MMA: Do you cross-train?

[havamal]

All you knock down fighters, any of you also cross-train in MMA?

[GJEC]

I no longer compete (except with old father time) but if I did I wouldn't be cross training in MMA.

There's no ground fighting in KD or SC so I would see little point. I'd maybe box to improve my body punches but I wouldn't be rolling round getting choked.

Gary

[meguro]

With chokes, it is far better to give than receive. I like the multi-disciplinary aspect of MMA. You can work on many things and still specialize.

[powerof0ne]

To me MMA really only defines rules for MMA competition, not a style. However, I've trained off and on in BJJ for a decade. I've trained and taught Muay Thai, fought MT rules, etc. I have taught MT at BJJ schools primarily to those competing in MMA. I like being able to fight in all ranges of combat but I I now think from a more practical aspect instead of a set of rules....
Osu!

[ironcastknight]

I crosstrain in Judo and Matsuno-ryu Jujitsu, which is basically just judo mixed with karate and a little aikido, though with the classes I'm taking this semester and their complete reaming of my schedule I've been doing pretty much no karate and less judo and jujitsu than I'd like.

Once I graduate and move out of this... place, probably to Tulsa, work schedule allowing I'm going to keep doing Judo and Kyokushin/Kyokushin-based karate. Fortunately, Tulsa(completely unlike Tucson) has both a good Kyokushin dojo AND a good Judo dojo with schedules that don't completely conflict with each other by having some kind of fetish for putting everything on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

[havamal]

Sept 21, 2011 13:59:35 GMT -5 powerof0ne said:

To me MMA really only defines rules for MMA competition, not a style. However, I've trained off and on in BJJ for a decade. I've trained and taught Muay Thai, fought MT rules, etc. I have taught MT at BJJ schools primarily to those competing in MMA. I like being able to fight in all ranges of combat but I I now think from a more practical aspect instead of a set of rules....
Osu!

I also like being able to fight in all ranges of combat and see MMA rules as a good way to check on my karate progress (on the can-I-stop-the take-down and can-i get-back-up questions). I like MMA sparring/training, I have no interest in MMA competition.

Osu

[powerof0ne]

I'm no expert in every type of martial art, and never will be. However, I was thinking, I have a fairly decent background in grappling, clinching, throws/takedowns, Muay Thai, and knockdown karate. The one range I'd still like to work more on at some point is boxing but for the time being, I feel like I have enough to work on...for quite a while, in fact.

I've trained at a lot of dojo, and found what I like, and found where I need to improve. I realize how much I don't know but I don't have the time to learn everything, unfortunately.

I wouldn't be opposed to students of mine training in Wrestling, Judo, BJJ, etc. I only have so much time to teach them, and what I teach them for the time being is primarily knockdown karate. I teach them some Muay Thai, but not much at this stage, not until they're green belt will I teach them more.

I do think it's important to know how to fight in all ranges but MMA rules sparring is still "sport combat," it's not reality. Reality is being fish hooked and having the skin ripped out of the inside of my mouth and my eyes gouged. Reality is the scar I have across my left hand from a knife, and me being thankful that's all I received. Reality is having guns pulled on me. With all that experience with reality, I do my best to avoid being in situations like that ever again. I also don't believe focusing on MMA rules is enough to prepare you for situations like that.

I hope you understand the difference between MMA rules sparring and training for reality. It's not just understanding that reality has dirty techniques but training for those dirty techniques. Sometimes training on using those dirty techniques yourself. It's very easy to fall into the trap to say out loud to others or to yourself you can "fight dirty" but if you don't train that way, by the time you can get yourself to, it can be too late against the scum on the planet that doesn't hesitate to use dirty techniques. I don't mean to offend anybody here, but I have met too many people that think they train for reality just because they say they do, when they really don't.

MMA, knockdown kumite rules, BJJ rules, etc. is all great because they are full contact combat sports with rules..meaning you can generally train in them on a regular basis with some safety involved. Having good conditioning, being in shape is great, too. The other part of the puzzle is actually training in strategies and techniques that work. Just saying you're going to gouge somebody's eyes, slam them into a wall is all great but I doubt you'll do it unless you actually train that to become instinct.

The more we advance as a society, the softer we become, and make the science of inflicting damage on somebody more complex then it needs to be.
Osu!