F!ghter

Today I was thinking about it, and I know that it is obviously true that a fighter cannot have only one weapon in their arsenal. Strikers need to know some grappling/ground work and vice versa.

So my question is: What is a good base art for your beginning Martial Artist to start at? I hear wrestling from most people, but my friend is just training with me and teaching me the basics so I don't exactly plan to actually go far into it.

Guy

I would say either boxing, karate, or wrestling. I'll explain each individually.

Boxing: You gotta start somewhere in the striking department. I would suggest if you just want to learn the basics, just learn the block, movements, jab, and cross. Muhammed Ali only had 4 punches in his arsenal with no shots to the body(major wtf), but the way he put them together was so beautifully done.

Karate: If you want to learn the basic kick or two, as well as good self defense and average striking, karate is the way to go. That was my first style learned, but I used that as a stepping stone to progress into other striking arts like Muay Thai and Western Boxing.

Wrestling: Whether it be submission, amateur, Greco-Roman, whatever, it will all help you. Any brute thinks he can effectively "wrestle", but that is just them applying a headlock. Everyone wrestles, whether they are interested in MMA or not, but only a very slight percentage of those know how to wrestle properly.

If you want to go more advanced try Muay Thai or Brazilian Jujitsu.

__________________
Jack Johnson: Boxing's greatest Heavyweight champion.

F!ghter

Hey thanks a lot. I am already a decent striker, so I think I should cushion it with something similar to Brazilian Jujitsu. My friend says that jujitsu is a must for a Mixed Martial Artist. Is that true?

Dempsey Roll

You pretty much need to have at least basic BJJ, yeah, so you know how to defend submissions. Personally, though, I'd rather be a really great wrestler with basic BJJ than a great BJJ guy with basic wrestling.

__________________
"I don't want them to like me, because when I'm in the ring, punches fly to the face. It is not a tenderness time. I am not falling in love. And he knows that when the fight starts I am kicking faces."
- Wanderlei Silva

Guy

Yep. You must know at least SOME BJJ basic defense or you'll end up like our favorite professional wrestler turned UFC fighter, Brock Lesnar.

If not BJJ then something like Sambo or catch wrestling. I remember in one of Big Nog's and Fedor's fights, Fedor took Nog to the ground to PROVE Sambo is better than BJJ.

__________________
Jack Johnson: Boxing's greatest Heavyweight champion.

Suvaco

I would say BJJ is the best base art, but that's because I'm biased. But MMA was pretty much built around BJJ because of the Gracies, so there is no way of getting around it.

t3hClassic

you dont NEED anything, just if you wanna do this, know that you are going to get hit, and dont ***** out.

Suvaco

That's not true at all. BJJ, or at least some kind of grappling, is absolutely necessary to every fighter.

Fedcro

You can be a great striker and just have good takedown defence or you could have good sweeps and know how to get out of things on the ground but not train in jiu jitsu or any type of ground martial art. so basically I think that strikers can survive if they have a good takedown defence and if they know how to get out of certain postions on the ground

t3hClassic

Not true at all....? LOL u make me laugh just cause you know this doesnt mean you win, there are a million ways to win, and knowing this stuff is just one of them