Category: Martial Arts Styles & Technique

High kicks are some of the most exciting and dangerous techniques in striking arts. When thrown correctly, they can end a fight instantly. When thrown carelessly, they leave you exposed to counters, takedowns, and injuries.

The key isn’t just being flexible — it’s knowing how to set up high kicks safely so your opponent never sees them coming.

This guide breaks down the smartest setups, angles, feints, and timing strategies that help fighters land cleaner kicks without taking unnecessary risks.

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Head movement is one of the most effective defensive tools in striking. Whether you train MMA, boxing, Muay Thai, or kickboxing, slipping, rolling, and weaving help you avoid punches, counter faster, and stay safe during exchanges. Good head movement isn’t about wild motions — it’s about small, efficient angles that make your opponent miss while keeping you balanced and ready to strike back.

These drills help you build instinctive defense, sharper timing, and better reaction speed.

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Leg kicks can change the entire flow of an MMA fight — slowing an opponent’s movement, breaking their rhythm, and damaging their ability to strike or defend. But the best fighters don’t just absorb leg kicks; they check them, counter them, and turn defense into immediate offense.

Whether you’re a beginner learning the basics or an experienced fighter sharpening your timing, mastering the check-and-counter sequence is one of the most important parts of modern MMA striking.

This guide breaks down how leg-kick defense works, how to check correctly, and the most effective counters you can fire back instantly.

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Dirty boxing is one of the most underrated — yet highly effective — striking styles used in MMA, Muay Thai clinch exchanges, and self-defense situations. It focuses on short-range punches, framing, off-balancing, and hand fighting inside the clinch. While the techniques aren’t “illegal,” they’re called “dirty” because they push right up against the edge of what’s allowed in combat sports.

Elite fighters use dirty boxing to control the clinch, land short damaging shots, wear down opponents, and create openings for takedowns or exits. When mastered, it becomes one of the most efficient ways to strike safely while maintaining positional advantage.

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Hand fighting and pummeling are two of the most important — yet often overlooked — skills in clinch work. Whether you’re fighting in MMA, Muay Thai, wrestling, or grappling, the clinch is a battlefield of micro-adjustments, grip fighting, and positional control. The fighter who wins the hand battle usually wins the clinch.

In MMA, mastering these skills allows you to neutralize strikes, create dominant positions, defend takedowns, and set up your own offense with far more efficiency.

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Great fighters don’t just move — they disappear, reappear, and strike from angles opponents never see coming. Footwork is the engine behind this. Whether you’re cutting off the cage, slipping out of danger, or opening up counterstrike paths, mastering angles turns your movement into a weapon.

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Introduction

One of the first decisions every fighter makes — whether consciously or not — is choosing a stance: orthodox (left foot forward) or southpaw (right foot forward). Your stance shapes everything in a fight: your angles, your power shots, your defense, and even how your opponents approach you.

Some fighters stay loyal to one stance. Others switch fluidly mid-fight to create openings. But no matter your approach, understanding the strengths and weaknesses of each stance helps you build a smarter game plan.

Let’s break down what makes each stance unique — and how to use them to your advantage in MMA.

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Introduction

Ground-and-pound is one of the defining skills of MMA. It blends grappling control with striking power, allowing fighters to deal damage, force openings, and finish fights. But effective ground-and-pound isn’t about wild punches — it’s about control, posture, precision, and timing.

Whether you’re a beginner learning top control or an experienced fighter sharpening your finishing ability, these essentials will help you strike safely and effectively from dominant positions.

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Introduction

Leg locks used to be viewed as risky, unpredictable techniques — but modern grappling has made them a crucial part of MMA and submission fighting. Even if you never plan to become a “leg lock specialist,” every fighter should understand the basics. Knowing how to attack, defend, and stay safe around leg entanglements keeps you calm on the ground and prevents panic when opponents target your legs.

Leg locks aren’t just submissions — they’re a strategy. Here’s how to approach them safely and effectively.

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Introduction

Side control is one of the toughest positions for beginners to escape. When someone is on top of you with heavy pressure, it can feel like you’re stuck with no way out. But escaping side control doesn’t require strength — it requires calmness, smart frames, and small movements that create enough space to recover.

With the right technique, you can stay safe, protect yourself, and work your way back into a better position. Here’s a simple guide to escaping side control safely in MMA.

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