How-To Guides about Martial Arts

Would you want to be able to defend yourself and your loved ones if someone were to physically attack you? This video will show you how to defend yourself against an attacker choking you from the front. It' the best MMA for self-defense, especially for a teenager.

By Zech Browning Shihan of Gyodokan Martial Arts.

Muay Boran is the ancient relative of modern Muay Thai boxing. This clear how-to video shows the correct method of wrapping your fists to prepare for a match or training.

Muay Boran (Ancient Boxing) is an all-inclusive term for the ancient boxing arts of Thailand, from which modern Muay Thai was born.  In the old days, fighters would wrap their hands with strips of twisted hemp cloth or hemp rope.  Although it is commonly thought that fighters would dip their wrapped hands in broken glass, this is largely a myth.  They did, however, dip their hands in water in order to harden the rope.

Counter the opponent who is using hip escape to dislodge from mount by transitioning to knee to trap. This demonstration by Hillary and Joanne of MMA Girls shows us how.

Now this is an elaborate MMA move. It's called The Rocker, and involves three distinct parts: a deep half sweep, a pass, and finally side control. This video features UFC competitor and BJJ master Vinny Magalhaes demonstrating how to do the move

Learn how to set up a guarding opponent for a flower sweep! This advanced jiu jitsu video tutorial presents a complete, step-by-step walkthrough of the maneuver. For all of the details, and to get started incorporating this move into your own combat routine, watch the clip.

Learn how to break down an opponent when he's in a strong posture to make him susceptible to the flower sweep! This advanced jiu jitsu video tutorial presents a complete, step-by-step walkthrough of the maneuver. For all of the details, and to get started incorporating this move into your own combat routine, watch the clip.

Learn how to move from a deep half guard to a standing position! This advanced jiu jitsu video tutorial presents a complete, step-by-step walkthrough of the maneuver. For all of the details, and to get started incorporating this move into your own combat routine, watch the clip.

In this tutorial, we learn how to break guard position in Jiu Jitsu. First, you will want to get into a position where you are over the body of the other person. Your arms should be held straight out so you are able to move and gain control over the other person. If their legs are around you, you can move your arms into place to block out their arms and lock in their head so they no longer have control of the situation. It may take you a few tries to get used to this, but there are ways to take...

If you're trying to get a triangle on someone in an MMA or jiu jitzu fight and they hide their arm to try and relieve the pressure on their neck, they might think they are safe. They aren't. Watch this video to learn how to finish the triangle in this situation from Joanne and Hillary Williams of MMA Girls.

If massive strength is not among your list of strengths as an MMA or jiu jitzu fighter, you need to learn ways to apply harder pressure from the half guard in order to pass better. Watch this video to learn some details that will help with this from MMA Girls Hillary Williams and Joanne.

When your opponent mounts you they probably think that they have an advantage. There are ways to counter it though, and in this video Hillary Williams and Joanne of MMA Girls will teach you how to get heel hooks in on a mounting opponent.

Taking the back in an MMA fight is a great way to get ready for a rear naked choke and an end to the fight. Watch this video to learn a technique for slipping a hook in on a turtled opponent and taking their back.

The omoplata is a nasty submission, and being able to escape it is crucial to winning MMA fights against strong BJJ fighters. Watch this video to hear Jon Fitch teach you three ways to counter the omoplata from different stages of the move.

If you're fighting a strong wrestler in MMA, finishing them off can be tough since their style is so defensive. Watch this video to learn how to get such a fighter into a guillotine finish when they have you mounted from UFC star Jon Fitch and Joanne of MMA Girls.

If someone has you in a body lock in an MMA fight, you're in serious danger of being rear naked choked. Watch this video to learn one way to defend yourself when body locked, by rolling over your opponent into an ankle pressure submission.

If you're in the mount in a MMA fight, you might have a slim advantage but it could all turn around at any time. Watch this video to learn one great way to get into a leg lock from the mount.

In MMA nearly every part of the body is fair game for attacks and attacking, even the toes. In this video Joanne and Risha of MMA Girls will teach you how to use a toe hold to submission an opponent.

If someone is trying to pass guard on you in MMA, there are lots of different ways that you can get them into an ankle or leg lock if you know how. In this video, UFC fighter Kurt Pellegrino will teach you several ways to get into different ankle and leg locks from a guard pass.

