where to start (learning to be an all-around fighter)

[moneygqj]

Should you first learn the basic punches and kicks and some ground work or a single aspect at a time?

thoughts please

[AndrewGreen]

If you can find a place that does it all as one set, a MMA school that actually trains MMA, go there. Later you can cross train in other stuff if you want.

Otherwise, I'd say join a boxing gym. They will be able to get you some good skills, and get you into fighting shape.

[SubGrappler]

Yeah, it really depends how you want to approach this.

Some people choose to master a particular phase of the fight

(i.e. Chuck Liddel is great striker, Randy Couture is great in the clinch, Frank Mir is great on the ground).

Then there are those who go ahead and train at MMA schools, such as Lion's Den for example. They train in everything a little bit at a same.

The difference between the fighters is generally this: the ones previously mentioned usually keep the same strategy in all their fights. (Chuck will always try to stand, Couture will always try to G&P, Mir will always try to submit) The advantage of these guys is that they know they're the best at what they want to do.

Its very difficult to attain the level of skill these guys have in that aspect of their game by training at a MMA school. As a result, guys who train at these schools often become a "jack of all trades, master of none" type of fighter, though there are plenty of exceptions to this rule. The advantage of these fighters is that they can readily adapt to fight different kinds of fighters (i.e. Im fighting a good grappler, I'll keep it on the feet or Im fighting a good striker, I'll take him down).

Take your pick, you cant make a "wrong" choice, so long as you plan in crosstraining. There are many examples of successful strikers, clinch fighters, wrestlers, and submission fighters so go with whatever you desire.

[CagedWarrior]

Striking and grappling, you'll need both eventually. If you can learn both at the same time, great. (Easiest is probably a MMA school. If not, join a boxing gym and a BJJ place or something.) If not, just do one then the other later.

[h2whoa]

Learn all you can get your hands on and a s uncle bruce says, absorb what is useful, ignore what is not!! Or something to that effect!!

[judoguy]

It all depends on your objectives. I personally would prefer to master grappling and then supplement it with other things. As subgrappler said above the guy's who are at the top of MMA right now i.e. Couture, Liddell, Wanderlei, Crocop, Fedor, etc. have mastered a single disipline and then supplemented it with other things. Right now the jacks of all trades are at a disadvantage because of this.

I am primarily a Judoka but I box and have done Greco and Sambo as well. I have also taken the time to learn the basics of the thai clinch and the kyokushin round kick. I've never formally studied bjj but I have rolled with some bjjers and picked up some good things from them. Belive it or not I even picked up some things from Aikido that I have found effective on the streets.