Become Fighter
Takedown awareness and timing: MMA guide
Spot the moments a shot works: after a miss, during a kick, when the hands drop.
A takedown that is thrown into a ready opponent usually ends with you underneath a sprawl. The shot works when the opponent cannot defend it: when they are busy, off balance or looking at something else.
The level change is the first half of every shot. It is also a feint. Show it often enough and the opponent starts to react to it, which opens the strikes.
Key points
- Best moments to shoot: after your punches land, as the opponent kicks, as they step in with weight on the front foot.
- Level change by bending the knees, not the waist. Keep your head up and your back straight.
- Set up the shot with a jab or a feint. A shot from nowhere is read.
- Shoot when you are in range. A reach from outside range gives them time.
- Know your exits. If the shot fails, sprawl or return to your stance.
Common mistakes and how to fix them
- Bending at the waist. Bend the knees. Keep your chest up and your head in line with your spine.
- Shooting from too far away. Close the gap with a step or a jab so the shot starts in range.
- Always shooting the same way. Mix feints, punches and real shots so the opponent cannot read you.
Combinations that use it
- wr-lc-pen: Level change, Penetration step
- wr-lc-dl: Level change, Double leg
- wr-lc-sl: Level change, Single leg
- mma-1-2-lc: Jab, Cross, Level change
- mma-lc-pen-dl: Level change, Penetration step, Double leg
- mma-lc-pen-sl: Level change, Penetration step, Single leg
Related techniques
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
- Double leg and single leg: MMA guide
- Takedown defence: MMA guide
- Recovering after a failed shot: 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.