Think i have a chance???

[RyanG]

Well i know i need to get a black belt in shotokan. But since the first time i saw UFC i wanted to train mma or anything i could in order to be able to try out for the UFC and i know that i would have to get in muh much better shape than i am now cause im 15, 5' 11", and 145 lb. But im quick as ever i can dodge any kick or punch you throw at me unless me hair is down in my face. lol But i tonight im gonne go check out BJJ just to see what its like. And if i could get a black belt in shotokan karate and BJJ i think i should be able to take MMA fighting. what do you guys think??? cause thats what i'd love to do in the future

[Lupin1]

Is there a place around you that does MMA? I know there are a few MMA gyms around here. That'd probably be a lot better than taking karate and BJJ seperately. An MMA gym will teach you to use them together. Plus, I always thought Muay Thai was better for MMA, not Shotokan.

[kamahlthedruid]

I think isshinryu is great for mma; however, an isshinryu guy also needs to study wrestling and ground fighting to compete in mma. E.G. Chuck Mady

Edited April 23, 2010 by kamahlthedruid

[kamahlthedruid]

shotokan is good for mma too, but you should blend your style with muay thai to be on par with heavy hitters! E.G. Lyoto Machida likes to sweep and to back away karate style. Lyoto Machida is incredible because his hit ratio is second best in UFC. He lands 65% of his punches.

[Toptomcat]

You'd have to have gone to a really good Shotokan school to be able to get by with minimal cross-training and use it in MMA striking. Your confidence in your ability to dodge anything that comes at you is, if true, a great asset, but I'd test that against some strikers of different backgrounds before you step into the cage counting on it to keep you healthy.

Go to BJJ, but if you're serious about MMA, also go to a number of different striking schools: Kyokushin karate, boxing, and Muay Thai should top your list. Once you've sparred with a good man from each of those systems, you should have a better idea about how well your striking training has equipped you for MMA.

[bushido_man96]

If you can find an MMA gym around, get to it. They will tailor the training especially for MMA competition, and you'll start working sparring, strategy, and all that much earlier than you will in Shotokan, in my opinion. Taking Shotokan and BJJ together would be great, but learning it all in an MMA gym will show you how to put it together for the ring.

Now, if you still feel like training both seperately, then by all means, go for it. I think that an MMA gym would focus your training more for that purpose, though. The Shotokan and BJJ instructors will have their own curriculum set forth for you to follow, and you won't get much MMA focus. In the MMA gym, that is exactly what you will get.

[MMA_Jim]

Well i know i need to get a black belt in shotokan. But since the first time i saw UFC i wanted to train mma or anything i could in order to be able to try out for the UFC and i know that i would have to get in muh much better shape than i am now cause im 15, 5' 11", and 145 lb. But im quick as ever i can dodge any kick or punch you throw at me unless me hair is down in my face. lol But i tonight im gonne go check out BJJ just to see what its like. And if i could get a black belt in shotokan karate and BJJ i think i should be able to take MMA fighting. what do you guys think??? cause thats what i'd love to do in the future

Sorry to be the one to inform you, but you've got pretty much no chance of fighting in UFC....

Hehe, thats because the lowest weight class in UFC is 155

Ok, so seriously now, you're 145, so you'll probably want to fight around 135, unless you're exceptionally lean (and its impossible to tell what kind of growth spurts you might go through).

Now if you're plan is simply to be an MMA fighter- thats not difficult at all. People fight amateur matches having only a few months worth of experience and to be a professional fighter only means you get paid to fight, which almost anyone can do.

So what you really want to know is can you do this and be good at it? In short- its up to you-mostly. Depends on the quality of instruction you've got around the area. Quite frankly, I dont think the US has very good karate, and the hotbeds for BJJ/MMA training are either on the west coast or in the northeast. Again, this doesnt mean you cant find a decent place around you. Be patient (like train 5x a week for 10 years patient) and keep working your skills, and you'll certainly have an opportunity to be a solid fighter. Take it from me though, if you REALLY want to be a professional fighter (I use the term pro in this sense to mean that you make a living off of fighting) be prepared to sacrifice alot (almost everything you have) in order to meet this goal.

No real secret- what you put in is what you get out. Train hard, make sacrifices, and you'll find you have a little more luck on your side.

Oh and someone else mentioned training a little in muay thai and/or boxing. I would suggest this- if you havent done full contact sparring (to the face) you'll find that its significantly different than point sparring/continuous sparring.

[RyanG]

Well there is a BJJ gym in the mall and there you can also learn MMA and Muay Thai. and for now im going for BJJ and then Muay Thai. But im only 14 (15 next month) so i have 4 years before i'm even able to actually fight real MMA fights so i have plenty of time to train and figure out what i truely want to do. and yeah, im 10 pounds off. i can try to gain those 10 pounds by eating more (but right) and working out alot more.

[Lupin1]

Don't even worry about your weight now. You're 14. Definitely work out and exercise, but why worry about your weight when you've still got so much growing to do? You might shoot up another half foot or something and then those 10 lbs will be a given.