Would you tell the kid to become an expert in one style like jiujitsu and then after that add the other disciplines or would you cross train in everything from day one?
Which base would you choose before all else?
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Well, there’s a flaw in that logic. See, you never really become an ‘expert’ in a style, you just keep getting better and better. You may be the best in the world, but there is always room for improvement. With that in mind, I would suggest you attain a black belt first in one discipline, and see if your goals have changed- most martial arts require a level of humility that cage fighters do not have, and by the time you have calmed your mind enough to reach black belt status, you may decide that fighting is a silly way to try and make money. If I have done nothing to dissuade you, look into hapkido over jiujitsu- they focus on all five aspects of self-defense (grappling, strikes, locks, etc.), and is one of the most well-rounded martial arts I have practiced.
I would tell him to cross train everything from day one.
If you become expert in one style, you are prone to pick up bad habits, say you focus on jiujitsu, you won’t get used to ground and pound, or strike defense, unless you train a style that’s no gi, and learn striking defense.
The base I would choose would be the most common one nowadays: muay thai and brazilian jiujitsu, then I would cross-train with boxing and wrestling to be more complete.
I disagree that all “cage fighters” lack humility and disipline.
However, I do agree that you should get a solid foundation (perhaps a black belt), at least 4-5 years in one style before you begin training in others. Mixing them all up at once can lead to some bad habits.
One notable exception would be to try and make your high school wrestling team. The wrestling and the training will do nothing but help you in your martial arts.
Anyway, I personally think that striking arts are more dynamic than grappling arts.
I would say take Tae Kwon Do or Karate in a good school, but then also compete with your high school wrestling team.
After high school, get your black belt and then maybe try some grappling arts like Judo or Ju-Jitsu.
James
Depends on the age really.
Let’s say you are starting a kid out from Kindergarten age on.
So at Age 5:
Well first, I would start him in Judo. Easy to find cheap classes, even YMCA style classes, can be very kid friendly, without encouraging hitting and all around Power Ranger/Ninja Turtle mocking, also more likely to grab a kid and pin and throw him down in school then to around hitting other kids.
He would learn leverage, understanding of discipline, confidence all gained by Martial Arts, as well as have the ability to spar at full speed, and really get himself in shape. The bonus of getting to compete in tournaments against strangers is a BIG help for preparation. He gets to go against people who really want to win, at an adrenaline filled level. Not just sparring at the dojo with your friends, but going against an unknown, someone you don’t know, whose strengths and weakenesses you can only learn while fighting him, who truly wants to beat you, a fight like intensity. Being exposed to that, is what truly prepares you.
When he is old enough (here that would around
I would enroll him in some Pee Wee sports, primarily football, or basketball where they would continue to breed good morals, cardiovascular fitness, as well as humility, learning the highs of winning and the lows of losing. Let him move his way up through that, so that winning and losing means more and more to him. Also, getting that experience of going up against a total stranger in physical competetion, knowing the major difference in intensity between practice and the big game.
12ish or so: Continuing Judo, I would see if there is a junior boxing, or kickboxing class, or a Kyokushin, Shotokan, or Kenpo style that works on fundamentals of striking (how to rotate your hips through punches, etc) and does a good bit of sparring work.(not point sparring) Continuing on with Pop Warner football and the like over the summer. At this age he is a little more mature to understand the rights and wrongs of hitting and kicking in regards to other people. It would teach him how to control himself when he gets hit, what it feels like, and give him timing and accuracy. At 12 he is plenty durable enough to do full contact sparring (against other kids his size and age of course).
High School: (14,15ish till 18) Wrestling first and foremost, and get him to work hard in that. At this point he will be getting into submissions with Judo. In the summer and wrestling offseason I would get him involved in boxing or kickboxing, but wrestling would be the mainstay. He would get cardio, muscular development, learning how to work out for athletics, takedowns, as well as sprawls and mat control, his regular schedule of meets would again prepare him, as he goes against fully resisting strangers who are using an intensity and aggression level way beyond what you encounter in practice.
Starting at 15 or so, I may ensure his Judo club concentrates on Matwork, or enroll him in BJJ. Having him of course continue with wrestling, and again in the off season of wrestling and during the summers work on striking arts, possibly doing some Sunshine State games and the like in striking styles such as full contact karate, boxing, kick boxing, or Sanshou. Doing NAGAs would also be in the picture at this age, to really help him apply his submission grappling at that high intensity level.
At 18: Ideally going to College to wrestle or play sports and get an education. Off practice time spent working with boxing clubs, and kickboxing. Rough practice at submissions with intermural clubs and the like as he see fit. Also look to find a decent MMA school to begin to put it all together. If he can find a decent MMA school, then all he would do would be wrestling and MMA, as the MMA school will have everything else he needs. The sports would allow him to face elite level athletes in high intensity and aggression situations.
19 to 20ish: Begins amateur MMA fighting career, by 24 probably makes it to UFC.
That is of course barring what his own personal decisions or taste would be. That is just if I had complete control with the main goal of making my kid a UFC champion. It would take a very determined and focus kid, and a lot of time on the parents part as well.
I hit the gym on my own and got strength. I taught myself how to punch and kick. I taught myself wrestling, judo, jujitsu moves and counters. Then I went to a real training camp and showed the trainer what I had. He modified most of my moves and gave me more to work on. 6 months later I took it upon myself to get into the cage. But for some reason I couldn’t bring myself to hit the other fighter, I’d rather counter and get out of all of his moves and dodge his punches but he got me in a triangle choke. I slammed him 2 good times then tapped. That crowd is a big handicap, I didn’t want to hurt for no reason and have witnesses either. My gameplan changed once the bell rung.
If you want to make it, you gotta figure out what comes natural to you fighting wise, then excel at it. Next find another style that would be strong where your 1st style lacked and so on and so on til you feel you’re ready. Even then you have to get your mind right and focus on your goal; to win.
Too much mixing from the get-go is probably a bad idea. As a child, you shouldn’t be enrolled in any sort of MMA class, but instead you should figure out which aspect of the fight game has the most appeal.
If you like striking more, you should select Muay thai (or boxing if there are no reputable MT gyms around). If you like grappling better, then select either wrestling or BJJ (Wrestling is a little more of a plus because you can wrestling in jr. high and high school, so it’s a lot cheaper than BJJ).
Then, break down your schedule so that you engage in your preferred aspect 1-2 times more than the other aspect. Don’t try mixing them. Learn your respective disciplines. When your body and mind finish maturing, then you can think about combining them into a cohesive system for yourself.
Good luck. Hope this helped.
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