Striking and Grappling

[bushido_man96]

Thanks both, I think you guys are right. Learning a lot again today

Here is a thought that I just had. I think that many practitioners worry about their skill level in one particular aspect, i.e., striking or grappling, because it is the basis of the style they are into. They worry about their striking skills sliding because of putting in time to grappling, and vise versa.

Take a boxer, for example. If he competes in boxing, amatuer or pro, he is afraid that if he spends time grappling, his boxing skills will weaken, thus not being as good a competitor in his chosen arena. The same could be said about TKD fighters, BJJ competitors, etc.

Now, if you are not worried about your competition level, or level of expertise in a limited style, then taking the time to broaden your horizons will be seen as more beneficial to you.

Now, with the emergence of MMA competition to its current level of popularity, you can see the value of training in both. Now, would those guys be able to beat a pro boxer in the ring? Probably not. Could they submit Royce Gracie in the Ahbu Dabi tournaments? Maybe not. However, which one would you want to be on the street?

Would you guy's go as far as a 50-50 ratio, or more like 60-40 or even 70-30?

This would just depend on what you want to focus on. If you were going to do MMA, I would say 50/50, if you have no prior experience. Now, if you are already an accomplished striker, then maybe you want to put in a little more time on the grappling in the beginning, like 70/30, just to get your skills up to par a little quicker. It just depends on what you like, too.

[cross]

Would you guy's go as far as a 50-50 ratio, or more like 60-40 or even 70-30?

If we are talking purely in terms of self defence then i dont think there is really a definite answer to that.

Self defence situations are highly unpredictable, so formulating a clear gameplan is very important. Knowing what you want to do, and feel comfortable doing to aid your escape. Equally important is being adaptable and training for what could happen when your gameplan fails.

Does that mean you should do them 50/50? I say no. Depends on your gameplan, personally, i train to control while striking. Im not talking about the common idea of strikes like jabs, crosses, front and round kicks(although they come into it, they dont form the main part).

The bodys natural ability to rip, grab, pull, tear, hold, hit(you can see this is not just striking or just grappling) is often enhanced in stressful situations, if you can control the attacker while doing all that, then all the better.

[baronbvp]

Great comments by all. Cross is right as I have seen in other threads. Real fights are too unpredictable. In my experience, they virtually all start with striking; then someone is taken down, and then grappling occurs until someone submits, gets away, or the fight is stopped.

My philosophy is to train to all aspects of likely fights: fight avoidance and deescalation, weapon neutralization and use of objects as weapons, striking, takedowns and falling technique, grappling and reversals, and escape and first aid.

There is plenty of video on the web of real fights. The common theme is they start suddenly, usually against one person's will; they tend to be wild and uncontrolled due to adrenaline; and they don't last long like an MMA ring fight.

Train to both and fight ferociously!

[baronbvp]

Another thought I just had is that, all other things being equal (which they never are), the person with the stronger will to win, and who is in shape and mentally prepared for a physical confrontation, is more likely to be victorious. The intangibles often sway the fight.

[marie curie]

Also, whoever is carrying a knife or gun, whoever doesn't fall off a curb when stepping, whoever is not backed near a corner...

I think in a real fighting situation a lot has to do with chance and the individual circumstances (grappling in a bar in between tables, chairs and people, vs striking in that situation is different than out on someone's front lawn)

(speaking to your all things are never equal)

[baronbvp]

Good points, Marie Curie. You can never pick your situation, but it won't likely be a nice open area with a padded surface on which to play.

[Marine]

having trained in both stand up MA and now training in BJJ i think that it is good to have a mix of both types. Even if you do just take MA for fun you might need to use your skills to defend your self or someone else. i think that being well rounded in MA is the best because then you can more readily adapt to situations. Mixed Martial Arts is good for this since they teach you how to fight on your feet and then how to fight once the fight goes to the ground. UFC FCFF fighters are pretty good examples of fairly well rounded fighters.

[baronbvp]

Agreed. There is no way to survive those types of events anymore without being skilled in striking, clinching, and grappling.

I expect many of the more traditional arts may start incorporating the other side of their art (like karate grappling) in order to survive. Otherwise, they may simply run out of sufficient customers over the years.

[mmljpp]

you should have both makes you a more well rounded fighter