Calling All Fighters

[xlxBigSexyxlx]

Okay so, I want to start taking lessons.
After things I've read, people I've talked to, and personal interest, I think it would be awesome to train boxing, wrestling, and BJJ.

But then I got to thinking, isn't that basically MMA? I see these gyms that give MMA lessons, which incorporates a little bit of everything.

Obviously, taking 3 separate classes would be better as it would be more specific and extensive. The only downside I can think of is money, and how expensive that might get.

So could one train in MMA, and sort of make up for those 3 all in one? Because if its just a little of this and a little of that here and there, I'm not sure I would want that.

[zimmy]

Most of the "MMA Schools" just work on broad over views. They deal with just some of the ground work or some of the stand up. And unfortunately it's those little details they brush right by that make the difference between being good and being ok.

[subaruwrx04]

Served 4 years in the Marines learned alot. After I got out I got into Brazilian Jujitsu. Great form to learn aswell as Tai Chi..

[Rugger02]

Rather than tying up all your time and money in three seperate classes, you could take one at a time for say... 6 months a piece or something. That way you would have a handle on several different types
Maybe then try the MMA classes because you'll already have a deeper understanding of the different styles, so it would be easier for you to bring them all together.

[xlxBigSexyxlx]

Most of the "MMA Schools" just work on broad over views. They deal with just some of the ground work or some of the stand up. And unfortunately it's those little details they brush right by that make the difference between being good and being ok.

Yeah, thats kind of what I thought and am afraid of.

Rather than tying up all your time and money in three seperate classes, you could take one at a time for say... 6 months a piece or something. That way you would have a handle on several different types
Maybe then try the MMA classes because you'll already have a deeper understanding of the different styles, so it would be easier for you to bring them all together.

Good point.

I wonder how long it takes to learn the basics and to be fluent in boxing, wrestling, and BJJ.
Of course the universal answer would be, it depends. But can anyone give a roundabout time frame?
I'm guessing classes are typically an hour, 3x a week...

[Tigershark]

I have been thinking about getting into this myself and was looking at an Aikido. I may never get in a ring but something about Aikido really interests me.

[subaruwrx04]

Yeah, thats kind of what I thought and am afraid of.



Good point.

I wonder how long it takes to learn the basics and to be fluent in boxing, wrestling, and BJJ.
Of course the universal answer would be, it depends. But can anyone give a roundabout time frame?
I'm guessing classes are typically an hour, 3x a week...

To learn a around year.. To be able to really use it and master it.. Years..

[zimmy]

took me 3 years of bjj to get a good base

[xlxBigSexyxlx]

took me 3 years of bjj to get a good base

I'm assuming boxing and wrestling would be easier/quicker??? Than BJJ...

[subaruwrx04]

Yes but no.. Martial arts is a life long lesson. You dont just wake up one day and say I want to try this.. You have to be commited. Years and years...

[Knockout_Power]

Yes but no.. Martial arts is a life long lesson. You dont just wake up one day and say I want to try this.. You have to be commited. Years and years...

Dead on... I know when I first got into martial arts, the first 4 months were basic movements, stretches and blocks, almost nothing as far as attacks. During those months I almost quit so many times cause it got boring as hell. By month 8, I understood why those first few were so crutial. You have to build a good base to train on.
I would say you would need at least 2 years of any discipline just to get a grasp of what that pirticular art has to offer.

[subaruwrx04]

A lot of people get some training and think it helps, works or whatever. But come done to a fight they would forget every bit of it. I understand what your saying Knockout. Very well put. Ive took martial arts when I was kid and never got out of it. 10 years later im still doing it. Now im no professional fighter and not training to be. Its more for self discipline, confidence, and great self defense for me. I simply enjoy martial arts and like learning it. I have done martial arts competioins and have won a few but I when I think of a fighter I think of a cage. Its great though. It makes people well rounded individuals. Its a lot of time and effort.

[zimmy]

i don't think you "forget every bit of it" ... maybe the silly stuff like TkD... but boxing ..bjj... anything where you regularly spar with near the same intensity will do. The 2 times i have had to use bjj IRL ended with 1 armbar and the other with me on top punching down. It's about training past t hinking.

