Is striking more difficult to learn or master than grappling?

There are way to many variables to really answer this. body type, speed strength etc etc etc.
 
Everybody is different. There is no blanket "X is more difficult than X" statement anyone could make definitively.
 
Gratis said:
No you haven't.
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I mean, I can just list off the UFC champions that had a grappling background that were considered elite levels strikers in their respective eras and we'll hit above 2 dozen.

Sylvia, Arlovksi, JDS, Werdum, Stipe, Vitor, Liddell, Rampage, Rashad, Jones, Weidman, Rockhold, BJ, Condit, Hendricks, Woodley, Frankie, Benson, RDA, Alvarez, Aldo, Cruz, Barao, Dillashaw, and Mighty Mouse.

... That's 25 UFC champions that started with a grappling base and were considered elite level strikers during their championship era.
Again, that's just the UFC champions. The list would get ridiculous the moment you look further than champions.
 
It's hard to become a natural at a very high level in somethig that you haven't done from your childhood.

Grapplers learn to strike to be more diverse with their attack, strikers learn to grapple because they don't have any choice.

When the things get though in the octagon the wrestlers go back to their bread and butter and in most cases don't really try striking, strikers don't have this choice, they must wrestle if they don't want to get fucked up.
 
I personally had a horrible time learning grappling for one simple fact: my flexibility is shit. Always has been. Obviously it has improved, but try rolling with little to no flexibility and see how bad it sucks. At least you can throw decent punches without feeling like you went to a yoga class.

Again, I’m speaking for me only.
 
After reading the comments, I feel vindicated in being amazed by Anderson Silva's sublime striking skills. In his highlight reels, he looked choreographed like in a Hollywood movie.

Then there is Kelvin Gastelum. Though coming from a wrestling background, I think it is easy to be fooled into thinking he is boxer.
 
Kenny Powerth said:
I personally had a horrible time learning grappling for one simple fact: my flexibility is shit. Always has been. Obviously it has improved, but try rolling with little to no flexibility and see how bad it sucks. At least you can throw decent punches without feeling like you went to a yoga class.

Again, I’m speaking for me only.
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lol yeah you need flexibility for grappling and that SUCKS
 
Its harder to go from striking to grappling imo. Mma revolves heavily around the threat of takedowns, building up your grappling from striking means abandoning a lot of old tools and stances. On the other hand grapplers usually have the benefit of not worrying about takedowns as much and can build slowly from boxing to kickboxing
 
Grappling is easier to learn because you can actually practice it, all out, for several hours per day. You're doing the real thing and getting better.

Striking? If you go full contact for hours, you'll be dead. So the amount of time spent doing real-life striking practice is very small.

That's why it's easier to get good at grappling more quickly than striking. Hitting a bag isn't like the real thing, it doesn't move nor hit back.
 
Taric said:
I mean, I can just list off the UFC champions that had a grappling background that were considered elite levels strikers in their respective eras and we'll hit above 2 dozen.

Sylvia, Arlovksi, JDS, Werdum, Stipe, Vitor, Liddell, Rampage, Rashad, Jones, Weidman, Rockhold, BJ, Condit, Hendricks, Woodley, Frankie, Benson, RDA, Alvarez, Aldo, Cruz, Barao, Dillashaw, and Mighty Mouse.

... That's 25 UFC champions that started with a grappling base and were considered elite level strikers during their championship era.
Again, that's just the UFC champions. The list would get ridiculous the moment you look further than champions.
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No. Having good striking as part of your overall package in MMA doesn't qualify them as being "elite strikers". Referring to guys like Weidman, Woodley, etc. as having elite striking is a laugh. They're wrestlers who learned decent stand-up game for MMA. By your standards a boxer who learns some submissions and TDD is now an "elite level grappler".

And most of those guys have extremely overrated striking, such as JDS who Rogan referred to as having "world class boxing". Nothing but UFC kool-aid.
 
