|
Navigation
|
 |
[an error occurred while processing this directive]
Article Navigation:
Want to write?
We're always looking for new writers and people willing to help out with the magazine and site. If you're interested, [Click here for more info]. |
|
Stay Updated!
If you'd like to stay updated and recieve a notice when the next issue of is released, just sign up at our forums by [Clicking here]. We will send out a mass e-mail to all our members when the next issue is released. |
|
Your Comments
Let us know how you feel about this issue. We will read e-mail sent and would appreciate any comments and/or suggestions that you may have. [Click here]. |
|
|
|
 |
Martial Arts Question of the Month
by Sachet, Team IronLife.com Staff Writer & Mod @ www.IntenseMuscle.com
Which Martial Art(s) do you practice?
Many people involved with Martial Arts do not weight train
Do you think people who lift weights in addition to their MA training, have the edge over those who don't? Why or why not.
---
Quote:
Danabolic - Mod@ www.ChemicalFitness.com
Mixed Martial Arts
I think they do for several reasons.
One being that a weight lifter has the discipline and knowledge on how to overcome- they have drive. They are more in-tune with their body as well.
2- In close quarters/clinch, strength is vital. One must be able to push and pull an opponent to gain control. In grappling on the ground, I've been caught in locks that I've muscled out of because of a weaker opponent. I wouldn't have been able to do that with a comparable artist.
3- Strength in a punch or kick could mean the difference between a knockout or just pissin the opponent off.
There are flexibility issues with an overly muscular martial artist. But with stretching, that can be overcome.
Quote:
Muay Thai Guy - Admin @ www.IronLife.com
I've practiced various martial arts in my time. From Taekwondo to Freestyle Karate and then discovering Kickboxing which evolved into my passion for Muay Thai which I currently study alongside Kickboxing.
Due to old school attitudes and misinformation within the world of martial arts, many martial artists are reluctant to weight train using the excuse "It will make me stiff, bulky and inflexible" as an excuse not to. I find that this way of thinking is rather prehistoric as weight training has a rather important position in a martial artist's training regiment.
Alot of people tend to feel that they have to train old school to be any good. Especially in Muay thai where many students try to emulate unscientific Thai style training methods which are not very modern and conflict with current sport science findings.
Since incorporating weight training into my own training I find that my explosive power has increased as well as my overall strength. When training smartly, you will not gain too much bulk, nor will you become inflexible. For me the more important benefit of weight training has been the strengthening of joints and injury rehabilitation. I have found, since weight training, that I am injured alot less often. I recommend weight training as part of any fighter and martial artists regiment.
Quote:
madness5 - Valued Member @ www.Extreme-Athlete.com
I'm a martial artist and believe in weight training, Olympic type of lifting will help in conditioning and explosive power. When I was really into fighting in the ring and out, Olympic lifting help me over power my opponents and if done with little rest period between sets and exercises it help condition you to be able to be explosive for a long while.
Quote:
GymRat1 - Valued Member @ www.Extreme-Athlete.com
I lift, box, kick box, BBJ and am a wrestler. It is good to expand yourself in the martial arts and be open to all styles. I believe that in today's world, all styles are important. I train with a few pro fighters and they are from different backgrounds. However, they expand in their training and adapt to their challenge. One may be a striker and awesome on their feet, but cannot hang on the ground. It is important to be a good striker and a skilled ground tech. Most fights end up on the mat and one must know how to finish. If KO power isn't your game, better be able to sub.
Quote:
92Stangman - Valued Member @ www.BeyondMass.com
As of right now, I mainly focus on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
I would venture to say half the guys I train with lift weights on a weekly basis, including me. I feel that weight training along with Martial Arts training will greatly benefit each other. It has been said that 30lbs of muscle over an opponent is equivalent to a belt level. Meaning, if someone weighed 150lbs and another weighed 180lbs, with the extra 30lbs was muscle, and the two are of equal skill, the leaner guy will feel like he's grappling with a blue belt, as opposed to a white belt (Blue is a step above white in BJJ). In the sport of MA, you NEED any kind of edge you can get over your opponent and this is why strength is huge factor when you're comparing two people of the same martial art skill level. Also, if you train for muscular endurance in the gym, you will be able to outlast your opponent who has not trained. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is not based on strength or size, but there are times where you're scrambling for a position and you must use your strength to obtain where you want to go.
Strength may not be everything, but when you're of equal skill to the guy standing across the cage ready to knock you out, it will definitely help.
Quote:
Stain - Valued Member @ www.GlobalMMA.com
1. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and no-gi grappling, Judo, and Muay Thai
2. Yes I believe people that weight train have an edge over those that do not. Most people that weight train have an overall higher level of fitness. If two people are equal in skill and size, I'd definitely give the edge to the person who weight trains.
Quote:
DOGGx0 - Mod @ www.GlobalMMA.com
1. BJJ (Gi & No-Gi), Kickboxing, Boxing, Wrestling
2. It depends on how much weight training they do and how much they actually train. If its to be Mr. Muscle Man, then I personally think its a bad idea, due to being limited in movement and flexibility. However, I do think it is necessary to an extent. It depends on how much you train too..... if you're training 4-6 hours a day, its not entirely necessary because you are working those muscles hard regardless.
