Is striking more difficult to learn or master than grappling?

[WheelOfLife]

So interesting to read the responses here. I would have guessed the consensus to be grappling is harder to master. I've found training bjj to be just about the most humbling experience of my life, and striking arts seem to come more naturally. But, I'm not a master of either so perhaps my experiences are meaningless.
shrugs

 

[tenniswhiz]

Striking is much more dependent on natural talent.
It also has to be complimented by speed, power, and cardio. All of those are also inborn gifts, to a large extent.
And even when the stars align and a fighter possesses these attributes, a split second mistake can result in a catastrophe. As in, a high level K-1 guy can get KO’d by a journeyman MMA jack of all trades.

On the other hand hand, you will NEVER see Maia, Jacare, Werdum, or Guillard get submitted by a journeyman MMA fighter due to a split second mistake.

 

[KootenayKid]

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.

Good point.

 

[JokerOfThePack]

Grappling is easier because you can stall. Striking you cant, and if you are bad...: you will be reminded frequently

 

[jx820]

Striking is more difficult to learn. A white belt in BJJ is pretty capable of choking out the average schlub. Somebody with a month or 2 of striking training may still be totally incapable of landing a KO.

Just my opinion, but I suspect grappling is probably more difficult to master.

 

[aerius]

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?

Coaching and trainers. High level wrestling and grappling coaches are everywhere, in America, pretty much every town with a College has at least one decent wrestling coach. High level training in grappling arts is readily available to almost all fighters, walk into pretty much any gym and you'll find BJJ and wrestling coaches with a lot of competition experience or a good lineage behind them.

The same isn't true of striking. There's almost no high level kickboxing or Muay Thai coaches in North America. Most of the so-called kickboxing coaches on this continent can't even teach their fighters to throw a proper round kick since they don't know what it looks like. We do have good boxing coaches though which is why the level of boxing in MMA has gone up a fair amount.

 

[helltoupee]

I'd say striking is easier to practice, harder to be good at and grappling is the other way around; harder to practice and easier to be good at. For beginners of course

Striking is difficult to practice because to get good at it, you are risking getting punched in the face - that's a big hurdle for a lot of people.

Grappling, on the other hand, is easier to train because you aren't being physically hurt while doing it (at least most the time).

 

[ChumpyKiwi]

Striking is difficult to practice because to get good at it, you are risking getting punched in the face - that's a big hurdle for a lot of people.

Grappling, on the other hand, is easier to train because you aren't being physically hurt while doing it (at least most the time).

That's true. I meant more like how once you get the basic moves down for striking, drilling is easier, not physically but easier to grasp. Where on the other hand with grappling alot of times you can go more your speed or whatever but there's alot more basic moves I guess. Do you get what I'm saying? I don't know really how else to explain it

 

[Horriblehim]

Nope. Easy af unless ur a Dumbass woth no talent at all

 

[Gratis]

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.

That's the fuckin point isn't it. Your standards of what being an "elite level striker" means is flawed.

 

[helltoupee]

That's true. I meant more like how once you get the basic moves down for striking, drilling is easier, not physically but easier to grasp. Where on the other hand with grappling alot of times you can go more your speed or whatever but there's alot more basic moves I guess. Do you get what I'm saying? I don't know really how else to explain it

Absolutely understand. Once you get over the hump of being scared to get hit, I think drilling boxing technique might be a bit easier, but harder to master only because the talent pool in boxing is insane and the tools necessary to be considered "good" are relative to your competition.

 

[Taric]

That's the fuckin point isn't it. Your standards of what being an "elite level striker" means is flawed.

Dude, based off your standard nobody but Olympic medalists are elite in anything when talking about MMA skill sets.
You're being ridiculous.

 

[JayJayMMA]

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.

There have been many that had a wrestling base that have gone on to become more well known for their striking than grappling.

TDD is quite different to being good at grappling, I think it's hard to get elite level grappling skills from starting out with a striking base than the other way around. With both it's about doing it often enough that it becomes instinct and flows, fighters get caught when they have to think about their moves rather than flowing with it.

 

[Gratis]

Dude, based off your standard literally nobody in MMA is elite in anything.

If they haven't actually proved themselves in those specific sports or disciplines? No shit, who would? How can you claim to have "ELITE" boxing if you aren't or weren't actually a boxer, and in a sport with entirely different rules?

You claimed that striking is easier than grappling because there's more fighters with grappling backgrounds who transitioned and learned some striking, when the reality is most fighters with striking backgrounds don't have to transition to MMA because there's already professional sports for them. If you're a collegiate wrestler and want to make a living fighting you pretty much have to go into MMA, not so if you're a boxer or kickboxer. The fact that there's less of them isn't because they can't learn grappling.

 

[SKSer45]

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.

I've been doing kickboxing, boxing, Muay thai for over 12 years and still learning and growing. I consider my self a very good striker but my coaches are always pushing for perfection. Boxing is by far the hardest and most technical.

Grappling I picked up faster especially in no GI. Within in six months, I was able to hold my own against blue belts and some purple belts. Submissions were quite easy to learn plus it helped I had BJ Penn Flexibility. Alot of the guys from BJJ wanted to come over to Muay Thai and give it a shot...

Man it was too easy. They were literally a fish out of water and just getting destroyed in Sparring. It drove em nuts too they couldn't go for take downs and always on the feet. And when they felt they were safe in the clinch, it was just delaying the inevitable.

 

[ironkhan57]

Theirs something called "mixed martial artist" where if you go into mma as a grappler with a lot of credentials on grappling, and you take 1 year of dedication to just striking them you will become a great striker, also when you go into mma as a striker and spend a year of dedication to just grappling you will become a great grappler.

An example is Jose Aldo. Another one is frankie edgar. another one, jon jones, a other one is daniel cormier. Another one is Luke rockhold (even though he isn't the best striker), chris weisman is another one.

Those fighters jumped straight into mma without testing themselves in a ring with boxing or muay thai. That's what they needed to do.

 

[Gilday]

It depends.

I think it's easier to get down the fundamentals of striking quicker than it is with grappling, however it'll be harder to become a world class striker than a world class grappler

 

[Captain Herb]

Seems like elite strikers need elite hand/eye coordination and timing which is more associated with the major sports and is relatively harder to come by, especially when combined with elite athleticism. Elite grappling requires high level athleticism and dedication but virtually no hand/eye coordination and doesn't require elite athleticism. I would say there are fewer people in the world with the elite striker package.

 

[Toxxus]

It probably depends on the person. Everyone is different. It took me much longer to be a great grappler (judo/bjj) than it did a great striker (boxing/Muay Thai).

These are the kind of realistic answers that get no attention. Both are easy to start and difficult to master. Striking is harder for some than others and vice versa with grappling.

My opinion, on average, it's harder to master grappling due to the amount of practice and volume of different movements you have to master.

Striking, on the other hand, seems to require a bit more natural talent and the willingness to absorb punishment. If you physiologically don't respond well to getting hit in the face then it's nearly impossible to stop being flinchy and become a great striker. Sharp reflexes / response time are more important in striking too which is why the strikers seem to suffer age related decline faster than the grapplers.

 

[Dana_is_your_GOD]

It probably depends on the person. Everyone is different. It took me much longer to be a great grappler (judo/bjj) than it did a great striker (boxing/Muay Thai).

It took me less time to be a better grappler and striker than you, bro.