Which martial art do you think is best for overall physical conditioning/fitness?

Discussion in 'Health and Fitness' started by Earthsnake, Sep 6, 2018.

  1. Earthsnake

    Earthsnake New Member

    I've done a bit of research about this online and people tend to stay that it's boxing, MMA, and muay thai (and if these three are the ones then I presume kickboxing can be added too, right?). Do you agree? If yes, what are the different strengths of the three when it comes to this?

    Here are some things that I've been told:

    -boxing and MMA are the best for agility because they involve A LOT more footwork than the other two
    -muay thai is the best to the extent that it's even more high intensity than the others
    -physical conditioning actually plays the highest role in MMA training
     
  2. Smitfire

    Smitfire Cactus Schlong

    Individual classes vary so much that it's impossible to say.
    Training Thai in Thailand with a daily morning 10k run and an evening session of multiple rounds of skipping, padwork, bagwork, clinch sparring, conditioning, etc, 5/6 days a week is undoubtedly good for physical fitness.
    Training "Thai" at a commercial gym geared around lunchtime workers, the white collar crowd or people wanting to post pictures on instagram wearing boxing gloves....not so much.
    I've trained karate sessions where the warm up was harder than some whole MMA or Thai sessions (not saying I agree with that mind).
    Seen Taekwondo squad training sessions that look like torture and taekwondo sessions that barely raise a sweat.
    Training TKD at your local club is different to training with the olympic squad.

    Anything with some degree of progressive resistant sparring like MMA, boxing, Judo will be "hard" by default. I found Judo randori immensely tiring.
     
  3. Pretty In Pink

    Pretty In Pink Moved on MAP 2017 Gold Award

    What he says said^

    Why the questions if I may ask?

    EDIT: As to your last point, MMA does not require you to be particularly fit. If you are actively competing that is different and it does become more important.

    But no, as long as you are fit enough, the most technical person will win. (This is coming from me. I can barely lift weights and I'm not fantastic at running, yet I win fights)
     
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  4. Earthsnake

    Earthsnake New Member

    I know this is going to sound mind blowingly idiosyncratic but the main reason I want to start training in a martial art is not because I have a HUGE love for fighting but because: a) I'm a fitness 'fanatic' (it's just one of my passions in life) and b) I want to be able to be able to take care of myself well in case I get attacked on the street.

    In my 'humble' opinion I tend to agree that these 4 MAs are best for physical fitness and atm I'm leaning towards taking up muay thai because, again, in my 'humble' opinion, it seems to be the best for self defense since it utilizes so many different types of strikes as well as clinch and a wide variety of defenses.

    Side note: I also thought of just doing intense fitness training + krav maga
     
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  5. David Harrison

    David Harrison MAPper without portfolio

    But will Muay Thai give you lower force options? The majority of self defence situations will not require you to batter people, just defend yourself from strikes and/or grappling until you can escape, or subdue an attacker until help arrives.
     
  6. Smitfire

    Smitfire Cactus Schlong

    I think a good leg kick is fairly low force. Not in the force of the kick but in the effects. No concussion (unless they fall over and crack their heads), no facial trauma, cuts or missing teeth. Generally just a dead leg and less willingness to keep fighting. :)
     
  7. David Harrison

    David Harrison MAPper without portfolio

    For SD I'd want something that included takedown defence and pins/submissions really.
     
  8. Earthsnake

    Earthsnake New Member

    Well street attacks don't tend to involve a grappling, do they? You usually get attacked with a punch or they get in your face...and knowing myself I would rather deal a hard blow to a weak spot and incapacitate them and then batter them a bit more or just run away....don't see myself grappling with them and keeping them in a hold until someone calls the police or something.
     
  9. David Harrison

    David Harrison MAPper without portfolio

    They certainly can, and most people will pile into clinch/grappling after they've taken a shot or two.

    Personally, the best SD outcome for me is the one where no-one is injured.

    For example:

     
  10. David Harrison

    David Harrison MAPper without portfolio

    I also think it is very valid to think of the "drunken uncle" scenario, where someone has to be restrained but has not escalated the level of force to where you can legally strike them (or at least it would be a lot harder to argue in court).
     
  11. Smitfire

    Smitfire Cactus Schlong

    IIRC the most common attack IRL is a swing/punch with the right hand to the head. The second most common is a grab followed by a punch to the head.
    Grappling (meaning where one person has hold of the other in some way) is VERY common in SD. Pretty much ubiquitous.
     
  12. Pretty In Pink

    Pretty In Pink Moved on MAP 2017 Gold Award

    Fair enough man. I'd say that for fitness it varies from class to class rather than between martial arts. I will say the single most physically exhausting class you can get is wrestling though.

    As to your self defence request it's not really correct to equate self defence with fighting as you have done. Self defence involves simple precautionary measures, awareness and a few simple de-escelation techniques. Physical contact doesn't really get into it.

    So you probably are requesting "fighting" skills rather than self defence.

    Combat sports by their nature tend to be more exhausting. I would drop any preconceptions about martial arts as they are all equally intricate.
     
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  13. Earthsnake

    Earthsnake New Member

    Read my previous post to see what self defense means to me :)
     
  14. David Harrison

    David Harrison MAPper without portfolio

    Regardless of what SD means to you, I'd say that if Muay Thai takes your fancy then do Muay Thai.

    Always best to do what you enjoy over what you think might be most beneficial. You'll be spending a lot more time training than ever having to use it, so you might as well have fun training. :)
     
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  15. Pretty In Pink

    Pretty In Pink Moved on MAP 2017 Gold Award

    It's not really an opinion though. When I said "self defence is..." it wasn't an opinion :p

    Also what he said^ try all the classes you want to try and then pick one you like best that also fits your schedule :)
     
  16. Earthsnake

    Earthsnake New Member

    It is to me, ha!
     
  17. aikiMac

    aikiMac aikido + boxing = very good Moderator Supporter

    Amen on both points. I was going to say wrestling first and boxing second, for sheer physical (exhausting) conditioning.

    Yep. That is correct. :)
     
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  18. Earthsnake

    Earthsnake New Member

    Does kickboxing have just as much 'sheer physical (exhausting) conditioning' as boxing?
     
  19. Smitfire

    Smitfire Cactus Schlong

    Again...hard to say.
    Go to a spit and sawdust boxing gym that's interested in turning out amateur or even professional fighters? You are gonna be expected to do work. You'll probably be ignored for a few weeks/months until you prove you're worth giving advice to.
    Go to a white collar boxercise class at a chain gym. Probably be able to go your own pace. Although it may be more structured than a "proper" boxing gym.
    Go to a hardcore K1 kick boxing gym or Chuteboxe you'll be stepping into a crucible.
    Go to a sport semi-contact kick boxing club with kids in the same class and it will be different.

    Go to as many classes as you can, sit in on some, try some free lessons and go to what suits you.
    There are many people that would argue you should do your own conditioning and fitness outside the martial arts/boxing class as class time should be for drilling and skill development.
    So looking at which is most exhausting is the wrong way to look at it.
     
  20. Nick Lowrence

    Nick Lowrence New Member

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