Quote:
Deacon - Mod @ www.AtomicalMuscle.com
I began in Makaido Karate - then jumped to Taekwondo - and later added Judo and Hapkido
I have black belts in each. I have also studied the Armed Forces hand to hand training, SEALs, Rangers Marines etc. I have taught police officers hand to hand combat and been involved in many real life knife and gun encounters. As a bar bouncer and police officer I had more than my share of close quarter combat down and dirty street fights.
I believe that weight training is very important in any combat situation. You are stronger and more powerful than your attacker. When two men with equal technique meet strength and speed often become the offsetting variables. IMO weight training even for pure mass and strength - makes one faster, quicker, and of course stronger. In a real world combat situation you need all of those things working in harmony with each other.
Even in the case of one man being trained better than the other often great power and strength can off set greater skill.
So yes weight training is important.
Quote:
JohnnyBlueEyes - Valued Member @ www.BeyondMass.com
Which MA do I practice?
I do quite a combination of Judo, Sub Grappling, Wrestling, Kickboxing, and boxing. My main emphasis is on Judo. I compete in Sub grappling/BJJ quite a bit. I do it mostly to prove that a Judo player can hold his own. My wrestling is more coaching/training partner for my old high school. I was a horrible wrestler in high school, but I know what I'm doing now. I do the kickboxing and boxing occasionally mostly to keep my MMA game up a little bit. I'd like to fight in a show sometime next year.
Weight lifting
I think weight training is a good thing, but maybe not in the traditional barbell bench form. While free weights is obviously a good thing because you see the improvements it makes in athletes of other sports, I think there are more efficient methods of getting your body ready for these sports. Things like squats are best for making your squat better, while exercises like the Russian Kettlebell routine will make a more efficient transition to MA.
Free weights is still better than nothing though. My school advocates it very heavily and you can see it out on the mat. I've watched my instructor, who is the most constant weight lifter, just physically dominate his opponents. I too have had success in just being so much stronger than my opponents. While skill gives you better leverage to better use your muscles, sometimes a guy's muscles are just too strong for you leverage or not.
Quote:
Fortunal - Admin @ www.Nokaut.com
1. I train kick-boxing
2. Hmm, I think everyone should do some weight lifting. It can rapidly increase your strength if you train in the right way. It's a big difference in body-building training, MMA weight training or weight training for other sports!
In MMA you must develop strength and explosive (not static!) power. You must be careful not to overdo, because it can slow you down, so your strength won't be balanced with the speed, footwork etc.
I think that 2 weight lifting trainings weekly are a good choice for every MMA fighter.
Quote:
VulgarTheClown - Valued Member @ www.IronLife.com & www.GlobalMMA.com
I recently stopped Muay Thai who knows if I will start again. At the moment I Box and train submission wrestling (BJJ no-gi).
People who weight train have a certain edge but at the same time they miss something. Alot of people that lift big lack technique where some of the smaller fighters that lack the raw power have better technique and in the overall technique I believe will overcome power.
They have an edge in some respects but at the same time lack in others.
think about muscle types.
Type 1 - muscle big hard burst for a short amount of time - Mark Coleman
Type 2 - no bursts but will last forever - Royce Gracie
Type 3 - a good median between the 2 - Frank Shamrock etc...
Type 1 lifts too much, type 2 not enough and type 3 has it worked out to a happy median. It all depends how you do it.
Quote:
Gsus - Mod @ www.IronLife.com
I train in boxing and Vale Tudo, my opinion of weights may be different to others because of my build, as a kid I was a gymnast, so I became very strong naturally and have quite a large build. If I was to do weights it would affect me in a negative way I believe , because I train for fitness and speed and already have power, the weights would reduce my fitness and speed whilst also maybe increasing my power by a small amount. In my mind I want the fitness and speed above more power so I don't do any weights. As a boxer though we do alot of circuit training which even though isn't weight training it has pretty much the same effect.
The only people I have seen use weights whilst being a boxer are the guys that want or need to be bigger. I think when you get to my size you have to look at your goals and assess what is more beneficial to what your aiming for. Circuit training in my mind is better than any weights program but then that is because of my objective. To someone else who just wants to have more muscle or what not then weights are great because they help them achieve their goal.
Who has the edge? Well I'm not sure, I believe if you have a weights program and I have a circuit training program, then I have a better suited routine for fighting in my opinion. Fighting whether boxing or martial arts does not require massive amounts of strength like a power lifter does. Having a weight training routine will help with muscle strength and so on, but I believe circuit training is just as good if not better and it doesn't bulk you up.
Quote:
The_Medic - Mod @ www.Extreme-Athlete.com
Well this is tricky ,,, I lift and feel like I am a better fighter for it . But I know a guy that's been doing Judo for over 40 yrs and has national and world titles to his name and technique wins out over my strength any day . I believe it certainly helps a fighter in terms of conditioning but to say it wins out of study of technique ,,, nope !
---
Thank you to everyone who set aside some time to participate in this month's MA question. Your responses are well thought out and extremely educational. I'm sure to get alot of good feedback from this addition, as I have the others.
Special thank you to Muay Thai Guy for allowing me to use his pictures!
I'd also like to remind everyone that if you have a MA question you would like answered in this fashion, feel free to PM me at Ironlife.com with your suggestion.
Till next month, stay safe.
~lacey
* Article by Sachet, Team IronLife.com Staff Writer & Mod @ www.IntenseMuscle.com.
* Back to This Issue's Frontpage
|
|
|
