MMA Training Tips - On Unstable Ground

Instability training is really a simple concept. If you train in an unstable environment your stability improves in a stable one.
To continue this line of thinking, it is very important for fighters to “feel” the pressure of combat and the chaotic nature of the fight. One of the hardest aspects to prepare for a fight in the Octagon is getting stuck against the cage. This is not a fun position to be in, especially if your sight is compromised from a previous strike.

We prepare for this situation, knowing all too well that it can happen at any given moment. The first time I showed this drill to Marcus Davis, he said, ‘That’s exactly what the pressure feels like in the ring.”

The drill is simple. One fighter is sitting on the floor against the cage or wall defending, and the other fighter is attacking with a large stability ball and crushing the guy against the cage.

This replicates the overwhelming pressure that combat athletes feel in the ring. When you add to the scenario that the fighter can’t see that crushing motion, he needs to feel it. We use the Bosu Ballast Ball for this drill since it adds some weight to the drill as well. Hey, I never said I was a nice guy!