Wing Chun, Muay Thai and Grappling Submission question

[Bigglesworth]

Question #1. Which one is easier for a 25 year old martial arts beginner to pick up on - Muay Thai or Wing Chun? I've heard of Muay Thai guys having to train by kicking steel poles and thin sides of wooden boards. That sounds dangerous to me at my age, like I would break or damage my shins. Wing Chun sounds good but I don't know if it's difficult for a beginner to jump into and I don't like how it doesn't focus on physical conditioning. Eventually I would like to be doing both and combining the things I've learned in each.

Question #2. Everyone says that 90% of fights end up on the ground so you need wrestling/submission skills. I believe that a good boxer/striker would be able to avoid going to the ground and could beat a wrestler. I also don't think many of the submissions you see in MMA are useful in real life such as ankle submissions and certain chokes. Not to say that they wouldn't stop your opponent, but when you're in a real fight, it seems to me that normally if you're in a fight, you're natural inclination is to punch and kick, not get the other guy in a submission. Am I wrong?

[DJmma]

I just started taking muay thai, and BJJ at a local MMA school. I cant imagine our instructor making us kick metal poles. lol but it is a very good work out. It's fun. To me it doesnt seem too hard to pick up. And BJJ, i think is effective in real life. Ive only taken one class so far, but im pretty sure that BJJ has good ground techniques. If i were you i'd try it out, so you can see if you like it. I deffinatly dont think 25 is too old, i see people much older in my class. good luck.

[Bigglesworth]

I don't think all of BJJ isn't useful, just some weird submissions that I can't see someone really doing in a real life fight

[UseoForce]

Rather MOST of it is useful, but there are a few things that aren't.

[Sohan]

If you are trying to choose a fighting art because of its ease of mastery, perhaps MA is not for you.

Any martial art worth its salt will require dedication, discipline, and hard work to become proficient. Search your heart and seek a style that truly expresses your goals as a potential martial artist.

Respectfully,

Sohan

[DokterVet]

If you want to keep the fight standing, you need the wrestling skills to do so. Boxing/striking skills will not help you keep the fight standing, they will just give you weapons to use once your wrestling skill has determined the range of combat.

Why don't you think submissions are useful in real life? Most submissions are NOT based on pain compliance. People tap because otherwise they face unconsciousness or severe injury.

[Bigglesworth]

If you are trying to choose a fighting art because of its ease of mastery, perhaps MA is not for you.

Any martial art worth its salt will require dedication, discipline, and hard work to become proficient. Search your heart and seek a style that truly expresses your goals as a potential martial artist.

Respectfully,

Sohan

I think you misunderstood what I meant. I just wanted to know which one was easier to pick up initially between the 2. I would eventually like to be learning both but I'd like to start with the easier one so I could get a decent grasp on it before tacking on another martial art to learn. I'm not looking for a miracly martial art I can master in 1 year.

[TigerDude]

Everyone says that 90% of fights end up on the ground

I think everyone in a grappling art says this!

;^)

[Sohan]

Everyone says that 90% of fights end up on the ground

I think everyone in a grappling art says this!

;^)

You're right. The guys in my submission classes have always claimed this, and my karate mates say the opposite. I have rarely gone to the ground when I didn't want to, and I've become much better at stifling takedowns and punishing attempts to do so. However, that doesn't mean one shouldn't prepare themselves well to fight on the ground, which I think is why many karate practitioners say this. I believe it is to make up for the fact they know they would be grounded into hamburger against a good submission fighter.

Respectfully,

Sohan

[elbows_and_knees]

1. muay thai will produce a competent fighter faster than WC. not because of ease of mastery, but because of the method of training. The same applies to boxing, wrestling, bjj, etc. competition oriented arts tend to train in such a way that focuses on proficiency.

2. that statistic if from cop reports. the gracies used it when they were starting to promote bjj. But one thing you have to look at is that cops WANT the fight to go to the ground - it's easier for them to restrain someone that way.

That being said, it's NOT EASY for a boxer or any other stylist to keep a trained grappler from taking them down. If a person is determined to take you down, they most likely will. It's better to know ground fighting and be prepared for it if it happens than to naively think you won't get taken down and be helpless once you do...

And bjj is VERY useful in a fight. I use it all the time. you have to look at it the right way though:

A. in a fight, you aren't submitting them - you are snapping limbs, dislocating joints, tearing muscles or choking them unconscious

B. stand up fighting - the clinch and various takedowns. these are very beneficial.

C. The mental training - you'll understand once you start training and definitely if you compete.