Competing in pure striking before mma

[weedwitch420]

Hi, if a person has some grappling know-how already and wants to try their hand at mma, should they just find a mma gym or would it better to fine tune's one striking?

I don't like the idea of the later approach because I will use a stance that is optimal for that sport and not mma where I must account for more.

But my main gripe is that all the mma gyms in my area don't offer karate kicboxing style coaches. It's all Muay Thai. Not that I dislike Muay Thai, but I want to focus on front kicks with the ball of the foot (not the Teep, the thrust with intent to cause harm) and side/back kicks + oldschool style round kicks with the shin that don't pivot the same way as the modern sport kick.

Should I just fight Kyokushin, then? Or talk with the coaches at the gyms in my area and see if there's more there than I thought?

 

[n.diazismylife1999]

You'll need to crosstrain. Kyokushin is great (though I prefer Enshin or Ashihara for the lesser focus on kihon and kata) as one of your base arts, because of the diverse kicks and full contact sparring that focuses on kicks. But you need to train something with head punches as well.

 

[weedwitch420]

Okay you are right about the head punches.

 

[roventu]

what type of pivot is involved in old school style round kicks?

yeah you should visit all the gyms in your area to make sure you're making the right decision. but IMO there is no problem with going to the mma gym, and still learning those kicks. for e.g., there were a few TKD/karate black belts at my mma gym that showed me some kicks. you will find a lot of backgrounds at mma gyms if your intention is mma, might as well start with it.

 

[weedwitch420]

From what I know it involves stepping and using gravity. Instead of lifting up into a calf extension and turning your hip over to throw the whip kick, it's more like a solid and connected blow.

This is just my understanding of what I have seen in some videos on youtube.

I may was well be a bit more open.

Here is my friend who has helped me grow as a martial artist.

 

[roventu]

stepping to an outward angle achieves the same angle as pivoting on the ball of your foot, the difference being one steps into the angle, and the other pivots into the angle on the spot.

the first guy had good kicks. the second guy keeps kicking with the side of his shin, instead of the front part. i think thats how you break your leg, a la anderson silva.

i like his explanation of posture during kicks though, esp emphasizing spine and head

 

[Azam]

Most styles of Karate will teach you effective kicking - the problem usually is finding a Karate dojo that focuses on kickboxing-esque sparring or freestyle sparring.

I like your friend's video - he's showing how it is important to have the right posture for kicks in order to generate proper leverage with kicks. Most decent instructors regardless of style will teach you how to do this properly.

By the way his Japanese is pretty damn good.




I'd recommend a karate style that includes grappling - something like enshin, Daido Juku, Ashihara etc. Most karate styles will teach you to kick like that - what you want is a place where you can also spar with striking & grappling - that's harder to find. But they are out there - just have to look for them.

Alternatively you can cross train in whatever karate style you want & try to get regular mma sparring or anything similar.

 

[weedwitch420]

stepping to an outward angle achieves the same angle as pivoting on the ball of your foot, the difference being one steps into the angle, and the other pivots into the angle on the spot.

the first guy had good kicks. the second guy keeps kicking with the side of his shin, instead of the front part. i think thats how you break your leg, a la anderson silva.

i like his explanation of posture during kicks though, esp emphasizing spine and head

Oh I know he will remove that video, or that he has wanted to. I think if you look in the comments even he will have said there something about being a lot better.

 

[Azam]

stepping to an outward angle achieves the same angle as pivoting on the ball of your foot, the difference being one steps into the angle, and the other pivots into the angle on the spot.

the first guy had good kicks. the second guy keeps kicking with the side of his shin, instead of the front part. i think thats how you break your leg, a la anderson silva.

i like his explanation of posture during kicks though, esp emphasizing spine and head

Kicking with that side part of the shin is very painful. I can tell you that from experience. It's up to down kicking motion with the side of the shin (where you put your weight on the way down) & it bloody hurts.

It's an alternative way of low kicking that is done from a range that is much closer - it's a lot quicker, less telegraphed & pretty painful when done right.

You usually see that type of kicking in Kyokushin & it's offshoots.

 

[NAKMUAY18]

You want to train what isn't available. Make use of what is.
If I want to fight MMA because I want to fight MMA, I have to use the best resources around me for success. If I have Sierra-Longo two blocks down but I go to Master Ken's Ameradota because I like Kung Fu, I'm not giving myself the best opportunity to succeed.
My advice would be go to the best MMA gym available, spend a year or two getting a standup base, then think about cross training. Go with the long game rather than trying to "invent your own style" with shitty guidence

 

[DoctorTaco]

You want to train what isn't available. Make use of what is.
If I want to fight MMA because I want to fight MMA, I have to use the best resources around me for success. If I have Sierra-Longo two blocks down but I go to Master Ken's Ameradota because I like Kung Fu, I'm not giving myself the best opportunity to succeed.
My advice would be go to the best MMA gym available, spend a year or two getting a standup base, then think about cross training. Go with the long game rather than trying to "invent your own style" with shitty guidence

look man, we've posted together for a long time now and I and I like you. I respect you as a poster and fighter, but if you ever again besmirch the name of MASTER ken and the beautiful deadly art of Ameridote we will have a problem.

 

[Popsaregood230]

That's a kick ass daggerfall avatar btw.

 

[560ti]

My advice would be go to the best MMA gym available, spend a year or two getting a standup base, then think about cross training. Go with the long game rather than trying to "invent your own style" with shitty guidence

This x10

 

[PivotPunch]

I find it weird that someone already has a prefereance before he even started training. It sounds more like you like the idea of that particular style and/or think it looks cool but if you haven't even trained it or MT yet how do you know that the style suits you and is something you can work with.

 

[@Brandon.S]

Ok cool. Case solved all good.

 

[weedwitch420]

I find it weird that someone already has a preference before he even started training. It sounds more like you like the idea of that particular style and/or think it looks cool but if you haven't even trained it or MT yet how do you know that the style suits you and is something you can work with.

I am not an untrained striker I already have a lil bit of both.

But, I did decide on a mma gym as the location is very good. At first I was skeptical that the closest gym would be the best, but it is.

Yeah guys I definitely wanna do mma! So stoked to let it all flow...
Do you know many times on the mats I've had someone invert on me and I just wished I could heel hook them or show them what the "point" of positional dominance is... if you know what I mean... (no psycho)


I've got a lot to show the world and I can put on a show when I do it. Or at least that will be my intention (but really all I wanna do is win)

"It's not enough to beat the other guy, you have to look good when you do it" - Rickson

That's a kick ass daggerfall avatar btw.

hehe it's all yours if you wanna use it somewhere else, I just pulled it off some random Geocities looking website, man.

 

[rmongler]

Geocities

RIP in piece.