if you look at all the top guys they all have a definate strength and area that they train more than anything! you sometimes see guys that lack direction in a fight and are pretty content to have the fight anywhere but never at a point where they can take absolute control. of course you have to be able to fight wherever, but most of the top guys use these extra skills to take the fight into there speciality area. eg.chuck uses his wrestling to get to his feet, wandy is always looking for the knee clinch, randy goes for top position and so on..
i was just wondering if you guys thought it was possible to be too well rounded and therefore lack focus or direction in a fight?
Rich Frankilin is too "well-rounded" I agree
I agree, of course cross training is important but I believe you're best off to be stronger in one range than others. However it has to fit in with the rest of your training and your own attributes. Chuck Liddell is a good example.
For this reason I am focusing on kickboxing for a while before I start to compete seriously in MMA. This way I will have more confidence in my stand up and bring a solid game plan to each fight.
Jack of all trades, master of none? That can definitely hinder a fighter.
most guys who start MMA after high school or college seem to be more well-rounded in that they dont have the specific time put in or acomplishments that other fighters who boxed or wrestled did.
well said stevekt
Right you are steve. I always wondered this about Carlos Newton.
GSP, Fedor and BJ have all had great success as a result of being exceptionally well-rounded.
"Jack of all trades, master of none"
In the case of fighters like Fedor, it's really a case of "Jack of all trades, master of ALL." They get to chose on a whim how they want to destroy their opponent.
they still have their specialties
with fedor it's judo and gnp. with bj it's his bjj and with gsp it's his wrestling.
However they are exceptionally well rounded
bj is awesome at jiu jitsu.
fedor is a sambo guy
and st.pierre is a wrestler i think.
all are awsome at everything but they have a backfround in a respective area.
thats why fighters have game plans
the reason i bring this up is that i feel i lack a bit of focus in my training and i think i need to conerntrate on one area more for a while before i fight again! as you guys mentioned im kinda a jack of all and master of none! just wanted to see what others thought!
i think franklin is probably the best example of a completely well rounded fighter, however i think his striking is his best asset, imo!
"I think that there's still this inate mentality that equates striking prowess with true manliness.
There are just certain figthers that have no business trading with otehr fighters, yet they do, and they usually end up paying for it. Sometimes they get over on a standup fighter in one match, and then they end up believing that they can do it in every match."
Very true. How many times do we see someone throw some weak ass low thai kick only to be hammered in the face with a punch.
"I see this as more of a probelm with grapplers than with strikers, since strikers generally will do anything that they can to stay off the gorund, while modern MMA grapplers like to try and prove that they can be "exciting" and well, manly by striking with their opponent."
Then there are people like lindland, that stick to his trade and bore us all.
"Jack of all trades, master of none? That can definitely hinder a fighter."
That sums up Ivan Salaverry perfectly.
Oh my God! I agree with Your Father!