One of the most important aspects of Brazilian jiujitsu (BJJ) is understanding and improving your guard. The guard is essential for defensive purposes on the bottom while also serving as a weapon to initiate offensive submissions or sweeps; but what is it?

The Guard: the guard refers to the stance that someone who is in the bottom position must take to prevent guard passes and offensive submissions. The guard position is usually taken because of a takedown from your opponent, however, many individuals choose to pull guard and immediately start the match by sitting down and attacking the opponent from the ground. The decision to remain standing or immediately pull guard should depend on your confidence in your guard and your opponent's skill level in the top position. The guard uses your legs and hips to control distance and keep the opponent in front of you.

Unfortunately, there are way too many specific guards and variations of those guards to cover in this blog. However, this blog will review and explain four of the most common types of guards that you will see across nearly every school and gym ranked in no particular order.  

1. Closed Guard

By far the most fundamental and easiest guard to learn, the closed guard involves wrapping your legs around your opponent’s waist and locking your ankles together while minimizing the space allowed for your opponent to move and work out of the guard. This guard is great for controlling your opponent’s posture while allowing you to set up numerous submissions such as the triangle, arm bar, and kimura. This guard also provides options for multiple sweeps including the hip bump sweep and the scissor sweep. Controlling your opponent’s posture is one of the most important tasks when engaging an opponent in your closed guard. If your opponent can ‘posture up’ and create separation, holding on with your legs and maintaining your closed guard will become increasingly difficult. 

The UFC was originally created to determine the most effective martial art in combat. Since then, the sport of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) has evolved with nearly every fighter involved in the sport incorporating techniques of multiple fighting disciplines and styles. However, most fighters specialize in a specific martial art or prefer the techniques of one discipline to the other. For example, Khabib Nurmagomedov specializes in sambo and wrestling while someone such as Alex Pereira prefers to keep the fight standing and strike with his opponent. These two differing styles represent an age-old debate of whether striking or grappling is more effective both in the cage and in real life. In this blog, we will review the arguments for each style and determine which is more important when starting your MMA journey.

In MMA, Cardio is one of the most important factors that can decide the outcome of a fight. To many fighters, cardio is a part of a daily routine that is a mandatory part of their training. However, those with the best cardio at both the professional and amateur levels specifically train cardio that applies to MMA. Although jogging a few miles is great cardio in general, it may not be the most efficient and effective way to spend your time. In this blog, we review five of the best cardio drills that are specific to MMA.

Assault Bike Intervals

The assault bike provides fighters with an amazing cardio workout while also building muscle groups in the legs, arms, and back. It utilizes ‘air-based’ resistance meaning that the faster and harder you pedal, the more resistance the bike will provide. Furthermore, the exercise has a very low impact on your body compared to a high-impact exercise such as running. Three to five rounds of three to five minutes with a 30 to 60-second rest in between each round is a good routine that mirrors the timing and intensity of an actual MMA fight.

Jump-Rope

Using a jump rope to improve your cardio is another exercise that offers ‘MMA specific’ benefits for training and competing. Firstly, Jumping rope allows you to work on your footwork and agility skills while also improving your hand-eye coordination. This exercise, though considered to be high-impact, improves your explosiveness and strengthens your leg muscles. The portability and cheap cost of the jump rope also make this exercise widely available to those who train in mixed martial arts. Specific jump rope drills include high-knees, skipping, the side swing crossover, and the boxer step drill. Three to five rounds of three to five minutes with variations in the specific jump rope drill you are doing should provide an adequate workout for those training and competing. 

Hill Sprints and Stair Runs

Stair runs and hill sprints, similar to the jump rope, improve your cardio, footwork, and agility. These two similar exercises offer more examples of a high-intensity, high-impact workout that greatly increases your leg and core strength. The added mental fortitude gained from repeatedly running hills or stairs will also help you when fighting through fatigue in competition or practice. Doing these exercises in intervals will also further increase your body's ability to recover after short intense bursts of energy. 20-30 seconds of sprinting coupled with 30-60 seconds of rest throughout five to twelve rounds will greatly improve your body's anaerobic ability. 

Swimming

Swimming is a full-body, low-impact, aerobic workout that improves both your endurance and strength. Swimming also increases your lung capacity and ability to control your breathing, both of which, are crucial in a competitive fight. The various styles of swimming also allow you to target specific muscle groups based on your needs. Swimming can also be used as a form of active recovery from the damage acquired in training while still building on your endurance and strength. Whether you are swimming long distances, for speed, or merely treading water, swimming offers a kind of resistance training that is unique in the sense that you are working nearly your entire body. 

