Have you tried?
When you’re in a social setting and you meet people that just watch MMA or have only just started MMA, you get some pretty interesting questions.
As with any sport looking in from the outside, MMA can seem very simple. Throw a punch, throw a kick, block your head – simple. There are numerous “experts” sitting on the couch watching at home. As such, we are going to look at some of the most common questions I get from people about MMA.
Why don’t you just knee someone in the face when they go for a takedown?
This would be the most common question, especially after Masvidal vs. Askren. Well the answer is simple. People who know what they are doing will set up the takedowns with punches. This is used to get the opponent’s head and hands up, allowing someone to get underneath and get the takedown. If you are on the receiving end of one of these, it all happens really, really fast. And to have the reactions to lift that knee is unlikely and ineffective. This is because they are already in close by the time they shoot for the takedown. When they go for the takedown, the head is up, so at best you will knee them in the belly. Where it can work is if someone does a crappy takedown, where they set it up from miles away and run in with their eyes facing the mat and arms out straight – called the zombie takedown (because you are dead).
Why don’t they just stand up?
This is from the guys that have played rugby or have ‘wrestled’ with their friends. They have been able to beat their friends in wrestling, usually when everyone is 5 beers deep. Therefore, they think they are genuinely good grapplers. Anyone that has grappled with anyone who is good knows that you are fighting for your life to not get submitted. Every move that you make sinks you deeper in the quicksand. There are times when people can create a scramble and get up, but once you are on your back it is really difficult to get to a better position let alone getting back to your feet.
Why do they just lean against the fence?
This usually comes out of frustration for people, as this part of MMA isn’t particularly exciting to watch. Anyone who has experienced it, though, knows how much hard work it is. If your back is against the fence, you’re working hard to not get taken down and also to get off the fence. You have to be very smart with your energy expenditure. Against someone good you are stuck against the fence, and every little move you make, they counter and keep you pinned then give you a punch in the face for your trouble. This wears you down both physically and mentally. Against a good striker it is a smart move to pin them against the cage as it makes it very difficult for them to hurt you with punches with such little space to work.
Why are their hands low when striking?
This usually comes from people with boxing backgrounds. Compared to traditional boxing, MMA striking is a lot different. This is down to the little gloves; it is not sustainable to take punches on the gloves like in boxing. The little gloves in MMA do not have the same padding which means it hurts more and there are more gaps. As the gloves you are being hit with are smaller and you have more gaps if you defend only via covering up, it’s only a matter of time before a punch gets through. This means that the striking is based more on head and foot movement – you will also see that a lot of fighters throw one or two shots. There are not as many combos and the counter punch is a massive concern. There is also the element that when your hands are on your head defending punches your feet are still and you are not able to defend a takedown very well.
Is it hard to punch someone on the ground?
From the view of boxing or street fighting, when someone is on the ground they have been knocked down, this makes them a very easy target. As they are rattled from the punch knocking them down and it is very easy to hit them. However, in MMA, you are on the ground and you are not dazed and there is an entire method for defending ground and pound. If you have a skilled opponent on the ground, you are working hard just to keep them there, if you make space to throw a big shot that could give them enough space to get out and put you on your back. When you watch Khabib fight, he has taken ground and pound to another level. Where he ties up an arm, so their defence is compromised and hits them hard and often.
Why don’t they do low singles?
From people with a bit of an idea. The reason for this is if you miss the takedown, you are on your hands and knees in front of standing opponent which makes you very vulnerable. There has been some success with this takedown but the costs massively outweigh the benefits.
Why don’t they do more leg locks?
This is because to finish ankle/leg locks you need to take your weight of your opponent and lay down on your back (there are exceptions to this). In general, though, you need to be where you opponents’ feet and legs are and that is on the mat more often than not. This can mean you are on your back wrapped around a leg with them standing, when you realise that you are not going to get the lock a punch comes slamming down on your face. Again, there has been success with ankle/leg locks over the years, but generally they are specialists in that area to get success. For the rest of us, the cost outweighs the possible benefit.
Whatever the move is, it has been tried before. There will always be people that can do something off script. For the rest of us we have to stick to what we know works and avoid bad positions and do our best to keep the opponents in bad places – that is how you win.
Gareth Lewis
Head MMA Instructor