When to start mixed martial arts
How old is too old to start mixed martial arts?
you know it's an interesting question
that keeps coming up how old is too old
to start MMA in today's era and it's
relevant that you look at today's era
right because don't forget Randy Couture
started MMA at 34 years old went on
became how many time world champion he
went three world championships but had
his first fight at 34 now of course
there was a little bit more to that
story
right he had 20 years of world class
wrestling he had that background I was
teammates with a guy Matt Horwich and
Matt Horwitz went on he got a black belt
in jujitsu the AFL if you'll recall that
he became their world champion he had a
great career and he had absolutely no
background started at 26 years old but
he had a work ethic like you wouldn't
believe in he was athletic he was just
one of these guys that passed their
junior high in high school and no
coaches recruit him and pull him into
any team no basketball no foot nothing
yeah he was kind of one of these social
good social myths misfit guys that had
go and do other activities but he had
incredible DNA and he had a work ethic
like he wanted believed and he was able
to start a little bit later
now the ring those guys up for nostalgic
reasons but not as part of my argument I
do think it's a new sport now however so
many kids so many places around the
country we're now seeing kids starting
an MMA not going into any other
discipline to start with no just pure
boxing pure you know wrestling with the
local high school or jiu-jitsu just MMA
just within its own sport there and
finding little circles and putting on
the appropriate padding and sparring
around a little bit I don't know that I
agree with that that that's going to
translate over time we're gonna have to
wait and see I don't know that I agree
that that's going to translate over time
because I think that's too small and I
don't think you do get the competitions
you know the great thing a lot of people
will tell you it's practice of being in
the practice room well those people that
are tell you that also own gyms that are
looking to sign up memberships if I
could have one thing which is I never
practiced but I compete every single
Saturday or I never compete but I
practice every single day you are much
better off to go out and compete it is a
totally different feel and it's a whole
different world
so for some of these young kids that are
coming up in purely MMA
I don't even fully know what that means
and maybe in some countries it means
something different than it does here in
America but in America there is no scene
there is no circuit there is no spar and
there is no competition there is no
weigh-ins for anybody under 18 we just
don't have it even our amateurs must be
18 years old and I would stress and
encourage the competition above
everything else the guys that are the
really great fighters that you see on TV
you will always think ok I need that
skillset I need to know how to spin and
kick a guy in the stomach or stand on
one foot and kick the guy in the head or
throw that that's what you see on TV but
the guys that are getting their hands
raised and the guys that have the
championships and the guys that are
closing out the night are just really
good competitors the sport could be
anything as long as its grueling and
tough and has to do with heart those
guys that you want to be like can play
they understand how to compete so
whenever you want to start MMA whatever
age you want to do it don't take your
eye off the ball and think that you're
going to be a great fighter because you
were in the gym I know guys like this
all the time think they know how to box
because they go and hit mitts every day
and boy do they look good doing it or
they think they're in shades it's
totally different deal hitting mitts is
a very small piece of a training session
hitting a heavy bag important pieces
small pieces most important thing have a
partner have an opponent in front of you
push and pull struggle learn from
