Spreading yourself too thin with too many martial arts? (bjj, m.t, wrestling)

whitebeltforever

whitebeltforever

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I have always loved to strike, and recently taken up muay thai and boxing as a side dish to BJJ.
I have chronic illness (lupus) and nearly 3 months out of chemo and radio therapy for another illness (breast cancer) and i want to get as strong and fit as my body will allow me so that i'll be in good shape if and when i get sick again... i was in reasonable shape when i got the breast cancer diagnosis 2016 and as a consequence bounced back much quicker and better than most others treated for cancer.

So my first point is, i'm not going to tone it down. I will try to start slow but will challenge myself so that i can get stronger and fitter. i know i will get really tired and worn out but im gona push myself so i become a super version of myself...
second point is that the new place has a ton of all classes i wana do. but it doesnt hav the amazing professor in it.
third and final point is that i wana do muay thai (boxing is so i can get good at muay thai as i am better at kicking than punching), and try wrestling, and do bjj... plus i have my weight training on top of all this... so its not going to be possible to do all 4 things... or at least be good at all 4.

My dilemma is not knowing what i should do and not knowing if i shld just stick with the amazing professor who is nice to me... i really enjoy bjj as well as muay thai. punching and kicking is more for my mental health benefits. the bjj i really wana get good at. wrestling i havent tried (will try 2 days from this post), and 2 days from now i will know what the bjj teachers are like at the new place...

I started BJJ a couple of months ago and loved it. The school i chose has an amazing professor. But they don't have muay thai. This other place has qualified teachers (not as high ranking as the amazing professor) for Bjj, but they have boxing and muay thai and even wrestling, which i wanted to take up. I really don't want to pay for double membership... but am very reluctant to leave the amazing professor because he's been very good to me and he's really nice.

This other place I signed up for a 1 month trial and so far i really like all the classes. theres so many to choose from. MMA, boxing, muay thai, Gi/no gi bjj, wrestling, functional strength, intro on all these classes (shorter easier lessons), fundamentals for bjj and open mat time, etc. My first bjj school with the A.P (amazing professor) has only bjj and judo.

i like the fact that there's alot of stepping stones at the new place so i can work my way up to the next level... and most ppl there are quite friendly to outsiders. the place with A.P is also very friendly and welcoming, but there is a feeling of walking into an existing established family...

I will know within 2 weeks what i will do... but in the meanwhile please let me know if u have ANY tips for me or experiences to share with me about what you just read.
Thank you so much for your attention!!
 
I in awe of your dedication and I wish only the best for you with regard to both your training and the illness you are fighting.

I would say only listen to your body and pay attention to your doctors. Otherwise, do what makes you feel better physically, mentally, and emotionally. If *you* feel spread too thin, dial it back a notch.

I personally am not that fond of training in multiple arts simultaneously. I find Isshinryu karate more than sufficient to keep me busy learning. But I'm not you. Best of luck and yay you, you conqueror you!
 
Personally, I would do Muay Thai and BJJ. Why? Because Muay Thai has punching like Western Boxing, but then it also has elbows, clinching, knees, and kicks. In other words, more arsenal. As for BJJ over wrestling (I am assuming Olympic-type wrestling), it is the same thing: BJJ has joint locks, arm bars, etc., not just throws. Then again, you can take that with a grain of salt because I am not overly familiar with all the moves you would learn in "regular" wrestling.
 
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I'd stay with the amazing professor - and just supplement with the rest of it.

One other thing - you rock, girl.
 
To me, those seem perfectly doable. I can describe wrestling as BJJ except way more exhausting. Learning how to box will be no problem if you actually listen to the instructor.
There are subtle differences in boxing muay Thai (I mean aside from kicking and clinching, or lack thereof), mainly being that the footwork is a bit different. Won't be much extra to understand.
As for being "good" at weight training, unless you do crossfit, there should not be any potential concerns.

Best of luck c:
 
Some martial arts include bits of everything - MT, Boxing, Grappling, all in one art. My Marital art of JKDC does (although lite on grappling)

You do what you need to do. You have been through hell, but over training can not only injure the body physically - it can depress you immune system and make you susceptible to getting infections and sick. Your muscles and system grow during rest time.

