If I want to pursue MMA, should I start boxing or wrestling first?

I want to pursue MMA as it is my passion. I don't aim on competing seriously but I want to do MMA as a hobby, and maybe fight in local shows or with friends and also learn it for self defence.

I have zero wrestling experience and knowledge. As for boxing, I train a lot but only punch bag training in my backyard. I have lots of knowledge of boxing as I follow the sport a lot.

I also do weight training (for many years).

I think at the moment, doing all three, wrestling boxing and weights will be too much for me.
I want to continue lifting and do either boxing or wrestling first.

Do you think I should do boxing classes (i signed up to UFC gym last month but haven't done their classes yet) or wrestling classes first if I want to become better at MMA?

I'm leaning towards boxing as I have some knowledge and practised some of it already. But then again, maybe I should do wrestling since I have no clue about it, and its one of the most important aspects of MMA.

What do you guys think?

 

If you want to get good at MMA then MMA class is your best bet. Boxing or wrestling will help, but when integrated into MMA they will change in some respects.

If you have already signed up then get started, no reason to delay if you have the option for classes then try them all and see which you like the best!

No reason not to try all the options, every club I ever went to had at trial class.

If you have time to do all, then do all (that is what I did when I had a lot more time available)

 

Thanks for the help guys! I will do the MMA classes, as well as boxing and wrestling and see which one works out the best!

 

I think this is a great answer, because you’ll stick at what you enjoy.

Perseverance is probably the most important factor in being a successful martial artist.

 

Walk into a MMA gym and find out .

 

It's hard to say without knowing your situation but I'd definitely join an MMA gym. Probably not a UFC gym though as the quality can vary and most of them don't allow sparring at all.

 

I suspect with the whole concussion issues now surfacing a fair few more MMA gyms will cut back on or ban sparring

 

Yeah. If you want to be goof at fighting though, there's no way around not sparring at least at the start of your career.

 

Oh you need to spar at the start

And unless you compete all the time like the Thais you still need to spar if you are only fighting a few times a year, but honestly with all the research coming out about concussion issues and long term health impact the question we all have to ask is it it worth it personally ?

And is it worth it for the gym owners to allow sparring when they might end up on the end of a class action suit for damages years down the line

 

Whaaaaat?!?!?!

 

The thing is, it's still a lot safer than, say, horse riding, and stables manage to stay open and charge kids for lessons. Why couldn't MA classes operate with the same acceptance of risk as other sports and activities?

 

There's a lot to unpack there. Quite a lot of competing aims or goals. If you want self defence then train at a self defence club (they are a lot rarer than the way club advertise would lead you to believe). You want to have fun with mates and compete at a low level then join a club and get into some BJJ, Thai or grappling comps. Straight grappling is a lot easier to compete with mates in. If MMA is your passion then go for it and find a serious club and gain experience.

I'll be harsh here and say that training in boxing (under the proper guidance of a good coach, on the mitts, good sparring partners, progression, etc) is a world away from hitting a heavy bag in the garden.
Also knowledge of boxing as sport and knowledge of boxing as usable skill are also a world apart.

Wrestling is about the most important aspect of MMA there is. Having wrestling as a base is a very strong predictor of success in MMA.
Fighter's that don't have it as a base from the start often have to play catch up with a very steep learning curve. Fighters like Bobby knuckles, GSP and Adesanya show it can be done but fighter's like DC, Jonny Bones, Cejudo, etc also show how strong wrestling is as a base to build on.

Get down the gym and train for a good couple of years. That will be a major indicator of your commitment to MMA and where your skills really and where they need to go.

 

Is it safer or simply hasn't it been around long enough for the full dangers to be fully known?

I imagine insurance premiums will increase rapidly and I doubt most MMA schools will be able to get the sort of clients a riding school does to be able to charge prices to cover costs

 

Horse riding is notorious for head and spinal injuries.

Here's a small study:

Horseback riding injuries among children and young adults. - PubMed - NCBI

But I just looked at a random riding school near me and saw it was £26 for an hour in an adult group class, so yeah...

 

Remember that time David Nutt compared the dangers of Horse riding to drug use and called it "Equasy"?
I don't like being within 10ft of a horse if I can help it.

 

Not good but an examination of 18 studies in MMA foundW

Like I said there isn't enough technical data yet but those figures make me equally scared as do the horse riding ones lol

 

And that's not even mentioning the finding showing heavy chest impacts can also lead to concussion and head issues due to.the whiplash effect, so ever body sparring or throw work puts you at an increased risk

 

Those horse stats are mental! I've been to a hospital once in 7 years and I train most days. Those kids ride minimum 6 times a year with I assume no maximum.

Spinal injuries scare the life out of me. I hope I have a kid that doesn't want to learn horse riding.

 

I think that's a bit apples-to-oranges.

We were just talking about sparring, not competition. I would say that the equivalent to competition would be racing or hunting on horseback, which I guess would be an order of magnitude more dangerous again.