Your First Takedown
THE MMA FIELD GUIDEStriking · Wrestling · Ground fighting
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The beginner’s MMA field guide

Learn MMA: Training Guides, Techniques & Beginner Tutorials

Learn mixed martial arts with practical guides to striking, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu and MMA training. Explore illustrated techniques, beginner schedules, equipment advice and safety information designed to help you understand how MMA works.

Start the beginner path Watch a lesson
Two MMA students working through a controlled wrestling entry in a training cage.
01 / MAT WORK A controlled wrestling entry

Start here

Your first three rounds
01Choose your first gym02Walk into class03Plan your first month

Questions from the gym

Popular MMA questions

All questions →
01Start in wrestling, BJJ or MMA?02Which gloves work for which drill?03How do I avoid skin infections?04How do I spot unsafe sparring?

From the technique notebook

Illustrated techniques

All techniques →
Two staggered stances face one another with a marked gap between the lead feet.A double-leg entry7 illustrated checkpointsThe blue partner lowers toward the legs. A dashed sight line connects the defender to the change in height.Read the shot and sprawl5 illustrated checkpointsTwo examples show a boxing stance and an MMA stance with guards raised and room to move. Neither illustration fixes a universal stance.Boxing stance vs MMA stanceSide-by-side comparison

Learn by discipline

Three ranges of MMA

Connect the ranges →
A student places a jab on her coach’s mitt.
01 / On the feet

Striking

Build a balanced stance for punches, kicks and takedown threats.

The first arrow passes beneath the partner’s upper arm. The second passes over the upper arm from the outside.
02 / In the clinch

Wrestling

Read the entry and find inside position before you chase a finish.

An overhead side-control view puts the top torso crosswise, a mount view shows a straddle, and seated profiles put the controlling athlete behind for back control.
03 / On the mat

Ground fighting

Identify guard, mount and the places where control changes hands.

The training corner

Tools for your next session

Weekly training planner

Fit striking, wrestling, BJJ and strength around your available training days.

Build my week

MMA gym safety checklist

Watch a class, record what you see and spot a warning sign before you sign up.

Check a gym

Training journal

Keep a coach’s correction and one question for your next class.

Write a note

Training cost calculator

Use your own figures to plan a monthly and first-year budget.

Estimate costs

Name the position

Read the legs and hips in four original ground diagrams.

Test your eye

MMA scoring practice

Judge five fictional rounds with a named ABC scoring edition.

Read a round

New rounds in the notebook

Build your next skill

01Orthodox vs southpaw in MMA: read the open stanceRecognise orthodox and southpaw foot positions, lead-hand exchanges and the changes to kicking and takedown distance in an opposite-stance matchup.02Feints for MMA beginners: show, read, resetLearn punch, level-change and footwork feints with a non-contact observation drill, clear success cues and common errors to discuss with your coach.03How to hold pads for MMA: a beginner holder’s guidePrepare a coached pad round with suitable equipment, stable targets, agreed combinations and reset signals before adding MMA-specific transitions.04Learning to land in takedown trainingUnderstand a coach-led breakfall introduction, the receiving partner’s role and the checks that come before higher or faster takedown practice.05Check medicines and supplements before MMA competitionFind the correct anti-doping authority, check medication details in official tools, keep a search record and ask about therapeutic use exemptions.

Kit room

Equipment guides

All gear →
Open-finger training gloves and rolled hand wraps.

4 oz or 7 oz gloves?

Compare two published model sheets and choose by the drill.

Inside the learning corner

Latest educational tutorials

All transitions →
From a boxing combination to a double legFrom the takedown landing to top controlEscaping a takedown against the cageThe technical stand-up from open matDefend punches while keeping your hips ready

Film room

MMA training videos

All films →
▶ Beginner fundamentals

Read a wrestling stance

USA Wrestling

▶ Striking

Spot the flaring elbow on a jab

Fran Sands · MyBoxingCoach

▶ BJJ

Make room to stand from closed guard

Stephan Kesting · Grapplearts, with Elliott Bayev

Corner vocabulary

MMA glossary

Underhook, whizzer, scramble and the positions your coach calls from the mat.

Look up a term