In modern MMA, power and clean striking aren’t enough. Without takedown defense, cage awareness, and fast get-ups, even elite strikers get neutralized.
Wrestling became the universal language of the cage — and you don’t need to become a full wrestler to use it effectively.
You just need the right fundamentals.
Below are the 8 wrestling essentials every Muay Thai / kickboxing athlete must add to their game.
The 8 Wrestling Fundamentals Every Striker Must Master
1) Hybrid fighting stance
A pure Muay Thai stance is too upright. A pure wrestling stance is too low.
You need the hybrid stance:
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Knees slightly flexed
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Hips “heavy” and slightly back
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Hands active around chest height
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Chin tucked, eyes forward
This lets you defend level changes without losing striking fluidity.
2) Fast, automatic sprawl
A real sprawl is not just “throwing your legs back.”
A correct sprawl has:
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Heavy hips on the opponent’s head/neck
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Immediate angle step-out
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One hand controlling the head
Defense + repositioning + striking. One motion.
3) Underhooks = survival
If you win the underhook, you win the position.
Drill this daily:
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Partner shoots.
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You dig the underhook and pivot off like opening a door.
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Finish with a short knee or an angle reset.
Underhook is your lifeline.
4) Wall wrestling — the skill that separates contenders
Strikers often get stuck on the cage because they:
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Lean back instead of turning
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Keep their feet static
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Let hips get pinned
Your 4-step checklist:
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Shoulder on the wall, not your back
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Head low under opponent’s chin
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Lateral steps (no planting your feet)
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Elbow tight to shut down the single-leg entry
Master this and your takedown defense instantly jumps 50%.
5) The Get-Up: the most underrated skill in MMA
If you got taken down, don’t try to explode straight up.
Use the tripod get-up:
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Hand on the mat, elbow tight
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One knee down, one foot up
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Lift hips first
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Walk your back to the wall
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Stand with control
This works even against high-level grapplers.
6) The best takedown for strikers: the outside single
You don’t need 20 takedowns. Just one you trust.
The cleanest for strikers is the outside single leg:
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Jab → lateral step → hand drops to ankle/calf → lift and push
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Very hard to counter with knees
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Enters perfectly after low kicks
Simple. Safe. High %.
7) Basic ground-and-pound without giving up space
After you take someone down, the fight is not over — you must secure position.
Your GNP rules:
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Elbows glued to ribs
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Short, heavy strikes (not looping punches)
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One hand controls, one hand hits (switch constantly)
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Hips on the opponent’s belly/solar plexus
Wrestling is pressure + tiny details, not wild punches.
8) Weekly drill routine (4-week improvement plan)
Monday — Takedown Defense
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10× sprawls
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10× underhook + pivot
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10× single-leg defenses on the wall
Wednesday — Cage Work
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5 rounds (2 min) escaping the wall
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5 rounds clinch + controlled knees
Friday — Takedown + Control
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10× outside single
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10× double-leg on the wall
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3 rounds of technical GNP
Run this for 30 days and your MMA wrestling jumps levels.
Common mistakes that cost fights
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Dropping into a wrestler stance and losing jab defense
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Not using the head as a “third arm”
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Soft sprawls
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Turning your back against the cage
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Giving up underhooks
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Standing up without base (guaranteed mat return)
Fixing these alone puts you years ahead of most pure strikers.
Wrestling is no longer optional. It’s the foundation of modern MMA.
The better your wrestling, the more dangerous your striking becomes.
Master underhooks, wall work, a single good takedown, and reliable get-ups — and you control where the fight happens.
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