Boxing at a boxing gym vs mma gym

[biscuitsbrah]

My MMA gym offers kickboxing, Muay thai, boxing, and bjj.
I have 1 year of BJJ as a bluebelt and 1 year at the MMA gym.

I love my MMA gym because of the family atmosphere and how its extremely convenient that everything is in one place. BJJ class, then boxing, then kickboxing or MT.

...But I cant help but think that im not really learning boxing, but just a watered down MMA acceptable version of it. Now this normally would not be too much of a problem as the kickboxing and MT feels pretty legit to me. But im very short, 5'5 to be exact, and boxing is and probably will be my primary choice of striking or 'style' throughout my fighting career. And I feel like improving my boxing is the way to really step my game up.

Since im relatively new to striking is it ok to just learn this MMA boxing until im actually halfway decent, or would be now (1 year in) be a good time to primarily start boxing, as I havent even learned many fundamentals such as rolling properly, footwork, etc.

Continue MMA training at one gym, or add boxing and train less at the MMA gym?
Thoughts?

 

[Deathnever]

Well, in my opinion boxing and mma punching are two different things. Yes you can get into brawling matches, Yes they do have similarities but they are completely different.
different footwork
different angles
different jukes and weaves
different transitions
different stances and all

while yes, you would probably improve on your boxing game by going to a boxing specific school the reduction of mma training might cause your mma game might suffer.

but my wholepoint is that its two different things altogether they might be teaching you a mma base of boxing that wouldnt work as well in a boxing ring but would be designed to work in the mma ring.

I dunno if was clear.

 

[biscuitsbrah]

Well, in my opinion boxing and mma punching are two different things. Yes you can get into brawling matches, Yes they do have similarities but they are completely different.
different footwork
different angles
different jukes and weaves
different transitions
different stances and all

while yes, you would probably improve on your boxing game by going to a boxing specific school the reduction of mma training might cause your mma game might suffer.

but my wholepoint is that its two different things altogether they might be teaching you a mma base of boxing that wouldnt work as well in a boxing ring but would be designed to work in the mma ring.

I dunno if was clear.

Very true. But I kind of want a boxing base before I just start throwing punches you know what im saying?

I feel like i would be terrible at both BJJ and MMA grappling if I didnt get a 1 year start on just pure gi BJJ. Like you said, even though not even 50% of my bjj experience translates into MMA grappling, I have solid fundamentals that made me just way better at grappling than people who started trying to learn grappling from an MMA school.

Thats how I currently feel about my boxing, I dont have a base so it just limits my learning. I can throw punches, but damn, my movement and striking IQ just doesnt feel technically sound at all.

Thanks for your opinion though, I think its a real possibility my MMA game will suffer by training more boxing now and less MT/KB. But I have a feeling it might pay off in the long run.

Id love to hear your opinion on this

 

[PivotPunch]

I don't know you could just visit and watch a boxing class at a real boxing gym and see if their training is really better

 

[facePuncher7]

If you already had boxing as a base then great, but unless you want to spend a great deal of time just developing your boxing before you start doing MMA, I'd suggest you stick to learning and building on your MMA base.

As the other guy who's name I can't be bothered scrolling to check said, boxing in MMA is different.
If you did spend some time (I'd suggest 6 months full time +) developing a basic boxing skill set, you'd have more trouble transitioning to mma then if you just learned mma specific punching techniques.

Its harder to unlearn a bad habit then to pick up a good one.

 

[biscuitsbrah]

I don't know you could just visit and watch a boxing class at a real boxing gym and see if their training is really better

Brilliant

If you already had boxing as a base then great, but unless you want to spend a great deal of time just developing your boxing before you start doing MMA, I'd suggest you stick to learning and building on your MMA base.

As the other guy who's name I can't be bothered scrolling to check said, boxing in MMA is different.
If you did spend some time (I'd suggest 6 months full time +) developing a basic boxing skill set, you'd have more trouble transitioning to mma then if you just learned mma specific punching techniques.

Its harder to unlearn a bad habit then to pick up a good one.

I dont really think there is much bad habits I can pick up from boxing. And the thing is, that im not really learning MMA boxing, but just boxing from an MMA gym. I mean we do sometimes do a punching to stiff arm/sprawl drills and maybe punching to clinch/shots once in a while, but for the most part its just learning to slip, parry, fade, hairbrush block, basic combos, etc. So I feel like it is just mostly boxing but not really MMA boxing.

