But make sure to cross train in the shoryuken rising dragon punch too so that when your opponents jump over your hadoken fireballs, you can counter mid air. Everyone thinks it’s all about the standup game and the ground game, but they just ignore the air.
I can 100% agree with Ramsey on this one. I started off in karate/boxing when I was much younger and my striking was always good, but whenever I got into street fights or situations where I needed to defend myself, a much larger person would almost ALWAYS grab me and try to body slam me or tackle me. This is the reason that I learned BJJ and when I was jumped by two guys at a bus stop, I was able to use my bjj training to regain my position and fight them off after one of them had tackled me. Learn it ALL.
I'd do Muay Thai. It's a pretty decent all-round martial art being good at striking and stand up grappling. Not every fight will go to the ground, but it will go into the clinch, and the Thais are the king of the clinch
@@berg0444 Grapplers are good at taking the clinch to the ground, but when it comes to Muay Thai rules clinching, they may face some bad habits that can lead to eating knees and elbows, since they aren't prepared for it
@@berg0444 as someone who does muay thai, I can confirm whenever I go to the clinch a wrestler or judoka will just slam me to the ground if I dont sprawl. Knees can of course be pulled off but a good wrester will have his head in your stomach before you can move your knee
I started with JUDO in school. But when I started karate I noticed that I was lacking blocks and strikes. So I think learning both is good thing. I had couple street fights and I used grappling because I knew that more. I had scuffle with bigger guy where there was no way to run away. I grappled him down on a ground and tried to hold him still. At some point he and I stopped fighting and everything was fine that's in my situation. No one was injured after that scuffle. Now that I think if I had punched him he would have reason to punch me and it could have ended badly mostly for me lol. Other time I was in a pinch (caught by surprise) grappling wasn't option at that time I didn't know how to block or break a hold while standing. It is just my life story. I totally agree with Ramsey here.
Janis I loved judo. Judo is far superior to BJJ in practical application. BJJ might be the best martial art, in a controlled environment, with strict rules, but in the realworld, you never want to get on the ground and judo really shines in teaching you how to stay on your feet. I also did Shorin Ryu, which is about the most practical 'karate' Ive seen. It incorporates a lot of judo, particularly ashi waza.
@It Ain't Me 1968 Judo. For two primary reasons: 1) it teaches you to stay on your feet and 2) it teaches you how to disengage and get back to your feet. In actual personal combat, your priority is to keep your feet under you and *never* get on the ground if there is another option. In self-defense, your priority is to get away, not to 'win'. BJJ/'MMA' trains to press an engagement, intentionally get on the ground and *win* . This is highly inappropriate and counterproductive for any self-defense application. And thats beside the major tactical disadvantage and safety concerns of going to the ground. Rolling on concrete sux. Ever bump your head on a mat? Imagine that on a curb, or a sidewalk; thats a potential fight ender. Theres, holes, rocks, sticks, glass, used needles, additional assailants, etc.; its an uncontrolled environment.
@It Ain't Me 1968 Well... one of the things about BJJ that makes it so appealing, is that you can learn a lot really quickly, because its safe to spar at full intensity; its really gratifying and validating. The first month of judo, is just learning how to fall without breaking your neck and that frustrates a lot of people. Still, I always recommend giving judo and boxing a try. My advice would be to just visit some schools and sit down with the instructor for a conversation about what you want out of it(a lot of community colleges offer judo classes). Then use your own judgement on what seems more appropriate. There are also 'combatives' oriented schools that do 'MMA' type programs, that are focused specifically on self-defense and or policing applications.
I was choosing between muay thai and bjj... start doing muay thai in april... could not shake bjj away from my mind... star doing bjj in june.... now I am doing both once or twice a week
I agree, the most important thing is perseverance. You can persevere and keep going with things you enjoy, while things you don't enjoy you tend to lay down on the side until you completely neglect them. Maybe start with your favourite martial art and once you get some self confidence and experience, start to branch to other disciplines. I know that here in Mexico we have a big cultural relation with boxing and tae kwon do (why tae kwon do? I have zero idea, but it's pretty popular here and it's probably the martial art with the most dojos per capita), hence it's only natural that you'll start up with those and eventually branch to other things once you feel ready. I suppose the same thing can be said about Brazilians and BJJ, or Japanese and Judo/Karate, etc, etc.
