Ok looking for some advice from some of you guys with more experience than me. I started training when I was in Aikido for a couple years then spent a short time in Muay Thai and in my Mid teens spent several months in Ninjutsu until my Sensei went to jail lol. Anyway just a few blocks from my house is a BJJ academy affiliated with Rafael Lovato JR. the instructors name is James Puopolo and he has some serious wins in trophy case. There is also a gym a couple miles away that teaches full on MMA there are several instructors there but the MMA instructor is Dave Hagen you can check out his info here http://http://www.zanshinarts.com/Home/DaJoGenMMABJJMuayThai.aspx anyway I'm 33 and don't have as much time as I would like to learn the arts, like 10 years to get my black belt in BJJ. I really wish I had stuck with it when I was younger and I would be in a better more experienced place now. My goal is to get in fighting shape, maybe even compete in a few matches before I'm way too old. So my question to you guys with experience is, which way do I go? BJJ and grind it out for a years and years or MMA and still dedicate myself for years but have a more well rounded arsenal? Ideally I would like to go to both places but I dunno if I can afford that right now. So what do you think? MMA with a 26 year veteran who as you can see from his info on that link definitely has some serious experience and connections or BJJ with a multiple time medal winner, world champ etc?
BJJ or MMA
- Thread starter Nerotik
- Start date
How long does it take to get to purple belt? It looks like it takes about 5-6 years to get to purple belt. That would make me almost 40 before I even started training in MMA which puts my odds of ever competing even just for fun at a fairly slim chance due to bone and joint deterioration with age. My chances of serious injury would be very high.
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That's my plan, if you look at the link I posted they focus on Muay Thai, BJJ and combining the two into MMA application. Having studied Muay Thai before I know it's not a very technical art, no offense meant. It is not by any means easy, but most of the difficulty comes not from learning a million different techniques but from conditioning your body to stretch for high kicks and to give and take damage. Which would allow me to use the open mat time to focus more on my BJJ than on kicking pads repeatedly, which I will still do but I will have the opportunity to focus more of my training on the BJJ aspects and learning how to roll well, how to apply good and varied techniques and I have a heavy bag here at home which will allow me to stretch out my legs and work on my kicks. Something I can do fairly well alone where as practicing BJJ really requires a partner. And since SKBJJ is literally 2 blocks from my house I will try to enroll there as well if I can scrounge up the cash that way I can double down on BJJ and get a chance to learn it from a world champion. or I may just go to SKBJJ first, I know they teach some striking but I don't know how much or what really. The lady I spoke to on the phone about it didn't really seem to know about much other than just the BJJ she couldn't even tell me dojo etiquette. I asked if I needed to bow when entering etc and she had no clue, on top of that their website is very minimal when it comes to info about the actual classes and daily routine etc. If I hadn't Googled the instructors I never would have known they are literally world class and have more major wins under their belts than I have appendages. lol
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fitnessgeek
New member
Having tried both types of accademies I can tell you I would rather do the MMA training. Especially the way they have it set up-MT, BJJ, MMA application. I think you will progress as a fighter their much quicker. You will still be able to compete in grappling tournaments (no-gi) and when your ready mma. BJJ is great but honestly, good wrestling can negate it. Trainging no-gi jiu-jitsu-which at this place is probably closer to catch wrestling is just more practical-for mma and real life applications.
But you have to choose which will satisfy you the most. My first place was an mma school, I liked it but it was a little far to drive. So I swithced to my current BJJ school. It was cheaper and way more convienent. Problem now is my instructor is not that good-he is ok-but not that good. The head of the school is a high level brown belt under Pedro Sauer but he is rarely there. When I compete in grappling tournaments I don't always feel "ready" and I sure as hell don't feel like a fighter.
If I could I would return to the mma school-problem is they have gone out of business!
So from my experiences here is my advice....
1. Check to see how long they have been in business-this may determine how long they will stay in business.
2. Check to see what there STUDENTS are winning/accomplishing. Just because they are world class atheletes does not
mean they are world class instructors.
