Mma Q & A

Dave Paton · 05-07-2008, 11:34 AM

I was watching Inside MMA on HD Net last week (great show by the way) and the question was posed to Bas Rutten and a couple of other fighters:

(paraphrasing)

Which discipline/background should a fighter be most proficient at to be successful as a fighter?

1. BJJ
2. Wrestling
3. Boxing

All of the panel agreed that wrestling is the most important.

Mike ODonnell · 05-07-2008, 11:37 AM

Not getting hit

Derek Simonds · 05-07-2008, 12:08 PM

I have seen that same question posed many times. Always good for an online argument

. I train MMA at a BJJ gym. Lots of the techniques we use are derivatives of wrestling. I can tell you that guys who come to BJJ or MMA from a wrestling background are pretty far ahead of guys who come out of a TMA.

One skill that I know I want to improve is takedowns. I was training with a blue belt on Monday night and he said man if we have to start standing I just don't really know what to do.

Gant Grimes · 05-08-2008, 09:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Derek Simonds

One skill that I know I want to improve is takedowns. I was training with a blue belt on Monday night and he said man if we have to start standing I just don't really know what to do.

We have a few BJJ and sport JJ players in our judo club. It helpes their standup game immensely, andwe learn their techniques and improve our mat skills. Proficiency in all phases make you a better player, even if you spend most of your time up or down.

I agree 100% that wrestling is the best preparation for MMA. It covers all phases, from standup to submission, and the good ones are already knowledgable about training, nutrition, and intensity. It's a great foundation.

Eric Kerr · 05-08-2008, 10:27 AM

One thing about wrestling is many of its rules are designed to prevent injuring the other athelete.

So you have to unlearn a few things on top of learning things like defending against chokes and various other submission holds.

The punching and kicking is a little easier to deal with because its just a matter of either avoidance or using them as entry points for getting up close and personal where a wrestler really wants to be working.

Derek Simonds · 05-08-2008, 10:44 AM

My 8 year old wants to start wrestling and my biggest concern is him forgetting the rules and slapping someone in a choke or an armbar.

Gant Grimes · 05-08-2008, 10:56 AM

Is he already learning those things?

Derek Simonds · 05-08-2008, 02:25 PM

Yup. He wants to train at the academy but it is difficult to schedule with gymnastics so he comes with me when I take privates and when he is free on the weekends. He always wants me to show him moves and we roll around a lot at home. He is really quick to pick up movements. He wanted to learn some takedowns (really long story) so we worked on takedowns one afternoon. Now the little buggars takedowns are better than mine.

Since it is hard for my wife to get him to the academy he asked if he could do the wrestling program that is taught close to our house. The wrestling program is an AAU program and it is one night a week for a couple of hours. It is taught by a high school wrestler and his dad at the local high school. We know a family whose son participates so we are going to a practice to check it out.

Allen Yeh · 05-08-2008, 06:41 PM

I wish I'd picked up wrestling a lot earlier than I did.

A friend in college wrestled all throughout jr HS and HS and gained 50 pounds in college from a lot of lifting. After college he tried some BJJ and was kicking ass, I think he's won a couple of Pan Am's in his rank pretty handily.

I think starting Jr. out at wrestling at that age is great. 2 things to be careful of, don't become THAT parent. I recall reffing a jr's tournament in college and man those parents were AGGRESSIVE. The other thing would be burning out, a lot of the guys I wrestled in college with were more than good enough to be on the team but had lost the drive.

Anton Emery · 05-08-2008, 10:31 PM

After starting BJJ i always wished i wrestled in high school. People with a wrestling background that come into my BJJ school always have great body awareness, conditioning, and takedowns. Even if i can catch them in subs give them a few months and its quite a different story. I think for a base art wrestling would be hard to beat.

Anton