Motivation is the root of all evil. You're not going to be motivated many times. Which means you're not going to go there many times. Have a goal/vision, and think what's required to achieve it, and do it regardles if you're motivated or not. Everyone can do shit if they are motivated. Magic happens when it's raning outside and you're unmotivated and didn't eat for 20hour and slept 6hours that day, and you still go - that's where the magic happens. Not when you're motivated. You should learn how to love the things you hate. If you want to be a well rounded fighter, and you have to roll with people are might smell bad and you hate rolling, and you get their feet in your month - though! Just do it! DO IT! Or either don't do it, and wait for motivation and then you can be the average dude that went to a class for 20years and doesn't have a black belt and it's crap. Oh, i feel motivated so I do it today, next motivation will come in two week. But I feel great and motivated, I like to train, it's just that I feel motivated once every while. Yea... no.
+Aurelian Spodarec I think you have a narrow view on what "motivation" encompasses. Motivation comes in many shapes and sizes, and it's not just a state of mind in which you "feel" like doing things or not. On it's most basic level, motivation is essentially just the reason you do things, the origin of why you do what you do. It's not just people patting you on the back and saying "good job champ", it's not just getting out of bed with a smile because it's a good day and saying "oh boy, good day to do martial arts".... Motivation as the word implies is the Motive that got you to this point. You have a motivation too, even if you haven't realized. In the example you mentioned, you said that many times you'll have to endure doing things you don't enjoy...... hell, they may even be painful experiences. And you mentioned that you need willpower and grit to pull through them in order to overcome adversity, AND I 100% agree with what you're saying, but you have to realize that underneath all that there's a motivation that makes the foundation of why your'e doing what you're doing. Because when you're hurting, beaten, with you're confidence on the ground, tired, and basically not in a good place, you're bound to ask yourself internally: ¿Why am I doing this? ¿Why should I countinue? "Because I want to be a great fighter, I want to be strong" ----> BOOM!! MOTIVATION!! You still have a reason to keep going. Hence you end up raising your ass off the couch, using willpower and grit to go and do things you may not enjoy in order to improve yourself And there are many types of motivation: "I want to make a career out of fighting", "I want to protect my loved ones", "I'm in constant danger, I need this to survive", "I want to be like my childhood hero", "I want the approval/admiration of my family and friends", etc, etc. Because let me tell you, if you completely lose your motivation you'll drop out no matter how much willpower and grit you have. Once you don't find a reason to keep doing what you're doing, the activity in question becomes pointless in your mind. It's like holding a job, you stay in it and endure it as long as there's a reason to stay (aka a motivation to stay), even if it's only the money you're doing it for; lose that, and I assure you you'll quit ASAP and move to other things.
Aurelian Spodarec reaching an end goal is motivation. if someone wants to learn X but not Y then they will most likely be more enthused about X and do it, unlike Y. End goal means nothing when you won't get there, and a lot of what plays into that is personal enjoyment - and rightfully so. You sound like you have a stick up your ass.
I would say both. I've trained in both and I can tell you that they help each other immensely. For example, I'm mainly a stand up fighter, but training in grappling really helped me get a strong foundation which helps my strikes. An nowadays, there are a ton of schools that teach both.
I would not feel bad about it. Every fighter has that one bad point that is the bane of their existence. Mine is the side kick. I could never do a good one to save my life. I'm great with hand work, but when it comes to that dang side kick....ugh.
@William Halter Legit karate and wrestling is a good mix. Similar to me. I wrestled when I was younger and got into kung fu. It taught me footwork and good kicks. But that was it. Sticky hand drills weren't my thing the concepts were good to spar with but it wasn't fulfilling enough. So I transferred to boxing. I was knocked out lol. It's so important to have hands. Now I train boxing and mma grappling for now that's all I need. So I can relate dude. Mcdojo effect definitely hit the chinese arts too. Just like TWD.
@William Halter Yep they seem to think bjj is the only grappling and muay Thai is the only striking art. "Not all Grappling is Bjj" catch wrestling slogan. Badass art. Best for Mma. Boxing and wrestling are foundational and the best arts to start with. Wrestling helped me through school, boxing gave me a sense of overall confidence. I can scrap now and if they grab me I'm arm dragging to their back. I don't feel as limited and nervous about that gap. Kicks don't scare me much unless it's a good kicker. Bc if it's not they're slow and literally give me a single leg takedown. And so true good instruction is a highschool away. HS wrestling is easily top notch instruction for someone new to grappling I'd like to study Kyokushin one day maybe
She's not alone, youre videos were a huge inspiration for going back to mauy Thai after about 8-9 years away from it. I'm now I'm the best shape I've ever been in and a lot of that is thanks to you.
Hi again Mr Dewey a great question and a great answer , a very difficult one to answer too , but I think you gave best possible , I know to learn it all , so great video !