Shark-Tank Drills

Shark-Tank Drills include having one individual fight against multiple opponents in a specified amount of time. The constant stream of opponents greatly improves endurance and elevates your ability to fight through adversity. These drills perfectly mirror the intensity and level of cardio necessary for competitions. It also allows you to work on actual MMA techniques while fatigued. This drill is, however, very high-impact and puts immense stress on the body. Despite this, the benefits of improved cardio, the chance to refine your techniques, and the opportunity to fortify your mental strength make shark-tank drills an incredibly useful tool when preparing for competition.

Each of these drills provide the high-intensity, explosive experience that you will undergo when training and competing. With almost every fighter continuously working on their cardio, training intelligently is crucial, and adhering to these workouts will provide you with a slight edge over your opponents. For more tips and technical training, check out the link below to see the wide variety of courses that Coachtube has to offer:

https://coachtube.com/courses/martial-arts

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) is a ground-based martial art that emphasizes taking down and submitting your opponent. Whether you are learning Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for self-defense, as a hobby, or to compete, your first practice or rolling session may seem intimidating. In this article, we review five of the best and most fundamental submissions for beginners of the martial art ranked in no particular order.

Stepping into the gym for one’s first MMA (or any other martial arts) class can produce crippling anxiety. 

Not only is there the inherent feat that the practitioner will make a fool of themselves in front of more experienced peers, but the stakes of failure in a combat sport are much higher (meaning, more painful) than in just about any other sport. 

While all aspiring martial artists will need to enter the gym and test their skills eventually, learning a few basic techniques from a MMA course online is a fantastic way for them to develop their striking base without subjecting themselves to a strict martial arts coach or unforgiving classmates. 

Having a simple, straightforward way for coaches to teach these basic techniques is also a great idea to make the initial MMA endeavor for students more digestible.

And Constellation 52 Global (C52G) has the teaching of MMA striking’s most important techniques down pat. 

Constellation 52 Global (C52G) is a Martial science program based in Maryland that’s dedicated to genuine 52 Blocks Combat, Culture & Fitness, and focuses on the tri-star method of the 52 experience. The program’s “52 Combat” is a stellar Boxing and Self-defense program that is taught by genuine Instructors who have earned their community's respect.

52 Blocks is a simple system but inside its simplicity lays layers of complexity discovered by the practitioner. The number 52 represents the geometry that the hands take while defending/shielding the body from harm.

This is why Constellation 52 Global’s ‘52 Blocks MMA’ course is an excellent tool for new students and martial arts coaches alike. Not only will it teach them how to be an effective striker in MMA, but their course also emphasizes how to shield oneself from harm while delivering offense. And as any martial artist knows, having a solid defensive base is even more important than having a solid offense. 

Basic Strikes

Learning basic MMA techniques can be incredibly beneficial for numerous reasons. Whether you're interested in self-defense, improving your fitness, or exploring a new hobby, MMA training provides a comprehensive skill set that can enhance your physical and mental well-being. 

By learning basic MMA techniques, you'll not only acquire valuable self-defense skills, but also improve your strength, agility, and overall confidence. 

Additionally, MMA training offers a dynamic and engaging workout experience that can help you stay motivated and committed to your fitness goals.

And even if you aren’t planning to become the next UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) world champion, learning MMA is the perfect way to learn how to defend yourself. 

Learning MMA for self-defense can be highly effective due to its focus on a wide range of combat techniques. MMA training encompasses striking, grappling, and submission techniques, providing a versatile skill set for defending against different types of attacks. 

This comprehensive approach to self-defense prepares individuals to handle various real-life situations, making it a practical and valuable form of training for personal safety. Moreover, the conditioning and mental fortitude developed through MMA practice can instill the confidence and preparedness needed to handle threatening encounters.

Stepping into a MMA gym for the first time can be daunting. This is why learning the basic techniques through an online course like that of SBG Idaho makes all of the sense in the world. 

SBG Idaho (formerly known as Combat Fitness) offers world-class training in self-defense, combat athletics, and fitness, as well as incredible opportunities for physical, mental, and emotional growth! At SBG we believe this type of training should be available for EVERYONE – 45-year-old professors, 53-year-old attorneys, 22-year-old MMA fighters, all men, women, and children.

SBG has over 50 thriving locations, all over the world, on every continent (except Antarctica)! From the USA and Canada to Europe, Asia, and Africa – SBG is known all across the globe for its incredible, innovative, and inclusive approach to martial arts training.

With this wealth of worldwide knowledge, SBG Idaho’s ‘MMA Techniques’ course represents your perfect opportunity to reach your Mixed Martial Arta goals, whatever they may be. 

Ankle Pick