Should I do boxing or should I do MMA at University?

[N/A]

No, just stating a fact

Just as I did. But you are still behind your keyboard. Keep trying...

[TheDempseyKid]

Whatever fits your schedule and works best for you

Judo is primarily, defensive based, you'll learn some jiu jitsu locks, submissions/grappling techniques but it mainly focuses on showing you how to fall safely and throwing your opponent over your shoulders.

You know what boxing is all about since we're on a boxing forum, unarmed hand to hand chess match, strategy, the sweet science.

You'll probably transition easier to boxing since you already have striking experience with Muay Thai.

Good point, since I already have striking experience from Muay Thai and it would easier to transition to boxing. What would you do in my situation?

[HandsofIron]

Good point, since I already have striking experience from Muay Thai and it would easier to transition to boxing. What would you do in my situation?

If that's what they have at your university, I'd take advantage of both. You can take wrestling another time.

[TheDempseyKid]

If that's what they have at your university, I'd take advantage of both. You can take wrestling another time.

How should I structure the sessions? I.e. how many days, hours, etc

[MONGOOSE66]

The university only does MMA and boxing.

Then I’d do boxing first.

[crimsonfalcon07]

How should I structure the sessions? I.e. how many days, hours, etc

If you're going to go boxing OR MMA and you want to compete, you need to take it seriously. You go to every class that you can and study hard to stay in school and not get kicked out. Eat, sleep, and breathe training. Don't sweat the strength and conditioning. You'll get plenty of that just as part of the classes. You don't know enough at this point to do it right, and if you do conventional training, chances are you'll put on bulk the wrong way and sabotage your speed and power and gas tank. You'll need one to two days a week for recovery, but otherwise do as much as you can.

If you are serious about it, it needs to be lifestyle. If you're dabbling in it but want to learn to defend yourself, do it with that focus.

If you compete, you'll eventually be up against guys who have been doing it since they were children. It takes serious hard work and dedication to really make it. You need to know you can push through the hard times or you should never step in the ring.

Take your classes, and after each class, think about something that was hard for you and work on that if you have energy to train outside of class. Could just be putting time in on improving one punch at a time, or footwork, or distance control, or practicing defending common combos, or improving speed, power, or stamina. If you aren't sure how to train it, ask your coach for a drill. If you spar, go into it with a goal to practice. Maybe that's to not get hit more than a few times before you counter back. Maybe that's just working behind your jab. Maybe that's just working on your footwork.

But be smart about how you train and make it your lifestyle. Otherwise what's the point?

[TheDempseyKid]

If you're going to go boxing OR MMA and you want to compete, you need to take it seriously. You go to every class that you can and study hard to stay in school and not get kicked out. Eat, sleep, and breathe training. Don't sweat the strength and conditioning. You'll get plenty of that just as part of the classes. You don't know enough at this point to do it right, and if you do conventional training, chances are you'll put on bulk the wrong way and sabotage your speed and power and gas tank. You'll need one to two days a week for recovery, but otherwise do as much as you can.

If you are serious about it, it needs to be lifestyle. If you're dabbling in it but want to learn to defend yourself, do it with that focus.

If you compete, you'll eventually be up against guys who have been doing it since they were children. It takes serious hard work and dedication to really make it. You need to know you can push through the hard times or you should never step in the ring.

Take your classes, and after each class, think about something that was hard for you and work on that if you have energy to train outside of class. Could just be putting time in on improving one punch at a time, or footwork, or distance control, or practicing defending common combos, or improving speed, power, or stamina. If you aren't sure how to train it, ask your coach for a drill. If you spar, go into it with a goal to practice. Maybe that's to not get hit more than a few times before you counter back. Maybe that's just working behind your jab. Maybe that's just working on your footwork.

But be smart about how you train and make it your lifestyle. Otherwise what's the point?

This is great advice, thank you . Also, what do you mean by "putting on bulk the wrong way" and do you have any other advice you would give me?

[crimsonfalcon07]

This is great advice, thank you . Also, what do you mean by "putting on bulk the wrong way" and do you have any other advice you would give me?

It's the difference between "training" and "exercise". If you want to burn calories or look good at the beach, it doesn't matter what you do. That's exercise, which is what the majority of people do. If you actually want to do something and develop your skills, then your work is focused. That's training.

So say you are in lifting heavy weights like a bodybuilder? What are you training for? You're training to lift very heavy things a short distance for a few reps in a short period of time. Period. That's why bodybuilders frequently can't do calisthenics movements, or pass military fitness tests, or climb a rock wall, or even go for a run. How does that skill help you in a fight? Combat sports are endurance events, particularly boxing. At the professional level, you're basically doing the equivalent of sprints for short bursts, but you're doing it for maybe 48 minutes at championship level with short rest periods, and someone punching you in the head and body to boot.

So if you put on bulk, you're likely putting on primarily fast glycolytic fibers, which will fatigue fast, and give you extra bulk to move around for very little sustained power, which usually leads to slower strikes and slower feet, in addition to the hit on your gas tank.

There ARE ways to train strength for fighting, but you'll likely do a lot of that as part of your classes anyways. So don't worry about it. You'll get very fit if you're putting in multiple fight classes a day every day, with the occasional rest day.