[Hunter]

I'm assuming boxing and wrestling would be easier/quicker??? Than BJJ...

Not at all in my opinion. It may seem like your picking it up quicker but then when you wrestle against a good wrestler or spar against a good boxer you quickly realize how much have left to learn.

[PittBoy]

I've been thinking lately about taking BJJ myself. I have a black belt in Taekwondo which is ok....but if someone with a good ground game takes me down what the hell am I going to do???!!!!! I wrestled in high school but I'm no match for a good ground fighter.

I'd opt for BJJ if I where you but it all boils down to personal preference. I also agree with atleast 2 years in a discipline before you really get decent with it. First 6 months or so is nothing but the basics as stated. In the school I went to you couldn't even spar with contact until you'd been there about a year.

If you found a big MMA school it might benefit ya as there will probably be some multi-disciplined guys there who are great in one area. So if you wanted to better your standup stick spar with the boxer, your ground game then spar more with the ground guys.

A buddy of mine is taking MMA classes and from what he describes the conditioning they put you through is awesome!!

Good luck in whatever you decide to take.

[Lexed]

where i go its a $100 a month and basically what he does is he has different classes for each mornings its grappling and wrestling then after that its boxing later on its kickboxing and on weekends its mma but before you do anything with fighting he takes u to grappling and wrestling competitions for a while then u start amateur boxing till your good and used to it all then slowly get into mma

[WARMachine]

I wonder how long it takes to learn the basics and to be fluent in boxing, wrestling, and BJJ.
Of course the universal answer would be, it depends. But can anyone give a roundabout time frame?
I'm guessing classes are typically an hour, 3x a week...

At my School we teach 7 days a week.

Generally 3 classes a day, sat and sun are open mat. only for 4 hours though.

Trust me bro, these new MMA "Gyms" that are sporting up all over the place are bullshit. Stick to a a particular martial art for a while. Train MMA yes, but have a primary martial art in which you train.

i see SO many guys who "train MMA". I ask ok, how many fights do you have, how many grappling competitions have you competed, and its always the same answer. "Uh, i just train right now, but i should get a fight really soon."

Fvck that bro. Ive been doing Brazilian Jiu Jitsu all my life. Ive had my BB for 4 years now, ive won numorous championships in Brazil and in the international competitons.

Ive been professional fighting for 4 years as well. This whole "MMA Gym" thing is just a popular thing thanks to the UFC, whereas BJJ, Boxing, Wrestling, and Muay Thai will be here long after the UFC is back to being unpopular, just like it was way before the UFC ever existed.

Im sure QuietStorm agrees, he is also from the old school.

took me 3 years of bjj to get a good base

Thats what happens buddy. I wrestled all my life as well, it takes time for those who have never competed in grappling beforehand.

How many years have you been fighting now? You should have your blue, and almost be ready to start learning jiu jitsu now yes? lol

[Hunter]

if your "mma" gym has individual classes under one roof your fine but if your mma gym teaches "mma" its trash. You need time to learn each displine before you start trying to put them together. You need the fundementals first. It takes years before you become talented at chain wrestling i.e going from a high crotch to a single back to a double then defending the whizzer to a body lock to a takedown. Now imagine trying to combine chain wrestling to chain bjj back to chain wrestling? You need to learn the fundementals before you can start combining them from different styles

[subaruwrx04]

I was saying like someome that gets half way threw the basics and quits.

[WARMachine]

if your "mma" gym has individual classes under one roof your fine but if your mma gym teaches "mma" its trash. You need time to learn each displine before you start trying to put them together. You need the fundementals first. It takes years before you become talented at chain wrestling i.e going from a high crotch to a single back to a double then defending the whizzer to a body lock to a takedown. Now imagine trying to combine chain wrestling to chain bjj back to chain wrestling? You need to learn the fundementals before you can start combining them from different styles

haha pretty much exactly what i said.

Great minds think alike!

[NewMuscle83]

yea, it took my 2 years before i got comfortable with muay thai. I wrestled in highschool, and I realized it doesn't mean shit the first time i stepped into a bjj class. I will continue with muay thai now that it's getting fun, but i also want to start bjj seriously. I'm thinking of signing up with Cassio werneck..he's close to my house.