Dude, your channel is so underrated. I'm training MMA in SBG Dublin and I regularly drop in here to see what your take is on these topics. Thank you 💪😉
I only found your channel today, and I must say, I'm glad I did. Especially since you using logic, but At the same time, you don't slam someone for things you might not agree with. Very informative videos as well. Right on, man!
Since I’ve watched your videos, I’ve signed up for Gracie Jiu Jitsu and I absolutely love it. Thanks for what you do, I’m gonna get out there and train tonight!
I think the transitions you mention are an area where there is still a great deal of opportunity for martial arts to evolve. Opportunities for striking in the scrambles that occur between grappling and standing have yet to be explored. Some fighter is going to come along and take advantage of those opportunities and others will build upon his/her example.
Ramsey, you're the best martial-artist youtuber out there. Thanks for the work you put into these videos. I have sort of a two-part question. I am a beginner and signed up with a reputable MMA gym in NC. I had a free BJJ lesson, then the next class-day, I arrived and got thrown in the mix with everyone. We were doing some sort of judo-throw type thing and the first time I was thrown, I hit the mat hard and something pulled in my chest area. It was terribly painful. I made it through class but had to skip the next few because it hurt to breathe. When I finally made it back in, we were practicing full mounts and the like, when a guy accidentally brought his elbow down one me and pulled something on a different side of my chest. I guess they were pulled chest muscles? But a pulled muscle on both sides was painful for me. I guess my two-part question would be, is this a common type of injury or am I just weird, and also, this made me realize that I might not be in good enough physical shape to even begin MMA training. Should a complete beginner maybe hit the gym for a few months before signing up for MMA?
I'm 52, started when I was 18, so i was around when things were more broken up . Todays fighter are so much more rounded because they see everything as just one art. If you are just starting out I totally agree, do it all.
Grappling and Striking are completely different, which means you won't mix them up. Being completely new and trying to take on something as different as Muay Thai and Taekwondo, is were you can run into trouble.
Uhh, yes... Look man, think what you want to think about the arts I listed, but you completely missed what I was saying. On a technique by technique basis, Striking and Grappling are completely different. That doesn't mean you can't flow from one to the other, in fact that's exactly what experienced fighters do. But teach a new guy how to low kick and arm bar, he isn't going to get those mixed up. Take him and Show him a general Thai roundhouse, and a general TKD roundhouse, and he's going to be confused for a good minute.
Muay thai is a way more complete standup style compared to TKD. Clinch grappling, elbows, sweeps, and hand trapping with elbows, it has it all. Go watch actual high level MT fights from lumpinee fighters. TKD only use kicks, wich makes it a style that needs to be combined with an other art, unlike MT if we are talking about standup styles.
one word-AGGRESSION. Aggression is the key element here. I'm going to point out that the idea that Taekwondo is a deeper art than Muay Thai is wrong. They are both modernized versions of older arts. Also Thai fighters typically have more experience using there kicks in a full contact setting, which is the number one factor in a technique being effective. A Muay Thai fight, like any true fight, is a very chaotic event, and very dangerous. The goal is to inflict damage to your opponent, rendering them unable to fight back. Training properly for such an event will produce a physically fit, cautious, and combat ready individual. The goal of most traditional striking competitions is to touch your opponent first, with either one blow or a series of blows. Training for such an event will produce an individual who essentially knows how to fence with there hands and feet. In exercise science there is something called the SAID principle. Its an acronym for "Specific Adaptation to an Imposed Demand". I believe this basically sums up why traditional martial artists will never be as good as those who train to fight in modern combat sports. All of that time spent doing forms could be spent shadowboxing, or sparring, doing pad-work, or anything that actually trains skills relevant to a fight.
Hey guys, with all do respect, my comment was not about the effectiveness of MT vs TKD. It was about an untrained individual, becoming very confused between the different fine motor skills, the two MA's have. That's all...
Dominic Ho tae kwon do doesn't just do kicks lol. Only in the Olympics is it purely kicking for sport purposes. TKD is like karate it involves punches, kicks and blocks.
