Basically, I want opinions on the best way to map out training, whether to just have different things on diff nights of the week or to train different things on a weekly cycle
I'm spoilt for choice at the moment, I've got so many great oppurtunities to train with great BJJ, MMA and thai boxing fighters and coaches and usualy split it
Mon: Thai boxing
Tues: rest day or BJJ
Wed: MMA
Thurs: BJJ
Fri: MMA
Sat: Thai boxing & MMA
Sun: MMA
This is fine but then the thai coach was saying to everyone at the end of training the other night that ideally you want to be getting down 3 times a week to see a good progression in your stand up - and this has got to me now. I'm wondering whether it would be better to break down the parts of my game and spend a week or month concentrating on one aspect before rotating
What are your views on this?
So no-one trains in weekly or monthly cycles of seperate disciplines?
what does MMA consist of?
does it incorporate more wrestling and takedown defense or does it focus on ground striking or conditioning?
if you are training with the intent of being a pro fighter, you need some wrestling.
if you're training to stay in shape then this is sweet.
if i were training to Improve skill i would do the following:
alternate months heavy on either bjj or standup with wrestling/mma sprinkled throughout. ie: 3 days a week standup and 2 days a week wrestling/mma, for one month, and the next month switching out the standup for bjj. on one of the rest days drill whatever Isnt being stressed that month (only Light drilling). (note wrestling is fairly heavy Every month, it is the crux of the game)
If i were training to maintain skill i would do what youre doing now.
if i were going to be fighting, i would switch to 3 days a week mma about a month out, with Heavy emphasis on conditioning all other days.
IMO more wrestling and boxing, less bjj/muay Thai.
In mma you need to be a great wrestler and boxer, whatever else you are. Kicking is optional 80% of MMA standup is straight boxing. Listen to top fighters discuss their training camps, they always talk about their work with boxing trainers, not so much their muay thai coach.
Wrestling should be your base to control where the fight is fought. It's the most important subart.
I don't know jack, but doesn't ST. Pierre emphasize the specific disciplines than combine them 1 day a week, or something similar.
so he would do BJJ, Wrestling, Striking as individual arts most of the time?
In general, the fastest progress in fighting skill is made where training is:
1. Safe (non-injurious)
2. Able to be performed at nearly 100%
Judo, Wrestling and BJJ are able to be performed at nearly 100% with injury only occurring by accident if you're careful. Striking arts can't be performed at more than 70-80% and must use gear, so progress may be slower.
Now, certainly grappling arts can be -very- injurious if you aren't careful, but the point is there is potential to go all-out in relative safety for a large percentage of the time. In practice, slow rolling is very important also, but, again, I'm talking about potential as it is related to authenticity and functionalizing.
In striking, it's quite easy to have incorrect methods, since what you can do at 70-80% may not be possible in an actual fight (it's over-daring for one thing).
For non-skill (conditioning), one should aim to train in all phases of effort, with 5-10% of training in the max heart-rate zone, and adequate active recovery. For fighting, incorporate task-specific movements and burst training. Top team uses circuit training regimes, such as dragging the sledge, jumping on the treadmill and during 'rest' periods, working on pummeling. Wear a heart rate monitor and keep the effort in the proper zone. Aim to reduce the time needed to 'recover' the resting pulse.
$.02
Gsp said in an interview recently that he trains the subarts completely separate and only combines them during the training camp leading up to his fight.
For MMA I recommend:
Mon: MMA
Tues: rest day or MMA
Wed: MMA
Thurs: MMA
Fri: MMA
Sat: MMA
Sun: MMA
Good luck with training.
KriegerVonGott -OneScoup - IMO more wrestling and boxing, less bjj/muay Thai.
why?
that recipe will get you a game like Chael Sonnen.
Yes you need wrestling but thai boxing and BJJ is a necessity and not alot of people do it very well. too many guys are getting in the cage with white belt level escapes and blue belt offense.
I'm not saying not to learn bjj or muay Thai. I'm saying to prioritize so that above all else you are great at wrestling and boxing.
^^depends entirely on the person and their skillset IMO
generalizations are pointless...
What do YOU feel you need to work on?
I would think that you can train positions; however, when you spar, use the rules you are going to fight with. For example, when our boxing coach would train the guys – he would work the pads, heavy bag, est., however, when you sparred - the opponent could still take you down, you just had to defend the takedown and work your hands. If you got taken down, you had to work to get up and then use your hands again.
I think today, it would be beneficial to have your specialty trainer be active in MMA – that way they have most likely modified the technique to avoid any hazards. Our boxing coach needed to make some adjustments once he went to a couple fights and saw what would benefit the fighters the most.
If I were to train guys today, we would focus on Muay Thai, Boxing, Wrestling/Judo, and BJJ.
If you have no fight coming up I say keep them separate and get better in each area. You shouldn't have to worry about getting punched in the face when learning or perfecting a BJJ technique and you shouldn't have to worry about takedowns when attempting to improve your kickboxing. The split you have is good but I'd say throw in a wrestling class somewhere in place of an MMA class if you don't have a fight coming up.
Thanks for all the thoughts, interesting read and god to hear the differing opinions
Everything works, and everything doesn't work all the time. This is a good thread.
Baki