Where to start??

I've wanted to get into some kind of MMA training for a while. Somewhat to stay in shape, but also to learn self defense.

I have around 10 years of wrestling experience from my youth and teenage years, and though its been a good while, I'm itching to get back on a mat.

What kind of training should I go for? I know there are so many out there. What should I be looking for? What should I expect with having zero experience?


I in no way want to fight, as I don't want to take chances.with the neurological issues I already have. Getting punched in the head can't be good for that. I'd more be looking to train twice a week or so.

I prefer not to get "Struck" either. I am biased towards Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu myself. I get a great workout, actually learn some viable self defense techniques ( whole nother story there though ), I can compete if I want to, which helps to set up goals and accomplishments. I also like the more traditional sense of martial arts too, going up in belt rank, the discipline and traditions. I started doing BJJ first, then went to MMA schools, but I found myself getting more nagging injuries in MMA then I did with BJJ.

My 2 cents? Look for a good grappling school.

I would say BJJ and maybe join a wrestling club or something.

what about Aikido, steven segal is a 7th dan black belt in that I think, it uses the attacker's momentum and joint locks and throws and shit. I'm not totally familiar with it but don't think there is striking, maybe you striking the mat lol

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Originally Posted by olddawg

what about Aikido, steven segal is a 7th dan black belt in that I think, it uses the attacker's momentum and joint locks and throws and shit. I'm not totally familiar with it but don't think there is striking, maybe you striking the mat lol

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its not much of a workout and IMO not effective

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Originally Posted by longBallLima

its not much of a workout and IMO not effective

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oh really? never tried it but it looks fuckin cool!

I wouldn't mind light striking when grappling. I'd like to learn to throw a proper punch. Just brutal punches can't be good for what little I have in my head, and what issues accompany that.

Def will look into BJJ.

This is a defense thing as much as it is for the exercise and sport. I don't want to fear any man or situation I find myself in.

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Originally Posted by olddawg

oh really? never tried it but it looks fuckin cool!

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yah, its pretty flashy and all and i think really good for the older folks. when it comes to combat effectiveness, i've always liked stuff like kickboxing, sambo... the small portion i taught law enforcement involved more striking than small joint and weight manipulation which is what a lot of the "self defense" styles are based on. that being said, i've met many specialists with different opinions, so take mine with a grain of salt.

Wrestling! You will learn good self defense and get strong too. You will learn pain and how to endure it. Very useful for real life situations. I was wrestling for 10 years and used it 3 times in real lie when it was necessary. You will be avle to take on people twice your size eventually, same for bjj

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Originally Posted by longBallLima

its not much of a workout and IMO not effective

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I think that at the lower levels this is pretty accurate; it takes a while to get the hang of the holds and manipulations, and practice doing so isn't very physically taxing. Neither is falling and rolling practice; certainly not compared to a an hout or 2 of karate form practice at different cadences. Once a certain level of proficiency is reached though, aikido is plenty challenging and, when you get to randori - taking on multiple opponents simultaneously (really serially) it's more than challenging. Ditto for its effectiveness; you need to be quite good before it's really useful. The same can be said for most martial arts, although some - like karate - give the impression of instant utility because of the apparent (and very misleading) early emphasis on striking techniques - most of which are really dumbed down versions of joint manipulation and grappling techniques that rival those of ju jitsu, aikido, etc.