I suggest you have off day(s) each week - or perhaps take a day or two and just do restorative or slow flow yoga only on these days. Not only will this help keep you body going and healthy - the flexibility is good for your MA training.

That said - for now - I like this place you recommend as it seems to fit your goals.

"This other place I signed up for a 1 month trial and so far i really like all the classes. theres so many to choose from. MMA, boxing, muay thai, Gi/no gi bjj, wrestling, functional strength, intro on all these classes (shorter easier lessons), fundamentals for bjj and open mat time.."
 
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Bill Mattocks said:
I in awe of your dedication and I wish only the best for you with regard to both your training and the illness you are fighting.

I would say only listen to your body and pay attention to your doctors. Otherwise, do what makes you feel better physically, mentally, and emotionally. If *you* feel spread too thin, dial it back a notch.

I personally am not that fond of training in multiple arts simultaneously. I find Isshinryu karate more than sufficient to keep me busy learning. But I'm not you. Best of luck and yay you, you conqueror you!
Click to expand...

thanks so much for your kind words and encouragement!! and yes i will need to listen to my body more and really just take my time... after all it is a lifetime lifestyle that i don't want to burn out early.... they are all so fun tho ... at least at this early stage
 
wingchun100 said:
Personally, I would do Muay Thai and BJJ. Why? Because Muay Thai has punching like Western Boxing, but then it also has elbows, clinching, knees, and kicks. In other words, more arsenal. As for BJJ over wrestling (I am assuming Olympic-type wrestling), it is the same thing: BJJ has joint locks, arm bars, etc., not just throws. Then again, you can take that with a grain of salt because I am not overly familiar with all the moves you would learn in "regular" wrestling.
Click to expand...

very tru!! thanks for your input!!!
 
marques said:
Avoid overtraining (tiredness, injuries...). Besides that, do as much as you want or can. But sometimes training more doesn't translate automatically into progressing faster...
Click to expand...

very wise words. and yeah i totally agree that if i train too much it may not let me progress... i hav experienced the opposite actually...
 
KangTsai said:
To me, those seem perfectly doable. I can describe wrestling as BJJ except way more exhausting. Learning how to box will be no problem if you actually listen to the instructor.
There are subtle differences in boxing muay Thai (I mean aside from kicking and clinching, or lack thereof), mainly being that the footwork is a bit different. Won't be much extra to understand.
As for being "good" at weight training, unless you do crossfit, there should not be any potential concerns.

Best of luck c:
Click to expand...

thanks so much !!
n LOLLLLZ i dont do crossfit thank goodness.... lollll i do mainly powerlifting but i would prefer to take up weightlifting/Olifting because i hav learnt that the explosive power from it will give a person more dynamic strength rather than static like in powerlifting... but its proly all v beneficial. :)

at the moment i'm going to try a week of 1 bjj, 1 m.t and 1 wrestling... plus 2 weights... and see how that goes... i know i will proly hav to cut down 1... but ... yeah i dont really wnat to... and no hard in trying! :)
 
crazydiamond said:
Some martial arts include bits of everything - MT, Boxing, Grappling, all in one art. My Marital art of JKDC does (although lite on grappling)

You do what you need to do. You have been through hell, but over training can not only injure the body physically - it can depress you immune system and make you susceptible to getting infections and sick. Your muscles and system grow during rest time.

I suggest you have off day(s) each week - or perhaps take a day or two and just do restorative or slow flow yoga only on these days. Not only will this help keep you body going and healthy - the flexibility is good for your MA training.

That said - for now - I like this place you recommend as it seems to fit your goals.

