On the road with Sammy Jo: My first MMA lesson
On September 26th I had my very first MMA lesson at the Martial Arts Center in The Hague, led by trainer Siebe. The lesson started at 10 in the morning, and I had no idea what to expect. I had some kickboxing experience, but MMA was completely new to me. In this blog I will take you through my experience, from the warming up to the sparring at the end.
The MMA warm-up: An intense start
The class started with a collective warm-up. We walked around in circles to warm up, and then followed a series of exercises with squats, burpees, push-ups and toe taps. We repeated these movements seven times. It was a tough start, but it made sure that everyone was well warmed up.
After that we put on our MMA gear, MMA training gloves and shin guards . I had, as a beginner, a kickboxing short on, but normally you wear MMA shorts . Once we had our gear on, the real training could begin!
The basics of MMA
One of the first things we learned was how to roll over your shoulder blades and how to catch your fall. This is crucial in MMA, because you often end up on the ground during sparring or takedowns. Besides rolling and falling, striking, takedowns and groundwork are the basis of MMA, it comes back in every fight. For me this took some getting used to and it didn't go completely smoothly, but that's part of it, you can't do everything perfectly at once. The most important thing is that you learn how to fall safely without hurting yourself too much.
Striking and take downs
After that we continued with striking, or standing fighting. We did this combo: left push kick , right low kick, left hook and a right straight. (Curious about what a push kick is? Check out this video .) This went well of course because this is not new to me. After the standing fighting we practiced take downs, where you learn how to take your opponent to the ground. Although my falling technique still needed some practice, I felt quite comfortable with the sweeps, a technique I already knew.
Groundwork and grappling
The most enjoyable part of the class for me was the groundwork . We started with a game where one person is on the ground and the other has to score points by pinning the other. If the person on the ground manages to get up, they earn a point. Although I found it difficult to score points myself, I was better at not letting the other person score points while I was on the ground. Here is a video with basics of mount escapes in BJJ.
After this game we moved on to basic grappling. For beginners we kept it simple, while the more experienced participants did a routine called "shark tank" where one person only grapples and the others only strike and grapple. It was interesting to see how everyone did at their own level.
Sparring and closing
At the end of the class we were allowed to spar. My sparring partner was a 16 year old boy, so we weren’t allowed to aim for the head, which was good because I didn’t have my mouthguard with me and was still wearing my hard lenses. Sparring was a great way to put all the techniques into practice, although it was a bit scary because I was new to MMA.
After sparring we did some stretching exercises to end the lesson. Even though I didn't master everything, I found the lesson incredibly fun and educational. MMA is a challenging sport, but the alternation between striking, take downs and groundwork makes it incredibly interesting. I'm already looking forward to my next lesson!
An experience not to be forgotten
My first experience with MMA at the Martial Arts Center Den Haag was intense, but incredibly educational and fun. From learning to roll and fall to practicing grappling and sparring, I learned many new techniques. The training was well supervised by Siebe, who explained everything clearly and gave us time to master the exercises. Whether you are a beginner like me, or already have some experience, MMA offers a challenge for everyone.