a little guidance maybe?

[papa]

Alright well first off I'm new to the forum, and from what I have seen everyone is very cool and down to earth.

Secondly, I'm planning on enrolling in some form of MA very soo (like 2 weeks). But im stuck, i dont know which MA to take up. I have a Gracie Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu school a town away, and i have heard that their is a Muay-Thai school not far either.

I am looking for a MA that is good for self defense, and is very competitive. I am very insterested in BJJ but I am also very interested in Muay-Thai. Please Help me out.

Is there any other martial arts that are worth looking at?

Please help. I'd really appreciate it.


I am also located in northern jersey if that helps anybody.

-papa-

[Madchat18]

Well sir, this all depends on what you want to get out of your training. I'll try to break down each art to the best of my knowledge altho some of the more senior posters may guide you better.

Muay Thai
1. VERY PHYSICAL.
You will be kicked, punched, elbowed, and knee'd. You will also learn to kick, punch, elbow and knee your opponent or would be mugger. If you have a social job you may need to invest in make-up. Bruises look awesome but for some reason the "higher ups" may look down on them.
2. Very good conditioning.
Even if you are in superb shape already you will still get tired after throwing (and receiving) all those kicks, punches, etc.
3. Very Competitive
Depending on your surrounding area I am willing to bet that there will be at least 2 venues a week to compete at. Competeing in both would either make you ungodly or very very sore and hospitalized.
4. All Stand-up
There is little to no ground work involved. This is a good thing as (let the flaming begin) in a streetfight YOU DO NOT WANT TO GO TO THE GROUND!

BJJ
1. VERY PHYSICAL
You will be choked, arm-barred, knee-barred, twisted and pulled every which way but loose, but it's hard to actually get injured in training as you will learn to tap whenever you know you can't escape. Hardly any bruising to your face since you don't take punches and knees regularly.
2. Extremely conditioning
You will learn to use a mixture of strength and agility to overcome your foe. I know people who have been doing BJJ for years and they still get sore after sparing. This is the ultimate full body work-out. You will find places you never knew you had due to the stiffness and soreness. It is a wonderful thing indeed!
3. Competition
I'm not from NJ so I'm not sure about the competition aspect. You could probably grapple for some small submission wrestling venues or, if you're lucky, enter King of the Cage or another mainstream venue. Ultimately it's all what you feel comfortable doing.
4. All (mostly) Ground-work
I'm going to be eaten alive for this I know but BJJ is a wonderful MA for fighting 1 opponent. In a multiple opponent situation I would feel more comfortable with Muay thai. No art is that useful against multiple attackers so basically you want to punch the lead attacker then run like a bat out of hades.

My suggestion is try to take a little of both. Muay thai combined with BJJ is the most complete fighting system around. You have your devastating stand-up ability combined with your crippling ground skills. Taking both classes would be exhaustive and expensive so, if I were you, I'd try to find a Reality Based Fighting school near you. They will teach you the whole shebang.

In conclusion, which art to take really depends on what you feel more comfortable doing.

[papa]

Thanks a lot for the reply and the advice mad, i really appreciate it. There is actually a Renzo Gracie/MasterK BJJ and MT center in NYC. I would love to go there but it would be a pain to commute to the city 3-4 times a week being a student and all.

I guess i have a tough decision ahead of me now....BJJ, or MT. Maybe both if i want to commute everyday to NYC.

-papa-

[Madchat18]

You're most welcome. I don't know about the commute, that would be quite a lot of gas money per month and, being a student, I dunno if you could have time to study for your classes. Depending on how young you are, you may not want to jump into both simultaniously (sp?). Just give the closest one a try and see if it suits you and then after you get down the basics and feel like you could handle yourself go to the other school to start the learning process over again.

[kungfu56]

Y dont you just go to some of the school and ask to sit in and watch a class, to help you make your decision. If you live on Long Island there is a Gracie school, I think its in West Babylon.

[COOLHEARTSMT]

we just opened a new Muay Thai academy in Cranford NJ (Exit 137 on the Parkway) if you want to check us out give a call to 908-906-4322

[EmptyneSs]

i say take muay thai. u will learn to keep your cool while trading blows with opponents, u wont really learn that in bjj. in bjj u will learn to be more relaxed and fluid while grappling, however that isnt the same as being able to take hits and keep on fighting while keeping your cool. both are great arts though.

[Sensei Saki]

How do people usually respond to that? Where do you want me to take it?I am always growing my mind.What is in bjj you will learn to be more relaxed and fluid while grappling however that is not the same as being able to take hits and keep on fighting while keeping your cool like in there?Oh. Not many people say both.

[CornerstoneMMA]

we have both muay thai and BJJ....come check us out

www.cornerstonemartialarts.net

[_Liam]

I'm the 2007 WKA North American amateur 155lb champion, and I train at North Jersey Muay Thai. Come check us out. Its a great environment with alot of friendly people.

New Jersey's Premier Muay Thai School in a spacious 4,000 Sq Ft training center

Amenities include a full sized ring, Thai heavy bags, Strength training equipment, Open mat space, Changing rooms and Massage Therapy facilities. An experienced staff ensures that students of all skill levels feel comfortable in joining the current students.

We are not your typical Martial Arts school. We are in place to promote the benefits of Authentic Thai Boxing, physically and mentally. The school is run by certified personal trainers who understand what it takes to get you physically trained in the safest, and fastest way possible. All training is done in accordance with scientifically proven principles. The trainers have experience with individuals of all levels, from the newest beginners to experienced athletes. You will be taught new techniques as fast as you can learn them.

Group classes meet 5 days per week. One-on-one personal training is also available for more individualized attention.

95 B Dell Glen Ave, Lodi, NJ
973-835-8577
www.northjerseymuaythai.com
www.myspace.com/njmt
info@northjerseymuaythai.com

[cakegirl]

Did you not notice that the question was 4 years old?

[_Liam]

I say it's never too late for good advice.

[jubaji]

Never too late to try and pull some free advertising you mean.

[_Liam]

Of course, That's the best kind my man.

[Thai Bri]

At least he's honest!

Haw haw haw!