Want to transition from boxing to a grappling art

[Straightcross]

First of all, I love boxing and I love to compete but I can't compete in boxing without making sacrifices. Studying after heavy sparring sucks and today my manager talked to me about my black eye and I told him I got it from boxing and he told me things like that scare off customers (I work at a store) and I should stop boxing if I want to work in a store.

I could basically keep boxing at a lower level and continue working/studying but I really want to compete and it takes one good shot to give you a headache or black eye.

1.Have any of you transitioned from a striking art like boxing to a grappling art? How was that experience?

2.How long will I need to train before I can compete? Heard that especially with BJJ you can compete within a year or so of training

3.What are some common injuries I should look out for?

4.How common are cauliflower ears? I will be getting a headgear if I like it but I heard even then you have the risk of getting them?

Right now I can't decide if I should go for Judo or BJJ although Judo is mostly aimed at kids here in the netherlands

 

[KGB256]

First of all, I love boxing and I love to compete but I can't compete in boxing without making sacrifices. Studying after heavy sparring sucks and today my manager talked to me about my black eye and I told him I got it from boxing and he told me things like that scare off customers (I work at a store) and I should stop boxing if I want to work in a store.

I could basically keep boxing at a lower level and continue working/studying but I really want to compete and it takes one good shot to give you a headache or black eye.

1.Have any of you transitioned from a striking art like boxing to a grappling art? How was that experience?

Haven't done it, but I can't imagine it will be much different than any other novice coming into the art.

2.How long will I need to train before I can compete? Heard that especially with BJJ you can compete within a year or so of training

I've known people who have competed in as little as 2 months. Competitions like NAGA include divisions for folks with under 6 months experience.

3.What are some common injuries I should look out for?

Mostly what you'd expect....major joint injuries (elbow, shoulder, knee, ankle). Rib injuries. Some develop lower back issues in the long term. You can avoid a lot of injuries by tapping promptly when you are caught in a submission.

4.How common are cauliflower ears? I will be getting a headgear if I like it but I heard even then you have the risk of getting them?

If you train long-term, they are fairly common. As long as you drain them, you can avoid any serious permanent disfigurement. Some people choose not to drain them (considering them a badge of honor, or simply inevitable...neither of which are true), which is usually how they wind up with the stereotypical cauliflower ear look. A set of earguards will reduce your chances of getting cauli to almost nothing, provided you wear them all the time.

Right now I can't decide if I should go for Judo or BJJ although Judo is mostly aimed at kids here in the netherlands

Go with whichever you prefer. Though as a boxer, it's more likely that in a standing fight, you'd choose to keep things on the feet rather than deliberately go to the ground. IMO, BJJ would be more valuable as it gives you options in the event of being knocked down or taken down, as well as follow up options to finish a downed opponent.

 

[snoop dogg***]

I think your boxing footwork could help with wrestling footwork. The idea of setups apply to both boxing and higher level jiu jitsu

 

[RJ Green]

First of all, I love boxing and I love to compete but I can't compete in boxing without making sacrifices. Studying after heavy sparring sucks and today my manager talked to me about my black eye and I told him I got it from boxing and he told me things like that scare off customers (I work at a store) and I should stop boxing if I want to work in a store.

I could basically keep boxing at a lower level and continue working/studying but I really want to compete and it takes one good shot to give you a headache or black eye.

1.Have any of you transitioned from a striking art like boxing to a grappling art? How was that experience?

2.How long will I need to train before I can compete? Heard that especially with BJJ you can compete within a year or so of training

3.What are some common injuries I should look out for?

4.How common are cauliflower ears? I will be getting a headgear if I like it but I heard even then you have the risk of getting them?

Right now I can't decide if I should go for Judo or BJJ although Judo is mostly aimed at kids here in the netherlands

Fuck your manager, and people who have a problem with black eyes.

1. yes. it was good.

2. whenever you think you're ready.

3. all of them.

4. common.

do bjj and judo at the same time if you can afford it.

 

[SuperSuperRambo]

1.Have any of you transitioned from a striking art like boxing to a grappling art? How was that experience?

2.How long will I need to train before I can compete? Heard that especially with BJJ you can compete within a year or so of training

3.What are some common injuries I should look out for?

4.How common are cauliflower ears? I will be getting a headgear if I like it but I heard even then you have the risk of getting them?

Right now I can't decide if I should go for Judo or BJJ although Judo is mostly aimed at kids here in the netherlands

1. Nope. Started wrestling, now BJJ.

2. Could be as short as a few months. Most competitions have beginner divisions.

3. Knee, elbow, shoulder, wrist, etc. The usual. If you train smart and safely, you can reduce the risk.

4. Fairly common among higher level guys. For some it's easy to notice, for some you can barely notice it. If you always wear headgear, there is basically no risk.

 

[Straightcross]

Okay thanks, sounds like I definitely need to get some ear guards

 

[cms9690]

1.Have any of you transitioned from a striking art like boxing to a grappling art? How was that experience?

I boxed for several years as an amateur, I started grappling this year. It's definitely a different game.. if boxing is checkers, grappling is certainly chess. The nice thing about boxing though is that it teaches you to judge distance, which comes into play when you start standing up. It also means that you're used to being struck so rolling won't be a huge shock to system when you get swept or taken down.