As for other advice, focus on fundamentals. Even at the championship level, I see guys who don't have their fundamentals down, particularly footwork. If you have good footwork and timing, you will beat a lot of guys who have more skill elsewhere but don't have those aspects.

Positional fighting, for instance, is a lost art these days, but really gets to the essence of combat sports.

For instance, take the concept of the centerline. Power goes in a line between your hands and feet towards your opponent. It's very difficult to generate power on an opponent who is outside your feet. You can't land good strikes, and you can't take them down. If you understand positioning, you can put yourself in a spot within your power and outside theirs, even if you're in range to be hit. So coaches will tell you to circle away from the power hand, but if you do that within their feet and within range of the hook, you're going to get caught by the hook (or round kick). That's what happened to Joe Joyce in the rematch v Zhang. If he had stepped around out of range of the hook, but still in range of his cross, then it could have been a good strategy. But you've got a bigger distance to travel then, while they just have to pivot on the spot. So you need a shuffle step and to cover it with blinding offense. He didn't do that, and he got knocked out, because he doesn't understand positioning.

Point is, put in the time and have goals for yourself. Train smart and you can make progress faster than people who don't do the same.

[TheDempseyKid]

It's the difference between "training" and "exercise". If you want to burn calories or look good at the beach, it doesn't matter what you do. That's exercise, which is what the majority of people do. If you actually want to do something and develop your skills, then your work is focused. That's training.

So say you are in lifting heavy weights like a bodybuilder? What are you training for? You're training to lift very heavy things a short distance for a few reps in a short period of time. Period. That's why bodybuilders frequently can't do calisthenics movements, or pass military fitness tests, or climb a rock wall, or even go for a run. How does that skill help you in a fight? Combat sports are endurance events, particularly boxing. At the professional level, you're basically doing the equivalent of sprints for short bursts, but you're doing it for maybe 48 minutes at championship level with short rest periods, and someone punching you in the head and body to boot.

So if you put on bulk, you're likely putting on primarily fast glycolytic fibers, which will fatigue fast, and give you extra bulk to move around for very little sustained power, which usually leads to slower strikes and slower feet, in addition to the hit on your gas tank.

There ARE ways to train strength for fighting, but you'll likely do a lot of that as part of your classes anyways. So don't worry about it. You'll get very fit if you're putting in multiple fight classes a day every day, with the occasional rest day.

As for other advice, focus on fundamentals. Even at the championship level, I see guys who don't have their fundamentals down, particularly footwork. If you have good footwork and timing, you will beat a lot of guys who have more skill elsewhere but don't have those aspects.

Positional fighting, for instance, is a lost art these days, but really gets to the essence of combat sports.

For instance, take the concept of the centerline. Power goes in a line between your hands and feet towards your opponent. It's very difficult to generate power on an opponent who is outside your feet. You can't land good strikes, and you can't take them down. If you understand positioning, you can put yourself in a spot within your power and outside theirs, even if you're in range to be hit. So coaches will tell you to circle away from the power hand, but if you do that within their feet and within range of the hook, you're going to get caught by the hook (or round kick). That's what happened to Joe Joyce in the rematch v Zhang. If he had stepped around out of range of the hook, but still in range of his cross, then it could have been a good strategy. But you've got a bigger distance to travel then, while they just have to pivot on the spot. So you need a shuffle step and to cover it with blinding offense. He didn't do that, and he got knocked out, because he doesn't understand positioning.

Point is, put in the time and have goals for yourself. Train smart and you can make progress faster than people who don't do the same.

What should I do to increase my strength and size as I am lean 121lbs at 5'9? Also, wouldn't doing a strength oriented program such as Starting strength or Stronglifts 5x5 be good for MMA as two fighters whose skills are equal, the strongest fighter of the two will win.

[crimsonfalcon07]

What should I do to increase my strength and size as I am lean 121lbs at 5'9? Also, wouldn't doing a strength oriented program such as Starting strength or Stronglifts 5x5 be good for MMA as two fighters whose skills are equal, the strongest fighter of the two will win.

I'm quite sure that just going through your classes will increase your strength. Not sure you want to increase size too much anyways if you want to compete. You want to have the strength to perform at the lightest weight you can, generally, and you're going to get that naturally.

The stronger MMA fighter doesn't always win. Usually comes down to who makes a mistake and who can capitalize on that, not strength. Technique matters WAY more than strength. That's why women BJJ practitioners can submit or choke out bodybuilders who outmass them by dozens of pounds. Your time for right now will basically always be better spent on technique and skill building, IMO. This will all make way more sense once you actually start.

Do you have a heavy bag? Try doing 100 jabs, focusing on getting your speed and power right. Move your head after or as you punch. Then do 100 crosses. Same deal. No telegraph, and getting the power and speed right, and getting your entrance and exit right. Guard up the whole time. Then tell me if your muscles aren't feeling a little fatigued. And that's just 200 punches on a bag. Ditto kicks. Add some sprawls in every 5-10 strikes. If you're a beginner, just something that basic will likely get you tired.