How To Use Grappling Dummy With MMA Fighter

For the layman of Martial Arts, the Grappling Dummy is an essential component of MMA used in hand-to-hand combat most commonly between two unarmed opponents. It’s the perfect tool to simulate body-control.

Grappling enables fighters to neutralize an opponent with holds in place of strikes, or to setup strikes and submissions. To further simplify, the applied techniques are used to control an opponent by asserting top dominance, in hopes of taking your opponents offence away. A true MMA practitioner is never complete without a set of ground-skills..

Once appropriate and intelligent skills are applied, grappling can be used to control an opponent without hurting them (unless strikes are enabled). MMA grappling incorporates different grappling arts by taking the most practical moves that can actively be used in an MMA bout. The moves are borrowed mainly from Jiu-Jutsu, Judo, Sambo, and wrestling.

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, catch wrestling (or submission wrestling) is where you’ll find the use of such techniques. It is also used vastly in MMA competitions where strikes are also incorporated in Mixed Martial Arts, it is particularly essential for fighters to learn to be good grapplers.

• Grappling Dummies as a Useful Workout Gear

Even though in real terms there is no substitute for a live training partner, there are times when one finds themselves short of a partner to practice with. For all those folks grappling dummies serve as the ultimate solution and a beneficial substitute option.


In contrast to humans, grappling dummies allow fighters to conduct more strike and grappling centric intensive practice sessions for long periods of time. As with all things, fighting skills cannot be improved without constant and persistent practice. To serve this purpose grappling dummies have assisted in playing a pivotal role in many fighter’s ground technique over time.  

• Workout Benefits of Grappling Dummy

Training with Grappling Dummies helps improve and perfect upper body muscle power by toning and pumping up pecs and lats.

The proper use of a grappling bag can assist in working on the entire body in a fashion that traditional weights cannot. Grappling dummies utilize an entire range of motion that particularly helps improve grip strength.

• Core muscles – commonly known as lower back muscles are the ones located in the spine and erecter spinae, also identified as multifidus muscle. If weak, grappling bags can help strengthen and tone these muscles to full capacity.  

• Posterior chain – normally squats, leg presses and deadlifts are used to train and tone hamstrings and glutes. However, for a MMA fighter or combat athlete this may prove inefficient. The proper use of grappling bags can also help increase muscle strength in these areas.

To conclude, it makes no difference what your size, age, gender or race, grapple dummies are for anyone to experiment with. From professional combat players to your average non-violent lady living down the street, grappling dummies can assist just about anyone in learning self-defense mechanisms.