Which striking style should I choose?

[ShogunGall]

Hey everyone,

I currently do Pankration (a sort of submission grappling style) twice a week, and have been doing so for about 5 months or so. However, I am having a dilemma regarding choosing a striking style. At the place I do pankration they also do Muay Thai (as well as bjj, tkd etc which I would also like to do) for only a fraction of the price more, however I believe they mainly spar on Fridays, which I can never attend as I teach then. I could spar with other mates that go there, but this might only be once per week or so with the same two or three people after pankration. On the other hand I can do boxing at a local boxing gym, but while this place is supposedly quite good it means that I won't be able to do more bjj at the place I currently go to due to this option being more expensive. Obviously the third option would be to find some other place to train but id rather avoid that because I've made some good mates there and the quality of instruction is really good.

Please help, I really like both of these striking styles (done a few classes of each) and can't decide which to choose, and I really want to start up a striking style again. Thanks everyone!

 

[AndyMaBobs]

What are you training for? To fight or for a hobby?

 

[Cro Cop Is Back]

Street fighting

 

[ShogunGall]

What are you training for? To fight or for a hobby?

Mainly just as a hobby, might be cool to compete for fun somewhere down the track (that's why I considered the boxing too just as a fun sport to do) but as of right now it's just for fun really. If it was available more often I'd probably focus on what I'm currently doing but since it's only twice a week that's why I'm considering striking, just as something fun to add in there.

 

[ShogunGall]

Street fighting

Hahaha obviously doing for teh str33ts.

 

[j123]

Is your gym small? The description made makes it sound like small classes run out of a rec centre.

So what what I can gather you're financial situation is limited to only 1 gym, and you're contemplating wether to stay with your current one, or leave for a striking gym?

As for sparring, you can do well with sparring once a week. Its really the testing ground to work out gameplans, techniques, etc you've drilled throughout the week. I used to spar 4-5 days a week my first time around. These days I try to aim once a week, sometimes I can't make it and end up sparring twice a month, yet I still make good progress. To be fair, the drilling I do is similar to light sparring. eg. I'm on defense, my partner's on offense, and my goal is to shoot and land successful takedowns as counter strikes, and etc.

 

[AndyMaBobs]

Mainly just as a hobby, might be cool to compete for fun somewhere down the track (that's why I considered the boxing too just as a fun sport to do) but as of right now it's just for fun really. If it was available more often I'd probably focus on what I'm currently doing but since it's only twice a week that's why I'm considering striking, just as something fun to add in there.

Ever think of swapping between them if its just a hobby? No reason you can take a break from one and do the other

 

[bobthebuilder]

Hey everyone,

I currently do Pankration (a sort of submission grappling style) twice a week, and have been doing so for about 5 months or so. However, I am having a dilemma regarding choosing a striking style. At the place I do pankration they also do Muay Thai (as well as bjj, tkd etc which I would also like to do) for only a fraction of the price more, however I believe they mainly spar on Fridays, which I can never attend as I teach then. I could spar with other mates that go there, but this might only be once per week or so with the same two or three people after pankration. On the other hand I can do boxing at a local boxing gym, but while this place is supposedly quite good it means that I won't be able to do more bjj at the place I currently go to due to this option being more expensive. Obviously the third option would be to find some other place to train but id rather avoid that because I've made some good mates there and the quality of instruction is really good.

Please help, I really like both of these striking styles (done a few classes of each) and can't decide which to choose, and I really want to start up a striking style again. Thanks everyone!

there are different views, but I don't think there is ever harm in getting your hands trained first. If you go to the boxing gym, go to all of their sessions and compete, you will have a great base for starting muay thai. You can generally compete more quickly/earlier in muay thai. Some boxing gyms have a high standard before they support you to compete.

 

[ShogunGall]

Is your gym small? The description made makes it sound like small classes run out of a rec centre.

So what what I can gather you're financial situation is limited to only 1 gym, and you're contemplating wether to stay with your current one, or leave for a striking gym?

As for sparring, you can do well with sparring once a week. Its really the testing ground to work out gameplans, techniques, etc you've drilled throughout the week. I used to spar 4-5 days a week my first time around. These days I try to aim once a week, sometimes I can't make it and end up sparring twice a month, yet I still make good progress. To be fair, the drilling I do is similar to light sparring. eg. I'm on defense, my partner's on offense, and my goal is to shoot and land successful takedowns as counter strikes, and etc.

It is a small class, it's still big enough to have its own room/training area in a sports centre but yes it is quite small, normally only a few people per class (and sometimes if the instructor can't teach it then my mates/someone else in the class will). Yes it is pretty expensive though, about the same as a normal mma gym around here, and like you said I can't afford to train elsewhere (unless it's something like boxing or something at my uni). So yes it is sort of whether to keep training there by adding in Muay Thai etc with only sparring outside of class, train something like boxing but with minimal training where I currently am, or leaving like you said. As a reference though I'm trying to look at options other than leaving as a few good mates go to the place in currently at.

 

[ShogunGall]

Ever think of swapping between them if its just a hobby? No reason you can take a break from one and do the other

That's a great idea, but I've only been doing this for a few months, and if I could I would up my training but again the place I'm at only does pankration twice a week (and the only bjj I could make is one class after pankration). If I could though, would you recommend me doing them at the same time, or did you mean doing one, then stopping that and doing the other?

 

[ShogunGall]

there are different views, but I don't think there is ever harm in getting your hands trained first. If you go to the boxing gym, go to all of their sessions and compete, you will have a great base for starting muay thai. You can generally compete more quickly/earlier in muay thai. Some boxing gyms have a high standard before they support you to compete.

So do you reckon it's better to do boxing first before other things like Muay Thai etc? Or does at the same time still work?

 

[DoctorTaco]

Boxing is awesome. Go do that.

 

[roventu]

find another gym that offers bjj + striking with a better schedule for you.

no point signing up for their muaythai classes if you cant attend them right?

if you dont want to move, then stick with your current gym.

 

[pookiyama]

This is obviously something that only you can answer.

 

[Kanka]

Id say either boxing or muay thai

 

[AndyMaBobs]

That's a great idea, but I've only been doing this for a few months, and if I could I would up my training but again the place I'm at only does pankration twice a week (and the only bjj I could make is one class after pankration). If I could though, would you recommend me doing them at the same time, or did you mean doing one, then stopping that and doing the other?

A lot of people might say to do both at the same time on top of pankration. I honestly wouldn't recommend doing that. If you were to do all of them I would say do pankration as you are now, add in Muay Thai and do that for a few months WITH pankration to work up the fitness to do boxing as well and THEN do all three.

But don't get carried away trying to do everything straight away because your legs may fall off.

 

[Hogey]

Kung fu