The Beginner’s Guide to Practicing Mixed Martial Arts

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Learn to strike, grapple and wrestle with our helpful guide

Co-authored by David Engel

Last Updated: March 7, 2024 Approved

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Signing Up

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Going to Class

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Honing Your Skills

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Expert Q&A

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Tips

Mixed martial arts, or MMA, is an exciting fighting sport that showcases a variety of martial arts disciplines from around the world. Contemporary MMA fighters must become proficient in striking skills, grappling, and wrestling. To start training in MMA, you'll need to sign up for classes and hone your newly learned skills with consistent practice. With the right level of dedication and skill, you can to train and compete at a high level.

Things You Should Know

Sign up for a class in Mauy Thai kickboxing, boxing, Tae Kwon Do, or Karate, depending on what MMA discipline you’re interested in.
Protect yourself with necessary gear, including a mouth guard, hand wraps, gloves, headgear, and shin guards.
Great MMA fighters are persistent. Don’t give up after your class, and keep honing your skills by practicing at home and with your classmates.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Signing up For Classes

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1
Determine the striking style you want to learn. If you want to be a well-rounded fighter, you'll want to develop solid punching and kicking skills. The most common stand up disciplines in MMA are Muay Thai kickboxing, boxing, Tae Kwon Do, and Karate. Watch fighters that practice the fighting disciplines that you're interested in to help you decide on what styles you want to pursue.
- Muay Thai concentrates on punches, ring movement, and kicks.
- American boxing focuses heavily on punches.
- Tae Kwon Do and Karate focus on punches and kicks.
2
Decide on which grappling discipline you want to train. Striking skills must be combined with grappling and wrestling skills if you want to be a well-rounded fighter. Common grappling styles include Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Judo, Greco-Roman wrestling, and American wrestling.
- Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioners specialize in gaining a superior grappling position as well as choking and submitting their opponent.
- Judo concentrates on locks and throws.
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3
Search online for classes in your area. Do a search online and look for gyms, dojos, and clubs that offer fighting or martial arts classes in your area. See if you can find general MMA classes that have both striking and grappling included in their curriculum. If a hybrid gym doesn't exist, you may have to go to more than one gym to build both your grappling and striking skills.^{[1]
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- If you don't live in a major city there may not be classes for the particular styles that you want to learn. Stay flexible.
- Sites like FindMMAGyms and Fight Resource have an archive of MMA gyms across the U.S.A.
- For instance, if there are no MMA gyms near you, you can sign up for both kickboxing and jiu-jitsu classes separately.
4
Watch instructional videos if your options are limited. If you don't have a stand-up or grappling gym in your area, you can supplement some of your training with online instructional videos. Search online and find instructional videos made by professionals and watch them to fill the gaps in your training.
- Nothing can beat in-person training.
5
Call the gym and schedule your first class. Once you find the gyms in your area, you should call them and schedule your first class. Some gyms offer a trial class that's free of charge if it's your first time training.
- When you call you can say something like "Hello, I've never trained before but I wanted to register for my first class. When is the next introductory class and how much does it cost?"
6
Get the gear you need for your first class. Typically you'll be expected to get your own mouth guard and cup. Other gyms will require you to buy a gi or other fighting gear. You should wear a regular T-shirt and gym shorts to most first classes, but make sure to ask the trainer to see if there's anything specific you need to wear.
- Other fighting gear includes gloves, hand wraps, shin guards and headgear.^{[2]
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- If you don't have any gear, ask if they have equipment that you can borrow.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Going to Your First Class

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Everyone was a beginner at some point, so they understand what it's like to be new at MMA. The people at the gym are there to learn and become better fighters so don't act like a hotshot or you'll give off a bad first impression. Be nice to the people you meet, keep a positive attitude, and be receptive to advice.^{[3]
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When you start training it's important that you follow all of the instructions given by your instructor. If you don't, you could injure yourself or someone else. Pay close attention to everything your instructor has to say and try to execute the moves exactly as you're taught.^{[4]
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Expert Source

David Engel
Muay Thai Instructor & Self Defense Trainer

Expert Interview. 5 May 2020.}
During your first couple of classes, you may feel like you have something to prove, but you don't. You might be tempted to go full intensity as soon as you hit the mat or ring, but this will just make you exhausted and unable to train further. Remember to breathe deeply and try to execute the moves and work on your technique rather than exhausting all of your energy.^{[5]
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If you don't have experience with martial arts, it's possible that you'll be sparring against someone more experienced. Don't expect to be amazing at fighting if you've had no training. It will most likely take you a lot of hours and work training before you can compete in your gym. It's important to keep this in mind so that you don't get discouraged.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Honing Your Skills

