It is important for a fighter to train in Martial arts disciplines that will serve him well inside the Cage. There are a few styles every fighter must be well versed in.
Not all martial arts disciplines are created equal when it comes time to compete in the MMA arena. All styles have something to contribute,
but a few provide the essential qualities that enable a fighter to be successful inside the cage.
Focus all your energy on the areas of striking, grappling, and ground and pound to be a superior fighter. Mastering one of these styles will produce great results, but to make it to the top requires an expert knowledge of all 3 categories. Gone are the days when a fighter could focus his or her training in one discipline of Martial arts.
Where should a fighter spend their valuable time and energy? If you take a look at most of the top level fighters of today, you will find they are cross training in a few select styles that produce the best results in the areas of striking, ground and pound, and submission grappling.
Disciplines tailored to Cage Fighting
Boxing
All fighters need to be proficient with their hands to survive in a mixed martial arts match. Boxing provides the necessary footwork for efficient movement and gives the fighter blocking techniques by way of head movement and counter punches. Nothing will end a fighter quicker than one well-placed fist to the jaw or temple of the head.
Muay Thai
"The Art of Eight Limbs" incorporates the use of punches, kicks, elbows, and knees to produce an extremely lethal arsenal of strikes. The clinching techniques used by this style enable a fighter to control and set up devastating elbows, knees, and sweeps. Muay Thai fighters are known to be some of the best physically conditioned athletes in the fighting sports.
Wrestling
A wrestler focuses their energy on taking an opponent down to the mat and keeping them their. Once this is achieved, they incorporate a ground and pound style that forces an opponent to expend a great deal of energy when trying to get up. Wrestling provides the best takedowns in cage fighting and allows the fighter to control where the fight will go.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
A BJJ fighter is at home on the ground and uses leverage to stay calm and relaxed until they are ready to strike with a submission attack. The Jiu-Jitsu expert relies heavily on joint locks and chokes as the main offensive force which enables the fighter to attack without striking. Whether they are controlling a dominate position on the ground or trying to escape from the bottom position, they will always have the ability to manipulate an opponent with leverage rather than force.
The fighters conditioning plays an important role in their success and training multiple styles will provide the realistic scenario of the phases in a cage fight. You can expect to be standing, on the ground the next minute, or stuck against the cage. Training one martial arts style will not give you the best endurance to get through a fight.
All fighters will rely on the style that they feel most comfortable with or brings them the greatest results. It is important to not overlook the 3 areas of striking, ground and pound techniques, and submission grappling skills to become a thorough and effective fighter. How long you last in competition fighting is determined by it.
