5 Martial Arts at Once

[Gerry Seymour]

If OP is doing well at his bjj and muy thai training, wouldn't it make sense to become proficient at these arts before dropping everything and going to a third gym?

It could. And it's probably what I would do. But if the OP is concerned they aren't getting a rounded MMA toolset, then the best way to ensure that is to go to an MMA gym. Of course, if they're training MT and BJJ at the same place (not sure if that's the case or not), then that place possibly already has an MMA focus - hard to envision those two in the same house without an MMA awareness, at least.

 

[Danny T]

Sambo, BJJ, and wrestling will all help each other. In my opinion, Sambo, Judo, BJJ, and wrestling are all just different facets of the same art, which is close-in grappling (as opposed to the arms-length grappling which arts like Aikido focus on). They have different competition rules, but the underlying principles and skills are mostly the same.

Likewise, I learned Muay Thai and boxing together. There are contextual differences based on the rules, but they can synergize well.

Do you actually have a school which offers all 5 of these arts? If so, you’re pretty lucky. In addition to the convenience of having all that instruction in one place, the teachers would likely understand how aspects of each art overlaps with or differs from the other arts. If you’re having to travel to different schools, I might not bother. Teachers at a school with only one art may not be as helpful in your integration of the systems.

In any case, if you’re wanting to compete in MMA, you should be training some place that has dedicated MMA instruction. Experienced coaches can show you the specific elements that are pulled from each art which are relevant for MMA and show you how those elements work together in that context.

Also, while Muay Thai, BJJ, wrestling, Sambo, and boxing are all excellent foundations for MMA, it is absolutely not true that you need to train in all 5 of those to be successful in MMA. What you need for MMA (skill-wise) is competency in striking, clinching, takedowns & takedown defense, and submissions. You can gain those competencies through a variety of arts, including pure MMA classes. (Although I recommend studying at least one or two of the more specialized arts, such as BJJ or boxing, in order to gain a more in-depth understanding of those aspects.)

^^^^ This!

 

[pdg]

Actually, if you read OP's original post, he never said he wanted to do MMA. He said he read something about how to be a good fighter.

Actually........

to be a good MMA fighter you should do 5 Martial arts.

Bold added by me

 

[Angelsebz]

Thanks for the helpful replies. So I'll clarify some things, my gym does all those 5 arts and MMA. But the MMA classes are mixed levels so I thought it'd be better for me to do these 5 Martial arts for around 6 months before going into MMA. I'm doing all five because Muay Thai teaches how to kick, boxing helps with timing and I noticed in MT my timing is quite bad, Wrestling helps with standup grappling, and BJJ with submissions whilst Sambo kind of puts them all together in a way to prepare for MMA. This was my process of thought.

 

[Monkey Turned Wolf]

Thanks for the helpful replies. So I'll clarify some things, my gym does all those 5 arts and MMA. But the MMA classes are mixed levels so I thought it'd be better for me to do these 5 Martial arts for around 6 months before going into MMA. I'm doing all five because Muay Thai teaches how to kick, boxing helps with timing and I noticed in MT my timing is quite bad, Wrestling helps with standup grappling, and BJJ with submissions whilst Sambo kind of puts them all together in a way to prepare for MMA. This was my process of thought.

If they teach all of them, and you have a choice of what to go to, go to whatever classes you can. Trust that the school knows how to teach them for MMA (since they teach MMA), and more practice is never a bad thing. But I would put the highest priority on the MMA class and treat the rest as supplemental to your MMA, if MMA style fighting is your ultimate goal.

 

[Angelsebz]

I'm doing so many because I wanna get good at different arts. I do BJJ 4 times a week, boxing and Muay Thai 2 times a week, Sambo and wrestling once. I know it seems overkill but I feel like they complement each other in some ways. Idk if I'm looking to be a MMA fighter yet so I wanna get a good feel in different styles.

 

[donald1]

There are benefits to training different styles except trying to be good in different styles is difficult and confusing. Example. I practice goju ryu, but I also practice kung fu(xing yi, bagua, and tai chi). In goju ryu everyone bows before entering the floor and getting off. I see some of the kung fu students just casually walking on the floor or off the floor. (It's no big deal now but in the back of my mind I would think you forgot to bow!). That and the terms are different. Going from Japanese terms to Chinese can be confusing and borderline frustrating. Especially when your like me and have a hard time just remembering them. Don't even get me started on pronunciation. Even if you train in multiple schools its good to have one style to be the main pillar of your training. The other styles can be used to strengthen your main style.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

There are benefits to training different styles except trying to be good in different styles is difficult and confusing. Example. I practice goju ryu, but I also practice kung fu(xing yi, bagua, and tai chi). In goju ryu everyone bows before entering the floor and getting off. I see some of the kung fu students just casually walking on the floor or off the floor. (It's no big deal now but in the back of my mind I would think you forgot to bow!). That and the terms are different. Going from Japanese terms to Chinese can be confusing and borderline frustrating. Especially when your like me and have a hard time just remembering them. Don't even get me started on pronunciation. Even if you train in multiple schools its good to have one style to be the main pillar of your training. The other styles can be used to strengthen your main style.