3. Most places of merit will offer a few free classes-use them to determine which school/instuctors work for you. And ask
to watch a class before you use your free class.
Good luck in your search. If I can help you in anyway please feel free to ask. I am not a veteran by anymeans but always glad to to my best for someone in the arts. By the way-I started training at 37 with no previous Martial arts experience. I wish everyday that I could have started at 33-before all the back pain and joint pain. Whatever you do-have fun!!!
But you have to choose which will satisfy you the most. My first place was an mma school, I liked it but it was a little far to drive. So I swithced to my current BJJ school. It was cheaper and way more convienent. Problem now is my instructor is not that good-he is ok-but not that good. The head of the school is a high level brown belt under Pedro Sauer but he is rarely there. When I compete in grappling tournaments I don't always feel "ready" and I sure as hell don't feel like a fighter.
If I could I would return to the mma school-problem is they have gone out of business!
So from my experiences here is my advice....
1. Check to see how long they have been in business-this may determine how long they will stay in business.
2. Check to see what there STUDENTS are winning/accomplishing. Just because they are world class atheletes does not
mean they are world class instructors.
3. Most places of merit will offer a few free classes-use them to determine which school/instuctors work for you. And ask
to watch a class before you use your free class.
Good luck in your search. If I can help you in anyway please feel free to ask. I am not a veteran by anymeans but always glad to to my best for someone in the arts. By the way-I started training at 37 with no previous Martial arts experience. I wish everyday that I could have started at 33-before all the back pain and joint pain. Whatever you do-have fun!!!
sniper spear-it
New member
I have only trained mma and we do a ton of bjj techniques. I wish I would have wrestled in school though
GracieBBJ
New member
I train BJJ and MMA, wrestling and boxing. It's always easier to start in the gi and work your way to no gi or wrestling cause you will have the basics. Bjj is tough to move up quickly unless your on the mat 24/7 usually a year-2years for a blue belt 5-6years for a purple and almost the same for brown. NAGA is coming up and its a great way to gauge where your skills are at. Once you get the basics I would say you can move into a stand up, I love boxing its great cardio and keeps you lean plus helps work on your hips.
Charles Bronson
old timey gentleman
"Having studied Muay Thai before I know it's not a very technical art"
wow.. that tells me a lot about your level of instructors/training in muay thai, so no offense taken.
if you were 23 instead of 33 wanting to do mma - id say go learn proper muay thai and compete in that as an amateur for at least 1 year, and THEN go straight to the bjj dojo..
you have to be properly conditioned to be worth a damn at mma (competent and safe) this kind of conditioning takes at least a year for a young kid, and at 33 years old your clock is ticking.
the bjj dojo with a traditional approach will be a lifelong journey man (compared to maybe 3-5 years of doing mma at your age?) and you can still compete at bjj grappling at tournaments without the kind of wear and tear you will get on your body doing mma. even doing mma at an amateur level the training/fighting can be pretty hard on your body, most injuries happen in training bro
if you were a friend, id advise you to go learn traditional bjj and work on being as strong and healthy as you can be, go down a path that will be there for the rest of your life, instead of burning the candles at both ends trying to compete with kids in mma for a few years at most..
but.. if you only want advice about competing in mma i strongly agree with Fitnessgeek, go to the mma gym and feel things out. you should get a taste of the kind of competition you will be matched against and be able to test yourself against other fighters in the gym at a much faster pace than at a traditional school.
wow.. that tells me a lot about your level of instructors/training in muay thai, so no offense taken.
if you were 23 instead of 33 wanting to do mma - id say go learn proper muay thai and compete in that as an amateur for at least 1 year, and THEN go straight to the bjj dojo..
you have to be properly conditioned to be worth a damn at mma (competent and safe) this kind of conditioning takes at least a year for a young kid, and at 33 years old your clock is ticking.
the bjj dojo with a traditional approach will be a lifelong journey man (compared to maybe 3-5 years of doing mma at your age?) and you can still compete at bjj grappling at tournaments without the kind of wear and tear you will get on your body doing mma. even doing mma at an amateur level the training/fighting can be pretty hard on your body, most injuries happen in training bro
if you were a friend, id advise you to go learn traditional bjj and work on being as strong and healthy as you can be, go down a path that will be there for the rest of your life, instead of burning the candles at both ends trying to compete with kids in mma for a few years at most..
but.. if you only want advice about competing in mma i strongly agree with Fitnessgeek, go to the mma gym and feel things out. you should get a taste of the kind of competition you will be matched against and be able to test yourself against other fighters in the gym at a much faster pace than at a traditional school.
