How long to compete??

[PikeKing]

How much experience/training do you think a person would need to be able to compete in a small scale MMA event without getting totally killed?

 

[Chthon]

That really depends on the person and how fast they learn their stuff. Striking, just long enough to get proficient...with MT the average I have seen before getting into the ring is a year and a half; less if you train hard, more if you don't. Other people on here may see, on average, a different time to get proficient in striking.

Grappling is also essential, but I couldn't tell you how long it would take to get to MMA-level proficiency with it seeing as how I have no experience in it myself.

 

[Crimson Tiger]

I'd say how hard you devote... I've seen guys competing after 1 year.

 

[Spoonman7]

all in how fast you absord things and can put them together, I was ready to compete in Muay Thai after 6 moths but work got in the way and I had to wait, the more you polish, the better.

 

[dom]

Compete in boxing or full contact fights before joining mma. It helps you get a feel for your strength and weaknesses.

 

[scorcho]

You can get the basics of grappling in about a year. You should be around blue belt level. Combine that with some striking, and you should be ready for amateur events.

 

[PikeKing]

I have been looking into some of the amateur events in my area. They to be quite strict on things you cant do, one that suprised me is no striking above the shoulder. Limits you quite a lot doesnt it?

 

[triggertap79]

I have been looking into some of the amateur events in my area. They to be quite strict on things you cant do, one that suprised me is no striking above the shoulder. Limits you quite a lot doesnt it?

yes but it's a good place to start

 

[Ian Coe]

I'd have to say as always it depends on the person, but if I was just starting out and wanted to fight, I'd wait tillI thought I was good and ready along with what my trainer thought. Its no use having a ego, thinking I'm ready and going out there and getting spanked and then getting disheartened about it.

 

[Chris Cook]

im doing my first one next month ... about 13 months training hard.
wka amateur rules, pretty much standard mma but no elbows/knees to head.

problem i saw with doing an am boxing event is that id probably get killed by a pure boxer, or disqualified heh. i mean the guy that devotes 100% to boxing vs my ?half? doesnt sound like a good match to me, and then having to go against all your training and NOT do techniques you practice constantly. i could be wrong though....

also make sure you get an even match, and its not with some fly by night promoter. do your research, make sure they aint throwing you someone training for years. if someone's competed before, google will probably find them. promoters seem to pretty much always post results for mma and grappling events. full disclosure is best for everyone. i got a friend that was ready for his first match, and the promoter had him a match with another "beginner". he hid the fact that the guy was a bjj brown belt and no gi champion grappler. so just because someone is beginning mma, doesnt mean they are a "novice". training time is training time. you train for a year or two, you need to be matched with someone with same total experience.