Mixed Martial Arts Training Thread (Not UFC etc...)

[Tony Angelino]

Inspired by the last few posts on the judo thread and some chat on the BJJ thread reference catch wrestling etc...... Away you go lads.

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

[ben5575]

Checking in, hopefully this doesn't become a parody of itself

Kickboxing with some Muay Thai for me. Mainly training, sparring and occasionally fighting but I'm too old for that st now - tend to be the comedy relief/ahh bless at the end of the night

I occasionally get to cling to sweaty men on the floor but that's not really my scene as much as I admire the skill involved.

For kickboxing/MT basics, have a follow of Damien Trainor https://www.instagram.com/trainor103/ Fantastic technical ability that compensates for lack of physical size. Focuses on transitions through longer combinations than normally seen in traditional MT.

Oh and Liam Harrison as well (who is fun to hold pads for!) https://www.instagram.com/liamharrisonfighter/

And obviously Saenchai but that goes without saying: https://www.instagram.com/saenchaithailand/

[Sa Calobra]

Watching and reading with interest. I always assumed MMA gyms are full of the wrong side of the population?

[Tony Angelino]

Low level BJJ for me, due to various reasons (time, age, arthritis etc.) and love it – after doing Karate for a couple of years I’m now almost 2 years into BJJ and have just started with some MMA training. Have an excellent coach who’s a UFC referee and has very much been involved in the game since the start and has evolved with it. I have realised Karate isn’t for me and the use of a passive/compliant training partner can do more harm than good I realise the advantage of the grappling arts as you can train at just about full power/effort with much less chance of injury.

Did an interesting session on Wednesday about hand fighting leading to arm control/the clinch and then striking or takedown options from there. It was almost an hour of theory with little physical exertion but I felt like I had learned loads and really enjoyed it.

Regarding the type of people in MMA gyms, I can only speak for the 2 that I train at but other than the odd harmless oddball (in a geeky way more than anything), the lads and lasses who train are very decent indeed and spend their time helping others to improve rather than beating down on them. Iron sharpens iron and all that. I think once you train there you have their respect from the off and its up to you to keep it.

[ben5575]

Just to echo Tony's point above, whilst MA can appear council on the outside, it's the diversity of the people that is part of the appeal to me.

I find being punched in the face a great leveller. It really doesn't matter if the person doing the punching is young/old/rich/poor/black/white/male/female, they tend to earn your respect fairly quickly . As a result, that mentality and respect runs through all of the clubs I've trained at. As above, you do get the occasional dick and some of the big Polish dudes can be a little 'game' when they first start, but all of it is usually dealt with amicably.

I was working up in Glasgow a few years back and actually posted on PH asking for a recommendation for a club to train at. Grip House was the reply, and this old fat Englishman rocked up beneath the tower blocks on Possil Road, in the dark and stting himself. Fantastic club and very welcoming and thoroughly enjoyed my brief time there.

[MC Bodge]

I wasn't sure what to expect at the local to me MMA club, but the people were a decent bunch from a range of backgrounds. They were definitely not a bunch of angry meatheads.

[MC Bodge]

Do few people do MMA training then? Is pure BJJ more popular now?

I really enjoyed my Judo last week.

For a bit of more specific upper body work, I'm going to do a bit of bag punching in my garage. Hanging bag (when I get a suitable mount) and ground and pound on a sandbag on the floor.

[Tony Angelino]

Due to lack of numbers at our club this week I did a boxing class, really enjoyed this although the class itself was more fitness based and coming on the back of a no gi grappling class it took its toll on a fat lad with asthma and arthritis

What I did realise is what Mike Tyson said is absolutely correct - 'everybody has a plan until they get punched in the face'. I'm by no means a boxer whatsoever but I have done a couple of years of karate semi contact point fighting and this seemed to stand me in brilliant stead whilst sparring in the class. This was after 50 mins or so training with a fella who was absolutely knocking the pony out of the focus mats with me holding them, I was amazed how many shots I landed on him whilst eating very, very few myself. My trouble was, the shots I were landing where just love taps with no power at all - I just couldn't hit hard whatsoever.

[ben5575]

Speed vs power is always tricky and always a balance. Tends to be one or the other at the beginning.

If you're hitting hard when you're sparring you're doing something wrong but that's another story.

[Kneedragger95]

I've been doing Muay Thai for the past 7-8 months, and I love it. I've definitely seen a huge improvement in that time, both physically and mentally.
My biggest issue when I first started training was keeping calm and relaxed. It's quite amazing how being more settled and loose you can make fighting easier, such as seeing strikes incoming and reacting faster, as well as being able to strike with better technique.

In the future I'd like to add some Bjj, however I'd like to get really good at standing up first.

