All to often someone signs up for an introductory lesson at my academy and I soon find out that the reason they're there is because they have a fight scheduled. The conversation usually goes a little something like this...
Me: O, so you have a fight coming up?
Them: Yeah, I have a fight scheduled in 3 weeks.
Me: Really? Who else have you previously trained with?
Them: Mostly on my own. I have a heavy bag in the basement and a few of my buddies are into it, so we'll grapple a little here and there.
Me: Did you ever wrestle in high school or anything?
Them: Nah.
Me: So, let me get this straight. You've never done any formal training and you have a fight scheduled in 3 weeks.
Them: Yeah, man, but I'm ready to fight.
Again, I'm not making this up. I can give you a list of names, but I'm not here to embarrass anyone; I'm here to inform and educate. All I can say is that there are a lot of people with a very warped view of reality. What usually happens with people who have this mindset is they end up taking the fight and getting their butt kicked and embarrassed. And believe me, I do my best to talk them out of it and talk some sense into them, but it seldom works.
So, how much experience should you have before you take your first MMA fight? Well, everyone is different, but there are a few important things we all need to consider.
First and foremost, if you're not training at a reputable school it's not going to matter if you have 6 months of training or 6 years. So, what qualifies a school as reputable? I will cover this question more in depth in an upcoming article, but for now consider the following:
- They need to have structured training programs
- They need to offer classes in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu from an accredited instructor who is at least a purple belt (preferably a black belt)
- They need to offer classes in some type of striking art that translates well into MMA, such as Boxing or Kickboxing (preferably both) from an accredited instructor
- They need to offer a training facility that is compatible with your training goals. They need to have the basics like punching mitts and kicking pads with a large matted area so you're not crashing into one another. It would be advantageous to have a cage, cage walls and ring but not completely necessary.
- They need to have qualified instructors and coaches teaching the classes.
- What does their competition record look like in MMA? Look up their fighters and see what their records are. A solid school will have a very high winning percentage.
Again, this is not an exhaustive list, but the bullets mentioned will do well to inform us if we're in the right place or not. There may be some schools with coaches who mean well, but they just don't have the coaching and teaching ability to get you where you want to be.
Second, have you previously trained or competed in any other combat sports like boxing or wrestling? If you inform me that you've wrestled your entire life than you're ahead of the game. You already have a lot of experience in the clinching and grappling department, you're used to competing, and you know what it's like dealing with pressure in a competitive environment. This is not to say that with some Jiu-Jitsu and Kickboxing training you'll be ready to fight in 6 months. It's still going to take some time to develop your skills in those other areas before you step into the cage, but believe me, your prior experience will be of benefit to you.
Third, how committed are you? There is a direct relationship between the time and work you put into training and the goals you want to achieve. If you tell me you want to be the next UFC champion your training, time on the mat and work ethic need to match that goal. In other words, if your goal is to be the UFC champion and you're training twice a week that's not going to cut it. 1+2≠10, and neither does this → train twice a week + minimal work = UFC champion. If you have a lofty goal I commend you, but just know that your commitment and work ethic are going to have to match it.
The forth thing we need to consider is your natural ability. There are some freaks out there like BJ Penn who are just as gifted as they come, but athletes like that are few and far between. Most of us are not like that. We may have some decent athletic ability, but not everything comes easy to us and we have to really work hard to improve our skill set. If you don't have a ton of athletic ability don't fret. Remember this, hard work beats talent every time talent refuses to work hard. The most successful fighters that I've had the privilege of being around were not the most athletically gifted; they were the ones who were the hardest workers and the ones most determined to reach their goals.
It's also important to note that athletic ability in one realm does not always translate over to another. Just because you were a great football player does not mean you're going to be a great mixed martial artist, and vice versa. I don't know if you've ever seen the video of UFC light heavy weight champ Jon Jones trying to dunk a basketball...let's just say I wasn't very impressed. Now, he might not be able to dunk a basketball, but he can sure fight. He's fast, explosive, has great timing, and he has an indomitable spirit. There's no doubt that he has a tremendous amount of natural ability. If you've been blessed with natural ability it will definitely speed up your progress and lessen the time it takes you to take your first fight.
Next, listen to your coaches. Ask them for some feedback. If they say you're not ready than you're not ready. Believe me, as a coach I'm not out to get you. I just want to make sure you're well prepared and ready. I care about my students and want to see them do well. There's no point in taking a fight if your purpose is not to win. And if you're going to win you need to be prepared. And who better to tell you if you're prepared than your coaches? At my academy, if someone wants to fight all the coaches need to be in agreement that that particular student is ready, and only then do we move forward. Have faith in your coaches, humble yourself and listen to them.
Lastly, be patient. If you are meant to be an MMA fighter your day will come and you will shine. There's no need to rush things. I've seen people with a lot of talent rush into fighting and become discouraged and quit, because they didn't perform well. And the reason they didn't perform well was because they started their fighting career before they were ready. They grew impatient and they never gave themselves the adequate time they needed to develop as a martial artist. Be patient my friend. If it's God's will for you to become an MMA fighter that day will happen. Be patient. Work hard. Strive to be better every time you get on the mat. Be a student of the game. Listen to you coaches. Make sacrifices. Dream big. Go out and conquer your dream.
Sincerely,
James Terlecki
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