I've decided I really want to learn how to grapple and groundfight, as well as a new approach to striking (and compete more often!), so I am going to start mma this summer. I've been to the school (http://warriormac.com/) and it is a very nice place, very big and open, with a gym, and all the floors are padded for grappling, I can't wait to start. They have a kickboxing class, grappling class, and an mma class, as well as a rolling class throughout the week so I should pick up some new skills which is going to be great. Are high kicks discouraged in mma training or seen as another useful tool? Because I've heard they don't do a lot of high kicks in mma, but I am starting to get really good with my high kicks and I really like em (from karate). Also, how do mmaers train? Sounds kind of stupid, but how are techniques perfected in mma? In karate, we do loads of basics, and katas to help with our form in technique. I am aware that in mma they don't train this way, so is it all bagwork, padwork and sparring or what? I'll probably have more questions after thursday, which is my trial class . (I'm hoping I'll get to train with Carlos Newton at some point, that would be sweet )
Training depends... usually Trainer explains the technique and you drill it with partner, or you all do it in front of mirror or something so trainer can correct you. Standup techniques are often trained with the Punching Bag, Focus Mitts or similar things. If you train grappling you may just spar. Often they do position sparring, for example one starts in backmount or in guard or whatever and you try to get the submission.
High kicks are not discouraged in MMA; but because of the nature of the sport, a repeated use of them isn't recommended. The problem is that high kicks are an easy way to get taken down, so constant use of them in a match could land you on your back, in trouble. Much like any other art, they spar, drill, spar, drill, spar and drill some more!
As far as high kicks go, I'd say they should be OK as long as you're very proficient with them already. Even then you shouldn't rely on them too much.
Last night's kickboxing class was very hard, but I enjoyed it and could get used to it. We started off running, then every time the instructor clapped we would drop and do sit ups and pushups. Then we would line up and do some shrimping across the dojo twice, rolls across the dojo twice, dragging yourself across the dojo twice, lunges across twice, jumps across twice, all sorts of stuff across the dojo twice! Then we did situps for 3 minutes while throwing and catching a medicine ball. Then we did a little sprinting and some more pushups. Apparently that was a shorter warm-up . Oh god I'm sore, still fun though. Then we paired off and did some cool focus mitt drills for the rest of the night, everyone was real nice and very helpful. I noticed that a lot of the guys there who I originally thought would be really good were obviously new to striking, as I had all the drills down on my first class and they were regulars having quite a bit of trouble. I did learn a lot of new stuff though, some of the other guys were very experienced and had great technique. I had a great time and I'm going to try a grappling class next week. Good stuff (and a lot of respect to you guys that train this hard on a regular basis.)
I'd rather do Drills/Sparring in classes than Cardio... I do cardio on my own (there is a 400m and 800m track and 100m sprint track nearby) so I always think "why am I paying that guy to tell me to do pushups?"...
Well, doing the workouts in class helps with motivation and makes it more fun, to me anyway. It wasn't like we spent all class running around the room (which is actually big enough for running, I love it), it was just part of the warm-up and that's the way it is at most schools, even my karate one. btw Im having some crappy contract issues with my karate school and may end up having to pay for the rest of the year even if I change schools, lame. I have to talk with sensei about it next week (I wonder how he'll react ). This could mean I might have to wait a bit to start mma, because my parents wouldn't pay for two schools at once. I hope everything works out. Anyway back on topic, I get to wear my gi (and don my whitebelt once more) on monday when I go to try a jujutsu/grappling class, that'll be great, I love training in a gi way more (although I hope it doesn't rip, being a karate gi rather than a thick judo style one). A buddy of mine (who trains there) said to me, "be prepared to get owned in grappling". I guess I will be doing some rolling on my first day. That's no problem though, I grapple all the time and I learn fast. I could probably give some of the other whitebelts a run for their money, but I'm also ready to be subbed. What kind of grappling arts are used at your mma schools? bjj? jjj? wrestling? Im pretty sure this school uses a japanese jujutsu base and modifies the training a little bit.
Starting grappling is a crash course in learning when to tap. It will take A LONG TIME to become good at grappling, it took me about seven months before I could start being competitive at Sambo and later when I dropped Sambo in favor of Judo (seeing as there's very few Russian martial art places here and an abundance of Judo, it seemed natural. I still meet up with my old coach often and he helps out) it took me another two to get my bearings on the new restrictions and new techniques (cross out leg locks, add in chokes and change the uniform). You'll get used to it and as long as you don't let yourself feel down about tapping all the time, you'll get better pretty quickly. As for the gi, get a judo or BJJ gi. A karate gi is very light and will rip quickly, perhaps within a matter of weeks. Judo gis can last years, if not more. It looks to me like it's less japanese jujutsu that school does (Based solely on the pictures) and more like modified Judo. I can tell from the belts that it's not BJJ, but the techniques look more like expanded Judo groundfighting (i.e. sharing common ground with BJJ) than with the japanese styles of jujutsu.
Apparently theres both judo and jujutsu in the grappling curriculum, i dont think its one set style, just not bjj. I know they compete and do very well in jujutsu tournaments and no-gi tournaments so there must be some elements of everything in the training. I think I'll buy one of their judo gi's when I get everything straightened out, but I think my karate gi will hold up until then, it's one of the thicker ones and I've used it in grappling before.
Wow, judo and jujutsu are like the coolest things ever. It was a little weird (we did flying triangle chokes and flying arm bars on my first class ) at first, because I had no real previous experience (rather than grappling with other untrained people). We did some osoto-gari and then we learned that if we get "stiff-armed" while trying it, we can do this cool thing that i cant explain but it ends up with you and the other guy on the floor and hes getting armbarred. We we were doing the jumping or "flying" moves, it was funny, we switched partners every so often and I had to keep asking "you sure you can hold me up?" (im 6'3 and 220 lbs), everyone said yes and most could, except one guy who just sorta dropped everytime I tried it, it was still cool though. We did some rolling, and I didnt tap anybody out :cry: , but I was doing really well against a yellow belt until I got gi-choked :cry: . It was good experience either way. The instructor was great and it's cool to have some people I actually know (from school) in my class. We are learning "passing guard" over the next couple weeks. Now I just have to get everything sorted out at karate tomorrow and then I can really start training hard.
Haha, way to go! You're learning the joys of throwing and grappling and active training, the way I love it. Good luck and I hope you have a lot of fun!
