MMA Anti-Grappling (diary entry)

07.09.16   Tonight I decided to keep the ongoing theme of MMA training with my client despite coming to the end of an extended course. Anti-grappling can mean two different things when it comes to the world of combat systems. For the purpose of looking at principles behind anti-grappling strategies, I think it is important to discuss both types of anti-grappling.   It is an essential part of rudimentary self-defence hard skills training due to the fact that humans naturally grapple each in an unarmed fight situation. We seem to be genetically hardwired to do this even more than our fellow primates who all have proportionately larger and better developed teeth. We want to grab weapons and if we cannot then we grab people. Without a reasonable amount of practical training and pressure-testing in grappling, the average person will have little hope against a larger and stronger enemy. Anti-grappling should consist of learning how to strike when being grappled, over-riding our natural instinct to meet strength with strength in a wrestling match. Tactics such as eye gouges and biting are typical examples of self-defence orientated anti-grappling, but the user must understand the importance of positioning and balance too.

  Anti-grappling in the world of MMA has some similarities with its self-defence relation. The anti-grappler needs to understand grappling better though and should have a firm foundation. He is not in a fight where his main objective is to escape. He needs to dominate and win. Anti-grappling might be part of an overall strategy or a momentary tactic. In the former case the fighter, for whatever reason, has decided to play a stand-up game with his opponent. In the latter case the fighter has got into a position where he doesn’t feel it is advantageous to continue grappling and needs to disengage.   We warmed up with some mirror footwork and very light contact stand-up sparring to promote flow. This was interrupted with intervals of sprawling routines. We moved onto some grip fighting that progressed onto clinch-work, including striking. From here we looked at our first technique. One of the first anti-grappling techniques I learnt was breaking a single necktie hold, which is the first attacking point of contact often initiated in stand-up grappling. Here we drilled breaking the hold and following up with a cross and a jab. The breaking movement fed in like a jab, allowing the cross to flow down the same attack route. Like all good cross training, where possible, grips and strikes are delivered in a similar fashion to avoid telegraphing. We later added a rear leg round kick. Next we moved onto breaking the plumb position, setting up for a diagonal knee. I find that an over the top break of this hold often pushes the opponent’s head down for a high round kick, so we drilled that too.   Going to the midline we looked at under-hooks. We combined under-hooking with a straight knee. Then we brought in a leg grab counter from the opponent from where the fighter sprawled back. Sprawling is at the centre of strong anti-grappling hence the term “sprawl ‘n brawl”. This move was then brought into play from the ground.   Here we trained disengages from the guard. MMA fighters might be less inclined to hold the guard position as much as submission grapplers, so they need to know how to regain their footing from this position without having their guard passed. We used leverage with one foot on the hip and then move into a sprawl. Throughout the movement the fighter maintained a cover guard and it is imperative that the transition is fast and smooth. We drilled it with progressive pressure.

Next we looked at this from the ground ‘n pound perspective. This time the fighter sat in the guard and wanted to get into the best position possible, avoiding the attempts to sweep or submit him from his opponent. We covered jumping to a standing position whilst maintaining a posture that the opponent cannot easily fight in a long guard. In other words, the fighter jumped into a strong stacking position, applying as much pressure as possible on the opponent.       Photograph credits in order of appearance: Wrestling Moves ListMuay Thai for Pros with a rather excellent article on the key differences between Muay Thai and MMA. It looks at the very important area of adaptation for the combat sport.   Zoe Nelson Charlotte Von Bulow Quirk