MMA Drills for Elite Level Fighters – Chaining Attacks with James Doolan

Learn the MMA drills for fighters used by world-class coach James Doolan to connect striking, wrestling, takedowns, mat control and ground attacks into one complete MMA game.

MMA is not won by being good at striking, wrestling and grappling in isolation.

The real challenge is being able to connect those skills together when an opponent reacts, resists or forces the fight into another phase.

That principle sits at the heart of MMA Drills for Elite Level Fighters – Chaining Attacks, the first full-length Warrior Collective instructional from renowned Scottish MMA coach James Doolan.

Founder and head coach of Higher Level MMA in Scotland, James has spent decades developing fighters for elite-level competition, with athletes from his team progressing to organisations including the UFC, Bellator and Cage Warriors.

Rather than teaching MMA as a collection of separate techniques, James approaches the sport as a series of interconnected problems.

Strike to create the wrestling opportunity. Wrestle to create the striking opportunity. Chain takedowns when the first attack is defended. Control the scramble after reaching the mat. Use one reaction to create the next attack.

This instructional introduces the coaching methodology behind that approach.

Featuring James working directly with elite Higher Level fighters Stevie Ray and Justin Flannigan, it provides fighters and coaches with a structured framework for developing the transitions that turn individual martial arts skills into effective Mixed Martial Arts.

 

 

MMA Is a Game of Connected Problems

A technically successful first attack does not guarantee success in MMA.

Opponents defend.

They change stance.

They move their hips.

They frame.

They scramble.

They return to their feet.

Elite fighters therefore need more than individual techniques. They need the ability to recognise what an opponent's response makes available next.

James structures much of this instructional around a series of MMA dilemmas designed to help athletes understand exactly that.

Rather than endlessly collecting more moves, fighters learn to create situations in which defending one threat exposes another.

This becomes the foundation for chaining attacks throughout the different phases of MMA.

MMA Drills for Fighters – The Higher Level Approach

James Doolan has built his reputation around a highly systematic approach to coaching Mixed Martial Arts.

A former professional MMA fighter and experienced competitor across multiple striking disciplines, James subsequently dedicated himself to coaching and developing Higher Level MMA into one of Scotland's most respected fight teams.

His athletes have competed from amateur level through to some of the biggest organisations in the sport, and his coaching reflects the reality that MMA cannot simply be separated into Boxing, Kickboxing, Wrestling and Jiu Jitsu sessions and expected to come together automatically.

The transitions matter.

The reactions matter.

And the ability to move fluently from one phase of the fight into another matters.

Chaining Attacks is where the Higher Level MMA instructional series begins.

 

Proactive Wrestling – Create the Takedown Rather Than Chase It

Effective MMA wrestling starts before physical contact is made.

James demonstrates how striking, movement and feints can be used to close distance and create wrestling opportunities rather than simply shooting at an opponent who is prepared to defend.

You'll explore how MMA-specific striking can help disguise entries and how understanding an opponent's position and reactions can make wrestling considerably more effective.

The objective is not simply to improve takedowns.

It is to understand how to create them within an actual MMA exchange.

 

Reactive Wrestling – Turn Their Attack Into Your Opportunity

Not every wrestling exchange needs to begin with you attacking first.

James also explores how fighters can recognise an opponent's movement, pressure and reactions and turn those moments into opportunities to wrestle.

This creates a much more adaptable approach in which wrestling becomes integrated into the wider fight rather than treated as a separate phase.

 

 

Understanding the First MMA Dilemma

One of the central concepts introduced in this instructional is a simple problem every MMA fighter faces:

an opponent cannot completely protect both their head and their hips at the same time.

James uses this relationship between striking and wrestling to show how one threat can create opportunities for another.

Rather than attacking blindly, fighters begin learning how to make opponents choose what they are going to defend.

That decision creates the next opportunity.

 

The Second MMA Dilemma – Don't Fight Resistance

One of the most valuable principles in the instructional concerns what happens when an opponent successfully resists an attack.

Do you continue forcing the original technique?

Or has their defence created something better?

James teaches fighters to recognise the difference between attacking resistance and moving around it.

This becomes fundamental to effective chaining.

When one route closes, another should become available.

 

 

The Third MMA Dilemma – What Happens After the Takedown?

Landing the takedown does not end the exchange.

In MMA, an opponent immediately begins trying to recover position, scramble or stand back up.

James examines the crucial moments following a successful takedown and how fighters can anticipate those responses rather than reacting too late.

This bridges the gap between:

takedown → control → mat return → ground striking opportunity.

 

       

What You'll Learn

Throughout the instructional James covers:

• Proactive Wrestling for MMA
• Reactive Wrestling
• Striking to create wrestling opportunities
• Centre line dynamics
• Striking off wrestling
• The three MMA dilemmas
• Chaining takedowns and attacks
• Two-phase single-leg attacks
• Mat returns
• Scramble control
• MMA progression drills
• Ground trapping and control
• Creating striking opportunities on the mat
• MMA flow drills
• Connecting standing, wrestling and ground phases

 

   

Built for MMA Coaches as Much as Fighters

Although competitive fighters can use the material to improve their own MMA game, this instructional is particularly valuable for MMA coaches.

James does more than demonstrate techniques.

He provides ideas for structuring training so athletes learn to connect skills, respond to resistance and continue attacking when their first option fails.

