not sure what to do

[insaneshane]

Hi guys, awesome website, this is my first post....If given the option would you choose a Gracie Berra BJJ gym or a MMA gym that offers Muay Thai, Machado BJJ and several other martial arts. Should you focus on one martial art at a time and once your familiar with that adopt a new one, or would learning all of it together be the better option? I've been interested in MMA for a while and now that I have the opprotunity I would love to join one, but really cant decide between the two. Both seem legit. Also would Gracie Berra BJJ be better that Machado BJJ or would they be about the same.

Thanks...

 

[jrock89]

Hey Shane, welcome!

Depends on your interest. If you want to compete in BJJ and be one of the best I suggest going to Gracie school.

If you want to compete in the MMA circuit, go to your MMA gym where they teach you a little bit of everything. However make sure its a legit MMA school and not just some karate school turned MMA.

In my opinion, nowadays if you want to compete in MMA, your going to need a lot more than just BJJ. You need wrestling, boxing, MT and BJJ. It's not like the old days where MMA meant having ok stand up and excellent BJJ.

 

[3dsmax]

Lets begin with the fact that most gyms run by black belts (to make things simpler) are very similar in terms of the kind of training you'll be getting. However, if you do join the MMA gym I'm guessing you'll be spending a lot more time on striking compared to a pure BJJ gym. You said that you've been interested in MMA so right there you made the choice for yourself. I only train BJJ and have absolutely no interest in getting into the cage and/or ring to throw down in a MMA match. If you are not sure whether you'd like one more than the other I'd suggest that you try out both. Who knows maybe you'll get into BJJ so much you will not want to train MMA.

 

[Stratamagnus]

One thing I will advise is if you don't have a base or foundation in martial arts, it is best to focus on one thing at first. It is very difficult to pick up grappling and striking at the same time.

 

[platfox]

There is a misconception that if you want to do mma, you must go to an mma school. I don't think its true at the beginning. IMO, you need to get a base, and bjj gets you ready to fight the fastest. You can add other things once you get a ground game.

For example, at the local show level...blue belt level grappling (1-2 yrs training) is enough to win matches.

I don't want to comment on Machado vs Barra schools, I've never been to either one. However I've heard things about the two brands and one definitely has a better reputation.

edit: even with only 4 posts in this thread I still failed to read them before posting, lol. I basically agree with Stratamangus.

 

[insaneshane]

Thanks for the input guys. I'm gonna check both out and make a decision from there. The BJJ school offers one free class and the MMA gym offers two classes of your choosing for like $15.

What equipment do I need before hand. I have a mouthpiece and was thinking cup, shorts, and a rash guard. Maybe some handwraps should I choose the MMA gym, although I'm really leaning towards the BJJ school.

Thanks again...