I'm pretty new to this whole MMA world so please forgive me if these are stupid questions. How important is boxing if you are a ground and pounder? I dont think it would be all that important because while you would still be trying to use the correct technique of punching from boxing, but there is just so much from the boxing game that gets thrown out the window once you hit the ground, correct? Are there any good GnP instructionals out there?
You are certainly correct that when you add grappling and clinch
that some boxing must be thrown out. What you need is to look at
someone who has adapted solid boxing fundamentals to the mma
game. I don't think you will find anyone who does this better than
rodney kind of sbg south africa. He has some tapes that you can
get from the straightblast website. They will totally transform your
standup game. Maybie someone here can link to his website. I
don't have it. As far as hitting from the ground goes. Most of that
is taken care of by having a good ground game to begin with.
Good BJJ fundamentals and a bit of training in live g&p on the mat
will yield good results.
Cane's right on the money. I would check Rodney's set. You can reach him through our site
www.straightblastgym.com or his www.alivnessnow.com
Even if you are a great GnP you would still need solid stand up for MMA. After all, the point of being a great wrestler is that you can stop the shot, or take it, and control the range if you so choose. You will lose half the benefit if you lack stand up skills.
"After all, the point of being a great wrestler is that you can stop the shot, or take it, and control the range if you so choose."
This is the essence of COuture's game. I think that is why he is dominating the sport right now.
I think that boxing's body mechanics will allow your GNP to be much more powerful than if you don't have that background. The angles and ranges are different, but a lot of shots use similar shifts of weight and energy.
aS mATT ALREADY STATED IT IS ESSENTIAL. If you boxing game is lacking, what if you run into a very good boxer, who is very good at avoiding takedowns? I'll tell you what will happen, it could become ugly really quick. All of the ranges need to be covered. Just look at what happened to Tank Abbott when he ran into Vitor Belfort the first time.
"If you boxing game is lacking, what if you run into a very good boxer, who is very good at avoiding takedowns"
what you are saying is that he is better at your game and his game so of course you will get beat. if you are a sub specialist/ground fighter your stand up game should be a huge back up plan, not part of the game. look at shaolin. he just suffered his first defeat and it was by KO. he should have never been on his feet long enough to get knocked out.
sub specialist need to get the fight to the ground ASAP. toying around with strikes is going to get you in trouble. avoiding the takedown is extremely hard. you might shoot in and they may sprawl and you can then sit back to guard. so, in essance, you got the fight to the ground.
i know i am in a huge minority when it comes to this view point and i would love to discuss it further. i have spent my entire life wrestling and now doing gracie jiu-jitsu. i can beat floyd mayweather 10 times out of 10 when i take it to the mat. if i cant take him down he will beat me 10 out of 10.
It is not an either/or argument. No doubt most sub
specialists would be playing a poor strategy trying to
strike with highly skilled and experienced strikers.
However, just as fighters who want to stay on their
feet have had to modify their skill sets to address
takedown prevention, so do grapplers need to have a
solid standup structure from which to attack and
defend.
This does not have to mean "toying around with
strikes," or trading with superior strikers. It should
at least mean that the grappler is competent enough
with his structure to make his opponent respect it,
and is able to defend against strikes and use basic
striking to get in and attack with clinch/takedowns.
Rodney's material is ideally suited for this purpose
(striking for the mma/self-defense environment), plus
it has the added benefits of being attribute-stripped
and functional in even for striking-only environments
like boxing and kickboxing.
stand up strikers have had to learn ground techniques because they have realized the ground happens. that is what gracie in action and the early UFC has shown us. if takedown prevention is such an easy option we would not be studying gracie jiu-jitsu.
making a striking specialist respect your skills is a waste of time IMO. cro crop will never fear royce's hands. moreover, royce would not want to make cro crop fear his hands. striking is a crap shoot. look at cro crop vs. randleman. one lucky/well timed punch and you are out. you dont have to be the most skilled guy to win when you are throwing the same time someone else is. mma has become a game. it is now bound by rules of engagement. people now will spend some time toying on their feet. they'll spend some time toying in a clinch. a striker will spend some time toying in someone's guard.
as for striking for self defense i don't see the point. if i am separated enough from the person (striking range) then i can just run away. what is preventing me from doing so? i wrestled at a top notch D-1 program. i was the top fighter on our college club boxing team. and now i am very proficient at gracie jiu-jitsu. if i fight i am legally screwed. so i would run.
i have very good hands, but i am not wasting any time striking.