If you've got your opponent against the cage in an MMA fight, there are all sorts of fun things you can do to them to end the fight if you're good. In this video you'll learn a great takedown for using on a opponent trapped against the cage from UFC star Kurt Pellegrino.

The straight ankle lock, like many hold and submissions in MMA, looks like two people playing Twister except one of them is in extreme pain. Watch this video to learn when and how to use a straight ankle lock from Joanne and Risha of MMA Girls.

The nice thing about fighting an opponent wearing a Gi is all the material that you have to grab for starting chokes. Watch this video to learn how to execute a kimura to collar choke from side control and end your fight with a submission.

Side control is a great place to be in a MMA fight. There are all sorts of great things you can do to hurt your opponent and end the fight. In this video Hillary and Joanne of MMA girls will teach you how to do a kimura submission from side control and take the fight.

One of the reasons that MMA is cooler than boxing is the abundance of different moves and strategies that can be used in any situation. Take this video for instance. In it Hillary and Joanne of MMA Girls will teach you how to go from a gi collar choke to a fake scissor sweep and then into a triangle choke, hopefully to win the match. Wow.

Not since the days of Royce Gracie have MMA fighters regularly worn a gi during fights, but in jiu jitsu and other types of fighting they definitely still do. Watch this video to learn how to do a gi collar choke from guard, with female BJJ practicioner Hillary Williams demonstrating on Joanne of MMA Girls.

If you've got your opponent on the ground in a UFC fight and you're still standing, the next thing you have to do is pass the guard they'll probably get up. Watch this video to see UFC great Joe Lauzon demonstrate passing guard on MMA Girls very own Joanne.

The ground and pound is one of the most controversial aspects of MMA fighting, and is a great chance for you to do a lot of damage to your opponent. In this video UFC fighter Joe Lauzon will show you how to use an elbow technique from guard to defend yourself and get a solid elbow shot in at the same time, using Joanne from MMA Girls as his target.

The flower sweep is a very effective Brazilian jiu jitsu move, but your opponent has a couple chances to stop you while you do it. If you fail to complete the sweep, try turning it into a triangle choke, which you'll learn how to do from female MMA fighter Hillary Williams in this video.

If you've done enough Brazilian Jiu Jitsu to know what a flower sweep is, then you've probably had the problem where you can't bring your foot around for the sweep properly. Watch this video to learn how to maneuver from the failed sweep into an armbar and end the fight.

If you're on the receiving end of a ground and pound in a MMA fight and up against the cage, you are in trouble. There are ways to escape from even that difficult situation though, and in this video UFC star Kenny Florian is going to teach you how to stand up from being trapped against the cage in a ground and pound.

Kenny Florian is one of the stars of UFC, and your fighting could definitely improve from his teachings. Watch this video to learn how to do a variation on the guillotine choke with a rear naked choke grip submission with UFC superstar Kenny Florian and Joanne of MMA Girls.

There are a lot of creative and frankly beautiful takedowns and ground moves in BJJ and MMA, but the helicopter armbar has to be one of the most awesome. This video features MMA fighter Cole Miller demonstrating how to do a helicopter armbar on MMA Girls fighter Joanne.

Frank Mire is one of the most prominent figures in MMA as a fighter and instructor. In this video, he demonstrates the popular MMA grapple the Omoplata on Joanne of MMA Girls, a female MMA group. This move is a great addition to any fighter's ground game.

In this video, we learn how to perform a backward wristlock: Omote Gyaku. This is a basic move that can be done in different variations. First, place your thumb on the back of their hand and turn the wrist around. After this, turn it sideways and turn it up and over. Doing this will twist the wrist and lock it so the opponent falls down to the ground with pain. Just a small amount of force sets off a chain reaction in all the joints in the entire body. Once you have this down, it's a very...

In this video, we learn how to do the rack and crucifix jiu jitsu position. Start by starting in the cross position with your grip around the opponent, pushing their arm up. Now, lift up your forearm and it will prop them up to their side. Now, swing your legs over and catch over top the arm on their body. Now you can swivel to perform a neck crank. From this position, there are a lot of submissions you can do. To get the crucifix position, shift your leg back and fall backwards. Triangle your...