Starting MMA from a boxing background

Don't bother with judo unless it's without a gi. Working with a gi will waste time learning throws and defenses that won't work or will be much harder without a gi. Go with wrestling. It won't be as much fun (in my experience and opinion) but it'll be more useful than judo.

 

They train BJJ in the gi. Some think it's a better way to teach technique on the ground. He doesn't wear a gi to train takedowns and takedown defense. That's all wrestling.

 

Wrestling is the best base if you start it when you're young. If you're looking to supplement your boxing as you stated - then you need to go straight into Brazilian jiujitsu and learn the guard. Mastering the guard will give you the freedom to focus on boxing without fear of getting taken down because you will know how to get out of the worst situation - being put on your back.

 

About Gi vs No-gi: it all depends on what your intentions are. I never intended to compete in MMA under rules regulated combat so I always trained in the full gi. It's the best way to prepare you for the reality of the streets - where everyone is clothed. If you're wanting to get strictly into MMA - then go with no-gi training primarily as the grips and manipulations you learn on a gi will be useless inside the cage.

 

:-(

You wear clothes about 99% of the time and we are talking about a guy on a budget just starting out, not some guy going into training camp. Plus there are few wrestling clubs in the UK.

Judo is a good introduction - noone is saying he has to marry it.

 

BJJ player here. The reason for GI training is because the grips and holds are tighter therefor forcing your technique to be precise. In no gi training you are able to just slip out of holds due to sweat. That doesn't happen in gi training where you have to know the actual escapes.

Train GI if you are building your self defense repertoire. Everywhere you go - people are normally clothed - with the exception of the beach. Training with a gi gives a huge advantage in this situation.

If you want to compete in rules regulated combat - then go with no gi training.

 

He's asking about mma, not regular fighting. For regular fighting, judo is great. Probably as good or better than wrestling because it uses the clothes for leverage.

 

Perhaps you are forgetting all the good judo techniques that don't require a gi. Sweeps, trips and newaza for example.

I suggest Judo because of his UK location versus quality MMA wrestling programs and the cost. Judo is going to deliver more bang for your buck for a novice and on par probably cheaper. Judo clubs generally have pretty senior dan grade instructors and huge access to European competitors and active local circuits. Wrestling on the other hand is not so popular in the UK but is in Europe.

 

Wrestling has those techniques too, and practices them without a gi. They're harder to do without anything to hang onto, which is why you don't see them as much. I didn't see where the OP was from, so if he wanted to ask "what's the best background for mma grappling that has lots of places in the UK" he should have asked that.

 

The main problem with boxers is unlike the majority of MMA, they aren't in boxing because they love boxing but because they want to make money and happen to be good enough to do it professionally. Martial artists tend to love what they do and MMA orgs exploited that in the early days, when fighters fought for tuppence.

If we are talking about the new age of mixed martial artists then you could start them off in boxing but I think MMA is now becoming its own discipline, though I think that it is too early as fighters are still showing what can and can't be executed in a fight.

 

It's in the very first post! How could you not see it?:huh