I would go for grappling if I had to chose between the two. IMO striking only gets you so far and if you can't knock your opponent out and don't have a 100% takedown defense, you're going to the ground anyway. + grappling is more technique oriented thus the weight makes less of a difference if you know what you're doing. But what do I know, I'm just a kyokushin standup practicioner
Yeah... no. Grapple with the oponent with a knife. Grapple with someone that's much bigger... Look ta the MMA, small guys get's on the big guys, the big guys stands up and throws him. And those guys weren't even that small or light either. Stand up is the key. Like Kyokushin. Then you wanna learn grapple. Otherwise the other person will KO you before you try to grapple it. At least now with Kyokushin skill you can try to grapple him, where ebfore you wodun't even be able to touch him coz ud be KO. No person is going to grapple with me. They go down I knee them in the face. They come close I move and counter. As long as you can of course counter the grappling part... but you should keep your distance and be alert, and for any case not get caucht. Otherwise he will hug you and then stab.
I completely agree with what you say about the separation between striking and grappling being artificial. So with this in mind, why not combine the two elements in teaching? Why teach grappling and striking in separate classes? Why not teach both in the same class?
Thank you for another great video. Just to clarify: when you said a fight will inevitably go to grappling of some sort, did you mean *all* fights no matter what? Did you mean just in MMA, just in street fights, just in friendly sparring? I guess my question would be: wouldn't it be a great idea not only to learn how to deal with grapples, but better yet how to avoid getting into them altogether (or to control how and when one does)? In my mind, it makes the most sense to either not fight or when fighting to minimize unwanted damage to you or your opponent. And, what is the best way to do that other than avoiding the fight altogether? I would say that would be controlling distance and positioning. So, I think footwork, endurance training (which I direly need), speed, reflexes etc while not enough to win every fight on its own, these things are probably more important as a basis than just learning how to strike well or just learning how to grapple well and probably are part of any good training (regardless of if it has striking, grappling or both). I believe strongly that the mental and physical speed and agility of a participant will grant them an edge in any fight. If you would please tell me in reply or a future video (if not contained in a previous video already) what you think about this, and how much you agree or disagree and in what ways. If you already touched upon this in previous videos, please refer us to them. Thanks.
Part of it is down to the mentality of the individual. Some people are able to motivate themselves out of the benefit it will bring. Some people (like me) need to enjoy something to keep at it. I was never that into grappling and throws. My advice is to focus on the parts you love while you learn to appreciate the importance of the rest. And when you appreciate something, you'll learn to love doing it.
Hey do you think you could do a video about who'd win in a fight between a lower sized mma fighter vs a heavyweight boxer? And how much the weight advantage would make up for his lack of knowledge in kicking and other elements? Otherwise, great content, cant wait to see more :)
If you only have one to choose from, pick what sticks out to you. Are you more entertained watching a BJJ or boxing match? Which inspires and encourages you to learn more the most? My experience, it's rare to find people who like striking and grappling equally. Of course, do everything if you can. But if you can only do one, just do what excites you the most.
my opinion is both is the best, but second best choice is do whatever you feel suits you better... you are not really fast on your feet but you have flexibility? grapling might be for you... you are better at keeping your distance than at closing in? striking might be for you... you are short and heavy? go for grappling, you have very long limbs? go for striking... you dont know wich style suits you better? do the one you would enjoy the most, motivation is key too... even if you think your body does not fit into the sport... if you are motivated, you will find a way...
Hi Ramsey, I've recently turned 16 and want to get into combat sports training for self defense. However I can only afford one of the two classes at my gym, which are grappling (judo + bjj) or muay thai. I personally think that I should improve my striking and standup game first before moving to grappling, however my friends are trying to convince me to do grappling first. I would really appreciate your help in this situation if possible, thank you.
Hi Ramsey, about your video, I can say you say it pretty well because doing two different things that have the same actual purpose(self defense or just for the art or sport) is better because it keeps keeping you open minded(that's how it worked on me anyway). So, I have a problem-question, I am in a village in the middle of nowhere where there is literally nothing, just a gym for lifting weights and that is not very good actually and no I cannot find a training partner, I used to do about 3 years kick boxing and 3 years of boxing, in the meantime I have watched some seminars of capoeira, I have done 2 months of Krav maga and I really damn miss training, I just go to the stadium, run a little and practice the techniques that I know alone like doing tai chi in the street(ineffective I know but I do not have something else). Do I have any options of doing good training alone until I move from there or am i completely fucked up?
That depends actually on where you're coming from. If there's a great instructor muay thai is amazing to learn both. Most limit themselves to the striking, but the clinching is also extremely deadly. Especially if you later get into BJJ or an actual ground style with submissions.
How do people approach an mma fight or tournament when grapple become more prominent or striking get more prominent? Using boardgame/video game terminology. How do you adapt as the meta change in mma?
Hey Ramsey what do you think martial artists from a grappling background could do in their spare time to improve their skills when they are not training?