"This other place I signed up for a 1 month trial and so far i really like all the classes. theres so many to choose from. MMA, boxing, muay thai, Gi/no gi bjj, wrestling, functional strength, intro on all these classes (shorter easier lessons), fundamentals for bjj and open mat time.."
Click to expand...


thanks so much for your wise advice!!! i 40000% agree... i need to incorporate my yoga more into martial arts training. i feel so so different if i do yoga before a class then use slower restorative yoga to help me recover. the recovery difference between yoga and no yoga is huge. and you are so right if i over do it and injure or get sick then i wont b able to do much at all....

and thank u v much for your last comment you predicted my final choice! i am now 99% sure i want to go with the new place with lots of classes. also, the students there seem less like an established family and the energy and culture of the place seem to welcome an in and out flow of new and familiar students... the other place i reallly REALLY feel like an outsider... and proly the professor is the only reason for staying.... but not anything else except price but its only a 10$ diff...
 
whitebeltforever said:
thanks so much !!
n LOLLLLZ i dont do crossfit thank goodness.... lollll i do mainly powerlifting but i would prefer to take up weightlifting/Olifting because i hav learnt that the explosive power from it will give a person more dynamic strength rather than static like in powerlifting... but its proly all v beneficial. :)
Click to expand...
Uh... Power is power - there aren't different types of strength. It's called powerlifting for a reason. The clean and jerk and the snatch have no objective benefits over any other lifts.
 
KangTsai said:
Uh... Power is power - there aren't different types of strength. It's called powerlifting for a reason. The clean and jerk and the snatch have no objective benefits over any other lifts.
Click to expand...

Yes, power is power, but that's really the only accurate statement in your post.

There are different types of strength because there are different types of muscle contractions - concentric, eccentric, etc.

The cleans, snatch, etc. (aka Olympic lifts) have many objective benefits over other lifts. Olympic lifts lead to far more functional strength than other lifts such as bench press and curls. They objectively take more stabilization muscle strength, activate more muscles, and require far more propriocecption.

All lifts aren't created equal. How you strength train should be determined by what your goals are. If your goal is to bench press 500 lbs, you shouldn't focus on Olympic lifts. If your goal is to be a strong athlete that doesn't get pushed around/knocked over easily, benching isn't really going to get the job done (even though so many athletes think benching will).
 
Funny i was just about to post... i know some powerlifters and weightlifters who wld b v offended u confused one with the other! Lolll n no its not the same. At. All. Agree with JR
 
oh goddddd i can't do this! cant make this decisionnnn x(

A.P's place (i dont know why i always call this bjj gym Carlos's place): http://www.cpabjj.com.au/carlos_portugues_vieira.html

MMA place: http://absolutemma.net.au/our-team/melbourne-cbd-team/

im still deciding and this makes it much harder... i love the amazing professor but his classes don't suit me as much as the new place... i sent him an sms sayin im doing some muay thai and they hav bjj but i prefer his teachings... but he never replied back! the new place is def new school mma school vs traditional bjj schoo with the A.P (amazing professor)... but one thing that did spark some thinking was that during my first few sessions with A.P, i asked him to teach me a backward roll because i was the only one not doing it during the classes... and you know what he said? "i'll teach you a backward roll when you can do your forward rolls" now... i understand the sentiment of this... but at the same time... i can't help but think that i am being severely underestimated? if that is the case, ....how much can i progress? the new place is quite challenging... and the pace is v fast. there are alot of people and the membership fee is $10 more than the A.P's. but if i miss a bjj class there, i know for a fact that i can make it up the following day. the following day at lunch time if i wanted! but at the A.P's, there is the monday evening class which i can't make, the tuesday evening class which is judo and not bjj, the wed beginner's class which im sure i will outgrow in time, and the thursday fundamentals class at night, then its friday 1 no-gi class, sat 2 classes... and i'm not really too keen on doing midday classes and sat is my rest day... so that leaves me 1 beginners class and 1 fundamentals class. nothing else... the new place has bjj everyday morning noon and night, except friday and sunday, and sat mornings only, plus its got muay thai which i wana do and they hav built a whole army of a community online which the A.P being a more traditional school doesn't really have.. i can't ask the A.P just anything at anytime but the new place encourages ppl to just ask on the facebook page... basically apart from the A.P's individual mannerisms, the mma place is better in nearly every way except its not as clean as A.P's place cause there's like thousands of ppl who train there... *sigh... so hard... and i do feel that i am betraying the A.P if i go to the mma place... i really do...
1f622.png
:'( but i feel that maybe its better for me in terms of convinience and acessibility. plus the teachers there are pretty good. the AP to be honest could explain things in more detail but he's v good... but the mma place has teachers that explain it in steps, and v detailed demos.... it's just too hard... *facepalm
OH and to add more confusion to my decision, i asked myself today where can i see myself training when im 50... or 60 for that matter... which is in 14/24 years... and i think at the A.P's place. cause he's got lots more older ppl there than the mma place... and after reading this post i asked myself who can i see myself representing... and the answer is i would b proud to represent the A.P... but the other place... im not sure... and then on top of that if asked who will keep me safest... well ther's no doubt the A.P would... plus!!! when it comes to comparing corporate management styles i prefer the more participatory over the more hierarchical structure... and the A.P is hierarchical the mma place more flat and everyone can hav a say...
 
