside
Another integral part of MMA striking defense (along with every other striking combat sport) is the slip.
A slip is a defensive technique that involves moving the head to the side to avoid a punch. When performed correctly, slipping is a major tactic that allows the fighter to not only avoid an opponent’s offense quickly but also position them to offer a counterpunch while their opponent is still reeling from missing their shot.
Because the right cross is generally thrown with a lot of power, this means the person throwing it can become off balance, and therefore susceptible to getting slipped and countered.
To do this, an orthodox (right-handed) MMA fighter would want to have their opponent’s cross timed, see it coming, then step off and move their head to the left when the cross is getting thrown.
This will put them on the right side of their opponent’s body, which
will be wide open for a counter punch or a knee to the liver (or to the
head). In addition, a grappler would want to take advantage of this and
shoot for a takedown while their opponent of off balance.
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