Muay Thai for MMA/Pankration striking game

[LoneRider]

Hey there. I have heard Muay Thai is a very effective art for the striking game for the MMA/Pankratiast. In about seven years I intend to take up Pankration or MMA, but I want to develop my striking game first (for 3.5 years and then for another 3.5 years on ground work using BJJ) and I think Muay Thai's a great way to start. Any thoughts?

 

[Dave Leverich]

Are you pretty young? Only reason I ask is you're looking at 7 years of prep before doing MMA.

 

[LoneRider]

I'm about 24 and very athletic (always been good about maintaining my physical wellbeing) right now. I'll be about 31 when I intend to take up MMA, I just want to develop my striking and grappling games separately first before I mix them together.

 

[Nolerama]

Why not find an MMA gym that you like and go from there? Or fight when you think you're ready to fight?

Good luck in your search.

 

[Dave Leverich]

LR, I'm going to echo what Nolerama said.
Go watch a few local fights, take note of which Gyms are there, what sort of feeling you get from them etc. Then go look them up and start training. If it's anything like mine, you'll be training MT/Wrestling/Boxing/BJJ etc, with an emphasis on MMA so no need to 'adapt' at a later date.

I did 23 years of TKD first, and don't get me wrong.. I love TKD, but I wish I would have started MMA about 10-15 ago. You don't have to 'stop' one to start another btw.

 

[LoneRider]

LR, I'm going to echo what Nolerama said.
Go watch a few local fights, take note of which Gyms are there, what sort of feeling you get from them etc. Then go look them up and start training. If it's anything like mine, you'll be training MT/Wrestling/Boxing/BJJ etc, with an emphasis on MMA so no need to 'adapt' at a later date.

I did 23 years of TKD first, and don't get me wrong.. I love TKD, but I wish I would have started MMA about 10-15 ago. You don't have to 'stop' one to start another btw.

Doesn't that get confusing sometimes, though? I mean, for example, carrying out a move reflexive to MMA that would be illegal in a TKD contest.

 

[Dave Leverich]

You definitely have to 'switch modes' and sometimes it can be a 'oops crap I can't do that here' moment heh.

Peronsally I've been focusing on just MMA lately, especially with a fight this next Saturday, I don't want to revert to what would be bad habits for that game.

One thing I find in MMA is that my mindset changes as the range changes, when we're in kickboxing range I'm TKD/Muay Thai, when it gets closer I'm Muay Thai/Boxing. If I create space I'll instantly be in kickboxing 'mode', but if it closes then it's wrestling/jiujitsu/boxing. For me, it's all really dependant on the distance to set my approach.

Short answer, yes it can be a bit confusing, but I feel I'm becoming a more full-range martial artist in the combination.

 

[tank_62]

if you keep your body and health well manetained you should be alright, look at Bass Rutten he joined the game at the age of 28 and he became a legend, and its up to you to make that decision if you keep it up thats a good thing keep it

 

[LoneRider]

Thanks for the tips guys. I really appreciate it. I figured Muay Thai was the best striking style, when combined with the concepts I have learned in Wing Chun for two years for my striking game and I know BJJ is definitely the best ground game. I did some wrestling when I was in military school (it was mainly just beat the crap out of the other guy, but I wasn't that good at it).

I've always been one to keeping body and health well maintained, tank_62 so that's a front I'm not worried about. Randy Couture is one of the oldest MMA champions ever at 44 according to Human Weapon, so I should keep that in mind.

 

[paulH]

Thanks for the tips guys. I really appreciate it. I figured Muay Thai was the best striking style, when combined with the concepts I have learned in Wing Chun for two years for my striking game and I know BJJ is definitely the best ground game. I did some wrestling when I was in military school (it was mainly just beat the crap out of the other guy, but I wasn't that good at it).

I've always been one to keeping body and health well maintained, tank_62 so that's a front I'm not worried about. Randy Couture is one of the oldest MMA champions ever at 44 according to Human Weapon, so I should keep that in mind.

if you wanted to take up boxing i imagine you would have joined a boxing gym... right?

if you want to do mma... join an mma gym...

years ago it wasnt taught widely so people came from a specific background... no need to now...

also anybody can learn to punch a lot quicker than they will learn the technical aspects of wrestling / grapling... so it makes far more sence to learn and get a true grounding in those skills first if you still want to learn one thing at a time (which is just daft imo)... ask in the mma forum and see what they say

 

[Kieran]

What everyone has been saying makes sense so far - joining an MMA gym to train to fight MMA and to answer your question; in my humble opinion Muay Thai is the best striking art to bring to MMA, but a good knowledge of boxing as well as MT is even better.

The thing you have to ask yourself is whether you want to learn Muay Thai or if you simply want to add effective striking to your MMA game. The way I see it (not speaking from experience, just IMO!), learning Muay Thai in a Muay Thai gym is going to be different to learning Muay Thai in an MMA gym, or it should be anyway.

I personally feel that if you want to learn Muay Thai so that your MMA striking is more effective, go to an MMA gym to learn both striking and grappling as MT in MMA has to be changed in order to be as effective, for example, your MT stance may not be compatible vs wrestlers or grapple heavy guys etc.

But good luck with your training, I hope you get into MMA in less than 7 years!

 

[thaistyle]

Find an mma gym and start training. Why wait for seven years?

 

[Xue Sheng]

Hey there. I have heard Muay Thai is a very effective art for the striking game for the MMA/Pankratiast. In about seven years I intend to take up Pankration or MMA, but I want to develop my striking game first (for 3.5 years and then for another 3.5 years on ground work using BJJ) and I think Muay Thai's a great way to start. Any thoughts?

I agree with what has been said already, if you had been training Muay Thai for a while and then decided “HEY!! I think I will go train MMA” that is different but to know you want MMA and decide to go to another art first to build on will put you in the same position you already mentioned. You will need to change your thinking. There is Muay Thai in MMA but an MMA fight is not the same as a Muay Thai fight. There is BJJ in MMA but again a BBJ fight is not the same as a MMA fight.

But If you already know you want MMA then why not go train MMA. There is an MMA school near me where the instructor already has years of Kenpo, Muay Thai and BJJ.

Why not go learn from the experience of someone that has been there already. And from what I see he is training some damn good MMA people. And look at it this way 7 years Muay Thai and then newbie at MMA or 7 years MMA. Nothing wrong with Muay Thai but if you want MMA I don't understand why you are going to train something else first.