Long-range striking is a critical part of your overall MMA game. Your long-range capabilities will help you keep your opponent at the end of your punches and kicks while giving you ample time to react to any takedown attempts. Today, Evolve University is pleased to share a guide on improving your long-range striking game for MMA.
1) Jab
Your lead side will always be the closest to your opponent, whether you are orthodox or southpaw. This makes it an important line of defense and offense.
The most important punch in boxing, and possibly all combat sports, is the jab. Having an educated jab helps you in almost every facet of your MMA game.
You can use your jab to keep your opponent at the end of your strikes or to close the gap to enter the pocket if you are a pressure fighter.
Your jab can also help you exit the pocket back into long range safely. A proficient boxer will be able to land a combination on their opponent, and then move out of range while jabbing.
Your lead leg is your other primary weapon on your lead side. You can throw pushing, snapping, or chopping kicks with your lead leg, giving you many options to suit your individual fight style.
Try to use your lead leg akin to how a boxer would use their jab. Although you can generate knockout power with your lead leg kicks, it is often more useful to use it to disrupt, counter, and off-balance your opponent.
The teep is a staple of Muay Thai and is seen frequently in MMA. The downside to using teeps is the possibility of your opponent catching your foot, and then landing a takedown. To avoid this, you can use a variation called the side teep. This technique allows you to maximize your kicking range by making contact with your opponent sideways, making it significantly harder for them to catch your kick.
3) Switch Kick
The switch kick is a common technique; however, few MMA fighters use it to its full potential. Training and developing your lead switch kick is a potent weapon to add to your MMA arsenal.
The most important part of the switch kick is the switch itself. There are numerous variations, but they share some similar concepts.
The switch itself must be very quick and smooth. Any undue tension or exaggerated motion will only decrease the kick’s efficacy.
One common mistake to avoid is moving both feet at the same time when you switch. Your lead foot should move first. This creates a smoother movement with less telegraph, which helps prevent your opponent from countering.
ONE Championship fighter Jo Nattawut uses a unique switch sometimes called the whisper step. Instead of moving his lead foot backward on the switch, he moves it out to the lead side. This “whisper step” makes the kick come from a slightly different angle, increasing the odds of it landing cleanly.
4) Feints
Feints are integral at a high level and give you a psychological advantage over your opponent. Once you understand how to feint, you truly begin to see fighting as a game of chess.
The most common feint is the jab, sometimes called lead side, feint. This feint involves a combination of moving your feet, hips, shoulders, and hands jerkily to draw a reaction from your opponent.
You can use a feint to gather information on how an opponent defends. You then use that “data” to plan your next strike. This is simple in concept but difficult to execute in the heat of combat.
Feints can also be used to set up movement into or out of the pocket. The rear side feint can be combined with a shuffle step close to a massive amount of distance. Watch the instructional video above for a detailed breakdown of how Israel Adesanya effectively incorporates feints into his game.
Footwork may be the most important aspect of improving your long-range striking game for MMA. Although basic footwork is simple, it can take many years to execute foundational footwork under pressure in sparring or a fight.
The key to adept footwork is balance. If you are able to maintain a balanced weight distribution while moving, you will be able to glide around the octagon with ease.
To help develop this sense of balance, aim to keep sixty percent of your weight on your back foot at all times. There will be exceptions to this, like slipping to your lead side; however, keeping this thought in your mind will help keep you balanced at all times.
The heavy bag is a staple piece of equipment for any combat athlete. It is a versatile tool that can be used for many purposes – including improving your long-range striking game.
It is important to approach the heavy bag with a goal in mind. Since our goal is to improve our long-range striking, we should always look to start and end every sequence out of range.
An easy way to find your range is to simply stick your lead arm out from your fighting stance. If any part of your hand touches the bag, you are in the pocket.
For long range, you want to be at a distance where you can reach your lead arm out and visibly see empty space between your hand and the heavy bag.
From here, practice closing distance using footwork, feints, and parries. Once you are in range, unleash your combination, then return to long range, making sure to use some sort of defensive technique, such as head movement or block and parries.
Practice using the weapons closest to your “opponent”, such as the jab, lead teep, and lead switch kick. Once you are comfortable with this, you will develop a flow, switching between each strike with ease.
We hope the above tips help you improve your long-range striking game for MMA! Let us know which concept helped you the most and happy training!
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