# 16 Years old, thinking of starting MMA?



## grenades (Aug 3, 2011)

I'm 16 years old, female, and weigh about 95-97 lbs. I trained in Tang Soo Do for three years and made it to black belt. However, there were internal issues at my karate studio as well as stress from my personal and school life that forced me to quit. Recently, I have been thinking about starting MMA. One of the main reasons I want to take MMA instead of take karate at a different studio is that I am not very interested in learning forms or any of he "art" part of martial arts. I always really enjoyed sparring at my studio and was pretty good at it, too. I was wondering what I should expect and if I'm out of my league or should consider something else.


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## Tez3 (Aug 4, 2011)

There's absolutly no reason why you shouldn't enjoy MMA, there will be a lot for you to learn grapplingwise I imagine but if you aren't concerned about the body contact I think you'll enjoy the challenge. MMA is like physical chess, constantly trying to outwit you opponent.
This is a friend of mine's blog, you might find it interesting, she's a pro MMA fighter, has fought in the States as well as UK and Japan. It might be some help.
http://rosisexton.wordpress.com/2010/09/16/some-thoughts-on-women-combat-sports-and-training/ The second picture in the blog is of another friend Lisa Higo another pro MMA who has also fought around the world.

Are you just wanting to train or were you thinking you'd like to fight?


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## Steve (Aug 4, 2011)

As Tez said, there's no reason you shouldn't have a blast.  Finding a good school is the key.  Where are you geographically?


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## grenades (Aug 4, 2011)

Geographically, I am in Chatsworth, California. I'd like to train and fight. Also, I'm about 5 feet so I don't know if that would be an issue or not.


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## Tez3 (Aug 4, 2011)

grenades said:


> Geographically, I am in Chatsworth, California. I'd like to train and fight. Also, I'm about 5 feet so I don't know if that would be an issue or not.



Nearly all the female fighters I know are that height! I'm only four inches taller. If you were in the UK I'd know just where would be good for you, but I hope you'll find somewhere you like, let us know how you get on and keep us updated!


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## fangjian (Aug 4, 2011)

grenades said:


> I'd like to train and fight.



Training MMA as a hobby is great. But I can't say I would support a teenager fighting full contact. Some years ago, I planned on training people to be professional fighters. However I have since had a change of heart, because getting punched repeatedly in the head as a profession, just seems like a good way to eventually suffer from Dementia and other like illnesses.


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## Tez3 (Aug 4, 2011)

fangjian said:


> Training MMA as a hobby is great. But I can't say I would support a teenager fighting full contact. Some years ago, I planned on training people to be professional fighters. However I have since had a change of heart, because getting punched repeatedly in the head as a profession, just seems like a good way to eventually suffer from Dementia and other like illnesses.



She can fight amateur rules, no headshots standing or on the floor. I'm not sure this lass wants to fight as she hasn't started training yet so can't decide whether she likes it or not. Here though she'd have to be at least 18 before taking a fight with pro rules.

MMA fighters don't take many shots to the head there being so many other targets as well as the kicks etc. Boxers tend to only be hit in the head and will train and spar with headshots so they receive them continously.


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## grenades (Aug 4, 2011)

Thank you all for your advice. Are fighting and sparring the same thing? I thought they were interchangeable but based on your answers, fighting seems much more intense. Would training be more of sparring or just practicing kicks/punches/etc.?


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## fangjian (Aug 4, 2011)

grenades said:


> Thank you all for your advice. Are fighting and sparring the same thing? I thought they were interchangeable but based on your answers, fighting seems much more intense. Would training be more of sparring or just practicing kicks/punches/etc.?



'Sparring' would be similar to a fight, but with more rules. Light Contact, Medium Contact, Full Contact, No Elbows, maybe no takedowns for now, whatever etc. 

An 'actual fight' will be full contact.


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## Buka (Aug 4, 2011)

Finding someone in your weight division would pose a problem. As for your size itself, as the old axiom says, "It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog."

Does your school offer a wrestling program? I think joining a wrestling program would be a safe way to see what part of MMA might be like. As would a boxing program. Not a "cardio"  boxing program, but an actual boxing program. Muay Thai training would be beneficial as well to see what MMA might be like. 

Whatever you do, I wish you well. Just, please, stay in school while you are on your journey. An educated fighter has more going for her than you can imagine. Honest.


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## grenades (Aug 4, 2011)

Unfortunately, there are no sports teams on my school. I don't see MMA as a replacement for school, only as a hobby I can take part in when I'm not busy. As for being an aggressive fighter - because I took Tang Soo Do, (a kind of Karate) I often sparred with people of all sizes and ages. Because of this, I learned to adjust my intensity and only fight as hard as my opponent faught.


