New to mma-looking for some advice

[Killer Kimbo]

Yeah,well im new(you probably hear that a lot)

Well im 15 years old and looking to do something,I have always been into MMA so I thought I would take it up.I am serious about it and will give 100% to do the best I can in the sport.I am a big build-very strong,big arms and have a lot of lower body strength as well as upper.I am about 5'7 at the moment and weigh about 11.5 stone.:D

I am looking for advice on pretty much everything like how much training I should be doing and for how long,diet,how to improve punching power and speed-all of stuff like that.

I have got some money to spend if you can recommend any good stuff for getting fitter and better for training please tell me,thanks.At the moment I got an everlast speed ball and a 4ft reebok punchabag,getting some Throwdown demolition gloves-any good?

And im also looking to join this gym,I live in the south west this looks like the best gym around my area - http://www.saintsgym.co.uk/index.php does anyone know if this gym any good for MMA?

Thanks people.

[Killer Kimbo]

No replies?

[dannygiblin]

do find a good gym with a good support network to it. for me quannum has always given me a warm welcome and pushed me at the same time, which is important.
start off slow and dont worry about gettin tapped to much at training initially everyone starts somewhere, remember rome wasn't built in a day.
most of all enjoy training and have a laugh at the same time, my opoinion is if your not enjoying it then why do it.

[Killer Kimbo]

Thanks mate.

[theassasin]

where are you based exactly fella?

[20glen78]

Remember to leave any attitude at the door being tapped is part of learning and not ment to make you look a fool so don't take it personaly I'm sure everyone in the gym you choose will be more than happy to help you remember we all new nothing and had to start at the begining

If you want any more advice put a post on here and someone will answer you with good advice

[Killer Kimbo]

where are you based exactly fella?

In a small town called okehampton.

[theassasin]

maybe worth checking out sdcs in exeter

[Killer Kimbo]

Ok,thanks.

How long do you have to train before you can fight amatuer?

What are the main rules on amatuer MMA?

[theassasin]

mate if i was you id train your ass off, learn everything you can in every session and then when the time is right let your coach make the steps to putting you in. the likes of andy at sdcs and the lads down there wouldnt see you put in too soon, their rep is on the line at the end of the day

[Killer Kimbo]

Thanks mate.

[Rob T]

At your age you should be mainly training to learn technique I reckon. Specific cardio stuff isn't really necessary until you start competing and you will get decent cardio just from sparring in lessons.

Other than that do powerlifting; at your age you should be able to see major gains very quickly.

I think you might be better off picking two arts to get a good grounding in too (boxing & BJJ, muay thai & wrestling etc - go for whatever you can get find the best instructors for), rather than trying to learn everything at once in MMA sessions.

[Killer Kimbo]

Thanks.Im might focus on boxing and BJJ.

[Rob T]

You should be able to find good instruction on those in the UK. Obviously there is loads of boxing around and BJJ is spreading fast.

There is a good tool available to find the nearest BJJ/grappling gym here; http://slideyfoot.blogspot.com/2000/01/uk-bjj-club-list.html

Don't know how close you are to Plymouth but Tom Barlow who teaches there is an excellent purple belt under Braulio Estima. I can't speak for his ability to teach as I've never experienced it but he has had plenty of competition success.

[Killer Kimbo]

Yeah im about 20 mins from Plymouth.

Thanks for the advice.

[highlander1980]

At your age you should be mainly training to learn technique I reckon. Specific cardio stuff isn't really necessary until you start competing and you will get decent cardio just from sparring in lessons.

Other than that do powerlifting; at your age you should be able to see major gains very quickly.

I think you might be better off picking two arts to get a good grounding in too (boxing & BJJ, muay thai & wrestling etc - go for whatever you can get find the best instructors for), rather than trying to learn everything at once in MMA sessions.

Sorry i disagree with rob. I would say go to a specialist mma gym and take it slow. Learning another sport means you have to unlearn bad habits when you start doing mma. It took me a long time to stop doing things from judo that make you vunerable in mma. Also i wouldn't reccomend power lifting, Body weight exercises are more sport specific and have a lower injury rate (Fedor trains exclusively with body weight). I agree that it is the technique you should concentrate on for now. As well i would say look at as many clubs in the area as you can. every club has its own training methods and personality and you need to find a balance between pushing each other hard and the safety aspect, injuries are time off training and don't help anyone. Final note for when you are fighting if at any time someone catches you in a sub and your coach is shouting dont tap get a new coach it is only idiots who dont tap when they are caught, It is a sport!!!

