Become Fighter
Recovering after a failed shot: MMA guide
Do not stay under a sprawl. Get your feet back, or get back to your feet.
Even good shots get stopped. What separates a competent fighter from one who gets finished is what happens in the next three seconds. You can be under a sprawl with a head in the lock, or you can be back on your feet.
The recovery has three options: keep driving, switch to a single leg, or stand back up. You choose by reading how the opponent has sprawled.
Key points
- Keep your head up and your hips moving. Do not give the opponent a flat body to stack.
- Their hips are low: switch to a single leg or scramble to your knees.
- Their weight is high on your back: build a base and walk the hips under you.
- Protect your neck. If a guillotine or head control is on, turn to the hip side and free your head.
- Never pull guard from a failed shot unless you have trained it.
Common mistakes and how to fix them
- Staying flat on the floor. Move your hips under you. A flat body is easy to hold.
- Giving up the head. Protect the neck with your hands and press your head into the hip.
- Rushing to stand without a base. Build a base first. Standing on one leg invites a re-takedown.
The rest is in the app
The step-by-step breakdown, the timed drill with the coach calling the shots and the quiz are part of Become Fighter Pro, where this lesson sits in the Takedown fundamentals module of MMA foundations.
Get it on Google Play. Coming soon to the App Store.
More from Takedown fundamentals
- Takedown awareness and timing: MMA guide
- Double leg and single leg: MMA guide
- Takedown defence: MMA guide
Combat sports training is hard on the body. Warm up, stay within your limits and check with a doctor first if you have a health condition. Practise in a clear space and stop if you feel pain or dizziness. Learn partner work only under a qualified coach.