Wrestlers
I get asked often what I think is the best style to start training mixed martial arts for and I think most people are surprised when I say wrestling, as I am from a BJJ background. To be sure, you have to think of martial arts styles the same way you think of academic subjects; to be truly competent in life and in business you need to be able to do it all, read, write, meth, etc.
MMA training is the same; the more you are able to adapt to whatever situation you are in, the more likely you will be able to come out on top. The honest truth about hand-to-hand combat is anything can happen; you might be a Golden Gloves boxer but get taken down, perhaps you are a Mundial medalist in BJJ but get a guy that has a great sprawl n’ brawl and so on.
But of all the styles I have trained in, I think the best foundation would have to be amateur wrestling, and not just for the techniques. As mentioned above, the more well-rounded you are, the better off you will be technique wise. But the one thing all wrestlers have in common is that they have a great work ethic and tolerance for pain. It was common back in the BJJ days to see guy come in a train for 30 minutes and talk for two hours, but tell everyone how they trained the whole day! You don’t see that with wrestlers. I’m not sure if it is because of the tough love most wrestlers get in high school or what, but most wrestlers will get more out of an 1 hour practice than others will get out of 3 hours.
On the Ultimate Fighter there were a couple of good wrestlers and I got to know Gray Maynard particularly well. He was an All-American at Michigan State University and his intensity and work ethic was second to none. One day at practice, while taking tape off his ankle he sliced himself pretty badly. A lot of other guys would have called it a day and gone to get stitches and sat out practice, but not Gray. He pretty much just wrapped it up again and got right back on the mats.
It’s that toughness and attitude that I think makes wrestling an ideal foundation to start with…not to mention that it is always better to be on top in a real fight!
-Andy
August 21st, 2007 at 1:41 am
its not about the background or even how great someone’s technique is because in the end it all comes down to attitude and drive. a lot of people wrestle, do bjj, muay thai from a young age but they come short because they dont have the drive or attitude to continue. i have noticed that many get beaten by people who start later but have more drive and keep at it until they finally succeed.
being successful means having great work ethic in everything not just training in mma, bjj, etc. to train is a lifestyle striving to achieve at everything. gotta give you respect u seem to have the whole formula for success down, u work at everything at a high intensity whether its family friends or fighting. a lotta fighters out there may have championship belts but how many can say they havent had marital conflicts, family problems, relational problems, steroid usage, but u seem to know where the real importance is. good job
August 21st, 2007 at 7:50 am
Hey! You have a blog up now. Sweetness! I’ll link to yours from mine when I get back from crashing at your pad
August 23rd, 2007 at 1:18 pm
Dear Andy,
Sorry for the off topic reply, but can you give your fans a general idea of where your career is headed? Can we expect you to fight professionally in the next 6 months to a year?
August 23rd, 2007 at 3:13 pm
Chris - No problem and it is a good question. Right now I am still under contract with the UFC and anxiously waiting for whatever is next. Training is going well and just want to get back into the cage as soon as possible. My best showings have not been inside the UFC, so I need to put a really good perforamce together next time out…to reward you loyal fans!
Miltown - You snore a lot, man.
Victor - Absolutely. The only difference between people that are doing what they want and those that are not is attitude and desire. I have a bunch of guys come up to me all the time telling me how they want to fight. I tell them you have to start coming to practice 2x a day, run and lift and watch what you eat, and all of a sudden after a week 99% of those guys are gone or making excuses. That’s what I like best about wrestlers…they don’t make excuses.
Andy
September 19th, 2007 at 10:29 am
I agree with the part about an academic having to be competent in ”meth”.