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whitebeltforever said:
oh goddddd i can't do this! cant make this decisionnnn x(

A.P's place (i dont know why i always call this bjj gym Carlos's place): http://www.cpabjj.com.au/carlos_portugues_vieira.html

MMA place: http://absolutemma.net.au/our-team/melbourne-cbd-team/

im still deciding and this makes it much harder... i love the amazing professor but his classes don't suit me as much as the new place... i sent him an sms sayin im doing some muay thai and they hav bjj but i prefer his teachings... but he never replied back! the new place is def new school mma school vs traditional bjj schoo with the A.P (amazing professor)... but one thing that did spark some thinking was that during my first few sessions with A.P, i asked him to teach me a backward roll because i was the only one not doing it during the classes... and you know what he said? "i'll teach you a backward roll when you can do your forward rolls" now... i understand the sentiment of this... but at the same time... i can't help but think that i am being severely underestimated? if that is the case, ....how much can i progress? the new place is quite challenging... and the pace is v fast. there are alot of people and the membership fee is $10 more than the A.P's. but if i miss a bjj class there, i know for a fact that i can make it up the following day. the following day at lunch time if i wanted! but at the A.P's, there is the monday evening class which i can't make, the tuesday evening class which is judo and not bjj, the wed beginner's class which im sure i will outgrow in time, and the thursday fundamentals class at night, then its friday 1 no-gi class, sat 2 classes... and i'm not really too keen on doing midday classes and sat is my rest day... so that leaves me 1 beginners class and 1 fundamentals class. nothing else... the new place has bjj everyday morning noon and night, except friday and sunday, and sat mornings only, plus its got muay thai which i wana do and they hav built a whole army of a community online which the A.P being a more traditional school doesn't really have.. i can't ask the A.P just anything at anytime but the new place encourages ppl to just ask on the facebook page... basically apart from the A.P's individual mannerisms, the mma place is better in nearly every way except its not as clean as A.P's place cause there's like thousands of ppl who train there... *sigh... so hard... and i do feel that i am betraying the A.P if i go to the mma place... i really do...
1f622.png
:'( but i feel that maybe its better for me in terms of convinience and acessibility. plus the teachers there are pretty good. the AP to be honest could explain things in more detail but he's v good... but the mma place has teachers that explain it in steps, and v detailed demos.... it's just too hard... *facepalm
OH and to add more confusion to my decision, i asked myself today where can i see myself training when im 50... or 60 for that matter... which is in 14/24 years... and i think at the A.P's place. cause he's got lots more older ppl there than the mma place... and after reading this post i asked myself who can i see myself representing... and the answer is i would b proud to represent the A.P... but the other place... im not sure... and then on top of that if asked who will keep me safest... well ther's no doubt the A.P would... plus!!! when it comes to comparing corporate management styles i prefer the more participatory over the more hierarchical structure... and the A.P is hierarchical the mma place more flat and everyone can hav a say...
Click to expand...
Just do what you want to do and enjoy it. You don't owe anyone anything you make your choice and if you miss a class you don't have to make it up no one trains at every single class there isn't a single martial artist who attends every single class. Hell even the head instructors miss class every now and then
 
I'm impressed with your drive. I'm also impressed that striking system training is playing nice with your joints. I manage a similar type of chronicity and I get concerned about repeat blunt force trauma like that. I did my boxing and muay thai prior to this on-set.

Go! Do! Be!
 
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