If you've been training for awhile, you might be ready to try your first amateur MMA bout. The best way to gauge as to whether you are ready or not for that first step into the cage is to talk to your instructors and trainers at your MMA gym. Of course, if you don't belong to an MMA gym at all, your true first step should be to find one immediately and start taking classes.
Strength training and conditioning are big components of training for every athlete, regardless of the sport. While you might want to spend the majority of your time working on takedowns and chokeholds, don't forget about doing some hard-core cardio exercises. Running builds endurance, but be sure to include a few hill sprints and even use the jump rope. Your body goes through a lot during a fight, so it needs to be in top condition to handle the battle.
While learning Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Muay Thai skills and perhaps also Judo are extremely important, fighters should also take boxing classes. Through boxing, you learn some great footwork skills, punching skills and also how to avoid or take a punch. A good MMA gym will offer Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu classes, Muay Thai classes and boxing classes, as all three are important. While you probably would not rely on these skills in the cage, it is always best to be as well-rounded as possible.
Obviously, it is wise to have a wide skill set, but we all have specific strengths, and you need to create a fight plan that maximizes these strengths. So if your specialty is Jiu-Jitsu, work on your best takedowns, holds and chokes and perfect those moves. You typically have no control over who your opponent will be and you certainly have no control over how hard they will be training. However, you can control what you are able to do, so focus on elements within your power.
As in most things in life, your mantra should be to keep things simple. When you are preparing for a fight, try to clear your schedule so that you can focus on training. Listen to your coach and focus on the game plan. Also, don't let self-doubt creep in and weaken your mental game. If your coach says you are ready, you probably are. It's normal to feel nervous before any fight, especially your first fight, but that doesn't mean you aren't ready to go.
It's a bit of a waste to spend all this time training and then head home and eat a bag of potato chips and have a couple of beers. Your body is stronger when you feed it properly, and you also have to stay within your weight class so you need to pay attention to nutrition. Create meal plans that will maximize your health and strength and avoid unhealthy foods and drinks. This is a good plan for every day of your life and not just during training.
Strength training and conditioning are big components of training for every athlete, regardless of the sport. While you might want to spend the majority of your time working on takedowns and chokeholds, don't forget about doing some hard-core cardio exercises. Running builds endurance, but be sure to include a few hill sprints and even use the jump rope. Your body goes through a lot during a fight, so it needs to be in top condition to handle the battle.
While learning Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Muay Thai skills and perhaps also Judo are extremely important, fighters should also take boxing classes. Through boxing, you learn some great footwork skills, punching skills and also how to avoid or take a punch. A good MMA gym will offer Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu classes, Muay Thai classes and boxing classes, as all three are important. While you probably would not rely on these skills in the cage, it is always best to be as well-rounded as possible.
Obviously, it is wise to have a wide skill set, but we all have specific strengths, and you need to create a fight plan that maximizes these strengths. So if your specialty is Jiu-Jitsu, work on your best takedowns, holds and chokes and perfect those moves. You typically have no control over who your opponent will be and you certainly have no control over how hard they will be training. However, you can control what you are able to do, so focus on elements within your power.
As in most things in life, your mantra should be to keep things simple. When you are preparing for a fight, try to clear your schedule so that you can focus on training. Listen to your coach and focus on the game plan. Also, don't let self-doubt creep in and weaken your mental game. If your coach says you are ready, you probably are. It's normal to feel nervous before any fight, especially your first fight, but that doesn't mean you aren't ready to go.
It's a bit of a waste to spend all this time training and then head home and eat a bag of potato chips and have a couple of beers. Your body is stronger when you feed it properly, and you also have to stay within your weight class so you need to pay attention to nutrition. Create meal plans that will maximize your health and strength and avoid unhealthy foods and drinks. This is a good plan for every day of your life and not just during training.
About the Author:
Rod Bourgoine loves blogging about MMA benefits. For more information about a San Diego mixed martial arts gym or to find boxing instruction in San Diego, please check out The Arena MMA site now.
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