So I'm thinking about doing Boxing/Kickboxing/MMA

[theflyingpig]

At least you're not going to spend 20 years training in something worthless like Tie Kwon Dough.

 

[Nik]

At least you're not going to spend 20 years training in something worthless like Tie Kwon Dough.

 

[sourceninja]

I train in boxing, judo, and bjj with some dabbling in amateur mma. For the record I hold a 1st degree brown belt in judo, a black belt in TKD (yes it's worthless), I'm about 3 months and a tournament shy of a purple belt in bjj, and I've been boxing the last 6 months. I also spend every monday and wednesday after bjj training with the mma guys but I have not yet had a fight. I'm hoping to have my first boxing match in july and my first mma match some time after that.

My advice, just pick the one you are most interested in. Seriously, if you don't really want to do the sport then you are going to burn out like 90% of the guys that walk though the door.

Personally I love bjj because it has a few things boxing/kickboxing/judo and mma do not.

1) Low barrier to competition. I went to my first bjj competition in 3 months. I was able to be competitive.

2) Focus on building core muscles. A strong core is always important in any sport, and IMHO bjj has the best core workouts short of doing something like cross fit.

3) Your not getting punched in the face. This is a big one. Many people think they want to be fighters, they spend 100's getting gear and training, then they get their first sparing match and get their cherry poped. That's the last time you see them.

4) You can spar all day long and never get injured. I've doing 2-3 hour sparing sessions. If you are smart and tap out when you get caught you will go home feeling exactly like you came in. I cant say that about sparing in boxing, judo or mma. I had my ankle broken in judo from a bad fall, I had to have sitches a few times from cuts in boxing and a knee in mma. I couldn't walk right for a week after a few bad leg kicks one night. You get the point.

5) BJJ gyms usually have guys of all backgrounds and at least a mma class and sometimes more. This means you can taste the other arts and work your way into them all at the same place.

6) BJJ has a very low barrier to skill realization. I trained in bjj for about 2 months before I could clean the floor with any new guy who walked in. It took me over a year to get that same level of skill in judo. I just now feel that way in boxing. I don't have those problems in MMA, but it's probably because of a large background in bjj/judo that keeps me competitive.

That said, you can't go wrong. Just try a few classes out and see what you think. The only thing to keep in mind is to make sure the training is worth while. That means they need to have aliveness.

What is aliveness? I think Matt Thornton sums it up best.

What do you mean by timing, energy, & motion?

for something to be truly alive in what we do then it has have three key elements, movement, timing, and energy (resistance). If you are missing any one of these then it is not Alive.

Movement means real footwork, not contrived, not in a pattern.... on the ground it means exactly that also... movement.... if the person is just laying there, not moving as you apply your lock or move....that is not Alive. In the clinch its the same... .pushing, pulling, moving.

Timing is of course just that.... if its in a predictable rhythm, a pattern, a repeatable series of sets, then you are not acquiring or developing timing, just motion speed.

And of course energy.... swing the stick like someone would really swing it.... dont stop at centerline. Punch with the energy of someone who wants to hit you. Not locking your arm out so your partner can look good doing the destruction, or trap, or silat sweep, etc.

You must move, have a sense of timing, and progressive resistance

What does this mean? It means there is only one way to get good at fighting. That way is very freaking simple you need progressive resistance that builds up to fighting. And you better be doing it all the time.

Last but not least, go to bullshido.net and ask in newbietown they will make sure you are getting quality training.

Clifs

Go to bullshido.net and ask in newbietown for advice and pick a sport from bjj, judo, boxing, kickboxing, or mma.

 

[Zebo]

Wrestling in you're in K-12. Wrestlers are among the most mentally tough people you will find on this planet. Most people crack but the guys who persevere turn into intense mofos.

Not many human beings will be able to stop your takedown and GnP. In HS we were beating grown 25 yr old men for fun let alone some big football players with smart mouths. I'm not saying we started it, but we didn't exactly walk away either.

The strength and conditioning aspect of wrestling is insane and would have the karateka, tkders, aikidoists all throwing up if they can make it through which about 3/4 of wannabe freshmen could not make past first week.

mental strength + combat abilities + athleticism = ownage.

There is a huge advantage to getting top or side control on a man and head butting/kneeing/elbowing his nose and eye sockets. Fights don't last too long.

I am a HW so lucky none really messed w/ me - you how bullies fear size - but we had a 168lbr who could tie me in knot and have his way with me and I started.

 

[Zebo]

Back when I first started Krav I had been rowing 30 min - 1 hour every other day for a month. After a one hour session, I woke up the next day and virtually everything hurt. Took me 3 days to fully recover.

LOL let me go through a days wrestling practice. About 3 hrs.

First coach would already have room at 105F for us, nice and toasty like Iraq or someplace.
Then we'd go through about 15 min stretching.
Then about a 30-45 minutes run with intervals of push-ups, pull ups, dips etc along the gym....knocking down 6-7 min mile pace.
Then about 1.5 hours of drilling (partnered and solo) This is murder after above and in heat.
Then we'd lift or do poly-metrics after we could barley walk. 30 min..

Talk about SOOOORREEEEE. I used to have nightmares about practice.

 

[alkemyst]

the main thing about people starting wrestling and having a hard time when they already have a background in other contact sports is they usually aren't really competitive in those.