I don't so much want to compete as I want to learn for self defense/defense of my family and also to have something to teach my kids as a bonding experience. like I said I have Aikido, Ninjutsu and a little Muay Thai (No my instructor was not great, and by technical I meant no offense only that it is very different from the complex angles and joint locks of Aikido and Ninjutsu) The place I am looking to take MMA is is Zanshin - Classes They teach BJJ at the core but enhance it with striking arts among other things. If you check that link you will see what they offer in the general classes.
Charles Bronson
old timey gentleman
Muay Thai means "boxing thai"
Boxing is called the sweet science for a reason, because it IS super fucking technical.. Just sayin
Try them both. Soak up any free trials they offer- and even bounce from one gym back to the other with a month membership at each one if you're still undecided..
In the end, it boils down to two things really..
the type / level of training they each have to offer , and perhaps most importantly - which gym feels like home? What group of folks feels more like family?
Good luck man, Charlie B
Boxing is called the sweet science for a reason, because it IS super fucking technical.. Just sayin
Try them both. Soak up any free trials they offer- and even bounce from one gym back to the other with a month membership at each one if you're still undecided..
In the end, it boils down to two things really..
the type / level of training they each have to offer , and perhaps most importantly - which gym feels like home? What group of folks feels more like family?
Good luck man, Charlie B
overhandright
New member
First I want to say congratulations for deciding to pick the sword back up and start training again. That's what makes a true warrior. A little about me; I am a professional mixed martial arts fighter(licensed to compete and be paid for cage fights). Before MMA I did professional kickboxing, all types Thai, American rules and international rules. Before that I won the national Taekwondo(Olympic rules) championship. With that being said after seven years of MMA I would not compete in a Taekwondo tournament because its not what I do anymore. I would more than likely lose or be disqualified for shooting a double leg. I compete in MMA because that's what I train to do now. So there is no better option, it's just which one will you have more fun doing. Whichever you pick, you have to work hard and train hard if you want to do well.
fitnessgeek
New member
Wow! That's really cool! What promotions have you fought for and where do you train at if you don't mind me asking?
SugeKnight
New member
Guy I know Angelo just put in his work last weekend and got it done -- thought I would share. Kid has that ferociousness that will take him far in the MMA world. Great knockout fighter. (Blue shirt)
https://youtube.com/watch?v=9Zii6p6zihs
https://youtube.com/watch?v=9Zii6p6zihs
Epicondyle
New member
Join a MMA gym and figure out what you like. You might love BJJ and not Muay Thai or Wrestling....you might like all of it and train each discipline 2x a week.
I started with an MMA gym, and I personally didn't like the BJJ, but I loved the Muay Thai, Boxing and Wrestling. I still train BJJ 1x a week.
It will keep you humble and hungry to improve.
Good luck
I started with an MMA gym, and I personally didn't like the BJJ, but I loved the Muay Thai, Boxing and Wrestling. I still train BJJ 1x a week.
It will keep you humble and hungry to improve.
Good luck
Big Jayy
New member
Go to a MMA gym and take classes for everything muay thai ji jitsu etc. It is better to do that if you are just starting out. That way you learn everything at the same pace. instead of stacking up on BJJ or kickboxing and trying to transition over.
If you learn just BBJ it can be very hard to transition over because MMA involves strikes and ground and pound and everything else. Way better to sign up for a MMA gym and do everything at same pace.
If you learn just BBJ it can be very hard to transition over because MMA involves strikes and ground and pound and everything else. Way better to sign up for a MMA gym and do everything at same pace.