more beef with the MMA community?
Randy S asked:
Well, I started training at a MMA school about 4 weeks ago. THe grappling classes are going great, because my background in grappling is mostly shuai jiao , which is stand-up. And im pretty good with Chin Na, so this helps my submission skills. The problem im having is when we practice stand-up fighting.
I come from a strong shaolin kung fu background, and still train in it very hard. Im passionate about it, and will never quit being so. I love the fighting techs, qi gong, and everything about. When we spar at the MMA gym, I fight with open hands so I can use my kung fu movements better, and my style is very unorthodox compared to muay thai. Im not saying its better, just different. And my coach keeps getting pissed at me for relying on my kung fu. Its not like im getting man-handled, my movements work well most of the time. And I encorporate the muay thai skills into my kung fu, so im having a good time! But, my coach and the other student seem to not like this. I came here
to expand my kung fu and be around different types of martial artists. I dont think they want me here at all. Im having an awesome time, I dont know what to do.
I have the attitude I want to learn from everyone, and im open to everyones idea It was my sifu’s idea to join the gym in the first place. He told me There is nothing more I can teach you, keep training as hard as you do, and you’ll go places. ehhh this sucks
There is only one student who is kinda cool with me. He has a wing chun and Savate background, so hes a little more open.
the question is what should i do
i have fought in san shou, kyokushin, pankration, and grappling. So, iam not a beginner, Iam a beginner in MMA rules, but not martial arts
Avery
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Well, I started training at a MMA school about 4 weeks ago. THe grappling classes are going great, because my background in grappling is mostly shuai jiao , which is stand-up. And im pretty good with Chin Na, so this helps my submission skills. The problem im having is when we practice stand-up fighting.
I come from a strong shaolin kung fu background, and still train in it very hard. Im passionate about it, and will never quit being so. I love the fighting techs, qi gong, and everything about. When we spar at the MMA gym, I fight with open hands so I can use my kung fu movements better, and my style is very unorthodox compared to muay thai. Im not saying its better, just different. And my coach keeps getting pissed at me for relying on my kung fu. Its not like im getting man-handled, my movements work well most of the time. And I encorporate the muay thai skills into my kung fu, so im having a good time! But, my coach and the other student seem to not like this. I came here
to expand my kung fu and be around different types of martial artists. I dont think they want me here at all. Im having an awesome time, I dont know what to do.
I have the attitude I want to learn from everyone, and im open to everyones idea It was my sifu’s idea to join the gym in the first place. He told me There is nothing more I can teach you, keep training as hard as you do, and you’ll go places. ehhh this sucks
There is only one student who is kinda cool with me. He has a wing chun and Savate background, so hes a little more open.
the question is what should i do
i have fought in san shou, kyokushin, pankration, and grappling. So, iam not a beginner, Iam a beginner in MMA rules, but not martial arts
Avery
January 29th, 2010 at 11:46 am
Jaden
What’s your question?
If your style is working, then you are not doing anything wrong, the concept of MMA is to use what works.
You should find another gym if they don’t want you there.
good luck!
January 31st, 2010 at 8:39 pm
Joshua
Considering by definition MMA is ‘mixed’ no one can tell you what percentage of any skill or discipline you should use. Mixing it up will give you more of an advantage over your opponent almost as much as strength. Know the enemy, Know yourself, And victory is never in doubt, Not in a hundred battles Sun-tzu. If your opponent has no clue what you are about to do he will be off guard and defensive. It is said it is far better to be on the offensive than to have your back against a wall.
February 1st, 2010 at 7:26 am
Ariana
I ran into this a bit myself.
Understand this:
you may know stuff they don’t know, but they don’t think so. They’re conditioned to believe this is the scientifically proven best way to fight…
If your classmates and your coach want to help you learn muay thai, they expect you to respect their point of view.
1. They probably have a negative view of traditional kung fu, (which I have experienced in MMA class), so they like at you like you’re a nutball if you want to experiment with anything other than orthodox MMA fighting.
2. When someone with more MMA experience gives you a suggestion or correction, and you insist on doing it your way, it’s a little rude (I know, I’ve done it). Even if you have experience that they don’t.
It creates a bad vibe.
Your are in their realm of expertise, and they have good reason to feel they know what they are talking about if they have been winning fights for years.
Ignoring their help creates a bad vibe.
You may learn stuff, but you won’t enjoy training there and you’ll drop out.
There is good reason for striking open handed.
I watched an MMA fight here in Taiwan where one guy was losing very badly. He was named the winner of the fight because his opponent, who was using very good MMA techniques, broke the bones of his hand hitting the guy in the jaw.
I train Wing Chun, and all of our techniques (except for the punch) are open-handed. But there is no technique that I do that I couldn’t do with a loosely closed fist if I wanted to (even Lap sao, which literally means pulling hand).