The bowing/etiquette thing can get very confusing. When I visit other schools, I try my best to keep up, but most Japanese arts are more formal/traditional than NGA, and I'm less formal than most in NGA. Even at the Shorin-ryu dojo where I teach, my etiquette is different from theirs, and I've already altered mine a bit to match some of theirs, out of respect for the primary style in the school.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

I'm doing so many because I wanna get good at different arts.

If you try to be good on everything, you will end with nothing.

You need to develop your basic and foundation first. That will take many years. For example, if you just train "1 step 3 punches" (and nothing else) for 3 years, you will never regret for those 3 years that you have spent.

After you have built a good concrete foundation, you can then build your house on top of it. When I was 7, I tried to smash a small rock among my 3 fingers tip. Today, I'm still working on it. MA training is a life long path. Just take your time slowly to reach to your goal.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

If you try to be good on everything, you will end with nothing.

You need to develop your basic and foundation first. That will take many years. For example, if you just train "1 step 3 punches" (and nothing else) for 3 years, you will never regret for those 3 years that you have spent.

After you have built a good concrete foundation, you can then build your house on top of it. When I was 7, I tried to smash a small rock among my 3 fingers tip. Today, I'm still working on it. MA training is a life long path. Just take your time slowly to reach to your goal.

You might want to clarify that statement a bit, John. As I understand your point from past discussions, you're not actually saying to only train those "1 step 3 punches" for that long - it would leave you too limited. I think you're suggesting you'd train those and the various set-ups, counters, and recoveries related to them. The "1 step 3 punches" becomes the center point.

Do I understand you correctly?

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

You might want to clarify that statement a bit, John. As I understand your point from past discussions, you're not actually saying to only train those "1 step 3 punches" for that long - it would leave you too limited. I think you're suggesting you'd train those and the various set-ups, counters, and recoveries related to them. The "1 step 3 punches" becomes the center point.

Do I understand you correctly?

When you start to train "1 step 3 punches", you will also train the following:

- Assume there are 7 different punches (jab, cross, uppercut, hook, back fist, hammer fist, side punch). There will be 7 x 7 x 7. There will be 343 different combos (of course some combos may not make sense). During this training, you will find out that lower hook, middle hook, high hook can be a good combo even this combo may not exist in the forms that you have learned.
- When you throw your 1st punch, your opponent may block up, down, inside out, outside in, … If your 2nd punch will depend on your opponent's 1s block, you will need to deal with so many different blocks.
- When you punch, your opponent may stand still, move to the side, move back, … You will need to train different kind of foot works.
- For each punches, you will need to train on heavy bag, striking target, punching ball, ...
- ...

This may take you another 20 years to master it all.

 

[pdg]

When you start to train "1 step 3 punches", you will also train the following:

- Assume there are 7 different punches (jab, cross, uppercut, hook, back fist, hammer fist, side punch). There will be 7 x 7 x 7. There will be 343 different combos (of course some combos may not make sense).
- When you throw your 1st punch, your opponent may block up, down, inside out, outside in, … If your 2nd punch will depend on your opponent's 1s block, you will need to deal with so many different blocks.
- When you punch, your opponent may stand still, move to the side, move back, … You will need to train different kind of foot works.
- For each punches, you will need to train on heavy bag, striking target, punching ball, ...
- ...

This may take you another 20 years to master it all.

So in those 20 years you don't learn how to deal with an incoming punch?

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

So in those 20 years you don't learn how to deal with an incoming punch?

Some MA systems teach offense first. After students are god in offense, they then start to learn defense afterward.

A wrestler will learn "How to apply single leg" first, and not "How to counter single leg" first.

After you are good in punching, you will know your

- straight punch can counter your opponent's circular punch.
- circular punch can counter your opponent's straight punch.
​

 

[pdg]

Some MA systems teach offense first. After students are god in offense, they then start to learn defense afterward.

A wrestler will learn "How to apply single leg" first, and not "How to counter single leg" first.

After you are good in punching, you will know your

- straight punch can counter your opponent's circular punch.
- circular punch can counter your opponent's straight punch.
​

But 20 years?

At that sort of rate, it's impossible to live long enough to work on hands and feet in offence and defence.

 

[KenpoMaster805]

Bro take martial arts 1 at a time

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

Bro take martial arts 1 at a time

I just read one of Adam Hsu's books "千里不留行 CMA tour in China". His training path is:

long fist (foundation) -> preying mantis (application and speed generation) -> Baji (power generation)