In mixed martial arts, the striking part of the game is important as the grappling and wrestling part. Every MMA fight starts standing and every MMA fighter should know the fundamentals of striking.
Every MMA fighter should know how to punch and kick, and how to defend from punches and kicks.
Even fighters with great grappling and wrestling skills should know how to strike. In order to do the takedown, they have to know to close the distance with strikes and then try to bring the fight to the ground. But we will cover this part in detail further on in the blog.
The most common striking arts in MMA are boxing, kickboxing, and Muay Thai. Whatever you are training, the following tips I’m gonna list will help you get better in your striking game.
Shadowboxing
Shadowboxing may be boring at times, but on the other hand, it is a great exercise to improve your striking.
One of the best ways to get your technique right is through shadowboxing. When shadowboxing focus on getting the punches and kicks right as well as your footwork and head movement.
Most professional fighters use this exercise regularly, usually as a warm-up before training and competition.
The great thing about shadowboxing is that you can do it anywhere, all you need is some space where you can move around and throw punches and kicks. And also this exercise will not only improve your striking techniques but also will improve your cardio.
Here’s an example of a short shadowboxing workout.
You going to do 30 second round and after that do 10 burpees. Do this for the full 10 rounds.
Do this after your main workout as cardio and practice your striking techniques.
Heavy Bag Work
In combat sports such as boxing, kickboxing, and Muay Thai – heavy bags have been adapted for punching, kicking, and other striking maneuvers in addition to developing the right technique.
The heavy bag is a great workout for improving your striking techniques as well as your cardio and power. You can use the heavy bag in many different ways, it depends on what your goal is.
If your goal is to increase the power in your strikes, focus on hitting the bag as hard as you can and throw more combinations, but every strike is to be thrown hard.
If your goal is to increase the speed of your strikes, then try to throw your combinations fast and with a big volume.
If your goal is to improve your technique, then just focus to throw your punches and kicks with good technique without trying to hit the bag so hard and fast.
And when hitting the heavy bag always remember to wear some gloves to reduce the chance of hurting your hands.
Here’s some example of 5 rounds of heavy bag work.
- First round: Throw just straight punches like jabs and crosses, focus on the right technique and throw your punches fast
- Second round: Throw some hooks to the body and head, but make sure that you hit the bag as hard as you can this time
- Third round: Throw just straight punches like the first round, but this time put some roundhouse kicks. Combine your straight punches with roundhouse kicks
- Fourth round: Same as the second round
- Fifth round: Freestyle round. Do every combination you know, mix your punches with kicks.
Do this heavy bag work 5 rounds with 3-minute rounds. And one-minute rest between the rounds.
Sparring
Sparring is one of the best ways to improve your striking techniques and increase your cardio. With sparring, you can practice real-world application of skills, it will improve your timing and it is a great way to prepare you for competition.
While you do sparring always try to wear protective headgear and shin guards to reduce your chances of injury and try sparring with people who you know won’t hurt you and same for you, try not to hurt your sparring partner.
Try to spar with different sparring partners rather than one because not every fighting style is the same. You have to get used to more fighting styles. And also try to spar with both better and worse sparring partners than you.
When sparring with better partners, try to focus on techniques you already know and practice them to improve these techniques even more. And when sparring with worse sparring partners than you, try some new techniques but also try to not hurt them while you do this and you can also let them throw more punches and kicks at you to practice your defense.
Focus Mitts Work
A focus mitt is a padded target attached to a glove and is most often used in striking arts such as boxing and Muay Thai.
Hitting focus mitts is also a great way to improve your striking game because you can practice both offensive and defensive techniques.
In order to hit correctly is important to have a training partner who can hold the pads the right way. And the good pad holder is when he/she knows how to collaborate with you while holding the pads. A good pad holder is independent of any instructor.
Focus mitts are also great for your cardio because is a very dynamic workout and there will be always someone who will push you through the same workout.
And also focus mitts work is great because it simulates the fight, you will not be the only one who will punch or kick, also the pad holder can hit you back in order to practice your defense.
Shoot Boxing Drills
Shoot boxing in MMA is when you mix your striking with takedowns.
For example, fainting the punch and shooting for a takedown or fainting the takedown and then landing the punch.
These techniques are a very high percentage because when you faint the takedown your opponent will usually react by putting his hands down in order to defend the takedown and then he leaves his whole face open for some punch or kick.
One of the best fighters who did these techniques very often inside the octagon was Georges St Pierre. His signature moves were to faint the jab and then shoot for the legs or faint the shooting and then jab.
So find some sparring partner who would like to do these drills with you and start practicing, put in some repetitions.
By drilling shoot boxing drills your striking level will raise and also your takedown success rate.
Practice Makes Perfect
In MMA and in life if you want to improve you have to practice more. By often practicing your striking techniques, they will enter your muscle memory, which is a great thing because you will do techniques without thinking about them.
When your practice, make sure you practice with perfect technique, practice both your striking offense and defense.
You can also find three techniques that you like and practice them often, practice them after every training season you have and after some period you will notice that you do these techniques without even thinking about them all the time.
Footwork Drills
Footwork is a combat sports term for the general usage of the legs and feet in stand-up fighting.
Having good footwork is an advantage for striking and is one of the most important aspects of your striking arsenal.
Good footwork can make you control the distance better in a fight and also will develop the ability to move in and out of danger quicker.
Muhammad Ali had the best footwork in all of the combat sports of all time. He was known for his perfect footwork and ability to move quickly around the ring.
One of the best ways to develop good footwork is through an agility ladder, jumping rope, and shadowboxing. And you can do all these exercises at home.
Strength & Conditioning
Strength and conditioning training may not improve your techniques but it will develop your physical strength and cardio to do the techniques more effectively.
Every MMA fighter needs good cardio and endurance in order to do the techniques more effectively in a long fight.
And also strength and conditioning training will develop your punching and kicking power and that’s a good improvement for your striking.
MMA fighters usually train in strength and conditioning two or three times a week and they have different styles of strength and conditioning training it depends on their weight and when they are fighting.
Final Thoughts
There are thousands of ways to improve your striking for MMA and the 8 ways above can help you with that. But whatever you do just be persistent.
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