[Allan Shrek]

I would disagree with you Rob and say you're better training with specialists to fully develop.

How many MMA champions specialised before moving into MMA?

If we run down the UFC champions we can see a pattern.

Randy Couture - Greco Roman
Nogueira - BJJ

Forrest Griffin - Didn't really specialise first.

Anderson Silva - Muay Thai and BJJ

GSP - Didn't specialise but is well known for training his arts seperately.

BJ Penn - BJJ.

They're pretty much the best of the best so there's probably something in this specialist training lark.

[highlander1980]

I would disagree with you Rob and say you're better training with specialists to fully develop.

How many MMA champions specialised before moving into MMA?

If we run down the UFC champions we can see a pattern.

Randy Couture - Greco Roman
Nogueira - BJJ

Forrest Griffin - Didn't really specialise first.

Anderson Silva - Muay Thai and BJJ

GSP - Didn't specialise but is well known for training his arts seperately.

BJ Penn - BJJ.

They're pretty much the best of the best so there's probably something in this specialist training lark.

The only problem is that with the sport being so new in the mainstream is that the old fighters used to represent a style and virtually all new fighters started domwhere else first. I believe that in 10 - 15 years time the top fighters in the world will be MMA trained as more people are starting it from scratch rather than converting from a different art.

Specialist are usefull to develop an aspect fully, but that should be the last 10% of your learning not the first. To start in MMA it is best to train in MMA as long as you can find a good gym

[MikeyL]

Mate I started with 0 experiance and I would recommed starting with a MMA gym.

Most current champions specalised in something else as 10 years ago there wasnt the availability of mma gyms there is now

[Bateman]

So did you go and do Ultimate Fighting at your Gym :D



Our Goal
By Kenny Baker - Saints Ultimate Fighting Coach


To help you become the best you can be and achieve whatever goal you set.

To set example by constantly improving myself as a coach by always learning news things from others, no matter what level, which will in turn reflect upon you as I reflect off you.

What is Ultimate Fighting?
Ultimate Fighting is a mixture of Boxing, Muay Thai, Wrestling and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
It is the latest combat sport to hit England made famous by the Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC) and is the sport of the future. It is already huge in America and has started to make big waves in the UK.

A large part of Ultimate Fighting is grappling which is why the main bulk of my lessons are based on wrestling and BJJ (Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu), though I do incorporate striking when required but there are already three of the greatest striking sports in Saints Gym i.e. Boxing, Muay Thai and Kickboxing, which is great if you need that extra coaching.

So why learn only one aspect of fighting when at Saints Gym you can learn all three ranges?: Which are:

1.Stand-up
Example of the three ranges: What happens 90% of the time in an ultimate fight? Well first you both start standing, we call this the stand up phase or striking.
(Stand up: This is where striking will occur, thats where the Boxing, Muay Thai and Kickboxing will come into play.)

2.Clinch
Then the inevitable will usually happen and you will end up grabbing your opponent and becoming entangled with them. We call this the clinch phase.
(Clinch: This is where we employ our wrestling with a bit of judo to control and take our opponent down to the floor.)

3.Ground
Finally you will end up on the floor, or at least 90% of the time. This is the ground phase.
(Ground: This is where BJJ and Submission wrestling will be applied. BJJ was developed to control your opponent on the floor and place some form of submission upon them. It was also designed to allow a small person defeat a much larger opponent using leverage and momentum.
This has been proven time and time again to be the case, just come along to Saints Gym and see for yourself.


How the lessons work
Firstly my lessons are structured on using a system called the ‘I’ method, this means

1. Introduction
2. Isolation
3. Integration

Known as the three I’s. You will become more familiar with this term after time and it will become second nature in the way to train. This is the best system I know for improving you very quickly because it is based on aliveness - which means that everything I teach will be pressure tested with a real uncooperative, resisting opponent. This is the most important part of any training, firstly to prove it works then to know, feel and pull off the technique close to a real live situation. Questions are freely asked and answered at any point of the class time, which I really try to encourage as it helps not only yourself but also the whole class. You will not be wasting 15-30 min on fitness, doing push-up, sit-up etc, like so many classes do. Why, when you can do that at home while watching Eastenders? That’s not what you paid for; you paid to learn MMA or BJJ so that is what you will do. You can get fit by simply training in the sport, by turning up to the classes and having fun, so we can spend more time teaching and concentrating on MMA or BJJ. You will also not be over loaded with hundreds of moves that don’t relate to each other either, it is a well thought out, constructed class using the teaching methods used by the SBG gyms around the world.


