Being successful in combat sports takes more than just lifting weights, practising techniques and hitting the pads. Working hard in the gym will only get you into the cage or the ring, once the bell rings the fight goes beyond your training. You...

Catching kicks is a big part of Muay Thai, as Fighters spend most of their time in the kicking range because punches don't score many points. This makes defending kicks a crucial subject, and Muay Thai fighters are known for their beautiful, beautiful...

Body shots are what separates the best from the rest most of the time, but they don’t get enough credit for their immense impact on the fight; using body shots is money in the bank as they accumulate and slow our opponent.  ...

  If someone asked you to explain boxing, what would you say? Probably something about a sport or fight in which two people try to punch each other. You wouldn’t be wrong either. Pugilism, as the sport is also known, literally translates to...

  At the highest levels, boxing is an intricate interplay between the tactics and strategies of two finely trained combatants. Fighters must be schooled in the complexities of moving their feet, throwing punches, and defending punches. Beyond knowledge of these basic components, elite...

  A good front kick is paramount to delivering devastating body blows and heart-stopping head shots while trying to keep your distance in an MMA match. When done correctly, different front kicks can be executed fast and without much energy-draining effort. They are...

Add This Gnarly Feint To An Up Elbow Into Your Arsenal And Become Even More Dangerous On The Feet With Edson Barboza  Having good technique for throwing elbows can totally reshape your whole game. Hitting an opponent with a good elbow in the...

Being able to move while punching is a solid skill to have when it comes to striking. This is something that a lot of newer fights struggle with, especially if they only train their punches and don’t really develop their footwork.  It’s natural...

Having the ability to set traps while in the ring or in the octagon can dramatically change the outcome of a fight. Take for example George Foreman against heavyweight champion Michael Moorer in 1994. Foreman was 45 years old at the time and...

If you’re getting ready for a competition or just brushing up on your kickboxing skills, knowing how to dispatch a killer round kick to the head or body of your opponent makes all the difference in the world. While seemingly rudimentary, the round...

When it comes to inside fighting, most people need some work to get really good at it. While there are a certain set of fighters who are capable of handling the stress of an inside fight from the get go, for most people...

A Series Of New Frontiers In the early 2000s, mixed martial arts was still developing. Still less than a decade removed from the advent of ground fighting that came with Royce Gracie’s rise to fame, the sport was already poised for another revolution....

  The type of takedown you implement in a fight will determine your positioning and where you land on the ground. Whether in the cage, in the street, or on the mats in a grappling setting. When Jared Gordon goes for a double...

An Underrated Weapon If you walk into just about any striking program for your first class, you’ll be shown the basic motion of boxing’s most used, most valuable, and most overlooked technique: the jab. Throwing an effective jab can not only help you...

The roundhouse kick is probably the most iconic kick in existence. It’s the kick that you see the most in movies, TV shows, video games and even in actual martial arts competitions. The roundhouse kick is popular for a reason, it’s so effective...

Low kicks are becoming more and more popular in MMA, especially when it comes to calf kicks. We are just now realizing the damaging effects that calf kicks can have on a fighter in MMA. For a while, most people only threw low...

If you want to get your striking game better, you have to know how to shake a punching bag. Not only will bag work help the everyday striker develop their skills and build stamina, but it also can help a fighter’s footwork if...

  When dealing with MMA or other combat sports, understanding the distance between you and your opponent is crucial. Often fighters will throw punches or kicks that really have little bearing on controlling the space. Understanding deeper concepts that lull fighters into positions...

The teep is one of the foundational strikes in Muay Thai; the teep can use it to initiate attacks, defend from strikes, dictate the pace, keep the distance, feint, and deceive. As you can see, the teep covers so many areas in such...

People like to think that when they see a defensive movement they will be able to replicate it in real time under pressure. While that would be nice, it is unfortunately not the case. While you might know how to defend against a...