All Combat Sports Info
Shin conditioning requires structured progression, proper technique, and controlled impact exposure. Gradual loading allows the tibia to adapt while reducing the risk of stress fractures and chronic pain. Athletes who prioritize recovery and avoid unsafe training methods maintain long-term performance and minimize injury downtime.
Buying a BJJ gi for kids doesn’t need to be expensive or complicated. Kids grow fast, gis get washed a lot, and most parents just want something comfortable, durable, and competition-legal without overspending.
We put together a simple guide breaking down the best BJJ gis for kids, focusing on affordable options that actually hold up to training — plus how many gis your child really needs and what mistakes to avoid.
Training BJJ in hot weather changes everything. Thick gis trap heat, drain energy, and make hard rounds even harder — especially in places like Arizona where summer never lets up.
We put together a guide breaking down the best BJJ gis for hot weather, including ultra-lightweight training options (that aren’t IBJJF legal — and that’s okay) plus competition-legal picks that still work in warm gyms.
If you train in the heat, this guide will save you discomfort, fatigue, and bad gear choices.
Read the full guide here
The clinch is not a test of strength but a test of position. Beginners often try to force control by squeezing harder or pulling aggressively, only to burn out within minutes. True control comes from posture, balance, and steady pressure. When structure replaces brute force, movements become more efficient and far more effective.
Proper hand wrapping in Muay Thai isn’t complicated, but it does matter. A well-wrapped hand feels secure, compact, and supported without cutting off circulation. In this guide, you’ll learn how to wrap your hands for Muay Thai the right way, how tight they should feel, and how to avoid common mistakes that lead to wrist pain.
Muay Thai and kickboxing may look similar at first, but they differ in key areas such as techniques, rules, and fight strategy. Muay Thai, known as the Art of Eight Limbs, allows punches, kicks, elbows, and knees, with a strong emphasis on clinch fighting and powerful strikes. Kickboxing focuses mainly on punches and kicks, limits clinching, and often rewards speed and combination attacks.
A powerful Muay Thai kick doesn’t come from forcing your leg into the target. It comes from how well your body moves as one unit. When your base is stable and your hips rotate freely, the kick feels heavy without feeling strained. The moment you stop trying to muscle the strike and start trusting the mechanics, the difference is immediate.
Checking in Muay Thai is not about avoiding contact. It is about meeting a kick in a controlled way while staying balanced and ready to continue the exchange. A proper check uses stance, timing, and shin placement to reduce damage rather than relying on toughness alone. When done correctly, checking becomes a reliable defensive habit instead of a desperate reaction.
Kicks are one of the most powerful and frequently used weapons in Muay Thai, making proper kick blocking an essential defensive skill. From low kicks that wear down movement to body and head kicks that can decide a fight, knowing how to block effectively protects the body, preserves balance, and creates counter-attacking opportunities. This article breaks down the fundamentals of blocking kicks in Muay Thai, common mistakes to avoid, and practical ways to train kick defense so it becomes second nature in sparring and competition.
Footwork is the backbone of Muay Thai. Without proper movement and balance, even strong strikes lose their effectiveness. Clean footwork allows a fighter to control distance, stay stable during exchanges, and defend without wasting energy. By focusing on stance, simple steps, and controlled movement, Muay Thai becomes more efficient, safer, and easier to develop over time.
In Muay Thai, the guard is not just a defensive habit, it is a constant conversation between you and your opponent. Where you place your hands affects how you see strikes coming, how you control distance, and how confidently you can step into offense. Some guards emphasize safety and structure, while others prioritize vision and control, but all of them exist to solve the same problem: staying balanced and aware in a fight that never truly pauses. Understanding these guard styles gives you options, and in Muay Thai, options are what keep you standing.
UFC 324 took place on January 24, 2026, at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, headlined by an interim lightweight title fight between Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett. Gaethje earned a unanimous decision after five rounds to claim the interim belt, while Sean O’Malley, Waldo Cortes-Acosta, and Natalia Silva also picked up key wins on the main card. The event featured multiple finishes across the prelims and set the tone for the UFC’s 2026 schedule.