Honestly even though I’ve never trained in any martial art of any sort, from an outside perspective it’s seems like mastering your ability to do both is just common sense. But I’m not gonna act like I know what’s best.
I have a question coach. *How can one spar everyday realistically without causing too much damage to themselves and their partners?* I've seen fighters like wanderlei silva from chute boxe sparring very hard multiple times a week and that works very well for them but they always have more injuries And I see tradional martial arts doing very light point sparring and they very often don't do well in full contact But interestingly I've also seen alot about the Thai fighters traditionally doing most of their sparring light and technical and saving the hard stuff for fights and occasional sparing. And that works for them. *My question is how do they make that work and carry over well to a full contact fight? What are they doing that others aren't and what tips can you give to make light sparring work?* Thank you
Hello Ramsey, In a few days I fly out to rural china to spend 4 months training at a Shaolin monastery. I was wondering what your opinion was on Shaolin, not just as a martial art, but as a 'warrior monk' lifestyle?
Most of traditional martial arts will have both striking and grappling techniques in them. The issue often is that they are not equally taught in the relevant schools.
I trained stand-up Striking boxing, judo and TMA. I finally joined a BJJ Club and rolled with 7 guys blue and 1 white belt woman and including the instructor. I used what I simply learned from standup to break the grips and control the arms and wrist with some sticky hands. I got tapped out on an Armbar by a 375lbs. man. I got choked out by purple belt using a triangle and finally the instructor used a leglock. I was tired. But each roll I gave them a hard time with escapes and guard passes merely using all the MA I learned. It clicked and I remembered your vids. I mean I was already diverse but had a problem with BJJ schools. I first when BJJ became popular I was a Judoka and it wasn't because of their system it was the "Ego" thing.People join to enhance their ego based on the name Gracie. Don't get me wrong I was a Rickson fan way before the 90s because of his willingness to look beyond his own style of BJJ. Cross training is Excellent!
Coach we dont have gym for martial art in city i only learn some technique from youtube about boxing and wrestling and bjj and i do 3 days in week 15 minute shadow boxing and shadow wrestling 15 minute with some bjj techinque just for self defense and then calisthenics what do you think is good
I think it all depends on what you want from it. MMA is great for overall self defence and will get you rounded fast on the ground and standing up. Later on you could spend more time doing what you feel happy to do. I used to box for ten years but now I do BJJ and love it.
Hello Mr. Ramsey, I stumbled upon an interesting question browsing the Martial Arts section of Quora. It was "If you gathered a group of friends, bought martial arts books and instructional videos, learned techniques online and sparred and trained with each other without an actual coach, would you be able to learn the martial art and be decently proficient?". This doesnt really apply to me as I do go to an actual gym, but I would like to hear some of your thoughts on this hypothetical question.
Really like your videos, so question, what do you think of the sport of Sumo wrestling? Also 2nd question whats your experience with goju ryu karateka in China? I know a few really good senseis in the west , that go to Japan often, and they r lethal! I know the standard of quality of Okinawa goju ryu demands that, One technique One ko. Whats the reality in China about it? Some relation to the old Kung fu?
From a background of amature boxing on a national level, i mixed up my mma classes with boxing (to keep that in check) and grapling classes.. every now and then i throw in mt and bjj classes when i Meet surtain struggle in sparring i need to raise my level at.. but in not planning on taking my mma to more Than amature level so i Guess it all depends on what your seeking
Hello Ramsey just found your Chanel love the videos. I have a question in another video you said that you were having trouble rolling with a bigger bodybuilder strongman type. Would you consider striking a better option against this body type? Thank you
A quick question, since there is an argument here in the Dojo-should we train our abs by having a another person punch them repeatedly ( safely of course, we are gutting ourselves) or should we focus on, for example, individual body weight exercises?
Nice! One of the people here actually bet me he will do 20 pull ups and if I am wrong I have to do like a 4 minute plank(i hate planking). Welp, guess he is doing pull ups :D
Something else to consider. I've found striking gives you more bumps and bruises and makes your cardio better and grappling gives you more strains and sprains but makes you stronger. And I get grappling and striking might have a similar rate for serious injury depending on the gym but I always feel safer grappling and have overall felt less pain doing that.
Hey Mr. Dewey so during your time in China I know you said kung fu isn't practiced a whole lot and that the art is pretty much dead. But have you ever tried shaolin kung fu and seen how that works? Have you been able to visit shaolin temple and meet the monks there to learn their ways? I know there was that one shaolin monk who went into kickboxing matches his name was Yi Long and his kung fu helped him pretty well. Could Shaolin kung fu help you win a match in MMA like Yi Long has done in kickboxing? Thanks.
