Suppose someone is starting from scratch and wants to fight NHB. Should they start with striking or grappling? There is a possibility I can do both but I've heard it's better to train in striking first (in my case, Muay Thai) and then start grappling later on. (submission wrestling)
I have this thread on the kickboxing forum, but I could use some more input. A couple guys were saying that it's easier for strikers to learn grappling than for grapplers to learn striking. Someone mentioned that Bas Rutten said this at one of his seminars. His reasoning was the way grapplers shift their weight and that after a couple years of grappling the footwork of Muay Thai is harder to get used to than if you are just starting.
well, I have a biased opinion, but I'd say grappling first always. Just look at who the best in the sport are:
heavyweight: fedor, nog, both based in grappling
light-heavy: randy couture is based in grappling, vanderlai being the exception, but who always had good general grappling skills and is now a bbj bloack belt
middleweight: I can't even think of a single ranked person whose base is striking
welterweight: hughes, b.j. penn, sean sherk, st. pierre, karo parisyan, nick diaz, carlos newton, all grapplers
lightweight: uno, gomi, grapplers...
The sport is dominated by people with bases in grappling. There are a few exceptions, but they're usually genetic freaks like mirko. Lidell would be one of the other exceptions, but neitehr of these people are on top of their divisions.
OneSidedWar, the cool thing is the place where I was thinking of training grappling has lots of wrestlers there. So I'm thinking I can learn takedowns w/subs.
def striking before grappling. Like you were already told, its ALOT easier for a boxer/kickboxer to learn wrestling than it is for a grappler to learn standup, generally speaking of course.
It just takes alot longer for someone who has wrestled or done BJJ to get used to footwork and staying on the balls of your feet
If you have submission wrestling and muay thai near, then that is it. You have no need for Gi styles (Judo, jiujitsu, hapkido). Remember, submission wrestling is more than just jiujitsu with no Gi.
Most fights end up on the ground before someone get KO'd. You can take someone down easier than you can KO them. A good chin does not save you on the ground.
"Hello? If someone is starting from scratch and aiming towards MMA/NHB he should start training specifically MMA/NHB."
I think so to. Go to a good MMA gym.
But I know of good fighters that started as strikers and good fighters that started as grapplers. But today there is a lot of gyms training more specific towards MMA.
H2ODragon also has a very good point. Everything depends on where you live.
If you're doing this for fun or self-defense, concentrate on doing the art that you enjoy most out of BJJ, wrestling and Muay Thai. If you're into it to compete, the most sensible base art for MMA is BJJ. HOWEVER, if you don't like BJJ as much as one of the others, it's not the smartest choice for you. You're not going to to train in it as hard as you might in other arts, and you'll put a cap on your potential.
"somerville: as a wrestler youre supposed to be on the balls of your feet always "
Your right, I stated my point wrong. When i spar, I keep slightly up on the ball of my lead foot to, most wrestlers keep most of their weight on their front foot, this is a huge mistake in Muay Thai especially.
And Da Swede, its not bullshit. In my experience and in my observation of others, its easier for a striker to learn how to grapple correctly, then vice versa
Looking at statistics. If you don't know BJJ (or a sub grappling on par with it) you're more likely to get beaten than not knowing a wrestling or striking style.
You'd better know what a choke and armbar are before entering an MMA fight.
I think everyone is missing what this guy is asking. Alot of people are taking it is if this guy has a fight scheduled for a month from now and want to know what he should learn first to be ready for it. If this is what he was asking, Id agree, learn grappling first because youll be more successful im MMA with a little grappling than with a little striking.
But thats not what hes asking. Hes asking, if he wanted to become an well rounded fighter eventually, what would be better to learn first, striking or grappling? Now as long as there is no rush to when he has to learn by, then he should def. learn striking before grappling. Like I said earlier, the footwork and movement in stand up is hard for grapplers to learn at first. Its easier for a striker to learn wrestling footwork and submissions.
Somerville is absolutely correct and I apoligize for not being more clear. I'm just getting into MMA at 19 and I just want to start training now. I want to fight eventually, but I feel I need a few years of hard training if I want to do good.