Most 'martial artists' go to 'class' 1 or 2 times a week for like 30-60 mins.

 

[Icepick]

I've been doing boxing for a year now. I want to take kick boxing classes at the local LA's Boxing but, don't have enough time right now. LA's Boxing kickboxing classes consist of about 40 women and 3 or 5 guys - tops. That's sweet odds I'd say.

Stay away from Brazilian Jiu Jitsu if you're female. You'll spend most of the time on the ground getting felt up by horny guys. Hell, stay away if you're male too. If it's possible for a sport to be gay then BJJ is hands down THE gayest sport ever. (sorry to BJJ enthusiasts I may have offended.) BJJ is the last activity I would partake in my free time.

 

[polarmystery]

I've been doing boxing for a year now. I want to take kick boxing classes at the local LA's Boxing but, don't have enough time right now. LA's Boxing kickboxing classes consist of about 40 women and 3 or 5 guys - tops. That's sweet odds I'd say.

Stay away from Brazilian Jiu Jitsu if you're female. You'll spend most of the time on the ground getting felt up by horny guys. Hell, stay away if you're male too. If it's possible for a sport to be gay then BJJ is hands down THE gayest sport ever. (sorry to BJJ enthusiasts I may have offended.) BJJ is the last activity I would partake in my free time.

Good to know. Was planning on doing some martial arts eventually. Just can't afford it at the moment.

 

[sourceninja]

Good to know. Was planning on doing some martial arts eventually. Just can't afford it at the moment.

Actually that's bullshit. Yes you grapple, but a good gym is not going to let guys grope you. Our club has 8 girls. They train and drill with us but typically they pair up. Some of those girls could kick the ass of most of the guys on this forum.

It's a great sport. Feel free to tell me I'm gay as I break your arm.

And yes, wrestling is awesome. I highly recommend that for anyone of highschool age.

 

[Zebo]

I've been doing boxing for a year now. I want to take kick boxing classes at the local LA's Boxing but, don't have enough time right now. LA's Boxing kickboxing classes consist of about 40 women and 3 or 5 guys - tops. That's sweet odds I'd say.

Stay away from Brazilian Jiu Jitsu if you're female. You'll spend most of the time on the ground getting felt up by horny guys. Hell, stay away if you're male too. If it's possible for a sport to be gay then BJJ is hands down THE gayest sport ever. (sorry to BJJ enthusiasts I may have offended.) BJJ is the last activity I would partake in my free time.

Sorry to hear about your experiences maybe find a gym with more professionalism or all female? I honestly don't know much about BJJ but us wrestlers got these gay remarks as well so I'm sure BJJ is similar like all grounds games but the ground just a fact of combat unless you have very good take-down defense. Maybe Judo is more for you which relies more in throws as a defensive mechanism? GL

 

[Icepick]

Sorry to hear about your experiences maybe find a gym with more professionalism or all female? I honestly don't know much about BJJ but us wrestlers got these gay remarks as well so I'm sure BJJ is similar like all grounds games but the ground just a fact of combat unless you have very good take-down defense. Maybe Judo is more for you which relies more in throws as a defensive mechanism? GL

I've never taken a BJJ class so am not speaking from experience. I've observed a couple of classes and they seemed to end up with a couple of guys on the floor in what looked like an intimate embrace. All while covered with sweat. Not my cup of tea. I've just got a thing with getting that close to a guy.

I'm not talking about wrestling either - only BJJ - please don't take offense.

 

[sourceninja]

I've never taken a BJJ class so am not speaking from experience. I've observed a couple of classes and they seemed to end up with a couple of guys on the floor in what looked like an intimate embrace. All while covered with sweat. Not my cup of tea. I've just got a thing with getting that close to a guy.

I'm not talking about wrestling either - only BJJ - please don't take offense.

Well, as I tell all my homophobe friends. Because they don't train in BJJ, they can't stop a gay guy who does from raping them.

Just sayin.

Maybe if you tried it, you would realize your too busy fighting for your life to even think about sex. Maybe if you had the slightest bit of education in grappling you know what was going on.

Just syain.

 

[alkemyst]

I've been doing boxing for a year now. I want to take kick boxing classes at the local LA's Boxing but, don't have enough time right now. LA's Boxing kickboxing classes consist of about 40 women and 3 or 5 guys - tops. That's sweet odds I'd say.

Stay away from Brazilian Jiu Jitsu if you're female. You'll spend most of the time on the ground getting felt up by horny guys. Hell, stay away if you're male too. If it's possible for a sport to be gay then BJJ is hands down THE gayest sport ever. (sorry to BJJ enthusiasts I may have offended.) BJJ is the last activity I would partake in my free time.

So you are taking up self defense purely at trying to get laid?

Just an FYI, at your local gym or dojo is the worst place to pick up women IMHO unless you are selecting an odd time or activity you can do without.

 

[alkemyst]

IMHO BJJ does well when you aren't trying to kill your opponent. I am not trained in BJJ, but I do have JJ training. In a 'street fight' with a weaker opponent, I will just wrestle them to the grown then choke. If the guy is really an opponent, I will go throat, ears and nose along with ankles and knees...keep working that....

At the same time when I trained it was mixed before MMA was so popular.

Most masters have other training styles under them.