Saturday, March 30, 2013

Building Your MMA Skill Set

By Nolan Barias


If you want to get serious about mixed martial arts, it is imperative that you find a gym that truly focuses on getting you in top shape and incorporates multiple styles of fighting. While you will find that you are more comfortable with certain types of training, the best fighters are also the most versatile fighters.

While you can't depend on boxing solely as a skill, it is an important part of MMA training. The advantage of sharpening your boxing skill set is that you will improve your hand skills, and boxing includes a great deal of conditioning that will make you a stronger MMA fighter. Find an MMA gym with skilled boxing coaches that offer classes ranging from beginning skills to professional-level boxing. However, don't expect to simply rely on those boxing skills. Many a tough boxer has been thrown to the ground by an expert wrestler.

Wrestling is one of the world's most ancient sports, and it is a huge component of mixed martial arts. Greco-Roman wrestling dates back to the earliest Olympic games, and these skills are still used today. These ancient fighting techniques can help you overcome a larger opponent. A good gym will teach the fundamentals as well as a variety of wrestling skills, such as freestyle, grappling, beach, Sambo and Greco-Roman.

Muay Thai is another component of your MMA training. Originating in Thailand, Muay Thai is a combat sport that is also known as the Art of Eight Limbs. This is because it utilizes kicking, punching, elbow strikes and knee strikes, with a total of eight different points of contact. While it might sound complex, Muay Thai can be fairly easy to learn and is very effective during fights, which is why so many MMA fighters use Muay Thai techniques.

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is another big part of your MMA training. One of the key components of Jiu Jitsu is honing one's ability to force one's opponent to the ground. This is especially important if a fighter is smaller than his opponent. Using Jiu Jitsu techniques, a smaller fighter can often overwhelm the opponent using grappling techniques. Jiu-Jitsu offers a variety of methods to get one's opponent to the mat unlike Greco-Roman wrestling or Judo which rely mainly on takedowns.

Don't forget to add strength and conditioning classes to your overall training. A good gym will offer both group and one-on-one strength training. Use this time to create a program that will improve your weak areas and keep the rest of your body fit and healthy while continuing to get stronger.

The bottom line is that the more well rounded you are with your fighting skills, the more effective you will be against your opponent. So, find an MMA gym that emphasizes strong training in a variety of key areas.




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