What's Harder: Striking or Grappling?

[Shoot]

Years ago I started out in MA striking like most Americans 20 years ago. Then came the MMA craze and I, like many today, began training in grappling arts like BJJ and “submission wrestling” or “ground fighting.” I’ve noticed people fall into 1 of 3 categories: 1. grapplers, 2. strikers, or 3. “complete fighter.” The preference seems to come from what you’re best at. I prefer grappling (either standing ie. Pinning against a wall or object or on the ground). This preference comes from my body type and natural ability. I’m “built like a wrestler”–well muscled and strong with low center of gravity for my height. Some of my training partners are “built like a boxer”-- longer arms, more endurance muscles. They seem to go on and on striking and have a knack for it. They’re spindly and awkward when they wrestle. I seem to get hit pretty easily but can wrestle well. Lately I’ve been working on my stand up striking and have put grappling aside. I felt like I was putting too much emphasis on grappling. The point I’m about to make is this: for me striking is much harder from an exhaustion and take a beating stand point. I’m in good shape and can grapple for a long time, sweating and straining, but 3 minutes of intense striking and I’m hosed. Add some sparring in there and it’s a much harder workout than a grappling workout. I feel pretty beat up from it. When I’m done with a grappling workout I’m exhausted but more in a post weightlifting kind of way. After a striking workout it feels like my lungs are even sore.

My vote from stand point is that striking workouts are harder at least for me. I suppose a mixed workout would be the hardest. What do you think? What is your explanation? Personally I think it depends on your body type. IF you’re more fast twitch muscle fibers than slow twitch, the striking is harder because striking is more endurance than strength. Wrestling is more natural because it resembles weight lifting more. That’s my take on it.

[eXcessiveForce]

I find grappling by far the hardest to train in. It requires so much endurance, as well as core strength so that you can move your hips. It also takes a lot more time to train than striking. But that's just my opinion.

[blitz]

Grappling IMO.

[Cyclops]

I think both can be pretty hard when you are really going all out. In some ways I have found grappling can be harder especially if you are rolling with someone much more advanced than you. I do understand what you mean about sparring though. You have to learn to control your breathing. You are used to grappling, sometimes people when they are boxing tend to hold their breath when throwing punches and they get winded pretty bad.