Wrestling Takedowns
If ground game and wrestling are slightly more important than striking then why arent all best fighters stocky?
I am 5′8 and 185lbs of muscle, and I notice that many fighters built like me are highly sucessful, yet why arent all of the champions built like sean sherk or jeff monson?
It is the general consensus that ground game combined with wrestling is a stronger combination than just striking, which is what taller guys have an easier time with. They have a higher center of gravity and such so they tend to do worse at takedowns.
You’re making a lot of incorrect assumptions here. The most glaring one is that build is related to skill sets. GSP has some of the best takedowns in MMA, and he’s more lanky than stocky. Royce Gracie and Shinya Aoki are known for their ground games, but they’re hardly power-houses. Randy Couture, Matt Lindland, and Dan Henderson have world-class takedowns and wrestling, but hardly fit the Monson/Sherk mold. Being built like a bowling ball doesn’t automatically mean you’ll have great grappling, just like being built like a spider monkey doesn’t mean you’ll have great striking.
Another assumption is that there’s anyone in MMA who trains “just striking” anymore. The closest might be Paul Daley, but even he’s got solid takedowns. Grappling is better than “just striking”, but everyone at the highest level is a true Mixed Martial Artist, who trains striking as well as grappling. Plus, striking combined with solid takedown defense (see: Liddell, Pulver, Machida, Crocop, etc) pretty much beats a pure grappler who can’t strike. It takes far less effort to avoid a takedown if you’re trained for it than it is to get someone to the mat who has a good sprawl.
The champs are built the way they are because that’s how God, nature, or the Flying Spaghetti Monster wanted them built. Then they trained their asses off and used what skills they happened to be good at in order to get where they are. Once again, build is hardly a reflection on skill. Many top freestyle wrestlers like Cael Sanderson are more lanky than stocky; this helps them snag legs easier. Some of the best strikers in the world are short and stocky, like Mike Tyson; they tend to deliver faster shots. You adjust your skill based on your build; you don’t look at yourself and go, “well, I’m built like a fire plug, I might as well just train wrestling and give up on boxing and Taekwondo”.
Basics – Wrestling Takedowns
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Ultimate Takedowns: Wrestling for Mixed Martial Arts (6 volume set) $79.00 |
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erik paulson csw series 3 dvd’s on takedowns mma ju jitsu wrestling free ship! $35.00 |
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Neutral Position Finding “Your Move” DVD WRESTLING SETUPS & TAKEDOWNS $39.95 $19.95 |
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The Throws and Takedowns of Free-style Wrestling NEW $19.10 |
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The Throws and Takedowns of Greco-roman Wrestling (Take Downs & Throws) by Geoff $14.81 |
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The Throws and Takedowns of Greco-roman Wrestling NEW $19.15 |