Mastering the Muay Thai stance is the first step to becoming an effective fighter. Your feet, knees, hands, and posture all work together to maintain balance, protect your body, and generate power. Without a solid stance, even the strongest strikes and fastest kicks lose their effectiveness.
Starting Muay Thai can feel overwhelming, but progress begins with mastering the fundamentals. Proper stance, footwork, and controlled strikes form the foundation, while consistency and a focused mindset help beginners build skill, confidence, and discipline step by step.
Learning to mix punches and kicks is a process, not a trick. It starts with balance, builds through smart setups, and comes together when you stop rushing your strikes. When you focus on clean transitions and simple combinations, your hands and legs begin to work as one, making your striking more effective and easier to control.
If you’re competing in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, your gi matters more than most people realize.
The right comp gi can make grip fighting harder for your opponent, improve mobility during scrambles, and keep you comfortable under tournament pace all the while still staying fully IBJJF legal.
We wrote this guide and broke down the best BJJ gis for competition based on real training and testing, including premium picks, budget-friendly options, and what to look for if you want a gi that gives you a legal edge on match day.
Punches are a core part of Muay Thai and affect everything from balance to defense. This article covers the basics of stance, guard, and punching technique to help you build a solid foundation and improve how all your strikes connect.
The roundhouse kick is one of the most effective strikes in any striking art, but only when it’s built on sound mechanics. Power doesn’t come from forcing the leg through the target—it comes from the ground, the hips, and the way the body moves as one unit. Without balance, rotation, and control, even a hard kick becomes unreliable. This article breaks down the roundhouse kick step by step, focusing on stance, hip engagement, clean contact, and recovery, so the technique holds up under pressure, not just on pads.
Shin conditioning is often misunderstood. It is not about smashing your legs until they go numb or pushing through pain for the sake of toughness. In reality, it is a slow process of adaptation. When the shin is exposed to controlled, repeated impact, the body responds by strengthening bone, toughening surrounding tissue, and reducing sensitivity over time.
Striker versus grappler is one of the toughest matchups in MMA. This article breaks down how strikers can manage distance, defend takedowns, and stay composed when the fight hits the ground. It focuses on smart movement, calm decision-making, and practical adjustments that help turn difficult style clashes into winnable fights.
Paddy Pimblett is all business as UFC 324 approaches. The popular Liverpool lightweight has scrapped his birthday celebrations to stay locked in on preparation for his interim title fight against Justin Gaethje, a matchup that represents the toughest test of his career and a potential turning point in the UFC lightweight division.
Most people buy the wrong BJJ gi not because they’re lazy, but because no one explains why certain gis feel better, last longer, or pass competition checks while others don’t.
We put together a complete guide breaking down how to choose the right BJJ gi based on fit, weave, weight, durability, climate, and real training experience. Plus, the gis on our list have all been personally tested and scored.
If you’re buying your first gi or adding some to your rotation, this guide will save you money, frustration, and bad purchases.
Read the full guide on Grapplers Graveyard
Speed may look impressive in striking, but it is balance that determines real effectiveness. Without proper balance, fast punches and kicks lose power, accuracy, and control, often leaving a striker vulnerable to counters. Balanced movement allows fighters to generate force from the ground, recover quickly after attacks, and maintain strong defense. By prioritizing balance over speed in training, strikers build a more reliable, efficient, and sustainable skill set that performs under pressure.
Islam Makhachev, the UFC welterweight champion, has turned down an offer to defend his title at UFC 324 in January 2026. After winning the belt at UFC 322, Makhachev said the quick turnaround didn’t give him enough time to prepare. The card’s main event will now feature an interim lightweight title fight, while Makhachev plans to return for his first title defence in spring 2026 against a top contender.
Getting disqualified in a BJJ competition is one of the easiest ways to lose a match without actually being outperformed. Most DQs happen because athletes ignore the rules, lose control, or assume a technique is legal when it is not. Understanding what causes a disqualification helps competitors stay safe, follow the rules, and keep their chances of winning alive.