That makes the volume useful for coaches looking to develop:

• More integrated MMA sessions
• Better wrestling-to-striking transitions
• Progressive resistance drills
• Chained attacking systems
• More adaptable fighters
• Training that reflects the unpredictable nature of MMA competition

Instead of simply giving your fighters more techniques, the Higher Level approach helps you create better decision-makers.

 

Train With the Coach Behind Higher Level MMA

James Doolan brings an unusual depth of experience to MMA coaching.

After competing extensively himself across martial arts and professional MMA, he built his career around the development of other fighters.

Through Higher Level MMA in Scotland, James has coached athletes from grassroots competition through to major international promotions, developing a reputation for systematic MMA coaching built around integration rather than treating individual martial arts as separate disciplines.

That experience is visible throughout this instructional.

The material isn't designed around techniques that simply look impressive during demonstration.

It is designed around the problems fighters repeatedly encounter when another skilled athlete is actively trying to stop them.

 

 

The Beginning of the Higher Level MMA Instructional Series

MMA Drills for Elite Level Fighters – Chaining Attacks was James Doolan's first full-length Warrior Collective instructional.

It has since developed into a much wider series exploring different parts of the Higher Level MMA coaching system.

Volume 1 – MMA Drills for Elite Level Fighters: Chaining Attacks

Learn how to connect striking, wrestling, takedowns, mat returns and ground control through progressive MMA drills and chained attacks.

Volume 2 – MMA Striking Drills for Fighters: The Higher Level System

Explore James's approach to MMA-specific striking, including movement, kicking systems, phases of attack, open-stance fighting, defensive frameworks, calf kicks, cage striking and more.

Volume 3 – The Twisting Body Lock System: Higher Level MMA Training

Develop James's systematic approach to body-lock wrestling, takedowns, mat control, leg riding, submissions and the reactions created when opponents defend.

Volume 4 – MMA Pressure Striking for Fighters: The Higher Level Counter System

Learn how Higher Level fighters use pressure, reactions and counter striking to control MMA exchanges and create attacking opportunities.

Together, the series provides fighters and coaches with a growing insight into how one of Britain's leading MMA teams approaches the development of complete Mixed Martial Artists.

Start here with Volume 1 and learn the principles that underpin the wider Higher Level MMA system.

 

Who Is This Instructional For?

This volume is particularly suited to:

MMA coaches looking for better ways to structure integrated MMA training and develop decision-making.

Competitive MMA fighters wanting to connect their striking, wrestling and grappling more effectively.

Striking or grappling coaches moving into MMA who need to understand how individual disciplines change when takedowns, strikes and transitions are combined.

Serious martial artists interested in understanding how elite MMA athletes develop skills across every phase of the fight.

This isn't simply a collection of MMA techniques.

It is an introduction to a way of coaching, drilling and understanding MMA as one interconnected sport.

If you want to develop fighters who can strike, wrestle and grapple while continuously adapting to resistance, MMA Drills for Elite Level Fighters – Chaining Attacks is the ideal place to begin your study of James Doolan's Higher Level MMA system.

 

 

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best MMA drills for developing complete fighters?

Effective MMA drills should teach athletes to connect striking, wrestling and grappling rather than developing each skill completely in isolation. In this instructional, James Doolan uses progressive MMA drills to develop transitions between striking, takedowns, wrestling, mat returns, ground control and continued attacks.

The emphasis is not simply on learning more techniques, but on helping fighters recognise reactions, solve problems and move effectively from one phase of MMA into another.

What does James Doolan mean by chaining attacks in MMA?

Chaining attacks means using an opponent's defence or reaction to one attack to create the next.

Rather than expecting the first takedown, strike or control to succeed, James teaches fighters to anticipate resistance and move directly into another appropriate option. This allows striking, wrestling and grappling attacks to become part of one continuous MMA system rather than a series of disconnected techniques.

Does this instructional teach MMA wrestling?

Wrestling is a major part of the instructional, but it is taught specifically within the context of MMA.

James covers proactive and reactive wrestling, setting up takedowns with strikes and movement, chaining wrestling attacks, the two-phase single leg, mat returns and controlling opponents as they attempt to scramble or return to their feet.

The focus is therefore not wrestling in isolation, but how wrestling interacts with striking, takedowns, ground control and the wider MMA game.

What are the MMA dilemmas James Doolan teaches?

James uses a series of MMA dilemmas to help fighters understand the decisions and reactions that occur during live exchanges.

These include the relationship between protecting the head and defending the hips, recognising when to continue attacking resistance and when to change direction, and understanding what to do when an opponent begins resisting or scrambling after a successful takedown.

These concepts form an important part of James's approach to developing fighters who can make effective decisions rather than simply reproduce predetermined sequences.

Who demonstrates the MMA drills with James Doolan?

James is joined by elite Higher Level MMA fighters Stevie Ray and Justin Flannigan to demonstrate the techniques, concepts and training drills throughout the instructional.

This allows James to demonstrate his coaching methodology using experienced professional fighters familiar with the Higher Level MMA system.

Who is James Doolan?

James Doolan is the founder and head coach of Higher Level MMA in Scotland and a former professional MMA fighter with extensive experience across multiple martial arts.

He has gone on to become a highly respected MMA coach, developing fighters who have competed at international level in organisations including the UFC, Bellator and Cage Warriors.

His coaching is particularly known for integrating striking, wrestling and grappling into structured MMA training rather than treating them as completely separate disciplines.

 

Below is an extract from the series.  This clip is from Video 3 – Striking off Wrestling