Is striking more difficult to learn or master than grappling?

[dmwalking]

Yes it’s easier to become a compotent grappler than striker. Mastering either one requires a ton of discipline

Why aren't there more UFC champs with striking bases? Most of the UFC champs are lifelong grapplers who learned striking for MMA. Striking is easier to learn than grappling.

 

[tramendous]

Striking is easier to learn if you have a chin and KO power, just like actual grappling is more in tune with you if you have heart, a gas tank, and durability.

Sprawling isn't really grappling. It's avoiding grappling.

Sprawling is definitely grappling.

 

[josh345]

Striking is easier to learn if you have a chin and KO power, just like actual grappling is more in tune with you if you have heart, a gas tank, and durability.

Sprawling isn't really grappling. It's avoiding grappling.

Sprawling isn't an element of grappling? Lol

 

[plataoplombo]

I think it depends on the person. I took to grappling pretty easy. Boxing on the other hand was more difficult cause I don't like getting punched.

 

[superpunch]

The best strikers in many divisions are wrestlers. The only time that's happened the other way around is GSP. So no. Wrestlers becoming great strikers like TJ, Cruz, Carwin, Woodley, Liddell, etc. is much more common.

 

[El Fernas]

I guess time will tell, but he is already 2-1 fighting low level competition.

 

[TriangleMonkey]

Dude theres no answer to this question as each style will be taken in differently from person to person

This shit is case by case

 

[Blayt7hh]

Why aren't there more UFC champs with striking bases? Most of the UFC champs are lifelong grapplers who learned striking for MMA. Striking is easier to learn than grappling.

The question wasn’t which is a better base. It is far easier to pick up the basics in grappling and apply it. That is pretty much the reason behind the Gracie model. Becoming good enough at striking to use it in a fight though takes much more time and has a higher requiremen of athletic ability. These facts have nothing to do with full time athletes at the top of the sport

 

[dmwalking]

The question wasn’t which is a better base. It is far easier to pick up the basics in grappling and apply it. That is pretty much the reason behind the Gracie model. Becoming good enough at striking to use it in a fight though takes much more time and has a higher requiremen of athletic ability. These facts have nothing to do with full time athletes at the top of the sport

I'm not talking about the best base. I"m saying that the fact that most of the current champs are former wrestlers who learned how to strike and basically win many of their fights with striking. So grapplers seem to take to striking easier than strikers take to grappling. And that's why we have more wrestling based champs. Striking is easier to pick up than grappling.

 

[Blayt7hh]

I'm not talking about the best base. I"m saying that the fact that most of the current champs are former wrestlers who learned how to strike and basically win many of their fights with striking. So grapplers seem to take to striking easier than strikers take to grappling. And that's why we have more wrestling based champs. Striking is easier to pick up than grappling.

I don’t think you’re even reading. You keep talking about champion level fighters and what works for them isn’t the same. Furthermore your reasoning is fundamentally flawed. The best grapplers have no other outlet than the ufc. Boxers that can make it to the top of their sport don’t cross over to mma because they have other options

Which is all neither here nor there to what I said. I will reiterate one more time. You can become a functional grappler much more quickly than a striker

 

[Chagaev]

The difference between training and a match is smaller in grappling than it is in striking, so you'll learn to apply the basics faster.

 

[dmwalking]

I don’t think you’re even reading. You keep talking about champion level fighters and what works for them isn’t the same. Furthermore your reasoning is fundamentally flawed. The best grapplers have no other outlet than the ufc. Boxers that can make it to the top of their sport don’t cross over to mma because they have other options

Which is all neither here nor there to what I said. I will reiterate one more time. You can become a functional grappler much more quickly than a striker

I disagree. You can become a functional striker much more quickly than a grappler. That's why most strikers who come to the UFC struggle when facing grapplers. But grapplers don't have as much trouble adopting striking into their game. Look at the best fighters. Look at every organization's top 10. Mostly grapplers who learned striking, not the other way around. Strikers who get into MMA mostly do well against guys who try to strike with them or guys with low grappling skills. Their "functional grappling" is not good enough to deal with someone with comparable experience in grappling. A 5 year boxer will get beat by a 5 year wrestler 9/10 times.

 

[ewww21]

Sprawling is definitely grappling.

I mean a sprawl as in defending a takedown. You are just avoiding the actual grappling lol.

I'm not talking about a sprawl where you're grappling for a better position.

 

[cassius84]

Grappling is by far harder to master.

In boxing / kickboxing you can start at a later age and still become elite. AJ started when he was 18 years old became olympic champion 5 years later! Cecilie Brækhus also started very late and is the greatest female boxer of all time.

At the same time it is not possible to start Judo/Wrestling at age 18 and become olympic / world champion. Even at the age of 15 its almost impossible. In bjj its possible to start at a later age but the trend is shifting towards earlier age intact with the growth of the sport.

We have much more examples of amatures / beginners knocking out elite strikers in there specific sport or in MMA the novice strikers outgrappling elite grapplers. Bob Sapp beat Ernesto Hoost several times in K1. I know the room for error is smaller in striking sports but that strengthen the argument that its easier to be competative at a high level in striking then grappling.

I see some arguments that grappling is more natural. I say the opposite. I think bar fights with fists flying are more common fighting then full grappling. Hence why its more natural to fight with fists then grappling.

 

[RL69]

I always thought striking being more difficult was an objective part of MMA

CM punk can choke a few sherdoggers out grappling

CM punk would also get TKO’d by most sherdogger’s sisters

 

[tramendous]

I mean a sprawl as in defending a takedown. You are just avoiding the actual grappling lol.

I'm not talking about a sprawl where you're grappling for a better position.

When you sprawl on someone you grappled for a better position. Youre on top now. Whether you want to continue to grapple or get back up is up to you. You have to control their head/neck for a good sprawl.