Mixing the Arts

Posted by: XxTaexKidxX

Mixing the Arts - 01/15/10 01:16 PM

I've decided that I would start training in the MMA, but I refuse to stop training in TKD period. I'm still a green belt, but from what I was told I'm pretty advanced for my belt. I've decided to throw in some Muay Thai with my training, should I work on it more? Or should I go to train more in wrestling, and work on my ground game? (Take note I'm 15 yrs of age, so i can't afford to do all three at the moment, already struggling to keep the bill payed for my TKD and MMA)
Posted by: Zach_Zinn

Re: Mixing the Arts - 01/16/10 08:13 PM

MAybe you should find something you like, and spend some time getting good at that before you worry about trying to be everywhere at once.
Posted by: XxTaexKidxX

Re: Mixing the Arts - 01/19/10 02:50 PM

Lol, sorry. When it comes to me training in martial arts, I become a bit ambitious.
Posted by: LifesFist

Re: Mixing the Arts - 01/19/10 03:15 PM

Zach_Zinn is right. Read a bit of Musashi and You soon realize what Zach_Zinn is talking about, Bruce Lee as well, etc.! After all, man, Your body will start resisting process, because it will be too much, then You'll see where leads your "likes and dislikes".
Posted by: Zach_Zinn

Re: Mixing the Arts - 01/19/10 06:27 PM

Yeah..

Think of it this way, if you are really training for self defense or even sport to some degree, when the )(*& hits the fan, do you want to have 20 options to choose from? While your brain is busy trying to pick out which of the 100 ways you've learned to do a given thing, the other guy will get the jump.

Imho it does harm to your pocketbook and your training trying to spread yourself to thin like that, find what you like, and then find a good instructor that does that.

It's impossible to train that way in beginning and be effective, whatever you do it will come down to a few "go to" techniques or principles/whatever, and as you mature you can put some thought into cross training, and figure out what it is you are good and bad at. Likely your opinion on this will change as you train.

I'm not saying be close minded or don't train different ranges or whatever, but you can only process so much especially in the beginning.

First, figure out why you are training, is it self defense, competition or what?

The answers may vary depending on what you are doing with MA.
Posted by: XxTaexKidxX

Re: Mixing the Arts - 01/22/10 01:33 PM

Well, I want to fight for competition, and I also do the self-defense thing as well, tired of bullies picking on me, but not tired enough to go start something with them. So far, everything I've ever tried in life, I've failed at, but in my Taekwondo, it's just easier for me to accomplish.
Posted by: TaekwonDoFan

Re: Mixing the Arts - 02/10/10 02:00 AM

I think all martial arts are mixed, because nothing develops in a vacuum.

Be that as it may, if you want to fight for competition, then you have to ask yourself what sort of competition. If it's a WTF competition, then MMA techniques won't work, because WTF rules are very specific on the points that will be awarded.

I think you should get your black belt first, finish one style, and then mix and match as you see fit.
Posted by: ITFunity

Re: Mixing the Arts - 02/10/10 08:57 AM

Originally Posted By: TaekwonDoFan
I think all martial arts are mixed, because nothing develops in a vacuum. Be that as it may, if you want to fight for competition, then you have to ask yourself what sort of competition. If it's a WTF competition, then MMA techniques won't work, because WTF rules are very specific on the points that will be awarded.

I think this is a good way to look at it, as TKD was 1st developed as a MMA. It is just that some styles over the years have concentrated on certain aspects, which led to a polarazation instead of a nice mix.
Posted by: fileboy2002

Re: Mixing the Arts - 04/04/11 03:40 PM

Training in MMA means you are at least open to the idea of being a professional fighter, someone who trains full-time and fights for a living. TKD is a very, very different animal. There are some TKD practitioners who practically live in the dojang. However, for most, TKD is more of a part-time activity. If you want to advance in MMA, you should probably lose this attachment to TKD. Training in MMA will almost certainly take up too much time and energy. Plus, chances are what you are learning in TKD will be of limited use to you in MMA.
Posted by: choonbee

Re: Mixing the Arts - 04/05/11 05:32 AM

You really can't go wrong by working on your ground game.
You'll need it for MMA, if you decide to go that route, and if you decide to stay with TKD, it will help you to become more well-rounded.
Personally, if it were me, I would stay with the TKD and suppliment it with some groundwork.
You've said that you like TKD, and are doing well in it, so why not make the decision to stay with it and get really good at it?
I've heard it said that the time that a martial artist spends achieving his black belt is like an apprenticeship, and your time after your black belt is when you really hone your art and put everything that you've learned previously to work.
It seems that you're on the right path with your TKD, and the fact that you're young means that you have the opportunity to really become very advanced and enjoy the benefits of that while you're still relatively young.
Posted by: Stormdragon