I am willing to bet that with little effort, you can practice your kung fu techniques the same way with a loosely closed fist and it won’t bother them, or at least a lot less.
If you’re new to the gym, and its more important to establish working relationships first.
I say this because I know from experience you will not enjoy working out with many people if you insist on being right, even if you are right. And enjoying it is the whole point of working out.
Do what I do: make an effort to show respect and fit in, first. If you’re new to there house, you should show respect for their way first. Once they’ve seen you do it their way for a year or two, and they see you’ve actually made an effort to learn how, they may be more open-minded about you experimentation. But from their point of view, there’s nothing more abnoxious than a beginner who doesn’t want to listen to the instructor.
Find a way to work in your kung-fu techniques while appearing to do it their way.
You can experiment with kung-fu/muay thai hyridization in your kung fu class, or in your backyard with friends who are more open-minded (Actually, that’s the best way to develop your own ideas).
You know, when in Rome…
February 4th, 2010 at 2:31 pm
Jose
It is really good to hear you are enjoying mma,just as good to hear you are passionate about your own style.I think it is the old story no bad styles just bad instructors change gym.Best of luck.
February 6th, 2010 at 8:00 pm
Gracie
I don’t see why they have this negative vibe against you. After all, when it all comes down to it, fighting is just fighting and there are only so many ways you can execute strikes, holds, and throws, although some ways are more practical than othets. What makes it unique is your own personal flavour, and mixed martial arts is supposed to be all for that, but it seems that your school doesn’t understand that concept.
You don’t have to stay in that environment you know. There is nothing in the world that is making you do it.
They probably have this feeling about you because they feel that kung fu isn’t practical for combat (In the ring or in the streets), but hey, if it works for YOU and the situations that you are in and have been in, then who are they to tell you wrong? Keep doing what you have been doing and maybe they will open their minds up a bit more.
Hell, Muay Thai and BJJ aren’t the only practical ways to defend onesself.
February 9th, 2010 at 6:29 am
Melanie
Is the coach the owner of the gym?
You should ask him if he wants you there.
Explain things too him just like you wrote above.
I still fight open handed too, except when I punch.
On the same token, you are also there to learn what they have to teach, so it might be considered disrespectful to refuse to try their methods.
I suggest an open honest approach.
When I first started doing MMA and BJJ after 22 years of karate, kung fu and TKD, the first 5 classes or so I dominated everyone standing up. They would try to take down and I would do standing sweeps, shoulder and hip throws and even standing Americana’s to take them down, but I would stay on my feet.
Then I realized that I wasnt there to show what I knew, I was there to learn what to do on the ground. Once I started pulling guard on people and trying to mount people, it was a totally different story, because I didnt know what I was doing.
The idea was to learn something new, not to legitimize what I already knew.
Good luck.
James
February 9th, 2010 at 12:20 pm
Vanessa
I think that if you communicated your background to your fellow MMA practitioners and your trainers and coaches that will ease some tensions, but you have to let go, both physically and mentally, of your own embedded techniques. I’ve always heard that it takes 30 days to break a habit so just explain to your fellow MMA practitioners that your working on it as best you can, ask for pointers, observe the MMA techniques that your team is learning closely, listen to your coaches and trainers and show up for practice regularly and you’ll be fine man. Trust me your head coach is glad that you have a martial arts background no matter how tough it may be to rebuild your thinking patterns. Hang tough man usually MMA practitioners will mess with a new guy to test his mental mettle and to see if he’s going to tough it out. Those dudes see people come and go all the time and they’re wondering if you have what it takes to stick around…..Kind of like a brotherhood. Stick with it man and you’ll do just fine dude.
Good Luck.
February 10th, 2010 at 11:31 pm
Logan
There is no reason to stop using your skills. MMA always talk about how those skills don’t work but you are working them so it goes against their ingrained beliefs. But as has been said don’t be rude in proclaiming you’re right, work your weaknesses. If your striking works it works. If you need more ground work ask for intruction with that. Most MMA can’t see the similarity in most arts. They’re mantra is boxing, muy thai, and jujutsu and thats it. So anything else creates defensiveness. The mma guys that have no training background I found are more susceptable to these beliefs. mma guys with training backgrounds are more open. A guy in my kung fu class won an MMA match with a wing chun vertical punch to the face…doctor stopped the fight.
February 13th, 2010 at 2:53 am
Natalie
If you went to an mma gym to learn mma then they would probably like you to stop relying on your kung fu and try to use the things they teach you, wether or not your kung fu is effective against the people your sparring with shouldnt come in to play. Keep training your kung fu but when your in your mma classes try to learn what they teach you and keep your kung fu seperate. Later on once you have a good handle on your mma skills then you can decide which skill set to use in which situation.
All that being said those guys may just be jerks, give it some time and see.