Best, Boxing or MMA

If you can't box, you go to MMA. People who are afraid to trade blows always go for the take down. I did not read much but, MMA being better for "the street" ? Instinct is best on the street. And if I had no weapon and maybe the other guy has a friend, I would always rely on my fists. Boxing gets you extremely fit.

 

To improve fitness do either. It's how hard you push yourself in your discipline, not which discipline you do. If you leave a class thinking it was too easy, it wasn't, you just didn't push yourself hard enough.

 

Agreed. Joe with his hands out awkwardly and his feet all squared up. Ha!

 

You could end up lucking out like me and train in boxing at an MMA gym. That way, you could end up training in boxing and MMA at the same time. You also get opportunities to spar with MMA fighters as well.

 

Mma is amazing , but not for everyone

 

Boxing training prepares you for boxing.

MMA training prepares you for fighting.


If you do boxing and you have to defend yourself against somebody who only wants to throw hands, then you are prepared well. However, if you have an altercation with an opponent who has years of some kind of grappling ability, good luck landing a single punch KO because that's probably all you are going to get. Also, you probably won't be tactically and physically prepared to fight a muay thai fighter either. MMA will give you a different kind of awareness for fighting, you'll be able to anticipate a kick and a takedown better than having only boxing experience.

Also, should you actually need fighting skills, I think submissions/grappling may work better in criminal and civil court. If you are a boxer you're pretty much limited to breaking parts of your adversary's anatomy. Your opponents lawyer or state's prosecutor will be showing photos of your knuckles, photos of your busted up opponent, even x-rays of broken ribs, broken jaw etc. Then you may be expected to pay his hospital bills.

 

I box and wrestle, havent started BJJ seriously yet though. Boxing is plenty enough in the streets IMO. MMA is more effective than boxing against other Martial Artists, but the average guy you will encounter on the street is not a martial artist. In that instance, Id much prefer to throw a quick 1-2, get it over and done with, than start grappling and rolling around with a guy in the street. An MMA guy should be able to "box" too anyways.

 

Sometimes guys will walk through your quick 1-2 grab hold of you and pull you to the ground, if all you know is boxing at that point you are no better off than any other untrained person fighting on the ground other than that you may perhaps have a fitness edge over the average person, even that is not really that much help if you end up with a 300lb gorilla on top of you biting your nose and ears and gouging your eyes.

 

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6iDlzL7zrNU[/ame]

Not using this as evidence to compare Boxing vs MMA in a street fight. But that is basically a street fight, its not a movie where everyone is an MMA fighter and kung fu or Muay Thai master (Which would not matter, because kicking in a street fight is usless with everyday shoes and clothes). If you can move quick on your feet. Boxing is a GREAT tool, and very basic.

 

Both can teach you how to whip an untrained person. As far as PRO boxing has a much higher pay ceiling, but also a deeper talent pool.


Do whatever you enjoy

 

The most simple, and correct answer :good

 

if its for fitness then my vote is for mma. ideally find a gym where they teach solid fundamentals in boxing/wrestling as primary and mauy thai/bjj as secondary and you're set.

you'll work all the major muscle groups and be prepared to defend yourself if needed for your average altercation.

 

do both and then pick,like you could talk to the trainer you will try it out for a couple of months or weeks and then later decide if it is for you.

 

I think against average people, mma,boxing or muay thai are good,look at this:
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwpywVd2cfc[/ame]

I also saw some video a long time ago of someone just destroying a guy with knees on the clinch,so yes muay thai is definitely usefull,elbows would be good if you dont want or are afraid of hurting your hand.

 

Muay thai kicks are totally useless in a street altercation. too slow, off balance and the adrenaline of a mad man will allow him to just walk through it. Knees are great if you clinch, but then hope he does not have a weapon. Elbows in close enough range are great. Still, I believe in fists the most. I appreciate your reply, to each their own.