 

[calliupinbc]

your right to want a more technical boxing game before you go trying to barn door guys and get clocked. but just like anything if you focus on boxing, at a boxing oriented gym, your going to improve the most there, and the least everywhere else. honestly, at first, the watered down boxing you speak of might be a good idea until your ready to adapt to a more steadily rapid boxing heavy game. it would probably be easier to pick up boxing once youve built foundation up, and you wouldnt become TOO boxing oriented, like fabio maldonado for instance.

 

[cshireman4]

Well if you are fighting MMA, I think boxing with MMA competition in mind is a good way to go, but either couldn't hurt. You may learn some more technical aspects at the boxing gym, but some of it may not translate to MMA and the smaller gloves/rule set.

 

[Cyclone Mike]

All I will say is this: you can easily waste years of your life training but not getting better. I got stuck in a mentality of "if i just keep at it, I'll get better." When I didn't improve I just thought I hadn't been at it long enough, but all the time spent was inefficient. You need to find instruction that you can thrive under, and you may have to go to different places to find it.

Here's a hint though: most places only teach you how to punch and kick. You also need to know how/when/where to apply those fancy new tools you just learned. If you're not getting both then it's not real.

 

[fluffball]

I dont really think there is much bad habits I can pick up from boxing.

There are tons of habits boxers have that don't work in MMA. One of the most obvious is the way they change levels. Boxers will duck/bend/lean every which way, not having to worry about knees, takedowns, clinches, etc. Boxers tend to stand more sideways than MMA fighters. Boxing clinches and MMA clinches are totally different. Boxers can hold their weight differently and not worry about leg kicks. Boxers can use their gloves, rock-a-ways and other defenses that focus on both you having big gloves and your opponent having big gloves. There are all sorts of changes. They're completely different sports.

If you're interested in preparing for MMA, you probably want to stick with a gym where the trainers are at least aware of MMA. Boxing gyms will tend to completely ignore any MMA requirements/changes and just teach pure boxing.

 

[biscuitsbrah]

your right to want a more technical boxing game before you go trying to barn door guys and get clocked. but just like anything if you focus on boxing, at a boxing oriented gym, your going to improve the most there, and the least everywhere else. honestly, at first, the watered down boxing you speak of might be a good idea until your ready to adapt to a more steadily rapid boxing heavy game. it would probably be easier to pick up boxing once youve built foundation up, and you wouldnt become TOO boxing oriented, like fabio maldonado for instance.

Excellent point, thanks

Well if you are fighting MMA, I think boxing with MMA competition in mind is a good way to go, but either couldn't hurt. You may learn some more technical aspects at the boxing gym, but some of it may not translate to MMA and the smaller gloves/rule set.

True

All I will say is this: you can easily waste years of your life training but not getting better. I got stuck in a mentality of "if i just keep at it, I'll get better." When I didn't improve I just thought I hadn't been at it long enough, but all the time spent was inefficient. You need to find instruction that you can thrive under, and you may have to go to different places to find it.

Here's a hint though: most places only teach you how to punch and kick. You also need to know how/when/where to apply those fancy new tools you just learned. If you're not getting both then it's not real.

Thanks for the advice man

There are tons of habits boxers have that don't work in MMA. One of the most obvious is the way they change levels. Boxers will duck/bend/lean every which way, not having to worry about knees, takedowns, clinches, etc. Boxers tend to stand more sideways than MMA fighters. Boxing clinches and MMA clinches are totally different. Boxers can hold their weight differently and not worry about leg kicks. Boxers can use their gloves, rock-a-ways and other defenses that focus on both you having big gloves and your opponent having big gloves. There are all sorts of changes. They're completely different sports.

If you're interested in preparing for MMA, you probably want to stick with a gym where the trainers are at least aware of MMA. Boxing gyms will tend to completely ignore any MMA requirements/changes and just teach pure boxing.

This post pretty much convinced me. Thanks man.

I guess im just being too impatient with my striking and Ive been going on the Sherdog forums too much while watching too much Conor Mcgregor.

Now that I think about it, my MMA gym's boxing isnt too bad, its just I learned some finer details from going on this forum and it made me feel insecure about my boxing lol.

 

[a guy]

I disagree so strongly with the idea that the footwork and angles in boxing are different than in MMA. That makes absolutely no sense.

Going to a boxing gym will make you better at MMA. It'll give you a huge advantage on the feet, as long as you're actually learning good boxing.