UFCBlackbelt said:
Its harder to go from striking to grappling imo. Mma revolves heavily around the threat of takedowns, building up your grappling from striking means abandoning a lot of old tools and stances. On the other hand grapplers usually have the benefit of not worrying about takedowns as much and can build slowly from boxing to kickboxing
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This is my opinion as well. Half of everything you learned in your striking background gets thrown completely out the window because of the threat of the takedown.

Lets say you started as a boxer. Your stance alone is now completely gone. Everything you trained revolving your boxing stance is non-existent in MMA because of takedowns. You need to rebuild yourself from the ground up.

Gratis said:
No. Having good striking as part of your overall package in MMA doesn't qualify them as being "elite strikers". Referring to guys like Weidman, Woodley, etc. as having elite striking is a laugh. They're wrestlers who learned decent stand-up game for MMA. By your standards a boxer who learns some submissions and TDD is now an "elite level grappler".

And most of those guys have extremely overrated striking, such as JDS who Rogan referred to as having "world class boxing". Nothing but UFC kool-aid.
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This is the dumbest argument I've ever heard. If you took GSP out of MMA, and threw him into Olympic wrestling, he would get murdered.... He is an elite level MMA grappler though. Anyone that says otherwise should be shot in the face.

Everyone I listed was an elite level striker in MMA in their era. You're an idiot.
 
Striking is much harder in terms of you either have rhythm and timing or you don't -- without even discussing throwing a strike, footwork and head movement in terms of defense and offense is really hard to learn.

Grappling is really difficult as well, especially in terms of developing cardio and grit but it does require less athleticism
 
Striking is not for everyone. At the beginning it feels unnatural when done correctly and it is harder to hit people clean and not get lit up yourself when you first start out which deters a lot of people. Also the biggest thing for beginners is finding out if they can even handle being hit. It does get easier as time goes on but I do take my hat off to those who are comfortable in the pocket and do it well without panicking or getting wild. Anyone can throw a punch but not everyone can be a competent striker.

I am not a grappler but I would guess the fact that you are not risking getting your face caved in promotes a less hostile environment to practice skills against opponents. I also get the feeling that there is a huge amount to learn and it could be very technical. I would say that a beginner would feel less stress rolling than they would sparring and could figure out enough to deal with the average joe fairly quickly.

Based on all this, I would say the easiest payoff in beginner skills would be grappling as you would be able to nullify your opponent without putting yourself at as much risk as striking.

It really is up to the individual. I am bias toward striking myself but I always wish I had done more grappling.
 
Striking... seems like head movement is difficult to pick up. But having Ngannou power would make it easier. Also. Striking having a top-tier chin could go a long ways. If you want a good laugh go watch those old Tough Man Boxing clips...
 
chamcham said:
I’ve noticed that a lot of grapplers in the UFc never really get good at striking. But strikers can often quick learn takedown defense and at least some submission defense.

It seems like KO power and striking IQ is something that fighters either have or they don’t. Why is it so hard for grapplers to successfully integrate striking into their game? Does the “most fights end on the ground” mentality prevent them from realizing the full potential of striking?

I’m wondering what a fighter with the boxing of McGregor and wrestling of Cejudo (or judo of Ronda Rousey and kickboxing of JJ/Holly) would accomplish in the UFC.
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That's a question for individual people as every person is different and will react to training differently. For most, striking is probably more difficult to learn because athleticism is a larger element of success than in grappling. Most people will never have the footwork to be even a decent striker, because they physically can't.
 
Both are hard to learn but striking is harder because grappling doesn't require as much precision and timing. Notice how much grappling greats can improvise on chokes while all great strikers do similar things with a higher natural aptitude. Its also mostly because of muscle types. People with slow twitch find it easier to grapple, but the reaction time you need to strike is insane. its genetic.
 
Depends on the person. Some are apt to striking, others grappling.


/Thread
 
I think grappling is harder to master. You rarely see strikers become great grapplers but we see grapplers develop great standup
 
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