The mixed martial arts industry has exploded over the past decade and there are now countless gyms and facilities that specialize in all aspects of training and sparring. There are a number of different skill sets that come into play when anyone begins a program of mixed martial arts, most of which also include a variety of concentrations, from grappling to boxing to BJJ or Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Anyone who’s spent any time in an MMA match understands the need to diversify their training toward multiple disciplines. Anyone can be taught how to improve their skills through touching on broad aspects of each of these types of combat training.
More often than not, the first piece of training includes boxing and kicking, or kickboxing. A little bit of background in a kicking martial art is helpful, but not required. A whole new world of stretching begins for the beginner who’s out to learn how to not only kick but kick as high as a head shot. The drills and practice required to learn this aren’t as intensive as some of the other skills, but a good background is required for every angle and height of kicking. Usually, a heavy bag and a partner who can hold sparring gloves are a good start for this practice.
The next big skill to learn is boxing. You need to know how to throw a punch and take a punch and there’s a lot of endurance training involved in maintaining the energy you’ll need to go the distance. High-intensity endurance training, throwing lots of punches and protecting yourself are important things to learn. Footwork comes as part of this and the boxer must know which leg to lead with and which arm to guard with, how to jab and when to use a combination. A good sparring partner for this would be a heavy bag but if you can find a friend to strap on some headgear and body gear and be your sparring partner, then you’re ahead of the game.
Wrestling is the next big skill and this requires a lot of training. Bruce Lee once said that the toughest opponent is the wrestler. There’s no substitute for learning how to strike and take down an opponent and then riding him with your body weight until he tires enough so that you can straighten out a limb and lock it. There’s also no substitute for having a real grappling partner in this endeavor. This is where you need to head to a gym or facility where others are waiting to do some wrestling.
Jiu Jitsu or BJJ is an acquired skill that requires more training and physical work. There’s also no substitute for learning how to use JJ. You need to grapple with a partner to be able to learn the tricks of sweeping and taking down an opponent. You must be able to outwit and outmaneuver your enemy and the only way to master this is by losing a lot of battles in Jiu Jitsu.
Similarly to Jiu Jitsu is the judo side of the house. If you can train with another partner to learn some basic judo, then you’re on the way to being a full spectrum fighter. There’s a lot in common with Jiu Jitsu, in grappling and sparring with a partner so that you can understand where your weaknesses are and how to identify the weaknesses of your opponent. This requires losing a lot of sparring matches, but you learn with each mistake you make.
When you can’t find a partner for sparring, you can turn to the newest wave of grappling dummies. In some recent grappling dummy reviews, a few key items stood out. First, you want to make sure that the grappling dummy is heavy enough to seem realistic and to maintain some rigidity. It should kneel up inside your guard so that you can practice triangle holds and chokes as well as arm bars. It should be able to keep its legs up so that you can practice leg locks. Keeping its arms and legs in position are good key points too. If legs are bent, this makes it more realistic too. Plan to spend a few bucks on a real good one, otherwise, try to find a sparring partner instead.