MMA Striking Explained
Posted on 28 March, 2022
The most common base for MMA striking is Muay Thai. This is because Muay Thai allows punches, elbows, kicks, and knees. Aside from 12-6 elbows, every strike that's legal in modern Muay Thai is legal in MMA. Below is a list of striking techniques that are most common in MMA. Reading this will help you really understand what's going on inside the cage.
Techniques
Offense
The most important criteria for winning fights is effective damage. Therefore you need offense. Note that striking can leave you open to a counter, so uneducated offense can lead to devastating counters.
Some strikes have numbers associated with them. Although the numbers can differ based on the gym, I have put the most commonly used number in () next to the name of the strike.
This is not an all encompossing list of offensive strikes, these are just the most common.
Punches
Jab (1)
A straight low commitment, low damage strike. The first punch every striker learns. Serves to help set up the rest of a fighter's offense. Can use it to prod, establish range, disrupt an opponent's rhythm, etc.
Cross / Straight (2)
A straight punch with your power hand.
Hook (3 for lead hand, 4 for rear hand)
Uppercut (5 for lead hand, 6 for rear hand)
Overhand
A strike that loops from the top down.
Shovel Hook
In-between a hook and an uppercut. It comes from a 45 degree angle and can be harder to defend due to its rarity.
Superman Punch
A punch where you pull back a leg while you strike to increase power and cover more distance. Generally done after a legkick feint.
Casting Punch (uncommon)
A punch common in Sambo. Only done used by MMA fighters who have a background in Sambo like Fedor. Designed to also help you grab the back of your opponent's gi (a quality not useful in modern MMA).
Rabbit Punch (illegal)
A strike to the back of the head. Because it can hit the brainstem, it is illegal in MMA.
Bolo Punch (extremely uncommon)
A punch from a Filipino martial art.
Elbows
Link to list of elbow strikes. I may populate this myself in the future to talk about the elbow strikes in an MMA context. The only big thing to note right now is that the downward elbow (12-6 elbows) are illegal in MMA, but legal in Muay Thai.
Kicks
There are many kicks that are legal in MMA. Especially if you consider a variation of the kick to be a separate kick (is a jumping roundhouse the same as a roundhouse)? I listed below the most common kicks you see in MMA.
Roundhouse Kick
Generally aimed at the torso or the head of your opponent
Switch Kick
Step Up Kick
Push Kick/Teep
Front Kick
Side Kick
Backkick
Low Kick
Oblique Kick
Calf Kick
Rolling Thunder (Uncommon)
Axe Kick (Uncommon)
Crescent Kick (Uncommon)
Knees
List of knee strikes in Muay Thai. Most common are the straight knee, the diagonal knee, long knee, and the flying knee. You'll see the small knee a lot when the fighters are pushed up against the fence and their hands are pre-occupied.
Defense
Defending Punches
Guards
High Guard / Shelling Up
Put both hands up to your eyebrows, touching your head. Have the back of your hands face away from you. The simplest of guards and easiest to pull off. Covers your entire face with your fists and forearms. The downside of this static guard is that in MMA, the gloves can fit between or behind the spaces of the guards. It also lets your opponent punch the rest of your body without repercussions.
Long Guard
Instead of keeping your hands close to your head, you extend them. This can help you maintain distance and push your opponent away. Generally used by longer fighters.
Philly Shell
Popularized by Floyd Mayweather. UFC fighter Bobby Green pulls this off very well. Your front hand is near your belly button and your rear hand is up protecting your head. You use your shoulder to protect the other side of your head.
Head Movement
Slips
Bobs
Weaves
Parries
Defending Hooks
Checking
When an opponent tries to kick your leg or body, you can lift up your leg to block their kick with the hard bone of your shin. Instead of hitting the soft parts of your body/leg, they will instead hit your bone. It does hurt to check a kick, but it hurts to get your kicked check more. Either way, it's better than allowing them to get a free kick on you.
Catching Kicks
You can catch any kicks that the opponents throw. After catching a kick, you can off-balance your opponent to make it easier to land your own strike or to take them down. It's generally good practice to move in the same direction as the kick you are catching to take the sting off.
Counters
coming soon
Guide to Stances in this post
Distance
Distance is the amount of space between the fighters. Striking distance refers to 2 fighters being in range of each others strikes. MMA striking distance is farther than the distance of any other striking sport because of the threat of both kicks and takedowns, both attacks that can cover long distances.
Long range strikes
Front kicks/teeps, calf kicks, oblique kicks
Medium Range strikes
Roundhouse Kicks, Jab, Cross,
Short Range
Hooks, Uppercuts
Kicking Range
This is when fighters can hit each other with kicks but are too far to hit each other with punches
In the Pocket
When one fighter has
Combos
When you strike with your right hand, you start with your shoulders and hips turned clockwise and end with them turned counter-clockwise. When you strike with your left hand, you start with your shoulders and hips turned counter-clockwise and end with them turned clockwise. Because the end position of one strike is the ideal starting position for a strike from the other side of your body, combinations are generally built by alternating strikes from your left and right side of your body. There are many exceptions to this rule, sometimes where the exact same strike is thrown twice (called doubling up). These exceptions can serve to confuse the opponents.
Feints
Feinting is when you fake a strike. You can fake any strike. There are a few benefits for feinting.
1. To dull their reaction
If they see they stop reacting to a feint that encompasses the first half of a strike, when you actually strike, they will be slow to react.
2. To see how they react & create openings
If you feint a strike, you can see what defense they would use if it was a real strike without comprimising your position. You can then throw a strike that takes advantage of the opening that their defense caused. (E.g. feint a strike to their head, their hands come up leaving their body exposed, then strike the body)
Cage Generalship
Why it Matters
Cage Cutting
Escaping the Fence
Attacking the Body