Re: Mixing the Arts - 04/11/11 01:59 AM

If you want to do mma then you need to spar A LOT. And don't bother using nay spinning kicks, jumps kicks, hook kicks, etc. you will get dropped every time in an mma fight. Work on front kicks, side kicks, and round kicks and as far as muay thai, well, it's radically different so it will throw off your TKD training. Mainly you just need to learn the low round kick, how to block the low round kick, and deal with the thai clinch and knees. But don't go too deep into Muay thai if you want to stay serious in TKD. the stance in muay thai is way different, the footwork is different, punching is different, it's all really different so just pull a few things from it and maintain your TKD base. Learn some basic boxing too. With BJJ, best thing to focus on learning is sweeps, submission defense, and ground n pound (the chuck Liddell approach to BJJ) since you're probably gonna want to go into mma as a striker. Find some wrestlers to teach you how to pummel in a clinch and stop takedowns. Your TKD stance will make mma really difficult because the traditional, highly bladed stance of TKD will make your single leg takedowns and leg kicks really effective on you. If you try to train for high belts and mma at the same time you will have trouble on both.
Posted by: gojuman59

Re: Mixing the Arts - 04/21/11 07:29 PM

Take it from the old guy, cross training in different arts is great,but, splitting your focus isn't always the best thing to do. There is an old saying, "Jack of all trades... Master of none."
I guess it comes down to if you want to do the MMA or if your goal is being the best in your chosen art.
Sounds like you are ready to go for it. Whatever you choose Push hard and it will sort itself out.

Good luck, Mark
Posted by: fileboy2002

Re: Mixing the Arts - 04/22/11 07:48 PM

AS another "old guy"--I am 41--I would add one more thing: wear and tear on the body.

Training in multiple martial arts can be brutal on the body. You probably won't notice this while you're in your teens 20s. If you're lucky, you may not notice in much while you're in your 30s. But after 40, forget it. The wear and tear of decades of training really makes itself felt. You get sore knees, a sore back, sore shoulders. There's a long-term price to pay for trying to do it all.
Posted by: MattJ

Re: Mixing the Arts - 04/23/11 09:02 AM

Agreed with that timeline, fileboy. I'm 42 (training since I was 15), and didn't really have too many problems until I was about 39 or so. It does add up. Mixing the arts is fine, but just try to be careful with the intensity. Don't over do it!
Posted by: Kimo2007

Re: Mixing the Arts - 04/23/11 01:21 PM

Since I am 43, I guess it's my turn!

Look those kids before me don't know anything, just wet behind the ears! I'd take them over my knee and beat some since into them, except I have can't pick them up because of a back back and my knees don't really bend very well anymore, and I probably couldn't catch them because of my torn Achilles I got from an injured hip that I didn't rehab correctly after hurting it attempting to sweep during a Judo tournament:)

OK, so it sucks to get older and you are going to have you aches and pains...but I think what is really important is your approach to injury at an early age and beyond.

Most of these guys I am guessing came up it the tough it out push through it mindset of our generation in all sports not just MA. The truth is physical toughness is no match for mental ignorance, and most of us would be far better off today if we had known more about injury and bio-mechanics early on and trained more intelligently.

Personally, I would love to see every instructor have to be certified in some sports medicine course, so they could provide proper training and deal with injury much more effectively. (But that is just dream) So all we can do is work locally and teach the younger people what we learned by doing it the wrong way.

As to the OP about mixing the arts, I think it's essential to get out from under your roof and experience other arts. Not to the degree where you never become truly proficient in any one area, but enough so that you don't become bogged down by any one way of doing things. There are few places that teach truly rounded fighters, they almost always have a dominant area even if they work on others.

Plus there is still a good reason to study different approaches to the same end goal. TMA vs. Boxing in terms of striking. Judo/BJJ/Wrestling are all different as they are similar. The list goes on and on.

The flip side of course is you want to settle on less in the long term. You won't become any good with a little bit of a lot, you will become good with a lot of a little bit. IMO
Posted by: 47MartialMan

Re: Mixing the Arts - 04/29/11 09:37 PM

Originally Posted By: TaekwonDoFan
I think all martial arts are mixed, because nothing develops in a vacuum.

Be that as it may, if you want to fight for competition, then you have to ask yourself what sort of competition. If it's a WTF competition, then MMA techniques won't work, because WTF rules are very specific on the points that will be awarded.

I think you should get your black belt first, finish one style, and then mix and match as you see fit.


A agree. People need to stop jumping on a popularity bandwagon
Posted by: trevek

Re: Mixing the Arts - 05/01/11 05:30 PM

Originally Posted By: MattJ
Agreed with that timeline, fileboy. I'm 42 (training since I was 15), and didn't really have too many problems until I was about 39 or so. It does add up. Mixing the arts is fine, but just try to be careful with the intensity. Don't over do it!


In Poland you have to pass a sports trainer's course in whichever disciplines you are teaching. It includes knwledge of anatomy etc. Otherwise, you can't teach.