Even if you never go to the ground ,you need to know how to handle yourself there,everyone's born knowing how to strike and knowing how to wrestle but learning striking and wrestling and getting experience with both ,enhances that instinctive ability,you learn ways out and how to controll enemy/opponents into opening up for serious blows or crippling locks,in between too,you can lock an arm and pivot the enemy while striking them,always better to know everything possible
Hey Ramsey do you think Karate is a good addition to boxing? I started with boxing years ago and I love it but now Im really interested in Karate, so is this useful to become overall a better fighter?
A question along the same lines; would you be better off learning the grappling and striking class independent of each other with each class once per week until the basics were steady, or learn the basics of both from two MMA classes each week?
That depends on the coaches. Generally speaking, if you learn boxing from boxers, you will have to modify your boxing for MMA. If you learn BJJ from BJJ competitors, you will have to modify it a lot for MMA, and the same is true of every other combat sport. Cross training is good and important, but it’s also important to understand what sport you’re actually training for.
if you're doing martial arts for mma or self defense- both grappling and striking,if you prefer striking train grapple until you get in black belt level,than stay in striking but don't forget grappling and vice versa
There was a video of you talking about the current state of kung fu. I am looking to do a martial arts retreat and experience Kung fu (tai chi or alike) I am looking for a original experience, with culture, nature, and so on! I am not sure how to locate these schools, that combine an overall experience then just training! The internet, pictures, websites are one thing, but a lot of them seem commercial, with big influence of western culture (economics) Any advice
Everything on the internet is commercial. The old time China idealized Kung fu experience doesn’t exist any more. You’re left with the options of train at a touristy place, look for an old dude who lived through the cultural revolution and happens to be a secret kungfu master, or go to a sports university and do wushu dance forms and/or Sanda
Coach R. What is your opinion on fighting styles that tr to copy animals strikes and movement. To me is looks like a waste of time, since our bodies are build different. We don't have the agility of a cat or the flexibility of a snake...your opinion?
there are styles that cover both, Jujitsu covers both but most schools lean more to the Grappling, Panctatium also teaches both, Hapkido focuses more on striking but includes grappling. a number of styles of Kung-Fu include both but most of those focus more on the striking, Krav-Maga has both, MS-MAP has both, Defendo/Underwood system covers both. Defendu/Fairbairn System has both but dose focus more on Infighting striking, Standing Game Grappling Throws & Take-downs, Pre-War includes a ground game but War-time drops it for the most part due to the risks of going to the ground during hand to hand on a battlefield.
Ramsey.... I started boxing three months ago Both coaches don't want me to spar because my punches are too powerful for their members (I'm just 1.80m and I weigh 87kg). There are only three guys who train there,there are two kids,but when I "spar" with them I simply move around the ring for conditioning. One coach makes us do small to no physical exercises,not even bag work,just run,sprints and sparring;the other one makes us train with bodyweight exercises,weights and a lot more stuff,problem is that he isn't always in the gym, and the other coach doesn't train us well, so he's always mad at us because we can't keep up the pace with him. I didn't pay much for that gym membership,but I can't continue with this kind of training, I like boxing and I don't want to switch to other sports (make Weightlifting when I won't be able to Boxe anymore). Should I try to look for another Boxing gym? There is one friend of my father who trained in the Italian national team of Boxing,he was in the welter weight category,who sayed to me that he could take me to two gyms with lots of professional boxers,very good gyms,he recommended me especially one gym which is like 10km away from my home and probably the gym membership could be more expensive,like 50-60€ every month,but I'm willing to do these sacrifices just for the sake of boxing. Should I switch gym? Today I had to train,but I didn't do it...
Haiducul III yes. Switch gyms if you are boxing and can't spar. Boxing is all about sparring. So if you aren't sparring you really are just practicing technique or based on what you are saying, the fitness aspect too. Sparring with a resisting person is the only way to tell if what you are doing is actually working.
Shorin Ryu That is just about the most complete, balanced and *practical* martial art. Its relaxed body karate, incorporating boxing style punching, with judo grappling and throwing. For self defense, theres only one answer - *JUDO*
Hi Ramsay I just started training again for the first time in over 20 years in the beginning of the month. I am in my late 30's now and wondering if it's to late for me to even consider competing in another two or three years?
The body will adapt to the demands you put on it over time. At the same time, some types of competitions are easier to do than others. For example friend of mine started BJJ in his mid 50's and he's become a nationally ranked competitor in his division. But I don't think he'd do so well in MMA. A point karate tournament will be much easier to do than a 100 man kumite. There's almost always a way to compete at the level you're at- and once you get better, there's almost always a way to compete that will push you to the next level.
