Exit After You Strike
Donā€™t admire your work after landing shots
A common beginner mistake is throwing a combination and staying right in front of the opponent.
In MMA, the strike is only part of the exchange. What you do after the strike matters just as much.
This weekā€™s drill builds the habit of hitting, moving, and staying ready.
Weekly training drill
Two-Punch Exit Drill
Why it matters
If you stand still after punching, you give your opponent a clean chance to fire back, clinch, or shoot.
Learning to exit after your strikes helps you:
- Stay harder to hit
- Create better angles
- Reset safely
- Avoid lazy exchanges
- Build footwork into your combinations
How to do it
Start in your MMA stance.
Throw a simple two-punch combination:
Jab, cross
After the cross, take one clean exit step:
- Option 1: step out to your lead side
- Option 2: step out to your rear side
- Option 3: step straight back and reset
After the exit, return to your stance with your hands up.
Repeat for 3 rounds of 2 minutes.
- Round 1: jab, cross, step out left
- Round 2: jab, cross, step out right
- Round 3: jab, cross, step back and reset
If you train with a partner, have them lightly return a jab after your combo so you learn to move before the counter comes.
Coaching points
Keep your chin tucked during the exit.
Do not cross your feet when you move.
Move after the last punch, not before it lands.
Return to stance before throwing again.
Keep your eyes on your partner or target.
Do not lean away with your hands low.
Simple weekly challenge
Do 100 clean two-punch exits this week.
Break it into small sets:
- 20 before class
- 20 after class
- 20 during bag work
- 20 during shadowboxing
- 20 at home without power
Focus on balance, not speed.
Keep training
Keep training with The MMA Academy and build the habits that carry over into live rounds.
Continue training with The MMA Academy
