Kicks are an amazing strike to throw, if you can make sure they land. Kicks usually take long to hit their target, which means that your opponent has more time to react and defend. This usually means that your opponent has a better...

Coach Jake Mainini is a veteran Muay Thai fighter with over 20 fights as well as being the head instructor at Hard Knocks Gym located in Boston. Here he coaches many high level fighters who fight in organizations such as the UFC, Glory...

  Fighting is not all about striking as hard as you can. More so, it is the art of finding an opening to attack. Throughout a fight your opponent will inevitably create openings on his own, but it is all the more useful...

The Plumb position is one of the most important positions in Muay Thai clinching. The position is so connected to Muay Thai that it is simply known as the Muay Thai clinch to most MMA fighters. While it isn’t a traditional wrestling position,...

Punches are arguably the most important weapons in any strikers arsenal. This doesn’t change, no matter the sport, whether it’s Boxing, Kickboxing, Muay Thai or Mixed Martial Arts. Punches can not only score knockdowns, knock outs and points but they can also help...

  One of the toughest aspects of fighting for both new and experienced fighters is the creation or elimination of distance. This is in art that has to be timed perfectly to both attack and defend effectively. You need to close distance to...

Conditioning is becoming a bigger and bigger part of training for combat sports. While technique should always be the main focus of your training, as having better technique will improve your conditioning by making your technique more efficient.  While that is true and...

Wrestling is generally considered the most important skill to have in MMA. This not only includes offensive wrestling but also defensive. If you’re able to choose where the fight goes, then you are able to do your best work, whether that be on...

  One of the most dangerous weapons on the human body is the headbutt. The headbutt is so dangerous because the striking surface of your skull is very boney and dense and when you add in the entire body behind it, propelling it...

  Timing, angles, and quick combinations; all are imperative when it comes to good, technical fighting. Waiting for the right moment to strike, jumping into the pocket and landing a quick combination and then getting out. This is what every good fighter trains...

  The jab is the most important strike thrown in just about every stand up striking combat sport. A good jab allows a fighter to dictate the range and pace of the fight, keeping the opponent in their range to perform their desired...

Despite not being the most powerful, and arguably being one of the least powerful in any striker's arsenal, the jab is widely recognized as the most important punch for any striker to learn and master.  The jab can control distance, start off a...

  Fighting a southpaw when you're an orthodox fighter can present a lot of unique problems that the orthodox fighter might not be used to. This is what is known as the southpaw advantage in combat sports. The southpaw advantage is something that...

Most fighters when it comes to striking tend to excel in one range. While there are a ton of different ranges that a striker can work out of, most of the time fighters are classified into two types. These two classifications are inside...

The addition of kicks to combat sports like kickboxing, Muay Thai and MMA fundamentally changes so many aspects of striking. The addition of kicks even changes the way that people punch and fight with their hands. Since kicks are the longest range weapons...

Most takedowns in MMA happen off of the cage. Getting a takedown out in the open in MMA is pretty hard, as it gives your opponent more options to defend themselves with. With your opponent’s back against the cage, you take away their...

  Attack options from the clinch position can sometimes feel minimal. Though there is a larger option of attacks in mixed martial arts as opposed to strictly Jiu-Jitsu, wrestling, or boxing, it is still difficult to find angles and level change from the...

  Benson Henderson is a long time Mixed Martial Artist known for his ability to strike, clinch and grapple all at a very high level. Benson Henderson has notable wins over big name fighters such as Frankie Edgar, Donald Cerrone, Nate Diaz, Patricio...

Cage fighting is a dynamic sport. One minute the two athletes are smashing each other with hands and feet, the next they are on the floor wrestling for position.  The ability to either stay on the feet or too drag the other person...

The ability to counter your opponent’s best strikes is one that can be the difference between a win or a loss in any combat sport. If your opponent prefers to throw one shot in particular and relies on that shot to win in...