Maximising Your Ground Game Mastery: Effective Strategies in MMA Personal Training
- jamie03066
- Nov 30
- 4 min read
25.11.2025
When it comes to MMA, the ground game often decides the outcome of a fight. After training my client for seven years through various MMA Personal Training sessions, we recently focused on the ninth lesson of his course, which zeroes in on ground fighting. This lesson was crucial because it covered fighting from the guard position—a fundamental skill that every MMA fighter must master to control the fight and create opportunities to win.
In this post, I will share insights from this penultimate lesson, breaking down the priorities and strategies for fighting from guard. Whether you are new to MMA or looking to sharpen your ground game, these practical tips will help you improve your control, defense, and offensive options from the bottom.
Understanding the Guard Position in MMA
The guard position places the fighter on their back with the opponent on top, controlling from above. Unlike Submission Grappling or Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, MMA allows strikes from the top position, which makes fighting from guard more challenging. The bottom fighter must constantly balance defense against strikes while seeking openings to stand up, sweep, or submit.
The main objectives for the fighter holding guard are:
Stand up to return to a neutral position
Sweep to reverse positions and gain top control
Submit to finish the fight with a submission hold
The top fighter’s goals are to:
Land light, controlled strikes (five punches/elbows to the head or three knees to the body if in half-guard)
Pass the guard completely to establish dominant control
Submit the bottom fighter, often using leg locks
This dynamic creates a constant battle of control, timing, and technique.
Structuring Training for Guard Mastery
In our 1.5-hour MMA Personal Training session, we divided the lesson into seven rounds of five minutes each. The first round was free sparring to warm up and get a feel for the flow. The next six rounds focused exclusively on the guard position, split into three pairs of rounds with specific goals for the bottom fighter:
Rounds 2 and 3: Fight to stand up
Rounds 4 and 5: Fight to sweep
Rounds 6 and 7: Fight to submit
During these rounds, the top fighter worked on their objectives of striking, passing guard, or submitting. This setup created realistic scenarios where both fighters had clear goals, encouraging strategic thinking and technical execution.
Fighting to Stand Up from Guard
Standing up from guard is often the first priority for a bottom fighter because it resets the fight to a more neutral position. The challenge is to create enough space and control to safely get to your feet without exposing yourself to strikes or guard passes.
Key strategies include:
Establishing strong grips on the opponent’s wrists or sleeves to control their posture
Using hip escapes (shrimping) to create space and break the opponent’s base
Placing feet on the opponent’s hips or thighs to push away and gain leverage
Timing your stand-up attempt when the opponent’s weight shifts or they commit to a strike
In our training, my client focused on explosive hip movement combined with grip control to create openings. Practicing this under light pressure helped him build confidence and muscle memory.
Sweeping from Guard to Gain Top Control
Sweeps allow the bottom fighter to reverse positions and take the top spot, which is a significant advantage in MMA. Sweeps require timing, leverage, and the ability to off-balance the opponent.
Common sweeps practiced included:
Scissor sweep: Using one leg to cut across the opponent’s body while pulling with the arms
Hip bump sweep: Using a sudden hip thrust to roll the opponent over
Flower sweep: Combining grips and leg movement to flip the opponent
During the rounds focused on sweeping, the top fighter aimed to maintain posture and avoid being off-balanced, while the bottom fighter worked on setting up sweeps through grips and movement. This drill helped my client understand how to create momentum and capitalize on the opponent’s mistakes.
Submitting from Guard in MMA
Submission attempts from guard are often the most exciting and high-risk moves. In MMA, submissions must be balanced with defense against strikes, making timing and control essential.
We focused on submissions that work well from guard in MMA, such as:
Armbar: Isolating the opponent’s arm and extending the hips to apply pressure
Triangle choke: Using the legs to trap the opponent’s neck and arm
Guillotine choke: Catching the opponent’s neck during a takedown attempt
My client practiced setting up submissions by controlling posture and creating openings with strikes or sweeps. The top fighter’s goal was to defend submissions while landing light strikes or attempting guard passes.
Why MMA Personal Training Makes a Difference
Training with a dedicated coach over several years allows for tailored progressions and focused skill development. MMA Personal Training provides:
Individualized feedback to correct mistakes and improve technique
Realistic sparring scenarios that simulate fight conditions
Structured lesson plans that build skills step-by-step
Motivation and accountability to stay consistent
The guard-focused lesson is a perfect example of how personalized training helps fighters develop a well-rounded ground game that works in real fights.
Final Thoughts on Improving Your Ground Game
Mastering fighting from guard requires patience, practice, and strategic thinking. By prioritizing standing up, sweeping, and submitting, you create multiple pathways to control the fight and avoid being dominated from the bottom. Training in rounds with clear objectives sharpens your ability to react under pressure and adapt to your opponent’s moves.
If you want to improve your ground game, consider investing in MMA Personal Training. Working closely with a coach who understands your strengths and weaknesses will accelerate your progress and prepare you for real fight scenarios.
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