Combining a martial art and a functional training?

[dvcochran]

I'm 24 (soon to be 25) years old, am cca 184 cm tall and weigh cca 100 kg.
I never did sports in my life, but recently got fed up with being overweight and in bad shape in general, and five weeks ago I started attending this functional training at a gym (90 minutes on tuesday and thursdays) - and so far it's been pretty good. I already feel a slight improvement in my endurance, strength and balance.

OTOH, I'm also interested in martial arts, and have been considering starting training one of them.
The same gym offers boxing, MT; BJJ, kenpo, wrestling and taekwondo - now, as wrestling and boxing trainings are held on mondays, wednesdays and fridays, for now I'm mostly interested in these two arts - boxing being the more attractive one.
However, I'm concerned about the possibility of training 5 days in a row being too much and possibly causing certain health issues; I've also seen advice that a beginner should just pick a single art and just stick to it, and forget about training any other arts or sports; then there's also advice that one should train one art more frequently rather than combine two of them - which makes sense - however, most of the gyms don't seem to offer programmes with more than 3 trainings per week.
So, my question is: do you think combining boxing and a functional training and training 5 days in a row that way is a good idea - or should I just stick to the functional training for now and possibly add boxing once I get in better shape?

Welcome to the forum.
@DocWard , said it perfectly IMHO. I don't think you are grossly overweight for your height assuming you have a margin of muscle mass. It sounds like you have a workable plan, functional training twice/week and your choice of MA to study. Just listen to your body. I would start with 3-days/week and work my way up. This will avoid some of the slingshot of overdoing it, then underdoing it because you feel like crap. At some point you may choose to cross train 2 styles, but I do not think you are there yet.
It sounds like you have a fortunate situation having one facility that offers everything so take advantage of it; and listen to what Doc said.
Best of luck and keep in touch. Let us know how it goes.

 

[mrt2]

I'm 24 (soon to be 25) years old, am cca 184 cm tall and weigh cca 100 kg.
I never did sports in my life, but recently got fed up with being overweight and in bad shape in general, and five weeks ago I started attending this functional training at a gym (90 minutes on tuesday and thursdays) - and so far it's been pretty good. I already feel a slight improvement in my endurance, strength and balance.

OTOH, I'm also interested in martial arts, and have been considering starting training one of them.
The same gym offers boxing, MT; BJJ, kenpo, wrestling and taekwondo - now, as wrestling and boxing trainings are held on mondays, wednesdays and fridays, for now I'm mostly interested in these two arts - boxing being the more attractive one.
However, I'm concerned about the possibility of training 5 days in a row being too much and possibly causing certain health issues; I've also seen advice that a beginner should just pick a single art and just stick to it, and forget about training any other arts or sports; then there's also advice that one should train one art more frequently rather than combine two of them - which makes sense - however, most of the gyms don't seem to offer programmes with more than 3 trainings per week.
So, my question is: do you think combining boxing and a functional training and training 5 days in a row that way is a good idea - or should I just stick to the functional training for now and possibly add boxing once I get in better shape?

Nothing like going from zero to sixty. Seriously though. Congratulations on your new commitment to fitness and (maybe) martial arts.

I wonder about these martial arts places that offer not 1, not 2, not 3, but 5 martial arts all under the same roof. Getting and keeping instructors has to be difficult. Honestly, I would pick one style and train twice a week in addition to your fitness training. That should be plenty to keep your mind and body engaged, and give yourself time for recovery the other 3 days per week.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

Nothing like going from zero to sixty. Seriously though. Congratulations on your new commitment to fitness and (maybe) martial arts.

I wonder about these martial arts places that offer not 1, not 2, not 3, but 5 martial arts all under the same roof. Getting and keeping instructors has to be difficult. Honestly, I would pick one style and train twice a week in addition to your fitness training. That should be plenty to keep your mind and body engaged, and give yourself time for recovery the other 3 days per week.

MMA gyms do this all the time. It's not that hard to find folks in larger areas, and if the gym is good, it's not that hard to keep them. I'd teach at someplace like that in a heartbeat - less hassle with building student attendance, less dealing with the business side of things, etc.

 

[mrt2]

MMA gyms do this all the time. It's not that hard to find folks in larger areas, and if the gym is good, it's not that hard to keep them. I'd teach at someplace like that in a heartbeat - less hassle with building student attendance, less dealing with the business side of things, etc.

