Striking
How to hold pads for MMA: a beginner holder’s guide
The pad holder helps set the distance and rhythm of the lesson. Start with a qualified coach showing you how to hold the equipment for one agreed strike. Holding pads is a skill to learn, too.
The diagrams explain positions and decisions. Independent coach review is pending. Practise contact entries and finishes on mats with a qualified coach.
On this page
Set the round before presenting a target
Agree the strike, target, pace and stop word. Check straps, padding and the space behind both people. The coach should match gloves and pads to the task. A small focus mitt is not a substitute for the appropriate shield or Thai pads when the session changes to kicks or knees.
Let the coach set your base and target
Use a stable staggered stance, with room to recover a step. Ask the coach to place the pad and check your wrist and elbow alignment. Keep the target where the striker can reach without chasing or leaning. Avoid locking an arm out or putting a target directly against your face.
Receive; do not chase
Present the agreed target clearly and use the amount of resistance your coach demonstrates. Swinging a pad hard into the punch can disguise distance errors and overload the holder. If either person is surprised by the impact or loses position, stop and reset before the next repetition.
Original first round: one target, one reset
Start with a single light straight punch to a coach-positioned mitt. After it lands, both partners regain stance and make eye contact before another target appears. Success is a repeatable distance and a controlled reset.
Only after that is comfortable should the coach add a second target or an exit step. If the target was not offered clearly, the striker waits. A missed cue is a reset, not an invitation to improvise.
Adding MMA requires another agreement
Do not add surprise shots, elbows, knees or takedowns while someone is learning to hold mitts. A coach must choose suitable equipment and demonstrate the new holding position. Put handheld pads down safely before switching to a grappling drill; never ask a holder to break a fall with their hands trapped in mitts.
Useful feedback from the holder
Say “the last punch moved me backward” or “I offered the second pad too late.” That gives the coach an observable problem. Pain, a damaged strap or a partner ignoring stop means the round ends until the issue is addressed.