Kickboxing - 2 years experience
Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu - Since 2008, currently a blue belt
Wrestling - Since 2009
I started kickboxing back in 2007 but in 2010 I suffered a nasty injury while training MMA. It took me out of the game for just over half a year and even after that I only trained BJJ and only recently wrestling. It's been a rough recovery and I'm still not 100% so I haven't returned to kickboxing yet but I'm just dying to get back in there and get punched in the face.
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| I wouldn't suggest trying to punch these guys in the face. Best choke these suckers out |
Mixed Martial Arts is probably one of the best sports to complement strength and conditioning training. Whether or not you compete or not, it'll whip you up in shape real quick. I had it backwards and started strength training before MMA, but here's why I think you should give MMA a try if you're getting serious into your fitness program:
Wrestling would probably be the one thing to pick if you had to choose. I've grappled with many wrestlers and they are all strong has hell. Wrestling is about strong bases, keeping your balance, and speed. They have that explosive strength too which usually leaves me with my back on the mat wondering what the heck happened. And for some reason, they seem to always have stupid grip strength? Once a wrestler grabs a hold of you, they're not letting go. You best just go limp and let them toss you. Seriously though, imagine your training partner as a big weight. Except the weight moves around as you're trying to lift them up off the ground. It's like doing squats, except all your little stabilizer muscles are firing because you're trying to keep your balance.
Kickboxing is great for conditioning and flexibility. There's a reason why so many people puke the first time they do Thai Pads. If you don't know, Thai pads is similar to when a boxing trainer holds mitts for a boxer. In Thai Pads though, they try to break you. Destroy your will, your soul, and then push you some more. One kickboxer in my gym lost 95lbs, dropping from 230lbs to 165lbs after he started. Compared to other cardiovascular exercises like running on a treadmill or riding a bike, kickboxing engages all the muscle groups in the body. Muay Thai, unlike some other martial arts, emphasize that all strikes come from the hips and abdominals. For example, there's no such thing as a snap kick in Muay Thai. Push kicks are used, which engage the core and are much more powerful. You don't get your power in punches from your arms. It all comes from the rotation of your hips, generating momentum from your legs and torso, transferring it to your fist only at the last minute. Kickboxing is great for flexibility too. You need lots of flexibility in the hips and legs if you're going to roundhouse kick someone in the head. Or front kick someone in the face. (Anderson Silva anyone?) ok I know, that was a snap kick, I don't want to get into that.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is pretty good for strength and conditioning too. If you don't like the idea of getting hit, or being picked up and thrown around, then BJJ is the way to go. After a hard class, you feel like you've been run over by a truck. All your muscles are sore because well, you've pretty much used all of them. Although the whole concept of BJJ is about leverage and not strength, I have to say, if you're not tired after rolling for an hour, then you need to teach me a few things. You'll find that your neck gets pretty strong, which I find not a lot of people work on when working out. You need a strong neck in martial arts so you don't get knocked out as easily in boxing/kickboxing, so you can defend against chokes, and also you bridge off your head in grappling a lot which requires neck strength. Strong necks are useful to have in everyday life, and will really go a long way in preventing injury. Whiplash, for example, car accidents or snowboarding crashes. Also, if you train in a gi, you'll get great grip strength too. Some people throw towels over pull up bars and grab the towel to pull themselves up to increase grip strength. In BJJ you grab the other person's GI to throw, control, or choke them so you'll get a stronger grip for sure.
This is a video a friend of mine made just for fun. And if you're wondering, yes, they do work in tournaments! Sometimes... haha
