MMA syllabus: sparring drills and types

SPARRING

Side control arm manipulation: using strikes and submission attempts to get the arm tired. 1 minute on each arm then swap over.

Side control battle.

Side control escape and reversal

Side control sweeping from underneath, working the arm in by turning both ways.

Clinch and takedown using legs such as trips and sweeps.

Clinch to full takedown into submission

Front body clinch fighting.

Clinch grappling

No grip stand up clinch fighting (PLUS eyes closed)

Hold down or stand up

Fighting for the single leg.

Fighting for the takedown from the clinch.

Hands only sparring

Toes, chest and shoulder striking drill

Lead hand only, rear hand only, rear leg only, front leg only.

Hands v feet sparring

Stare down into striking sparring rounds - 10 second stare downs whilst going through our key words then 30 seconds of sparring applying our words.

Knock down ground and pound

Hunting for the clinch against a striker.

Primary grip clinch fighting

Takedown from knee to back pin

Headhunting in big gloves v tactical small gloves: the fighter in small gloves uses smart footwork and tactical striking against wild aggression. Interestingly smart footwork enables a calmer and more focused mind and thus more effective use of the strikes.

Greco clinch to takedown. No lower body attacks allowed.

Striking to clinch to takedown to grapple

Submission hunting grappling:

Takedown fighting into grappling

Speed grappling: constant movement and flow, looking for positions, sweeps, reversals, escapes and submissions but none being applied.

Eyes closed free form grappling with no striking but submissions

Big gloves free form grappling, no submissions and striking only.

3 rounds of striking from bottom control, no submissions but submission set ups allowed.

3 jabs and one kick, then with the kick as part of the final punch motion, Straight v circular striking techniques, free form striking rounds

Free form striking from bottom control: Big gloves on for the heavy and continuous striking. Not allowed to break from the position but bottom player needs to break down the posture to prevent striking. Person on top needs to keep posture up to allow for more effective striking.

Boxing sparring from the knees.