This is how it works for any aspect of MMA. You wanna get better at wrestling? You work with pure wrestlers. Better bjj? Roll with bjj competitors. Better boxing? Train with boxers.

 

[yookfarb]

I disagree so strongly with the idea that the footwork and angles in boxing are different than in MMA. That makes absolutely no sense.

Going to a boxing gym will make you better at MMA. It'll give you a huge advantage on the feet, as long as you're actually learning good boxing.

This is how it works for any aspect of MMA. You wanna get better at wrestling? You work with pure wrestlers. Better bjj? Roll with bjj competitors. Better boxing? Train with boxers.

MMA doesn't stand for Multiple Martial Arts.

If you wanted to be a champion, would you rather spend your entire year at AKA/Tristar/Nova Uniao/JacksonWinklejohn? Or divide up your year between travelling to Thailand to learn Muay Thai, Pennsylvania to learn Wrestling, Brazil to learn BJJ, etc.?

 

[a guy]

MMA doesn't stand for Multiple Martial Arts.

If you wanted to be a champion, would you rather spend your entire year at AKA/Tristar/Nova Uniao/JacksonWinklejohn? Or divide up your year between travelling to Thailand to learn Muay Thai, Pennsylvania to learn Wrestling, Brazil to learn BJJ, etc.?

That depends on the coaches there. High level MMA camps can afford to bring in sparring partners and coaches who are specialists. Your average MMA gym, even ones that produce very successful amateurs, can't do that. So you have to travel.

 

[TeepKing]

Brilliant

I dont really think there is much bad habits I can pick up from boxing. And the thing is, that im not really learning MMA boxing, but just boxing from an MMA gym. I mean we do sometimes do a punching to stiff arm/sprawl drills and maybe punching to clinch/shots once in a while, but for the most part its just learning to slip, parry, fade, hairbrush block, basic combos, etc. So I feel like it is just mostly boxing but not really MMA boxing.

MMA gyms offer a solid base for boxing. A boxing gym perfects that. The difference is at an MMA gym even in a boxing class the ideology is still MMA focused. Example ive seen boxing coaches slip and drop the lead hand which is a big no no for JUST boxing. But these are people who are in the habit of going for a clinch or takedown right after. A boxer will always beat a MMA fighter in boxing and vise versa.

 

[bobthebuilder]

as a shorter fighter you could benefit from more inside training, and you could get more in a boxing gym.

EDIT: by "could get more" I mean, it is possible. If the boxing trainer in your mma gym has competitive boxing experience and likes bodyshots, there may be no point going elsewhere.

 

[fortheo]

I disagree so strongly with the idea that the footwork and angles in boxing are different than in MMA. That makes absolutely no sense.

Going to a boxing gym will make you better at MMA. It'll give you a huge advantage on the feet, as long as you're actually learning good boxing.

This is how it works for any aspect of MMA. You wanna get better at wrestling? You work with pure wrestlers. Better bjj? Roll with bjj competitors. Better boxing? Train with boxers.

I'm of this mindset as well, especially the bolded part. Not only will good boxing give you the footwork and understanding of angles that you need for mma, it will also help greatly with your wrestling and TDD if you apply it correctly to the mma game.. Look no further than Aldo for proof. You may say, " well aldo trains mma!" Yeah, but his footwork is stuff you learn in boxing too—and his footwork is key to his TDD.

 

[Thaijitsu612]

This is interesting to me, I do mma but my focus has been Muay Thai. In working with a boxing coach now and he's a really good coach, but I've wondered what if anything I shouldn't be doing. All the footwork and angles seem great but he has me stand more sideways and being that I really like to kick and knee it feels akward.

Should I stick with standing more sideways? Or should I just turn my shoulders and not my hips? I did always tend to have my shoulders squared with my opponent

 

[MilkManUK]

I know if I wanted to improve my boxing specifically where I would head - the boxing gym. You will already have a decent enough idea of what you will or will not be able to implement from boxing in an MMA setting, so can always bear that in mind, but in my opinion, if you want to improve your hands, the boxing gym is the best place to do it.

 

[a guy]

I'm of this mindset as well, especially the bolded part. Not only will good boxing give you the footwork and understanding of angles that you need for mma, it will also help greatly with your wrestling and TDD if you apply it correctly to the mma game.. Look no further than Aldo for proof. You may say, " well aldo trains mma!" Yeah, but his footwork is stuff you learn in boxing too