2.How long will I need to train before I can compete? Heard that especially with BJJ you can compete within a year or so of training

I'm pretty sure there are 6 month or less divisions at some tourneys, so whenever you feel ready.

3.What are some common injuries I should look out for?

As long as you swallow your pride and tap, you shouldn't run into any at all.

Right now I can't decide if I should go for Judo or BJJ although Judo is mostly aimed at kids here in the netherlands

From my understanding, Judo is 80% standup, 20% ground.. BJJ is almost all ground.
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Hope this helps a bit.

 

[Straightcross]

Thanks for the replies.

How often should I train BJJ? With boxing I trained up to 5 times a week but I felt that it actually stopped me from progressing but I heard it's the opposite with BJJ

 

[SuperSuperRambo]

The more often the better. The only risk is burnout. Some people love it so much they train a ton, and then burn out, and don't come back. Your improvement may be hard to notice, but the more you train, the more you will improve. There is no limit, as long as your body can handle it.

 

[Straightcross]

The more often the better. The only risk is burnout. Some people love it so much they train a ton, and then burn out, and don't come back. Your improvement may be hard to notice, but the more you train, the more you will improve. There is no limit, as long as your body can handle it.

Well the only times I really burned out with boxing is when I got my ass kicked in sparring because I trained 5 times a week, don't drink,sleep 8 hours, follow a diet and a guy who parties every weekend and is pretty out of shape kicks my ass simply because he boxed longer than me.

Anyway I did some more research and I'm defintely getting a pair of Ear Guards, just hope I don't get cauliflower ears from my first training

 

[bubkusjones]

3.What are some common injuries I should look out for?

As long as you swallow your pride and tap, you shouldn't run into any at all.

Mat burn. Can't tap your way out of that

 

[bradlabo]

Most injuries happen that are not submission related imo. It is a contact sport, shit can happen that should not deter you from trying it.

 

[bubkusjones]

Yeah, hope someone doesn't post the pic of the toe that was nearly ripped off.

 

[SuperSuperRambo]

Anyway I did some more research and I'm defintely getting a pair of Ear Guards, just hope I don't get cauliflower ears from my first training

You won't. I've been training BJJ 6 years and don't have them. On any given day, chances are extremely extremely small that you'll get cauli. It's just that once you have thousands and thousands of hours on the mat under your belt, chances are that one of those times was the exception.

 

[cms9690]

Mat burn. Can't tap your way out of that

HAHAH, true! God... mat burn is such a bitch. I started wearing leggings because of it, heh.

 

[Crossface9]

First of all, I love boxing and I love to compete but I can't compete in boxing without making sacrifices. Studying after heavy sparring sucks and today my manager talked to me about my black eye and I told him I got it from boxing and he told me things like that scare off customers (I work at a store) and I should stop boxing if I want to work in a store.

I could basically keep boxing at a lower level and continue working/studying but I really want to compete and it takes one good shot to give you a headache or black eye.

In my experience you shouldn't get black eyes and cuts if you wear head gear. If you just wear head gear you should be fine. So in my opinion I think it would be foolish of you to give up boxing. I would pick Judo over BJJ, because Judo is a lot more rare and has a lot more focus on wrestling, which is really important. It'd be great if you can do Boxing and Judo, but if you can only pick one. I would stay with boxing, because you are already invested in it and will make you tough as nails.

 

[Straightcross]

Yeah, hope someone doesn't post the pic of the toe that was nearly ripped off.

Thanks, I almost forgot about that picture and now it haunts me again

In my experience you shouldn't get black eyes and cuts if you wear head gear. If you just wear head gear you should be fine. So in my opinion I think it would be foolish of you to give up boxing. I would pick Judo over BJJ, because Judo is a lot more rare and has a lot more focus on wrestling, which is really important. It'd be great if you can do Boxing and Judo, but if you can only pick one. I would stay with boxing, because you are already invested in it and will make you tough as nails.

We spar with 16oz gloves and without headgear and that's not a problem except most guys want to get into slugging wars

 

[Crossface9]

HAHAH, true! God... mat burn is such a bitch. I started wearing leggings because of it, heh.

Yeah mat burn and burn from grappling on the ground is really annoying. I don't wear leggings or under armor, but I wear wrestling shoes and knee pads (if I need to).

 

[KGB256]

Thanks for the replies.

How often should I train BJJ? With boxing I trained up to 5 times a week but I felt that it actually stopped me from progressing but I heard it's the opposite with BJJ

Depends completely on the individual. I have some training partners that are on the mats six days a week, and studying instructional videos and analyzing matches on their days off. I know others that train once or twice a week, and still make decent progress.

In the beginning, it's usually best to get as much time on the mats as you can without burning yourself out. There's a lot to learn and it can get pretty overwhelming, so trust yourself...if 3 days feels like information overload, it probably is. Likewise, if 4 days doesn't feel like enough, go ahead and do more. The key is to remember that jiu-jitsu is a marathon, not a sprint. You won't learn everything in a week, a month, or even a year. Getting a black belt will take the better part of a decade, so don't turn it into a drudgery in the name of seeking short-term improvement....keep it fun, and you'll still want to train a lot but you'll actually enjoy yourself along the way.

 

[envee]

don't think your face is immune from getting banged up by doing grappling instead of boxing