Mid-Range Guard In MMA Personal Training
- jamie03066
- Nov 4, 2025
- 2 min read
28.10.2025
Mid-Range Guard In MMA Personal Training
The fifth hour of my client’s MMA Personal Training ground ’n pound course was dedicated to a comprehensive exploration of the mid-range guard position, with a particular emphasis on the butterfly guard. This session was designed to deepen the participants' understanding of various guard positions, especially as we transitioned into discussions and practical applications of half-guards and knee-shield techniques. The butterfly guard serves as a crucial element in grappling, allowing practitioners to maintain a strong base while also creating opportunities for sweeps and submissions.
Throughout this session, we implemented a structured series of rounds to maximise the learning experience and ensure that each participant could effectively apply the techniques discussed.
MMA Personal Training - Tonight's Lesson Plan
The rounds were organised as follows:
1-2: The first two rounds consisted of 5-minute submission grappling sessions, where all participants were required to wear MMA gloves. This setup was specifically designed to encourage a realistic sparring environment while starting from the mid-guard position, which began in the butterfly guard. The focus during these rounds was on utilising the butterfly guard to initiate sweeps, transitions, and submissions, allowing practitioners to develop their skills in a controlled yet competitive setting.
3-6: The next set of rounds consisted of three 3-minute rounds of MMA sparring, still starting from the mid-guard position. Here, the emphasis shifted slightly to incorporating strikes into the grappling exchanges. This allowed participants to experience the dynamic nature of MMA, where grappling and striking intersect. Practitioners were encouraged to not only defend against strikes while maintaining their guard but also to use their positioning to create openings for effective counter-attacks and submissions.
7-10: In rounds seven through ten, the focus continued with 3-minute rounds of MMA sparring, but this time the participants were positioned against the wall. Sparring in this scenario introduced additional challenges, as the wall limited movement options and required participants to adapt their strategies. This environment simulated real fight conditions where fighters often find themselves cornered or against the cage, necessitating quick thinking and effective use of the mid-guard to maintain control and create escape routes or offensive opportunities.
11: The final round was a 5-minute full MMA round, where participants were encouraged to integrate all the skills they had practiced throughout the session. This round allowed for the application of techniques learned in the earlier rounds, including the transitions from the butterfly guard to half-guard and knee-shield positions, while also incorporating striking and defensive manoeuvres. This comprehensive approach aimed to solidify the participants' understanding of the mid-range guard position in a full MMA context, ensuring they could effectively utilise these skills in future training and competition scenarios.
The lesson finished with our usual warm-down of PNF and static stretching with isometric and mobility exercises.
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