MMA

MMA Mistakes Beginners Make (and How to Fix Them) — October 2026

3 min read ARC MMA Coaching Team

The mistakes almost every MMA beginner makes in the first few months, and the simple fixes our coaches give in class at ARC MMA in Toronto.

MMA Mistakes Beginners Make (and How to Fix Them) — October 2026

Everyone makes the same handful of mistakes in their first few months of MMA. Knowing them ahead of time saves you weeks of confusion.

None of these are reasons to feel bad. They are just the usual bumps.

The usual suspects

If you recognise yourself in two or three of these, you are exactly where a beginner should be.

  • Rushing to spar. Sparring is the fun part, which is exactly why it comes last. Two or three months of drilling first makes sparring safer and far more useful.
  • Training only the fun side. If you love striking, you will avoid the mat. Those are the rounds that expose you later.
  • Skipping the warm-up. Five minutes of movement prep is the cheapest injury insurance you will ever buy.
  • Holding your breath. Beginners tense up and stop breathing. Exhale on the effort — every time.
  • Comparing yourself to the room. Half the room has been training for years. Compare yourself to last month.

The one that matters most

Compare yourself to the version of you from last month, not to the person next to you. Progress in MMA is uneven: weeks of nothing, then a jump. The people who stick around are the ones who stop keeping score every session.

Fall training notes

Fall is the busiest season for new members — schools restart, work routines settle and people finally book the class they have been thinking about all summer.

  • Book your classes for the week on Sunday night, not on the day.
  • Warm up for two extra minutes if you have been sitting at a desk all day.
  • Keep one rest day after your hardest session — recovery is part of the programme.

Common mistakes we see every week

  • Rushing to spar. Sparring is the fun part, which is exactly why it comes last. Two or three months of drilling first makes sparring safer and far more useful.
  • Training only the fun side. If you love striking, you will avoid the mat. Those are the rounds that expose you later.
  • Skipping the warm-up. Five minutes of movement prep is the cheapest injury insurance you will ever buy.
  • Holding your breath. Beginners tense up and stop breathing. Exhale on the effort — every time.

A drill you can try between classes

Three-round shadow work. You do not need a partner or a bag for most of this, and it takes about fifteen minutes:

  • Round one: hands only. Move, jab, reset.
  • Round two: add level changes and a single-leg entry.
  • Round three: strike, then finish with a takedown and hold top position for ten seconds.
  • Rest one minute between rounds. Three rounds, four times a week.

Training at ARC MMA in Toronto

We run MMA classes at 382 Yonge St in downtown Toronto, two minutes from College Station. Classes are capped at 20 people, coached from start to finish, and open to complete beginners. If you want to see whether it fits, book a free 1-on-1 trial — you will get a coach, a pair of loaner gloves and no sales pitch.

You can see the full timetable on the classes and pricing page, meet the coaches on the trainers page, and check upcoming seminars on the events page.

Frequently asked questions

Is it normal to forget techniques?

Completely. Your body learns slower than your head. Repetition fixes it.

Should I train through soreness?

Muscle soreness, yes — sharp joint pain, no. Tell a coach either way.

How do I stop feeling awkward?

You do not, at first. The awkwardness fades somewhere around week six.

Written by the coaching team at ARC MMA. Questions about this guide? Send us a message or call (416) 450-8020.

Where to go next

Have a look at classes and pricing or book a free trial if you want to try a session. For a wider view of the discipline, UFC Fight Pass is worth following: UFC Fight Pass.

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