Ground game

[Munnzy]

Hey ive been doing MMA for a few weeks now and my ground game isnt as good as id want it to be, im more of a stand up kinda guy. Im doing all the training with my trainer ect but i was just wondering if anyone knows additional exercises or anything i can do outside the gym to improve my ground game.

Josh

[Predator]

Hip movement.

Shrimps(back and side), Rotational hip movement, Bridging, Turning to your knees, Squaring up.

These are things our coach always has us doing but things you can do on your own.

Theres quite a few things but your hip movement can never be good enough.

[Munnzy]

Okay, il keep that in mind mate

Cheerrs

[Levo]

If you're not making the progress on the ground you'd like I'd suggest a) speak to your coach b) spend more time on the mat c) find a different gym if the first two don't work.

Outside of mat time with a coach and/or good training partners work on your S&C.

There are solo drills that are good for grappling but the problem is this: People always ask about solo exercises early on in their grappling development so often don't have the level of understanding to get the most out of them. By the time they are of a level where they truly understand the benefit of them they need them less (maybe because they spend more time on the mat for example) and perhaps just use them as a warm up routine.

If you want solo drills then I suggest asking your coach. If he/she can show you what will be of most use to you personally, makes sure the details are correct and gives you the context so you know WHY you're doing them they'll be of a lot more use.

That said, what he is likely to show you is different hip movement drills: Lateral (shrimping variations), Vertical (bridging and sprawling variations) and Rotational (turning to knees and sit out variation).

There are also countless movement and agility drills, shadow wrestling drills and if you have a punch bag that can be very good for pin transitions too.

Nathan

[Munnzy]

Nathan that has helped me alot. I will be speaking to my coach on my next training session.
There is no gyms in my area i have to go outside bedford (which is where i live) so finding another gym will be rather hard.

When i get my next wage i will be buying a grappling dummy, would that be a good idea to spend the money on or not?

I find the submission side of ground game better than the wresterling side of it all. Ive started to go to the gym to improve my strength and gain muscle mass so i would of thought its just a time game? Train and get better i hope.

My stand up is somuch better than my grappling. My take down defense is pretty good my trainer said but when im on the ground i just get gased so qucikly.

Josh

[Levo]

In my opinion, grappling dummies are overpriced for how much use they are and I wouldn't suggest buying one. They usually gather dust even at a gym so at home I'd say don't bother. Never met anyone who'd got better working with a dummy at home, maybe others have. A punch bag is better value for money and can also be used in a variety of ways. Can give you some ideas if you like.

You can train some positional and movement aspects of grappling by yourself but the actual submissions side is almost impossible to do physically in my experience (this however if not ruling out gains that can be made by visualisation and watching tape).

Sounds like you need more mat time, but life sometimes gets in the way I know. If you've got space and money for a dummy how about getting some mats? Finding a training partner might take time (ask at the grappling gym, see if any strikers you train with want to add the ground in, ask on grappling forums, try to convince a mate etc) but that might be the way to go, it's worked for a other guys in the past.

Nathan

[J-Sho]

Search youtube, lockflow, subfighter etc for solo drills.

maybe check out wrestling drills as well (hip heists etc) and see if you can get your hands on any ginastica natural vids.

Maybe power yoga too.

[Munnzy]

In my opinion, grappling dummies are overpriced for how much use they are and I wouldn't suggest buying one. They usually gather dust even at a gym so at home I'd say don't bother. Never met anyone who'd got better working with a dummy at home, maybe others have. A punch bag is better value for money and can also be used in a variety of ways. Can give you some ideas if you like.

You can train some positional and movement aspects of grappling by yourself but the actual submissions side is almost impossible to do physically in my experience (this however if not ruling out gains that can be made by visualisation and watching tape).

Sounds like you need more mat time, but life sometimes gets in the way I know. If you've got space and money for a dummy how about getting some mats? Finding a training partner might take time (ask at the grappling gym, see if any strikers you train with want to add the ground in, ask on grappling forums, try to convince a mate etc) but that might be the way to go, it's worked for a other guys in the past.

Nathan

Hmmm okay then nathan, il speka to some of the guys cause its not just me who isnt that good on the ground at the gym so im sure i will be able to find someone who will would be willing to train with me.

Okay then il look into buying some mat for home then, thinking about it does sound like a better idea, i already have a punch bang thats filled with some kind of foam or something, so any ideas on how to use it would be good .

Hmm well in that case then il push for more mat time when im at the dojo then, maybe my traininer could spend more time doing ground work with me and a fewothers or something. In a couple of months if i havnt improved that much il go for privet training or maybe look into another gym.

Many thanks Nathan

Josh

[Munnzy]

Search youtube, lockflow, subfighter etc for solo drills.

maybe check out wrestling drills as well (hip heists etc) and see if you can get your hands on any ginastica natural vids.

Maybe power yoga too.

J-sho, i will do some research using youtube and seraching the thigns you have told me to do, so thank you for that infomation.

Josh

[Jogs D]

I live in Bedford - where are you training right now???

For BJJ/MMA the best place to train in my opinion is BTT / Total Dojo - have trained there for years - you got World / Pan Am BJJ Champ Ze Marcello, Danny Batten (Cagewarriors featherweight champ, BJJ Brown belt), Alexandre Izidro - Cagewarriors lightweight champ - BJJ Black Belt (currently in Hong Kong but is due to return I've heard) amongst many others. They teach BJJ and MMA and have produced some top fighters there.

I've trained with these guys for years - it's only 30mins from Bedford but it's worth the travel to train with some of the best and most experienced fighters in the country.