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## Tez3 (Aug 5, 2011)

fangjian said:


> 'Sparring' would be similar to a fight, but with more rules. Light Contact, Medium Contact, Full Contact, No Elbows, maybe no takedowns for now, whatever etc.
> 
> An 'actual fight' will be full contact.



I disagree I'm afraid. In MMA sparring is what you do in the gym to train, fighting is what you do in the cage/ring. You have it right as far as TMA are concerned but not MMA, it's basically for fighting competitively. In MMA there are three sets of rules, amateur, semi pro and pro regardless of whether you fight for a living or not. Amateur is no head shots at all, semi is head shots standing only and pro head shots ground and floor, various promotions will have rules probably on whether you can use elbows, ankle locks that type of thing but all rules are full contact. While training you spar, this is rarely at full contact, you don't have rules for sparring usually because you will be training for something specific so they aren't needed, it might be takedowns, kicks or punches etc. 
Grenades, MMA isn't like TSD or karate in that MMA is training to fight in the cage or ring, that's the purpose of it. there are no sparring competitions, it's merely used for training. Having said that you can train in it without competing, there will be a big emphasis on fitness more than many other styles, it is very challenging but I don't see a problem with either your weight or size. Nearly all MMA women have to train with people bigger than themselves, it means that when you fight people your weight it's that much easier.


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## fangjian (Aug 5, 2011)

Tez3 said:


> In MMA sparring is what you do in the gym to train, fighting is what you do in the cage/ring.


 Sorry. Yeah, that's what I meant. I was in a hurry, so my answer didn't make as much sense as I thought at the time. 

Regarding the safety again. Getting struck in the head regularly is not good for you. It's science. I cringe when I see kids in Muay Thai fight etc. Seems very irresponsible.  Yes MMA rules are safer than Boxing rules. You still take a beating though.


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## Tez3 (Aug 5, 2011)

fangjian said:


> Sorry. Yeah, that's what I meant. I was in a hurry, so my answer didn't make as much sense as I thought at the time.
> 
> Regarding the safety again. Getting struck in the head regularly is not good for you. It's science. I cringe when I see kids in Muay Thai fight etc. Seems very irresponsible. Yes MMA rules are safer than Boxing rules. *You still take a beating though*.



Not if you're good lol! I don't like watching kids take headshots either though. We don't allow anyone under 16 to fight headshots at all in MMA here.

Grenades, I also do TSD as well as MMA and I think the full contact of MMA may come as a shock if you do decide you'd like to compete. Aggression in MMA is a different intensity to TSD, for some shockingly so.


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## Indie12 (Aug 5, 2011)

Training for Sport and Competition? Fine,
Training for Combat and Self Defense? I wouldn't recommend MMA!


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## grenades (Aug 5, 2011)

Why wouldn't you, Indie12? I don't really see myself entering competitions at this point in time, my main focus would be training my body as well as becoming a better sparrer/fighter. Tez3, it's awesome that you do Tang Soo Do! Thanks for the input, I had an idea that MMA would be much, much more aggressive.


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## Carol (Aug 5, 2011)

Be aware that there is a bit of a rift between some traditional MA practitioners and MMA.  

I had a chance to do some MMA training for the first time this year and I loved it.  There are many tools for combatives and self-defense.   For many people, it can be enough.  Its not enough for me (I'm not in great shape and like weapons...LOL), but I don't think that is reason to discourage anyone from taking up MMA.  If you want to add weapons training or other combatives along the way you can...and you can do so being a fighter that has trained against resisting opponents who knows how to hit and be hit. 

Definitely give it a try and see what you think!


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## Tez3 (Aug 6, 2011)

As Carol said give it a try! I come from a Wado Ryu karate background who did TSD when the Wado club closed down, I still teach children. I got into MMA about eleven years ago and loved it. I don't really regard myself as either TMA or MMA but just a martial artist.


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## ETinCYQX (Aug 6, 2011)

Indie12 said:


> Training for Sport and Competition? Fine,
> Training for Combat and Self Defense? I wouldn't recommend MMA!



There is literally no possible way good MMA training could possibly breed a bad fighter in a self defense situation. Training full contact with a resisting opponent even while restricted by rules does, always has and always will outweigh learning "deadly" self defense techniques and never drilling them in a live situation. MMA training is a perfectly valid choice for self defense.


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## mook jong man (Aug 6, 2011)

Things do have to be modified somewhat , particularly when it comes to the issue of grappling with somebody who is armed with a knife.

If you are used to slapping on a rear naked choke when you get to someones back , it is not too good when your about to put the hooks in and they start hacking away at your femoral artery with the knife.

So it is very important that you train two sets of responses , one that you will use for the sport and the other that you will use when the stakes are a lot higher.


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## Lee Mainprize (Aug 11, 2011)

If you want to get good at mma your going to need to be training allot - because of all the skill sets required and the conditioning element.


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