Can you advice me? Im 31yo, i've ALWAYS liked martial arts, but I've never trained one, am I too old to being practicing? my constitution is slim/skinny and I look and feel very young despite my age, I probably look like a 25yo...idk what to do, at this age I see people not wanting to train me or due to my inexperience, age and weight, I see there could be a conflict with the training .... should I give it a go, or concentrate on something else? i'd really appreciate the advice, also, what amrtial art would be a possible good to start on? thanks!
You are never too old to start a martial art form, Judo is great for stress relief and competition but it isn't that good for self defense. And if you do Kodokan Judo then it helps with grappling as well.
You are never too old to start any martial art. It may be more difficult when you are older but it is still possible. Do you want to do martial arts for MMA or would you rather do it for self defense?
PirateChest hmmm, a grappling sport would be good then. Ju-Jitsu(Japanese), Judo, Wrestling, those are all good for competition. But if you want self defense then a striking form would work. Boxing and Muay Thai would be good for self defense and competition but competition is a bit more difficult when doing a striking form
I have chronic back disease and grappling (bjj, judo) has been good for me. You need to have the proper medical treatment and take precautions + listen body. Learn ukemis well and let your sparring partners know about your limitations where relevant. Grappling helps you with your core strength, dealing with discomfort and pain, and moving efficiently. It can be great for someone with back problems if you are careful enough. But realise that there are risks too, especially in stand-up grappling.
Hi ramsey i have a question. i was wondering what your opinion on shaolin kung fu is and if it is worth it to learn. i have great interest to learn it but i don´t know if modern gyms teach the traditional way whats your take on it thx :)
Id say it depends on what they want to do. Do they want to be an MMA fighter jujitsu a wrestler a boxer or a kickboxer? If they are just learning for the experience take a cross training do both.
Heyy , quick question, maybe a video on this would help ppl in similar situations as myself !! I’ve always been very interested in martial arts , boxing etc !! But here’s the catch , I have a pacemaker implanted in my abdomen and I’ve been told my whole life I simply cannot do any type of martial art due to the risk of someone knocking my pacemaker and due to the fact I have a lot of other heart conditions ( dilated cardiomyopathy and congenital complete heart block ) I was born with ( resulting me having to get a pacemaker when I was only 2 weeks old ) , I’ve been told I’ll tire out easy and end up poorly in the long run ! Do you know of any way I could go about practicing martial arts without the risk of hurting myself ? It really does upset me as I’m only 17 and I’ve always been held back in the sport aspect of my life. Thanks so much , cait
Dude, I have a question, but I can not simplify it. I will ask the question at the end of the text. If I wanted to be a dodge and punch specialist, I should practice boxing. If I wanted to be very good at kicking, I should train Taekwondo. If I wanted to be an expert in throws, I should train Judo. If I wanted to be excellent at fighting on the ground, I should train BJJ, etc, etc, etc. The problem is precisely in the fact that not everyone can devote to training so many different styles. By researching a lot, I came to the conclusion that another important thing when choosing which styles to practice is to "simplify" things. And I thought maybe the best styles to train (that synthesize all that) is Sanda and BJJ. Many people would say that Muay Thai would be better, which I understand, since they have many advantages, such as callousing techniques, elbows, knees, strength, etc. However, I think there is a lack of fluidity, movement and dodging in Muay Thai, if you compare to other styles. I think Sanda's movement is closer to Boxing, and it's better. On top of all this, many schools can teach BJJ to focus more on throws and self-defense (apart from the ground fighting, which is the focus). Of course I'm also disregarding train MMA, because I think it's better is to get this only when you already have some practice in some fighting styles. American Kickboxing is great, but I also do not see a lot of movement or throws in that style. On fighting more than one opponent, many styles (such as Krav Maga) try to create several complex theories and techniques that are supposed to be the best way out. I can not say that for sure, despite my skepticism. However, I see that in video records where there is a guy fighting against 2 or 3 in the streets (and he wins), the martial artists in that videos are usually boxers or good on punching people in the face. Punch, just punch! Nothing too complex at all... And Sanda have a major focus on punching (like american conventional boxing) than Muay Thai, for example. Sanda: kickboxing (so, striking), clinching, throws, dodging, fluidity, movement, full-contact. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: throws, ground fighting, grappling, self-defense. So, what do you think of my conclusion? Where can I be wrong? Am I forgetting some detail? I could not summarize more than that, so I'm sorry. Hehe!
