I just joined an MMA Class and I have a few Questions! 10 Points :D?

Question

Ok thanks for reading and I hope I get a few answers!

So I took a free class at an MMA gym yesterday and I really loved it so today I went and payed for 6 months class. I also bought the equipment.

What I did so far was.

They told us about jabs (and is it true jabs are better when you keep the fist vertical? If so why do boxers finish the jab with their fist horizontal?)

Then they thought us 5 blocks and counters with the left hand and right hand using jabs. Number 1 was a quick block Number 2 was a dodge, number 3 was a block and a dodge et number 4 and 5 were counters.

Then I learned hooks ( quite wierd I must say 0_0 ) and uppercuts.

Is it good for a first class? And the question is here, what will I learn in the following classes ? It would be nice if you had an idea. It's an MMA class with street wise stuff in it too.

Thanks a lot!

Answer 1

Being weak or winded after the beginning is normal.  You will get better and stronger.  It won't take too long if you go more than once a week.

Good luck!

James

Answer 2

FIRST QUESTION

A vertical jab keeps the shoulder locked in place allowing the inexperienced fighter to put more body mass behind their punch.



:::Experiment. take your right hand and place it on the top of your other shoulder. Extend your left arm and rotate your fist from vertical to horizontal (at the shoulder, not the elbow. More experienced fighters may throw a horizontal punch only rotating from the elbow, but don't worry about that). You should feel the gap increase in your shoulder where the arm meets the body increase on horizontal punches. This separates you arm making it harder to put your body mass behind your punches.

Boxers rotate their punches for the sole purpose of tearing the soft skin around the eye. Not much force needed to do that.

SECOND QUESTION

This class seems fine for boxers and brawlers and all. I tend to like to teach my students how to fall before punches. But to each their own. You will probably stay pretty heavy with the boxing routine for a while may touch on kicking but nothing significant. After a few months when you've proven yourself to others you'll find that most of what you'll learn will take place on the ground (most likely).

THIRD QUESTION

The goal in any martial art is to use the least amount of energy required to defeat an opponent. A classical way of teaching this to people is to get them so tired so they don't want to move and then have them preform their techniques. This way they are not moving or useing any more muscle strength than they have to, to preforrm the technique. You will find you strength, speed, and stamina will increase tremendously over time. If you push yourself you'll be amazed at how much it will take before you get tired.

I recently saw an "exposee" on this one UFC fighter. And what everybody said that made him so great is that he pushed himself. After everyone else was finished with pushups and all and watching the instructor for the next technique. He was watching too, but while doing more pushups. It doesn't matter what the calss is or what they do. If you don't push yourself you'll never succeed.

Answer 3

Sounds like good training so far.  Only time will tell.  Assuming it is a good school, there are hundreds of techniques you will learn.  Takedowns, submissions, more striking, the clinch, techniques against the fence, etc.

It depends on who you ask about proper jab technique.  Muay Thai utilizes the "vertical" jab, but I prefer the western boxing "horizontal" jab.  I believe the reason for maintaining your fist in the vertical position is for increased speed.