This is actually a curious post…most MMA are crosstrained but what about does that train for self defense purpose…the grappling arts seem designed for those that are SHY OF CONTACT. I for one love to bang…I love to boxed…BUTTTTTTTTTTTT…I love to box guys my weight level( 140lbs and under )…unfortunately…our smallest guy in the class is 180. LOL…so when I bang with them…u can see me being moved around like a wooden dummy. Naturally thinking about this in terms of SELF DEFENSE…banging will make me tougher buttttttttttttttttttt…it’s suicide to fight like this against a bigger opponent. So I chose grappling as my base due to the fact when I get in on someone…the opponent seems to lose interest striking and fall in the trap of grappling. So my theory is that most grapplers are somewhat shy of striking impact no???
I don’t have a problem with it.
Also, IMO, it’s not that they “fall into the trap,” of grappling, it’s just that they realize, all of a sudden, that there is this guy STUCK to them, grabbing limbs and they need to do SOMETHING, but they aren’t sure what, although they are pretty certain that “striking their way out,” isn’t a viable option since they have to tend to their balance and regain control of their center of gravity first. So they start wrasslin like you did when you were 8.
could be. or perhaps they find that grappling suits their body type better regardless of contact (140 lbs. vs. 180 seems like a valid reason).
or it could be that they think grappling is just really, really fun.
i do, and i study wt. not that grappling’s my cup of tea, but i do think it’s a kick in the bum.
Interesting theory, but here is another one to consider. Maybe they just don’t like hurting people. Even though grappling has moves that can cause serious damage, it also has moves that just control until the opponent gives up. Where as striking is designed to injure until an opponent is unable or unwilling to continue.
Also, when grappling you can get someone to submit without really damaging them. to get someone to submit while stiking you have to injure them or render them unconcious.
To shake someone off you who wants to grapple, you need to use your knees and elbows, which is dangerous and a bit ungentlemanly.
LEGEND,
I’m not really shy of contact, but I don’t enjoy getting hit in the face 
. Sometimes I do hesitate because I have to override that mental block that is trying to protect me (and my face). When I spar, I try to close the distance and tie up limbs to reduce my opponent’s striking ability while trying to open up some strikes for me. I guess you could say that I may be shy of contact in that sense, but I don’t try to avoid sparring because of it (I have different, lazier reasons for that 
).
Okay, even I’m going to give the rasslers some credit here. I don’t think anyone in their right mind wants “contact” (in the form of strikes) while they’re in a fight. Aside from Rolls, who once said you should just “absorb the punches” I don’t know of anyone who thinks it’s necessarily a good idea.
Let’s face it, if you’re getting hit you’re not doing something right. At least in the pure theoretical side of things. In real life, sure, you might have to take one to get your strike or techniques inside his defenses and finish him off. But I’m leery of anyone who says they LIKE to get hit. That just doesn’t make any sense from a self-defense perspective, IMO.
Budo…yeah bro I agree…but what I’m saying is that the learning curve for striking arts maybe harder than grappling arts??? Would u think so…because striking arts are BRUTAL…I have tremendous respect for strikers cause they go thru numerous wear and tear to get to the level of skill. I know safety equipment has reduce the wear and tear but ****…boxing/kickboxing is still brutal as hell!!! OUCH!!!
To be honest with you I’ve never considered which art has the steepest learning curve. But it bears thinking about, IMO.
Originally posted by LEGEND
…but what I’m saying is that the learning curve for striking arts maybe harder than grappling arts??? Would u think so…because striking arts are BRUTAL…
I would agree that the learning curve is harder for strikers than for grapplers, but not because of the brutality. I think it is because of the number of variables you have to deal with. Just like a boxer will cut off the ring and trap his opponent in a corner to reduce his option, staying in constant contact (grappling) or taking a person to the ground will reduce their options even more. Therefore it should be easier to establish control.
Just my opinion. So take it for what it’s worth.
As far as the learning curve goes, I think grappling is quicker just for the fact that you work the technique and get a better feel for when it’s right. Many times with striking you first learn the strike, do some bag and focus mitt work and then sometime in the future you get to try it out in sparring. It’s usually at that point that you realize that to hit a moving target that’s trying to hit you is much harder than you thought. That’s where I think that Muay Thai, kickboxing and karate styles like kyukoshikai are excellent, you find out where you need work real fast.
Side note: I find that many strikers are very shy of prolonged contact and having their space invaded. Some downright panic.
Rogue, how long do you consider “down the road?”
I’ve been attending boxing regularly for probably 20 lessons now, 4-5 days a week, and I’m starting to get thrown to the wolves
grapplers not contact shy in the fight i just saw
I watched several grappling matches this wkend. Some of the less experienced amatures seemed shy of hard contact and striking. Some of the matches su(ked and were really boring. But some of the more seasoned grapplers were smacking the sh!t out of each other. there was even a TKO due to a slap. The good grapplers were very impressive to watch and skillful.
The last match was a title fight for some belt, this dude George from the Boston area who was a friend of a friend who was there, so I got to meet him, nice guy. He was in unreal shape and trained at a MMA school. He fought this Russian Sambo guy who was the champ for the belt. It was a good fight, but the MMA guy pretty much dominated standing up, landed good kicks, lots of slaps, good takedowns. It was close on the mat, no submission, it went the distance. George won by unanimous decision. Those guys were NOT shy of contact, and really beat the crap out of each other.
Side note:
There was one standup match, Muay Tai rules. A Tai dude fighing mauy tai against a SanShou guy, Mike Norman (?) from Boston SanShou. It was a pretty close fight until midway thru the 2nd round the sanshou guy knocked the tai boxer out with punch following a sidekick-punch combination that landed. The Tai had been landing some nasty looking knees. Both landed good leg kicks. 3 or four takedowns (2 each?)…Good fight, fun night, met some nice people there.
I’ll try get some clips of the San Shou/Muay Thai fight up on Marvin Perry’s web page soon. Mutant it was nice to see you again, let me know if you want to come by the school. If you want ot get some work in before Orlando (if you are going) you should come by.
Yeah. I like those shows in Revere.
Just a thought
I think some people are more natural with grappling or striking than others. So I think the learning curve will vary from person to person. I’m not sure why, I’m pretty comfortable with both (but I had to brothers and we punched, kicked, wrestled, etc.). I think if you are more natural with striking…that will obviously be easier than the grappling. Some people are more natural grapplers some seem to be pretty good at both.
In Kenpo (or at least the version of Kenpo I’m studying now), we close the range and get into someone’s personal space and only leave until the attacker is on the ground (maybe a kick or two to the head or a punch if necessary).
Just my 2 cents in and it does suck to get hit in the head.
Aramus…I agree with your post…I guess some are natural strikers and some are natural grapplers.
Hey Guru, yeah I had a good time talking with you, good to see you again.
I’d like to swing by the school sometime not so long from now so I can get a jump on training, I’ll give you a ‘heads up’ so you can tell me when would be a good time.