I lift 4 times a week and will now take Jiu Jitsu first i think 3-4 times to build a baseline. I train at an MMA Gym so we talk a bit about where and how situations might occur if striking is involved. Tbh i also just enjoy it more and dislike getting punched in the head.
A baby can strike. Everyone are the same in this context. Your right arm is better than your left arm. Because you use the righ arm for doing stuff. Everyone is different, yes, unless you use your left arm to do stuff, then it's vice versa. But this here is normal human behaviour.
Aurelian Spodarec what? Are you saying it's easy to be a good striker cause that's literally not possible cause even if it's easier to learn that just means better people have excelled even further
I'd say stsrt with wrestling. Then pick up BJJ and muyai thai. Or some other lock/submission oriented grappling and some stricking. But IMO wrestling will build a strong base for you.
The only right answer to that kind of question is : do the one you enjoy the most and find the most fun. People who ask : "should I do striking, grappling or both" will never do both because of time / finance issues, or else they wouldn't ask. If you tell them to do either striking or grappling, they will do it. If they have to force themselves to go to classes, they won't stick. So tell them to try each one for a couple of weeks and stick with the one they have the most fun doing. Because enjoyement is key to longevity.
Thank you for making the point about this distinction between grappling and striking is artificial. I guess in a real fight you don’t really say how old is strike or I’ll just grapple you may have to transition from one to the other thank you for making common sense observations which people like me seem to miss.
Well... Thank you. I am now taking bjj. I'm a little guy but I'm stronger and more athletic then most in my class. Guys in there with two, three and four years under their belt and they can't move me. But then again I can't submit them. If it were MMA it would be quite a bit different. But I want to learn the moves. Good school and good teachers. I just feel a little out of place. Any advice?
Grappling in general is going to better serve you for self defense in cases where somebody attacks you, Striking is more an offensive act but can defend against multiple attackers which grappling quite frankly sucks at. One thing to consider for people who want elite striking skills is don't train Striking and Grappling at the same time, they are fundamentally demanding different things from your muscle groups. It would be like a Runner training for Endurance, Stamina and Explosive Burst energy at the same time, its just not done. You can't run Gold at the Olympics 100m Sprint one day and take the 42km Marathon the next, you would be a genetic freak to accomplish this. I'd say if you are just training for self defense then the Grappling is going to serve you better, unless you live in a particularly hostile environment, so do the Grappling first until you are competent and then focus on Striking with the occasional Grappling class to keep your skills honed. Ultimately however if you are wanting great Striking skills then focus on them first before adding the Grappling because Grappling will create Long Endurance muscle fibers which won't lend themselves to Striking which wants Short Twitch Fibers. Each to their own, just sharing my take as food for thought. Personally I've removed my son from Judo and BJJ classes because he is quickly becoming an Elite Striker and we need to increase his Speed a little, not that his Speed is a problem because his neural connection between brain and muscle reaction time is impeccable. Just saying though, if you want the speed of a Boxer you have to train for speed and speed alone until you are satisfied. Remember your muscle will give you what you train them for and if you train them for strength that is what you will get so don't be disappointed when somebody out guns you with speed. Anybody who tells you that you can train both at the same time is lying and selling you short
Hey Ramsey, Alohas from So. Cal and So. Utah!!! In an unavoidable street fight against the average unskilled but aggressive alpha male-type tough guy, who'd have the better chance of SURVIVAL and going home unhurt? A novice striker with NO grappling skill or a novice self-defense based Jiu-Jitsu student with almost NO striking experience?
The striker. At risk of oversimplifying a complex issue: at the novice level, offense is the only thing that works to win fights. Also, self defense based jiu-jitsu is usually nonsense.
My gym has a good teacher and many of the people at my gym who enter tournaments do very well, so I know that the place is good. However, as I've gone over the last few months, I've noticed a very negative overall atmosphere. The teacher can be quite rude to students and the more experience students tend to beat up on the newer students such as myself. In addition, when learning new techniques the more experienced students very quickly become angry at the new students if they don't do it correctly the first time and even scream at them. I'm really not sure how much more of this stuff I can take. Are all gyms like this? Is this normal for a gym? Should I stick with this one, since its a good gym, or try to find a new one?
Not all gyms are like that. Usually the coaches can be kinda rude but most are also kind and want to see you perform at your best. As for the students there usually are 2-3 people like that but you should feel at home in your gym. I suggest looking for another one
Kuchi Kopi I may begin the process of finding a new one. Its getting to the point where I dislike going. I remember back at the start I used to love going...
