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Boxing to MMA

1K views 8 replies 7 participants last post by  Salty22 
#1 ·
Alright here is the deal, I've been training Karate pushing ten years now, but I feel it's not really want I'm looking for any more. It's no longer competitive in any form, we never spar and very rarely hit the pads anymore, we spend all our time doing Kata. I just get no joy or sense of competition out of it anymore.
I've got a year before I leave for college, in which time I hope to find a nice MMA camp near by a decent business University. But before I leave I would really enjoy to find some place to train and prep for that time, something really competitive. There is a Mauy Thai camp starting up in town, but it doesn't open until next spring (just before I leave). So I figured I might give a local boxing club a chance. Now my only worry is (other then is it a good club or not) is training strictly boxing to one dimensional (strictly punching) to be getting into a MMA career with?
 
#3 ·
If your only choice is boxing and you want to transition into MMA competition you will have to work on your sprawl and takedown defence. You can't box your opponent when your lying on the ground. Get your feet used to moving quick and work on off balance situations, thats all I can tell you someone may be able to add on.
 
#5 ·
Boxing is a staple aspect of MMA for very good reasons. If you have a chance to take it up, I would do it. Here's a few things that you can get from solid boxing training:

1) Boxing helps in developing effecient, powerful and accurate punches. Let's face it: Your hands are the most used striking weapons in combat. The funny thing about all of that is that most people don't know how to punch correctly, or in an effecient way that won't make them open for shots. Strict boxing work goes a far way in improving that.

2) Boxing helps develope solid punch defenses. Like I stated above, the hands/fists are the most commonly used striking weapons in a fight. The best part of boxing (in my view-as I've state many times before) isn't learning how to punch; rather it's learning how not to get punched in the head.

3) Boxing provides solid cardio/conditioning training. If you find a place that is even moderately serious when training, you're going to push your conditioning every time you step for a session. Combine drills, with calesthenics, with bag work, with sparring, and everything else and you end up with a great workout.

4) Boxing will provide you with live sparring. You mentioned that there is no sparring where you currently train, and I think that's unfortunate. I view the greatest downfall in most places that teach the "Traditional Martial Arts" is their lack of sparring. Truth be told, you can do forms, drills and all else, but if you don't spar to find out what works or how to apply the things you've drilled in a live situation, it's going to be detrimental to actually put those things to use. I don't know of any moderately serious boxing gyms that don't do sparring of any type (provided there are enough people training). Just make sure you get a hold of the appropriate equipment and you'll do fine.

Now will it completely destroy your concept of fighting/combat? No, not if you keep your training in perspective. If you keep things in perspective as to what works for boxing, what works for MT/Kickboxing, and what works for MMA (as that's what you're wanting to progress to) then you shouldn't find yourself "disenchanted" or jaded over the time you've already dedicated to training.

Hope that helps.
 
#6 ·
Do what Onganju said... take the boxing. You'll get used to the new style and get used to footwork and shadow boxing. And the transition won't be too hard as long as you remember that you can't rely on just boxing in MMA. Practice your Burpees, stretching. And since you've take karate so long you know all the kicks and all so you should do fine and be solid.
 
#9 ·
my gym is boxing/kickboxing (full contact) and they do one mma (submission wrestling) class a week but its too early for me to go.
i do kickboxing on a monday, boxing and muay thai (1 hour each) on a tue and then boxing and sparring on a thursday (1 hour each, choice of kickboxing or boxing for the sparring)
 
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