What you will find at our gym
A well structured class for everyone, where there is NO ego, politics, traditional martial art myths like titles, bowing, being taught techniques only to what your belt ranking allows you to be taught and having to respect me because I wear a higher coloured belt etc, (respect is earned through knowing a character and developing friendly relationships, while no one should say that you should limited the amount of techniques you learn until you gain your next colour belt). This is all rubbish, designed to maintain an instructors feeling of superiority and keep everyone below them by keeping techniques secret. You will not find this happening in my class. This is why I am referred to as the coach because my job is to help, guide and encourage your growth as a athlete and to become better than me. That is my goal. The word instructor means ‘a teacher’. But what if you become better than the teacher?
A coach means, to me, someone who can help, guide and encourage no matter what level his or her students are at.
I also believe the most important thing you can do in life is have fun and my classes are exactly that, where everyone is relaxed and can speak freely and have a sense of humour with one another. This is a great way in which you can bond, make friends while at the same time creating a gym that is close and tight knit, like a traditional family.

This is what you can expect at Saints Ultimate Fighting

[vileniall]

can I use karate in ultimate fighting?

[Kaan Sencer]

can I use karate in ultimate fighting?

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=mlleDPgmDVM&NR=1

no

[MikeyL]

tell that to machida....

(a rare example)

[kennybaker]

ha guys that stuff i didnt write bout ultimate fighting!!! it was mma!! but the bright spark (owner of saints) re-edited it!!! and them some!!
so dont start ribbing me for that shit ha!

[Bateman]

ha guys that stuff i didnt write bout ultimate fighting!!! it was mma!! but the bright spark (owner of saints) re-edited it!!! and them some!!
so dont start ribbing me for that shit ha!

its from your clubs website..... :confused: i dont think i follow, he changed it from MMA to ultimate fighting

[Luke]

can I use karate in ultimate fighting?

Only if you're Keith Hackney and you have a mullet and vest.

[kennybaker]

yes i know!! hence one of the reasons i left to start my own gym dude! what can i say?? lol

[evzy-cagewarriors academy]

hi
im also 15 and want 2 finally get into ameutar MMA fights etc
if you find anything for ameutar or first time fighters can you please let me know
thanks

[ReD_mIst]

How many MMA champions specialised before moving into MMA?

If we run down the UFC champions we can see a pattern.

Randy Couture - Greco Roman
Nogueira - BJJ

Forrest Griffin - Didn't really specialise first.

Anderson Silva - Muay Thai and BJJ

GSP - Didn't specialise but is well known for training his arts seperately.

BJ Penn - BJJ.

They're pretty much the best of the best so there's probably something in this specialist training lark.

Most of those guys started training before MMA was evolved as it is today or came from specific TMA backgrounds, they didn't really have the option or desire to train in MMA, as often it wasn't available. It is now, so why train like it's still 1993?

[ReD_mIst]

Advice to the first guy.

Don't listen to the opinions on here, go and try 2-3 MMA clubs, see which one you like and has the professional attitude you want. Get to know the coach and the team and listen to their advice. Become part of the team and the coach should guide you through training and fighting.

[kennybaker]

2nd that! nothing else to be said.
red mist is 100% right

[Daddy D]

Im jealous. Im 33 and wish I was 15 again, I train 4 nights a week in MMA, I know Im not over the hill, (whatever age that is, look at Randy Couture, he s what 70 now and still going strong), but oooh to be a teenager again.

[Shaolin Exile]

From personal experience, I found that 51 was over the hill. However, there are plenty of guys older than that who are still going strong. There are a lot of variables

[Daddy D]

From personal experience, I found that 51 was over the hill. However, there are plenty of guys older than that who are still going strong. There are a lot of variables

Was it a painfull experience when you found out that 51 was the age you finally teetered over the edge.

[Shaolin Exile]

It was more a case of wounded pride than anything else. I'd been finding it hard to train as hard as I'd have liked to for about a year.....but the final nail in the coffin was aggrevating an old leg injury and thinking if I break this leg again, I may not be able to enjoy long walks in the future. As walking and running were my main forms of exercise apart from MMA...I didn't fancy the future of sitting on my arse for the rest of my life so I decided that discretion was the better part of valour.

On the other hand I didn't take up MMA until I was 46 and I was the worst kid in my class at PE all the way through primary school and secondary school so 5 years in middle age training in MMA could be considered to be a very good result.