Training MMA as a style, or Base style then expand...

[Ybot]

I see a trend these days with people choosing to train MMA as a style, and MMA gyms openning up all over. Most of these gyms tend to be places offering several individual styles housed under one roof (some form of sub grappling, wrestling, and Muay Thai for example). People go in to train to be fighters and begin by training all these styles at the same time.

So, my question is, do you feel that these people training out of MMA gyms from the beginning are the MMA stars of the future? Or, do you think, like I do, that the future MMA champs will still be acomplished athletes in a single base style before they move on to MMA training?

I ask because I look at the major stars of today, and all have a strong base style onto which they built their MMA training. They generally started, and competed as wrestlers, BJJ guys, Judoka, samboists, or kick boxers before they ever entered the world of MMA.

 

[Andrew Green]

Still got a little while, but it's getting there. Most of the stars still seem to have combat sports before getting into MMA. Wrestling in school or something. But in time, MMA gyms will be the normal.

Just a path to Optimization IMO, learning BJJ teaches you all sorts of things you don't need in MMA, Learning Muay Thai same thing, Boxing, Wrestling, Judo... same thing. And even if you do all of them, you'll still be missing important pieces that are unique to MMA style fighting.

 

[Ybot]

I definitely agree that MMA specific skills and training are needed out side of individual styles, but I tend to think that in general straight MMA training is not good enough. There are too many aspects, ranges of fighting, involved in MMA, and to train all of them at a MMA school I believe will be good to a certain extent, but I don't believe that it will be able to produce the quality of fighter that can be made when a true specialist in one range expands their training and then ventures into the sport.

I agree that if you specialize first you'll learn things that you don't need, but I also believe that specializing in one aspect of MMA also creates more elite fighter. Someone who has a complete understanding of a particular range then only has to learn to get the fight to that range and keep it there. That's where the MMA training comes in handy, but in the end it's the specialty that wins.

I've just been thinking about this lately because of this new generation of MMA trained fighter that's comming out of straight MMA schools.

Can you think of any particular fighter out there that comes from this MMA based training and is competing at a high level? I'm intrested to watch their carreers and see how this works.

 

[Andrew Green]

I agree that specialization will need to happen, and that one school is very unlikely to be able to provide the ability for everyone to specialize in what suits them, it's just a matter of when.

I think that people would be best off starting in a MMA club, doing everything in one place. Still working components in isolation (boxing, takedowns, submission, etc.) but eventually they will need to crosstrain to take there personal style to the next level.

I guess it's more of a same things, but different order. Rather then starting in a specialized style, start in MMA and then once there is a good base in everything branch out to specialize, based on interests and abilities.

I think that method would give people not only a more informed choice based on there strengths and weaknesses, but also allow them to put the specialized training into perspective based on MMA better.

 

[Ybot]

Okay, I see what you mean, and have to agree. What we're really looking at then is a "under one roof" approach. Have a specialized kick boxing only instructor, a specialized Grappling instructor, Wrestling, etc. But also have guys experienced in MMA to put it together right. This is also good because at the basic levels a beginner student will be better informed as to which specialization will work best for them, or they will enjoy most.

I do kind of worry about the second generation of this type of school though. As long as they continue to bring in the experts then things are okay, just not sure I would want to learn my grappling from a guy that was first and formost an MMA fighter. On the other hand in that second generation school you'll have a heck of a lot more guys that could really help you bring your MMA game together after specializing.

I've been trying to think of a high level MMA fighter who is more or less MMA only. Is Sylivia a straight MMA guy, or was he a boxer, kick boxer, or wrestler first?

 

[Andrew Green]

Well, I think on a smaller scale the problem has been around a while now. Look at how many Muay Thai fighters also train in Western boxing at one point or another.

Doesn't have to be all under one roof, I think a school can do MMA, and if someone wants to fight the coach can reccomend, or even the fighter can choose a 2nd place to crosstrain at.

Which is essentially what people do now, and I think would be better then all under one roof. Guys looking to get to that top level will eventually need to get out and train with as many people as possible, and with as many coaches as possible.