Daniel

So what, you just decided you want to be a fighter and this is your first move, coming to fight forum and asking us to give you advice on basically everything that has to do with becoming a fighter?

I hate threads like this.

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Nimmy

thats not very nice daniel, everyones welcome.

right my man, you need to decide what kind of fighting or martial arts you want to do, there are many many different styles, do you want to be a stand up fighter? boxer, kickboxer muay thai boxer, karate etc... i went for muay thai, hits hard, fast and fluent, relies heavily on conditioning, the training i typiclaly go through would involve skipping, press ups, sit ups, stretches, starjumps, focus pads, kicks combinations and punch combinations, including knees and elbows and some sparring, i have found muay thai a fun and non intimidating exeperience.

other fighting styles can include ground fighting, such as BJJ, Ju Jitsu and wrestling, i again study Ju jitsu, i would recommend it if you can take pain, my preference would have been to learn BJJ but when ur from a small county you take what you can get. JJ masters throws, submissions and grappling. you build up a filing cabinet in your brain of submissions and positions. its a very technical art which requires concentration and preperation.

starting off you very little equipment in most martial arts, you may be required to buy a gi, or karate suit to some, but these generally will be bought a few classes into the art you choose. if your studying kickboxing for example, alll you basically need is a pair of shorts and t shirt, once you have decidied to continue with whicheevr sport or art you choose you wil buy other equipment. your average lightweight beginers gu will cost you around $40, kick boxing shorts about $40, a cheap pair or sparrign mitts might set you back around $25 and a set of skipping ropes $15.

its essential to give each one a fair go as you wont be peter aerts or royce gracie at your first lesson, martial arts takes months and years of dedication, you need to haul your ass out of bed even when u dont to, howver the best thing is to just enjoy it,

sitnspin

I should also mention that any martial arts gym worth its salt offers at least one free class. Some of them offer a week's worth of free classes. So what you want to do is try out the different gyms in your area before you lay any money down or commit to any one particular art or school long term.

Take it easy at first. Build up gradually. The one big mistake I think a lot of us have made or are making is that we see the way professionals train and we figure that's the way to get into that kind of shape. But they're training that way after building up to it over a period of years. So if you find a kickboxing gym you like and you have a really good first class, don't try and force yourself to go five nights a week because you'll kill yourself.

Lastly, if you really think you want to get into competitive fighting, tell them. My background's in boxing and in my experience they really devote a different kind of attention to the guys who plan on getting in there and fighting as soon as they're ready, versus the guys who just want to get in shape and hang around a boxing gym.

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sitnspin

BTW, Daniel, there's nothing wrong with someone who knows nothing about fighting sports posting questions here because they're interested and curious about how to get started. The problem is guys who post here that claim to already BE fighters, who are asking questions like, "Can you guys give me some suggestions on how to get in shape?", or "Can anyone suggest a way to defend against takedowns?" If they're already training at a credible school and they have an amateur or pro record, it's ridiculous to be coming here for basic advice.

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GSPALLTHEWAY

doesnt work like that man... its a totally reasonable question to ask... he wasnt being cocky or a know it all, and just wanted some info... no one questions your methods or knocks you down when you have a question....

anyways like sitnspin said, ease into it, get a feel for what you want\need, but def go with a class in a decipline you like
goodluck!

MTKrav911

Dude, youre already on the right path. Hook up with that Carter dude. First off because he's already a pro and likely to have other pros come in from all around different fighting styles with him, so the diversity in training (which IMO is the key) is crucial especially when you're starting out.

But if you're not comfortable with him, shop around. Beware of the gyms that claim "Their way is the only way cause Blah Blah Blah", they're rip off artists. And will simply take your $$ without ever caring about whether or not you improve.

The gym I found was unique in that a top student under JJ Machado was running it, but he had amateur and pro kickboxers, MMA fighters etc from all around the San Jose area and northern CA, come in to train frequently. So the atmosphere for exchanging knowledge is insane and brings a good team concept to the place where each individual member whether a fighter or not is welcome just as long as they dont have an attitude and are willing to get in there and get dirty.

GOod luck, sounds like you're already on the right path my friend.

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