[WARMachine]

There is another guy here who trains with Cassio.

Ive rolled with him many times, when im near Sac, i usually stop in. All of BTT guys are fantastic. (Ehh Mmm Ehh...)

He is a great instructor. Good friend, and a nice guy. Id strongly advise him.

[NewMuscle83]

There is another guy here who trains with Cassio.

Ive rolled with him many times, when im near Sac, i usually stop in. All of BTT guys are fantastic. (Ehh Mmm Ehh...)

He is a great instructor. Good friend, and a nice guy. Id strongly advise him.

sold. he's pretty much the best in sac, yea?

[WARMachine]

Yes.

Without a doubt.

Ill be seeing him at Pan Ams next week im sure.

[xlxBigSexyxlx]

Cool. Thanks for the responses.

What is ya'lls view on CSW (Combat Submission Wrestling). How does it compare to wrestling and BJJ?

[WARMachine]

If you train with Erik Paulson or Josh Barnett i think its great.

Otherwise id say stick with No Gi BJJ and MMA.

[Hunter]

If you train with Erik Paulson or Josh Barnett i think its great.

Otherwise id say stick with No Gi BJJ and MMA.

Nelson sherks trainer at minnesota acedemy of martial arts also runs a very good csw class.

[Hunter]

Cool. Thanks for the responses.

What is ya'lls view on CSW (Combat Submission Wrestling). How does it compare to wrestling and BJJ?

Ideally csw takes in aggresiveness of wrestling and takedowns the pure creativity and really pain inflicting things of catch wrestling and combines is with just the strong rock base of bjj. Sadly many coaches cant teach or even really know how to teach it.

[NewMuscle83]

bigsexy, just pm one of those knowledgable guys what your city is, and i'm sure they can recommend a good training faciliity.

[rockinred]

bigsexy, my boy... good stuff. It really boils down to the gym also. As stated here your commitment and instructors will all determine how you do.

One other thing I would like to touch on is that many like to pick their initial focus. If you like stand up, then go into the boxing and put a little time in their and get pretty good. then move on to the next... if it is bjj cause you like the ground stuff, then do the same and then when you move on to the other areas you can focus on getting rounded off. It is hard to find a school that will really be able to pay instructors that are true specialists in each of the categories... it costs alot. If you kind of just want to play around with all of them, then go for it. To be good in any of those core disciplines, it really takes a descent amount of time.

I am from Albuquerque and good boxing gyms usually had you conditioning, footwork, on to punches, shadow boxing, then finally sparring. Some guys don't even start sparring after 6 mos. As far as MMA gyms, Jackson's Academy is $100 a month and you don't train with the core dudes. You get the mass training and then if you are special and gets some fights under your belt, you will go to the specialty training. Most good MMA gyms that are well known operate the same. So even if you live in an area where there is a big mma gym, you will get mediocore training that are designed for the masses.... you will still learn though. It is really up to you and what you want.

[WARMachine]

bigsexy, just pm one of those knowledgable guys what your city is, and i'm sure they can recommend a good training faciliity.

Yeah by all means...

[elpropiotorvic]

from my exp i would say its got to do with:

The part of the world where ur at (i think in a lot of places there is no such thing as contact...also think latin america has one the best harvest of truuuue fighters)
The instructor: lots of them just want u to put bread in their table...
and ultimately u: how much are u willing to put in this....

[JohnThePhoenix]

I agree with elprop but at the same time i dont agree with the whole latin america statement, cuz there's some dog a$$ fighters coming out of everywhere in the world from Fedor in Russia to Cung Le in Asia....so it depends on the person not even the training cuz fedor works out in his backyard pretty much....but go with MMA i think boxing will keep you sort of limited in your potential. it teaches you bad habits as far as staying safe not only in competition but in the streets but i cant really say thats true either cuz mike tyson was scrapping people in alleys and leaving them by dumpsters back in the day but everybody's not mike tyson you know...lol go with mma.

[Brown Ninja]

Thank god everyone is not Tyson