MMA Defense: Mixed martial arts have become quite popular recently. It enables martial artists from various styles to compete against one another while applying a variety of fighting techniques. Mixed martial arts is a reliable self-defense technique that may be used by anybody, regardless of age or gender. One underrated benefit of practising MMA, whether for the octagon or for self-defense, is the ability to defend oneself. Today, we are pleased to offer recommendations for boosting MMA defense.
Techniques For MMA Defense Improvement
1) High Guard
It’s simple and effective to change your guard in order to strengthen your MMA defense. The conventional high guard, which is used first in all combat sports, should be used. The majority of headshots can be blocked in boxing, kickboxing, and muay thai by raising your gloves to the region between your cheek and eyebrows; however, four-ounce MMA gloves are much smaller, necessitating the raising of your high guard to the region between your eyebrows and forehead. Petr “No Mercy” Yan is a fighter with an exceptionally educated high guard.
2) Cross Guard
The following guard that you might use is the cross guard. This guard has a number of advantages for both self-defense and the octagon, even though conventional boxers favour using it. The cross guard is similar to the Philly shell in that your rear arm is stretched across your head and your rear hand is placed on the lead shoulder. Position your rear elbow in front of your face to block punches or hooks to the body or head that are powerful. If a foe attempts to strike your chin and hits your elbow, they may also get hand injuries. Yoel Romero was one MMA fighter who often and effectively used the cross-guard.
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3) Long Guard
The extended guard, which is frequently seen in Muay Thai, is another practical guard. This guard maintains your lead hand extended as a measuring tool to obstruct an opponent’s attack routes. From a high guard to being draped over your jaw or brow like a cross guard, your rear hand can be in a variety of positions.
Sean O’Malley vs. Peter Yan is one match that exemplifies this. The long guard is used by both combatants to gauge their reach and plan assaults. In his most recent match against Aljamain Sterling, Sean O’Malley also utilised the long guard to set up his knockout and win the UFC bantamweight championship.
4) Philly Shell
The Philly shell for MMA is the final kind of guard we’ll talk about. The Philly shell, made popular by Floyd “Money” Mayweather in boxing, may be useful in an MMA setting when employed judiciously. Your lead arm is draped over your body in the Philly shell to protect your core, and your rear arm is raised in a high guard posture. The lowering lead arm may be a potent weapon to defend takedowns and win the grappling match in MMA. The lead arm of the Philly shell stance may be utilised to grab an underhook, which is essential for controlling and preventing a takedown if an opponent goes for a takedown or tries to clinch.
Footwork
Although switching up your guard is crucial, many fighters and instructors believe that your first and most crucial line of defense is your feet. Which combatant leads the dance and at what distance is determined by footwork? You should be able to move freely at first without crossing your feet in any direction. Work on your stepping and pushing techniques. You may, for instance, step with your lead foot and then shift your back foot into your stance, or you might push off of your back foot and charge forward. Regardless of the movement you favour, make sure to reposition yourself in a defensively sound manner between each stride by going back to your stance.
Many high-level fighters are proficient at altering stances, despite the fact that it was originally thought to be technically improper. The simplest straightforward approach to switch is to just take a stride forward or backwards into the other posture. By doing this, you may establish fresh perspectives, engage or leave a conversation, and even prepare a knockout blow. It is recommended to extend a lengthy guard with the lead arm of the new stance you are moving into to prevent being struck or brought down while doing so.
To prevent your opponent from taking advantage of the brief moment when you are out of stance, for instance, while moving from orthodox to southpaw, extend your right arm while stepping your right leg forward into southpaw. This together with fundamental straight punches and movement will give you a very evasive style.
The da da da drill, developed by Barry Robinson, is one exercise that promotes flexibility and fluent footwork while going around the ring. You must do a lateral gallop while maintaining your posture, followed by a quick pivot of less than a quarter turn. Using this footwork pattern, you may safely circle an opponent from beyond their striking distance.
The Locche Drill is another exercise to train lateral mobility and defensive accountability. A fighter initiates it by moving laterally in the direction of their lead side, then executes a down block after stepping laterally once again. This simulates blocking a single-leg takedown attempt from the opposition. Then you take a step back and throw a lead hook and a cross. Repeat this exercise while moving fluidly around an item in the centre of the octagon to improve your takedown defense and mobility.
Feinting
Another sophisticated idea that may be applied both offensively and defensively is feinting. By producing a move that gives the impression that a certain strike is being thrown, you are, in essence, tricking someone. Although there are many different feints, the rear hip feint and the jab feint are the two most popular in MMA. The jab feint is an abrupt, jerky action that resembles the start of a jab. By doing this, you can gauge how your opponent will respond. Knowing whether they will parry, block, or shift their head will help you decide which blow to use next to surprise them.
For instance, if your opponent parries in response to your jab fake, you can feign the jab and then unleash a lead hook to catch them off guard. To simulate the start of a rear low kick, perform the rear hip feint. This may be utilised to prolong a check so you can kick the standing leg or suddenly launch into a lengthy jab-cross combo.
Head Movement
In addition to providing additional protection from knockout punches, the head movement also positions the body for counterattacks. To escape punches and even kicks, basic head motions include ducking, sliding, and rolling. A solid rule of thumb is to move your head either after a combination or while delivering a powerful punch or kick.
Improved Striking
Enhancing your hitting ability makes you more effective offensively while also making you more secure defensively. Being able to hit hard might deter an adversary or assailant from closing the distance and engaging you in a battle. getting able to land blows quickly while avoiding getting struck exhausts your opponent and keeps you safe. Although your body type and personal preferences may determine your striking technique, it’s still necessary to know how to defend yourself both within and outside. In a self-defense scenario, fighting from the outside allows you to attack your adversary while you remain safe or discover a way to flee.
When you can’t flee an engagement, infighting allows you to stay safe while either killing your opponent or convincing them to stop fighting. By honing your shadowboxing technique and enhancing your physical conditioning, you may improve your hitting.
To enhance your MMA defense, try these techniques and exercises. Although many fighters aim to knock their opponent out, being a good defender is a far more valuable ability for the octagon and any other circumstance where you might need to protect yourself.
These are the techniques For MMA Defense improvement. Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.
