Which is harder to learn, striking or grappling?

[Geordie "Shadow" Munro]

Not so much from my personal experience, but from an instructor stand point.
I feel my students take to the striking quicker than the grappling.

(partially because of schedule, there's more kickboxing classes than grappling classes)

 

[DysDave]

I think they are similar levels of difficulty if you're talking elite. However, grappling defence is far easier to learn than striking defence. You can learn how to stifle a wrestlers offence and negate the clinch even if you didn't start out as a wrestler- it's extremely unlikely you're closing a striking gap with an elite striker, however.

It really depends though. Guys like Cain, DC, Weidman etc have come from a grappling background and really picked up striking quickly. Brock, Palhares, Shields never did. GSP came from a striking background and picked up wrestling like a boss. JDS has seemingly non-existent wrestling still.

 

[aus101]

It's all individual. I've done freestyle wrestling, rugby union, basketball, cricket, rowing and now BJJ.

The only sports I found easy to learn are wrestling and BJJ. I sucked hard at the others, (other than some aspects of union that carried over from wrestling).

Personally ball sports are my bane, let me grapple any day.

 

[serr]

I've seen more strikers become good grapplers than I have grapplers become good strikes. But I'd argue it boils down to how easy of a time you have learning new things.

I've always thought it was the reverse. Where if you are really confident on the ground you no longer have to fight timidly, fearing the takedown. Werdum and Khabib come to mind. Both excel at striking mostly due to the fact that they are extremely comfortable being on the ground. That being said, I've started BJJ after doing MT for a year and have to say BJJ is coming along more easily than MT. Mostly because I was stiff and had muscular imbalances preventing me from getting good technique in MT. I'm more well conditioned starting BJJ then when I was starting MT and I've always been the more analytical type and so BJJ has come on much easier for me.

I think it's different for everyone. Some people that are naturally athletic will have an easier time doing striking, whereas those that are more intelligent and calmer will have an easier time doing grappling.

 

[LilMountain]

It seems in mma the consensus for the longest time its easier to teach the grapplers striking than the other way around...but the results have sort of shifted the other way as time passes,and we've seen some strikers really hold their own on the ground as they progress in their careers. Or some grapplers who train in mma,use their grappling abilities in reserve,like Jose Aldo or Yoel Romero. Those are the really dangerous "this aint even my final fucking form" dudes.

I feel like it might be easier to get "good" at striking but easier to get "great" at grappling

 

[DM1982]

Err, learning to hit while getting hit in the face versus learning to lay on a dude before he lays on you (no homo).

IMO, learning to strike, handsdown.

 

[tipofmitt]

I have a hard time not getting hit. But I've fought guys with no wrestling instinct. Two sides of the same coin. For me it is striking that is difficult. And some guys just can't seem to learn to stop a takedown.

 

[Gamer2k4]

I say striking for the same reason I find standing judo harder than matwork. For me, there's a certain security, simplicity, and deliberation involved in matwork that just isn't there in standing exchanges, whether you're trying to throw a strike or a judoka. I find it far easier to feel out the positioning, both offensively and defensively, when I'm in full contact with the other person. With striking and throwing, it's very easy to be wild, and for mistakes to compound. With grappling, it's far less of a concern (at least for me).

 

[Tugboat]

Grappling for a simple reason.

You spend your life walking and running on your feet.

Rolling around on the ground, your back, etc is less natural movement or exercise. The cardio in also different.

There may be close to the same number of techniques, combinations and stringing moves together. But you've spent much more time walking and your brain is conditioned more towards that type of movement.

 

[Tycho]

I've done both to a limited degree and I found grappling easier, just felt more natural for me. I think there's a lot of factors, but it depends on bodytype and even personality. I will say that grappling might have a higher ceiling for most people, in that people reach their striking potential quicker, you either have the talent for it or not, with grappling you can grind out the skill.

When I say grappling I don't necessarily mean BJJ or Judo.

 

[HockeyBjj]

It really depends on the person. I started training with no previous combat sport or martial arts experience. I played hockey, and expected the boxing (due to being a bit of a goon in Juniors) to come easier

Nope. Maybe average there, but the jiu jitsu clicked. I've seen other people that can actually get their feet and hips to work with their combos so much better than me, that are just a dead fish on the mat.

Typically, wrestlers pick up Bjj super quick. But a few times one with struggle with guard work and giving up the back past the 3 month point

 

[HockeyBjj]

Offensive striking is easier than offensive grappling
Defensive grappling is easier than defensive striking
That's my opinion up to intermediate level.
Top level requires a combination of a ton of hard work and at least some talent. McGregor can probably grapple the rest of his life and never reach the same level of his striking. For Palhares, it's the other way around.
Body type, explosion, all that counts...

Fantastic post

 

[Bioscent]

I would say it depends on your background but both are equally difficult. Striking isn't just punching and kicking shit, but correct lines of movement, feigns and striking techniques. Whereby grappling is correct positions, strength and technique. Incredibly difficult to master either and incredibly punishing if you make a mistake!

 

[cheesus]

Yeah, Hendo's power made him dangerous, that's true. But I don't really think I'd consider him to be a top level striker at any phase of his career. He was more of a one trick pony. It just happened to be a very good trick.

Well yeah definitely, but there are a lot of high end boxers that have super basic fundamentals, a lot of high end guys who fight flat footed or only capable of basic combo's..if you happen to one really strong asset that can carry you pretty far. I don't really know if you can say the same thing about grappling, I mean there are grapplers like Palharas who specialize in certain submissions but I definitely think you have to be covered in a lot more assets of grappling than you do in striking.

 

[dmwalking]

Depends. Some guys are more natural with one than the other. But if we're talking about getting a guy who's never worked out in his life and training him, boxing would be easier. BJJ requires a lot of movement that doesn't come easy. I see newcomers at my school strike just fine after a few months but still struggle with BJJ.

But truthfully, I think it depends on the person.

 

[UnTrust]

It all depends on the person. This isn't really a cut and dry answerable question. Some people will learn striking easier than grappling and vice versa...

 

[tenniswhiz]

Depends on your natural gifts.

For a guy like Maia, he'd never have been as good at striking as grappling even if he spent all his time training standup.

On the other hand, striking probably comes easier to a guy like Melvin Guillard than grappling.

 

[Area809]

Grappling is easier for me and seems more natural. It just seems like it takes forever to master and then execute just the basics of striking. You see people look great on the bag and completely disregard fundamentals in sparring. Grappling just seems easier to employ after drilling.

 

[THECYNDlCATE]

Have done both and striking is harder for me. Technical that is.

 

[finalboss]

it wouldnt say it is....people,animals...they all instinctivley can wrestle at least a little bit. You can probably figure out how to grab someone and throw them to the floor without being taught how...but punching someone who isnt just gonna stand there and let you? Not that easy. Maybe submissions and a guard game isnt that intuitive...but again there are so many aspects to both striking and grappling...I can hit hard...but im slow,i have to set everything up. Getting hit hard,made me hesitate...it didnt hurt but it is a shock to the system...and i was alwasy wary of it...Its only through sparring that i can tell my shortcomings.

Yes but, when you get into a fight, what is the first thing you do? You punch, grappling may come in later.