I was thinking more from the student's side of things. I guess coming from a traditional martial arts background, it is all about lineage and continuity. If it is anything like the regular gyms I have been to over the years, there will be a lot of turnover among instructors. At least in a traditional martial arts gym, the head instructor can keep some continuity in the curicullum

 

[Gerry Seymour]

I was thinking more from the student's side of things. I guess coming from a traditional martial arts background, it is all about lineage and continuity. If it is anything like the regular gyms I have been to over the years, there will be a lot of turnover among instructors. At least in a traditional martial arts gym, the head instructor can keep some continuity in the curicullum

That could be a problem. But if the instructors there are like me, once they find that, they're not going to leave unless their day job takes them away - about like a senior instructor (who isn't the CI) at a traditional dojo. If that is their day job, they're probably as stable as the CI at a traditional dojo.

 

[mrt2]

That could be a problem. But if the instructors there are like me, once they find that, they're not going to leave unless their day job takes them away - about like a senior instructor (who isn't the CI) at a traditional dojo. If that is their day job, they're probably as stable as the CI at a traditional dojo.

My experience with fitness classes at various gyms was of turnover, because they paid very little. One factor you are not considering is this. If as a part time instructor, you fail to bring in a certain number of new students or at least retain a certain number, don't be surprised if the dojo fires you and brings in someone else.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

My experience with fitness classes at various gyms was of turnover, because they paid very little. One factor you are not considering is this. If as a part time instructor, you fail to bring in a certain number of new students or at least retain a certain number, don't be surprised if the dojo fires you and brings in someone else.

That probably varies by location. If the gym is doing what it needs to in student recruitment, it is more concerned with instructors who can keep those students coming back.

With fitness instructors there are some other factors at play. Firstly, there are usually many options in the area where they can teach. Secondly, few fitness instructors I know see that fitness class (POUND, Zumba, whatever) as a long-term part of their life. They are very into fitness, and love the group interaction, but can get that teaching a different class somewhere else. That's not the same dynamic for a BJJ instructor.

 

[mrt2]

That probably varies by location. If the gym is doing what it needs to in student recruitment, it is more concerned with instructors who can keep those students coming back.

With fitness instructors there are some other factors at play. Firstly, there are usually many options in the area where they can teach. Secondly, few fitness instructors I know see that fitness class (POUND, Zumba, whatever) as a long-term part of their life. They are very into fitness, and love the group interaction, but can get that teaching a different class somewhere else. That's not the same dynamic for a BJJ instructor.

Perhaps, but from the point of view of the student, when you get a good teacher n a given class, whatever it is, the loss is huge when that teacher leaves. I went through this over the years with spinning, yoga, aerobics, step aerobics, and pilates. Over the course of time, say a year or two, I would make a class part of my weekly routine only to have it upended when a good teacher leaves, often replaced by a committee, or someone not as good. It is one of the things that brought me back to traditional martial arts. Seeking some continuity in my training.

 

[drop bear]

Welcome to the forum.
@DocWard , said it perfectly IMHO. I don't think you are grossly overweight for your height assuming you have a margin of muscle mass. It sounds like you have a workable plan, functional training twice/week and your choice of MA to study. Just listen to your body. I would start with 3-days/week and work my way up. This will avoid some of the slingshot of overdoing it, then underdoing it because you feel like crap. At some point you may choose to cross train 2 styles, but I do not think you are there yet.
It sounds like you have a fortunate situation having one facility that offers everything so take advantage of it; and listen to what Doc said.
Best of luck and keep in touch. Let us know how it goes.

I am 180 and about 84KG. And could probably sit around 80 if I worked at it. When I was 100 I was legitimately fat.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

Perhaps, but from the point of view of the student, when you get a good teacher n a given class, whatever it is, the loss is huge when that teacher leaves. I went through this over the years with spinning, yoga, aerobics, step aerobics, and pilates. Over the course of time, say a year or two, I would make a class part of my weekly routine only to have it upended when a good teacher leaves, often replaced by a committee, or someone not as good. It is one of the things that brought me back to traditional martial arts. Seeking some continuity in my training.

I see that quite a bit in fitness classes - they go through fads and cycles. MMA gyms don't seem to have a similar problem.

 

[dvcochran]

I see that quite a bit in fitness classes - they go through fads and cycles. MMA gyms don't seem to have a similar problem.

I hope the same can be said for the remaining (and future) MA schools by in large.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

I hope the same can be said for the remaining (and future) MA schools by in large.

TMA schools have traditionally had a lot of stability in their instructor ranks, especially when they are grown from inside. I was surprised when I returned to my old school after a few years to find the senior assistant instructor had left. Folks in those positions usually last long enough we take them for granted, and they seem permanent until they move on to do something different.