BJJ or muay thai?

[NickJ5919]

I relize these opinons will be biased.

I am 16 years old, I live in seattle WA. Im weak, and out of shape. Im 5 6 and I weigh 140.

Im thinking of tanking BJJ or Muay thai. I cant deciede which one, I have been changing my mind constantly between Muay Thai and BJJ.

The school I want to go to offers both. Muay thai is like 75 though, and BJJ is 45. I cant take both, as I have track.

I need a fighting skill for school. For to long I take peoples shit, becuase I have always been smaller and weaker then everyone. Recently I joined track and am taking a weight conditioning class at school.

So I need something for defence in a school setting.

Can anyone provide reasons which one I should take? Thanks.

[Aaska]

Take Both!

Kid,

why don't you take both?

Reason #1: Muay Thai, in my humble opinion, is the best stand-up fighting style.

Reason #2: BJJ is one of the best ground-fighting styles.

If you are good at both, you'll become a complete package.

[NickJ5919]

I cant take both. One or the other. I need to maintain grades, as I have been getting the best of my life, and track.

[NickJ5919]

I dont understand my last reply anymore.

[Lost Ronin]

Nick,

Hey man, I suggest that you take Muay Thai. Most fights in school are sad striking affairs or weak clinching matches. If I were you I would focus on my Boxing skills, whenever I used to get in fights in school, I would use my hands mostly, and soon thereafter people respected me for them. But, I have two warnings for you, first, be careful with wrestlers (voice of experience, I got my ass kicked by one of them during my junior year.) Secondly, I don't think that you should pick up the martial arts for the mere sake of beating the living stuffing out of people. Especially in school, nowadays you get into one minor fight and you end up being sent to an "alternative school" (also known as a school for criminals.) The best weapon you could possibly have is self confidence, which is something that martial arts give you. I was picked on as a child myself, if I would have let it get to me, God knows what I would have done. Don't let yourself become a bitter person, that usually makes people pick on you even more. Sorry for the speech, hope I helped you.

P.S For the record, my opinion is unbiased, I also practice BJJ.

[NickJ5919]

Originally posted by Lost Ronin
Nick,

Hey man, I suggest that you take Muay Thai. Most fights in school are sad striking affairs or weak clinching matches. If I were you I would focus on my Boxing skills, whenever I used to get in fights in school, I would use my hands mostly, and soon thereafter people respected me for them. But, I have two warnings for you, first, be careful with wrestlers (voice of experience, I got my ass kicked by one of them during my junior year.) Secondly, I don't think that you should pick up the martial arts for the mere sake of beating the living stuffing out of people. Especially in school, nowadays you get into one minor fight and you end up being sent to an "alternative school" (also known as a school for criminals.) The best weapon you could possibly have is self confidence, which is something that martial arts give you. I was picked on as a child myself, if I would have let it get to me, God knows what I would have done. Don't let yourself become a bitter person, that usually makes people pick on you even more. Sorry for the speech, hope I helped you.

P.S For the record, my opinion is unbiased, I also practice BJJ.

heh thanks. Alot of people get me wrong. I just want to be able to stand up to my self from people picking on me. Right now I can do nothing.

I was planning on training under Marcelo Alonso if that makes a difference. Ill have to find out if he teaches strikes.

Do you know any good seattle muay thai schools? I found one but a purple belt is teaching it.


Oh yes, whats a cliche.

[big_cat]

Well I train in both Muay Thia and BJJ. Both are great styles to learn. The other day me and a friend did Vale Tudo. I did great in the free movement stage, but as soon as i tried to go from the clinch to the ground I was in a mess. I could hold him off a little while but enevitably he would get a choke on me and that would be it. But as far as burning calories NOTHING beats Muay Thia!

[Eddie]

YES YOU CAN TAKE BOTH

Bottom line, you can do both, just change your training days around. I mean, Thai, jab, cross, elbow, elbow, shin kick, knee different angles, clinches and footwork etc...hitting and kicking the hell out of your pads, hvy bag, and shadow boxing, and training with a partner.
This is the base of Thai, but during this time you add in BJJ etc...and you alternate your days around, so one week you do BJJ twice and Thai once, and the next week you do Thai twice and BJJ once...and that leaves time for school and other things...and if you got and extra 20-30 mintues go out and hit and kick the hvy bag, before bed do some hands in the mirror etc...sometimes it isn't the amount you do but the quality...just advice from a man that has a wife, two kids, trains in four arts, teaches arts, goes to school, and is in the army. As well has many other hobbies, so I know it can be done. You just have to put your effort in it, I promise you won't be sorry, good luck and good training. Eddie

[big_cat]

What you mean the 6 hours a week I do plus two days of weight lifting is too much

[Tim Mousel]

Your best bet is to definitely take both but since you say you can't do that, based on your situation, I'd take muay thai.

Tim