MMA Question

[gobbla]

I'm turtling through the UFC's thanks to netflix and just watched 60 w\ Matt Hughes vs Royce Gracie and it got me thinking about training for this sort of event.

In the "Tuff" or whatever it's called (UFC Reality TV) they really compartmentalize the training (or appear to). "This is boxing" "This is ju jitsu"...blah, blah, blah. Do fighters normally train that way where they learn individual talents and it's up to them to figure out a way to string it together or is there a more flux of "this is striking\submission\wrestling in MMA style" if that makes sense?

I can see to a point that if a skill was particularly weak you'd want to go to an expert to raise that skill, but it doesn't make any sense to not have a system in and of itself vs combining other systems.

[kuri]

Good questions but you've gotta realize that the sport is still young enough so that most fighters until just recently came to MMA from distinct disciplines. Some guys like Hughes were wrestlers that had to learn striking and submissions, other guys came from a kickboxing background etc... so that often one skill set was much different than another.

Now some of the younger guys are starting out in MMA schools where they learn all the facets under one roof. But it's still rare to find instructors that can teach each discipline with equal facility. Most specialize in either grappling or stand up, which is why you see top fighters with coaches for each.

And then there is Fedor...

[Chiron]

What Kuri said is true.

Are you talking more about people learning different arts and then applying them to MMA or the compartmentalizing of the training itself?

If it's the former, most MMA fighters came from another background and then moved into MMA. The two most used arts in MMA are probably Muay Thai and BJJ. Typically someone starts in one or both of those but the instructors don't teach it with an application toward MMA. Then the fighter moves into MMA and learns what he can apply in an MMA setting from what he previously learned. Over the past few years though more people have taught classes specifically toward the sport. So if you go to like Bas Rutten down in LA, he'll teach you striking and grappling specifically to apply it in an MMA sport environment (or self-defense). I've been told Chute Box teaches this way as well.

[gobbla]

I was meaning more towards the end "with an application towards mma". The "systems" were changing and all, but what little tiny bit I've seen they always mention "he's good at mui thai". To me he might use strikes similar to thai fighter but to actually use THAT skill set in and of itself would be a recipe for disaster. There'd have to be some sort of transition between styles...wouldn't make sense.

Pretty cool stuff. Thanks fellas.

[Chris Correia]

G, did you go back and watch the first ones? One of my all time favorites is UFC 7 when Marco Ruas beat Paul Verelans for the champtionship. Ruas and I share blood, man! (Well, in the broad, world-wide Portuguese scheme of shared blood. LOL)

And, thanks to all for the info in here. Pretty much knew it, but was good to read you comments.

[tonymcclellan]

MMA schools are coming about more and more due to the increasing popularity of the UFC and Pride.

At my school (just started last week ) they offer MT, BJJ, and Karate. I asked if I should focus on MT and BJJ or if I could do all three. I was told all three wouldnt affect anything because the MT and Karate are similarly taught. While they may be, the MT is completely different. I am only doing the two for now, and BJJ is really fun.