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To get better at MMA, you'll need to become proficient in basic strikes and grappling techniques. The basic punches include hooks, jabs, straights, and uppercuts. ^{[6]
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Research source} You'll also want to learn basic push and roundhouse kicks. In grappling, you'll want to learn the different positions and how to do basic moves like armbars, triangle chokes, and the rear naked choke.^{[7]
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Going to class regularly will keep your skills sharp and can keep you in shape. Try not to take too much time off in between classes when you're starting off. Go to at least three classes per week and then pace yourself to see how many classes you feel comfortable going to each week.^{[8]
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While being sore is natural, you don't want to overdo it. When you get physically fatigued, overly sore, or injured, take time off from training and let your body recover. If you don't let your body recover from training, you can become weaker and less focused. Fatigue, weakness, decreased performance, and constant muscle soreness are signs of overtraining.^{[9]
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4
Spar with your classmates. Sparring is the portion of your training when you get to test your technique on a fellow classmate. Don't be scared to exchange punches and kicks with your classmate. When sparring, go in with an end goal in mind, like scoring a flush roundhouse kick or working to improve your distance making with your jab.^{[10]
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- Work on perfecting the basics on a moving target, and remember to pace yourself.
- The goal of sparring is to perfect your technique, not to hurt your opponent.
- It's good manners to shake your opponent's hand before and after sparring.
- Sparring partners will often try to match your intensity, so expect to get what you give.
Rolling is when you practice your grappling techniques on a classmate without incorporating strikes. Grappling and wrestling can be grueling, and it takes a lot of endurance, so take your time and pace yourself. Practice getting out of tough situations, gaining superior positioning, and trying various submissions.
Even though training and practicing technique is essential, it's also important that you work to improve your strength and endurance. Squats, deadlifts, and bench presses combined with regular sprinting, jump rope, and stretching will make you stronger, quicker, and more flexible. Designate one or two days a week in your training to work on your strength and conditioning along with your technique training.^{[11]
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Make sure to check with the local governing body for fighting sports in your state before you sign up to compete so that you're aware of all rules and regulations. Typically when you're ready to fight, your gym or trainer will help you register for an organized competition. Talk to them and make a decision on which kind of competition or fight you want to compete in.^{[12]
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Keep track of the things you're eating by writing down the different meals that you have throughout the day and counting your calorie and nutrient intake. You'll want to hydrate yourself and maintain a diet that's high in protein and carbohydrates. If you're training heavily, try to maintain a diet of 1 gram (0.035 oz) of carbs and protein per pound that you weigh. Your diet should also contain plenty of omega-3 fats and traditional vitamins and minerals.^{[13]
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Expert Q&A

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Question

How long does it take to learn mixed martial arts?

David Engel
Muay Thai Instructor & Self Defense Trainer
David Engel is a Muay Thai Instructor and Self Defense Trainer based in the San Francisco Bay Area. With over 15 years of martial arts instruction and training experience, David runs California Martial Athletics with co-owner Joe Chernay. He has created and maintained martial arts programs at Rise Combat Sports in San Francisco and Round 5 Martial Arts Academy in San Leandro, with a mission to provide students with a level of comfort and competency that manifests both within and outside the martial arts context. He is also a registered cornerman for amateur and pro competitors under the IKF (International Kickboxing Federation). David was the youngest apprentice instructor of the Thai Boxing Association of America under Ajarn Chai Sirisute (2009), and was a top-ranked amateur competitor in his weight class (127-130 lb) in California between 2013 and 2015.

David Engel

Muay Thai Instructor & Self Defense Trainer

Expert Answer

The journey is different for everyone and it depends on how hard you work at it. I'd recommend you get started with a good instructor and go to train three times a week. Combine your training with running, cycling, or swimming and get in shape! Take your time and let yourself grow as a fighter; don't rush to start sparring or anything.

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Can I mix my own fighting style with the MMA fighting style?

Community Answer

Mixed martial arts is an improvised version of any fighting style you've learned. It's your choice, you could make a mix that is defensive or offensive -- there are different styles for different scenarios, so it's your choice.

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How can I become a really good MMA fighter?

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You can become a good fighter by training. The more hours you spend on training, the better you are going to be.

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Tips

Watch MMA fight tapes to observe skilled fighters and see how they react in different situations.

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Include core exercises in your workout routine. Strong core muscles will help your techniques be more powerful and explosive.

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Tips from our Readers

The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.

Learn to healthily channel your anger through your strikes. This doesn't mean your strikes should be unnecessarily violent, but they can help you release your anger and find more power in your technique.
Remember that it's okay to be beat, that's part of the sport. Tap out if you need to, it's not a sign of weakness and it's a way to avoid getting hurt or suffocated.
Learn a few takedown techniques, like the single leg or ankle pick takedowns. A takedown can be the difference between winning and losing during a close match.

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