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

[TheDempseyKid]

Yeah man, Bruce's original, Kung Fu techniques were mostly defensive based, using an opponent's attacks against them, countering and stuff like that. So, Bruce incorporated Boxing into his Wing Chun, martial arts style and eventually created his own Jeet Kun Do.

But yeah, Boxing and Wrestling hands down are the best, they are your base and foundation, and Judo is great too, it complements the wrestling.

He was also his high schools amateur boxing champion. The university does Judo as well, so should I do boxing on some days and judo and other days?

[crimsonfalcon07]

It's for self-defense but also for a few competitive fights as well. I'm trying to decide which one to do as I did Muay Thai for 2 years (2021-2023) and a few MMA sessions (2023).

If your primary motivation is self defense, I'd suggest something more well rounded than boxing. I've fought quite a few people who were Golden Gloves, and they didn't get a good basis in kick defenses or takedowns.

But you need to keep in mind, no matter what you do, that street fights are not the same thing as facing a single opponent in the ring or cage. Weapons will come out if you're dominating the fight in one arena. There's a lot more people who are reasonably competent at takedowns. And scumbags travel in packs. You can't assume you can just screw around on the ground working for a tap out, because people will tap out and then stab you. I knew a guy who practiced weapons defenses, but was in the habit of handing the weapon back so he could practice again. Was in an attempted robbery, took the gun away from his assailant, and promptly gave it back reflexively, and got shot.

The most important thing about self defense is that you need to do whatever it takes to get home safely. Most of the time that's stay out of the fight in the first place. Then you need to cultivate the mindset to eliminate the threat whatever it takes. It's a very different mindset from competition.

So you train and keep your needs in mind. As Bruce Lee said, adapt what is useful, reject what is useless, and add what is uniquely your own.

If you do boxing, you need to keep in mind what the weaknesses of boxing are, particularly grappling related. Suggest you develop a style that's not going to put you in position to get clinched a lot and that you really put the time in on positional defense and offense. That will help mitigate those flaws. Practice sprawls and basic takedown defense with a partner too. You don't need to work on submissions. Focus on never ending up on the ground.

If you do MMA, you have to remember that you may not be facing just single opponents and that they're likely better than you in any given arena.

[2fast2strong]

Plenty of good fighters and champions who are strikers, just as enough average grapplers - the argument "striker vs. grappler" is pointless. Sure, grappling is essential, but it can't be described as "the basis of MMA" for the reasons I mentioned: MMA is not a style, but a set of rules (reading through your post, I think we both agree on that) and being successful in MMA requires you both striking and grappling.

There is no "dirty boxing" or "dirty wrestling" in MMA - the rules may and so far always allow you things that are not in the other two disciplines, but they still forbid some tactics, making them illegal, so this is a wide term, I don't even find it very professional, right because of its dual nature. Tell me how can you learn "dirty boxing" without knowing how to properly do boxing? The same goes for wrestling. I also have to adjust boxing to Kyokushin (I train both), but it isn't "dirty boxing in Kyokushin".

A street fight is something that happens in an uncontrolled environment, with no referees and rules and no limitations on what you can do. While MMA, even as freed of limitations, as PRIDE, it goes nowhere near to a street fight. Going into details like you wear some shoes in the street, but you don't in MMA. Also, you have no gloves to protect your hands when you fight in the streets, which matters to an extent. You can pull hair, eye poke, bite, or hit the opponent in the groin - that completely changes situations, as well as the fact you fall on hard and dangerous surfaces and you can take something to serve you as a weapon or fight one who got it himself. It is an illusion that MMA has anything to do with street fight, but of course, an MMA fighter does great in one, just as a wrestler, a boxer and other types of fighters if they face a non-trained person.

Dirty boxing is simply holding and punching, which is illegal in boxing, and dirty wrestling is joint catching and locking and chokes

And I don’t know about you but I grew up street fighting and mma is a controlled street fight in my book, my fights in the streets flowed the same as the cage, because I’m not waiting to see what they do, I’m there to hurt them the best way I can and as fast as I can

And like I said if you can’t grapple you are at a disadvantage and anyone who says otherwise has never been in the cage

The majority of world class mma fighters have a strong grappling background, and that’s the way it has always been

There are an infinite number of styles and philosophies pertaining to close combat

It all depends on the qualities of the combatant and who he is fighting

[N/A]

Dirty boxing is simply holding and punching, which is illegal in boxing, and dirty wrestling is joint catching and locking and chokes

And I don’t know about you but I grew up street fighting and mma is a controlled street fight in my book, my fights in the streets flowed the same as the cage, because I’m not waiting to see what they do, I’m there to hurt them the best way I can and as fast as I can

And like I said if you can’t grapple you are at a disadvantage and anyone who says otherwise has never been in the cage

The majority of world class mma fighters have a strong grappling background, and that’s the way it has always been

There are an infinite number of styles and philosophies pertaining to close combat

It all depends on the qualities of the combatant and who he is fighting

This is all blah blah and general talk.

[2fast2strong]

This is all blah blah and general talk.

I can tell you are a philosopher and not fighter

[N/A]

I can tell you are a philosopher and not fighter

I see you are not a fighter, but a clown pretending to be one.

[HandsofIron]

He was also his high schools amateur boxing champion. The university does Judo as well, so should I do boxing on some days and judo and other days?

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.

[2fast2strong]

I see you are not a fighter, but a clown pretending to be one.

Behind the safety of your keyboard

[N/A]

Behind the safety of your keyboard

Oh, you are threatening me behind yours? Not worth going further with a "useless dosser".

[2fast2strong]

Oh, you are threatening me behind yours? Not worth going further with a "useless dosser".

No, just stating a fact