[MC Bodge]

Tony Angelino said:

Due to lack of numbers at our club this week I did a boxing class, really enjoyed this although the class itself was more fitness based and coming on the back of a no gi grappling class it took its toll on a fat lad with asthma and arthritis

What I did realise is what Mike Tyson said is absolutely correct - 'everybody has a plan until they get punched in the face'. I'm by no means a boxer whatsoever but I have done a couple of years of karate semi contact point fighting and this seemed to stand me in brilliant stead whilst sparring in the class. This was after 50 mins or so training with a fella who was absolutely knocking the pony out of the focus mats with me holding them, I was amazed how many shots I landed on him whilst eating very, very few myself. My trouble was, the shots I were landing where just love taps with no power at all - I just couldn't hit hard whatsoever.

Boxing is very hard.

Away from the ring, punching without gloves risks breaking your hands, though.

[Tony Angelino]

Felt it in my hands the day after even with gloves on, didn't wrap my hands though - I think spending 30 mins or so on youtube learning the basics of hand wrapping is needed.

[Kneedragger95]

I've never felt the need to wrap my hands, though bear in mind I only weight 160 lbs and I train in 16oz Mexican style gloves. Am I Just a light hitter?
My ankles and knees however are battered after most sparring and leg dominant bag and pad sessions

[Tony Angelino]

Kneedragger95 said:

I've never felt the need to wrap my hands, though bear in mind I only weight 160 lbs and I train in 16oz Mexican style gloves. Am I Just a light hitter?
My ankles and knees however are battered after most sparring and leg dominant bag and pad sessions

More a case of it being the first use of my hands in several years, as I said I' wasn't hitting hard at all - quite the opposite when sparring.

[MC Bodge]

Do you 30/40+ chaps do much in the way of cross training? Strength and conditioning, flexibility, endurance etc?

[ben5575]

Tony Angelino said:

More a case of it being the first use of my hands in several years, as I said I' wasn't hitting hard at all - quite the opposite when sparring.

Sorry I didn't mean to suggest that you were hitting hard in sparring, more your opponent

I religiously wrap my hands. If I hurt my hands, it's generally because I've hit something at an odd angle, rather than through hitting something hard. So I generally don't hurt them on the heavy bags, but do if I'm working with a novice pad holder who's seen too many boxing training videos and enthusiastically whacks down too hard/at odd angles on uppercuts etc. Note it is ALWAYS the pad holder's fault, never your poor technique

This is a good video for wrapping hands (getting the longest stretchy wraps in important): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYrybP5FZqQ

[Tony Angelino]

Thanks for the video, that's my Sunday night infront of the telly sorted.

Reference other training, no nothing for me whatsoever (40). No intention of ever competing so that doesn't come into it, do it all purely for fun and the health/social benefits. Regarding flexibility, with a fused spine that ship sailed a long time ago unfortunately

[BRR]

I've trained MMA since 2007 under / alongside former UFC fighter Paul Taylor. Only ever fought amateur under various rules (it was a lot less consistent in rules until about 5 years ago), doubt I'll fight again now I'm 35 so will finish with a 15-2-2 amateur record.

I still train and coach regularly buy my competition these days is usually just in grappling, fought for a K1 title last year and lost via TKO, it scared my girlfriend and family so won't do it again

Have loved my years in the sport and have got to train alongside some of the world's best fighters and at some of the best gyms in the world. I've also met people that I never would have if it weren't for mma and have made great friends from it, I can't ever see it not being part of my life, it has been great to me

There are a few videos of some of my fights on YouTube if you search for Brett Reeve MMA, they're not very good and really show why it wasn't worth me going pro

Teaching my regular Monday class tomorrow, always enjoy it, especially the live stuff that I get to join in with

[ben5575]

You walk the walk BRR. No way I'm linking me on youtube

I must admit I really enjoy the teaching side of it now as well.

Re cross training, I'm a big believer in training for what you're doing. As a beginner your technique will be all over the place and you'll expend (waste) loads of energy so you'll get fitter faster. As you get better, your technique improves and you become more efficient, so you need to exert less energy for the same outcome. However this is when you level up and change the outcome by increasing the intensity and get to train a lot harder. Have a look at the Saenchai/Liam Harrison insta links in my first post above to see what I mean by intensity Edited link: https://www.instagram.com/p/BqAYZN7FAV7/

Whilst bumps and bruises are a byproduct of training, my only serious injuries that have kept me out for 6 months at a time have come from doing doing stupid stuff when cross training (bear crawls, inclined presses). At 43 I mainly focus on injury prevention, so principally basic yoga/stretching at home.

Edited by ben5575 on Monday 12th November 11:00

[BRR]

I always find watching my fights / matches back quite funny, when I'm in the fight i think it's well exciting with loads happening, when I see them back I realise they were pretty dull. There is 1 exciting video of me online but that's only exciting as I get into a brawl and then sat on my arse 5 times

I don't wrap my hands, never have done. I do insist on working with a select few pad holders though and if I'm with someone new or that I don't know I go very light

with regards to cross-training, I do some strength and conditioning stuff 2-3 times a week and try to fit in a 3.5m run too, I used to train twice a day 6 days a week between MMA and S&C but between work and me getting old that's just not possible anymore

Tonight's class will be mainly wrestling focused which is always a tough enough workout