How long before first amateur fight?

**LI GUY 1** · Posted On: 8/14/2007 11:34am

If your serious: a smoker is a inter school comp/fight that is not sanctioned and is not on your record. More like a set up hard sparring session between a gym, a stepping stone to actual competition.

**M-Tri** · Posted On: 8/15/2007 1:25am

Originally Posted by kick

Do a what?

Isn't doing that what got Diaz banned after he legitimately beat Gomi, :P

lol :)

**new2bjj** · Posted On: 8/15/2007 5:26pm

What he said above. Plus, how good is your stamina? That would be the key. You will most likely be nervous, so if you are just barely in shape, cardio wise, forget it. I believe that you should be able to run at least 5 miles, at a fast pace, not jogging, and not be crushed by it. When I mean not crushed, i mean get up the next morning with out being sore, achey etc. You can do the equivalent on an elliptical machine, but you get my drift...

**kick** · Posted On: 8/15/2007 5:30pm

Originally Posted by LI GUY 1

If your serious: a smoker is a inter school comp/fight that is not sanctioned and is not on your record. More like a set up hard sparring session between a gym, a stepping stone to actual competition.

Glad I asked, being Australian, have never heard the term before.

I thought it might have been fighting under an assumed name or something.

To the OP, this ^^^^ is a good idea, that way you get to test yourself, without getting completely destroyed if you are underprepared.

You can't train without sparring, and then fight, it will not go well for you. I think Schattenfaust did this and learnt the hard way, by the way has anyone seen the little guy on the boards anywhere? Hope he hasn't given up since he lost his first fight.

**new2bjj** · Posted On: 8/15/2007 6:36pm

You could wear a ton of protective gear, and go HARD with some guys that have fought already and won. If they're not assholes, they'd tell you if you are ready or not. To me, if you are outclassing everyone, and guys are going Wow, you're good! That should be a clue. Now, if you tell your coach(sifu/sensei/Grand master of all he surveys), that you want to fight and he says "You? You want to fight? Are you sure?" or some other surprised answer, maybe you should wait until he asks you. Actually, most sports coach SEEK OUT guys to train for events- i.e. if your fast during PE, someone tells the track coach, or strong, someone tells the wrestling or football coach, etc. Boxing and Martial Arts, sadly, have a habit of setting some people up for a fall. What I mean is, schools take in a lot of guys that don't have much physical ability and try (or claim to) to make a man out of them. You cant turn a 4 cyclinder into a V8. It's easier to just get a different car.

**Shinkengata** · Posted On: 8/15/2007 7:05pm

Originally Posted by new2bjj

What he said above. Plus, how good is your stamina? That would be the key. You will most likely be nervous, so if you are just barely in shape, cardio wise, forget it. I believe that you should be able to run at least 5 miles, at a fast pace, not jogging, and not be crushed by it. When I mean not crushed, i mean get up the next morning with out being sore, achey etc. You can do the equivalent on an elliptical machine, but you get my drift...

Cardio isn't quite as important as workload capacity and anerobic conditioning. If cardio was all I needed in MMA, I wouldn't be spending most of my time doing burpees, sledgehammer drills, rock heaves, bear crawls, hill sprints, etc.

**new2bjj** · Posted On: 8/15/2007 10:54pm

Originally Posted by Shinkengata

Cardio isn't quite as important as workload capacity and anerobic conditioning. If cardio was all I needed in MMA, I wouldn't be spending most of my time doing burpees, sledgehammer drills, rock heaves, bear crawls, hill sprints, etc.

I'm sure you can do both. What I mean is, you got in shape with the standard cardio, then you went on to the Anaerobic stuff, right? Correct me, if I'm wrong- I don't mean just running.

**Shinkengata** · Posted On: 8/16/2007 5:06pm

Originally Posted by new2bjj

I'm sure you can do both. What I mean is, you got in shape with the standard cardio, then you went on to the Anaerobic stuff, right? Correct me, if I'm wrong- I don't mean just running.

This is true. Being able to comfortably jog a mile or so is probably the best precursor to anaerobic conditioning. I usually jog a mile or so to warm up, then go hard and fast on an anerobic routine for 10-20 minutes...with small rest periods, of course.

**Cullion** · Posted On: 8/16/2007 5:29pm

'standard' cardio gets your recovery time down so that you can fit enough anaerobic work into a training session. The anaerobic tolerance is what you're really trying to develop for bouts with rounds lasting a few minutes with a minute to recover inbetween.

**sambosteve** · Posted On: 8/16/2007 5:41pm

I generally make my guys wait a year if they came to me to train to fight...even if they have prior training. But, it all depends. If they have lots of prior training, but no prior fights (grappling, MT, kickboxing, whatever). They wait and work their way up with some sambo, grappling, KB, combat sambo, events first. If they have prior fights and come to our gym with experience, it is when I feel they are ready and can offer up a solid fight with a real chance of winning.

IMO, too many people jump into the cage too soon. Too many people want to be a fighter without putting in the time and sweat it takes. Likewise, there are too many coaches who just want to say they put guys in the cage and do so before the fighter is ready. I have seen guys with only 6 months training getting into the cage and having their ass handed to them. This happens at just about every amateur show I go to. Every amateur show I go to I end up thinking to myself about at least half of the fighters..."who is this guy's coach and why is he in a cage? He is nowhere near ready".

I will not put a guy in the cage until he has demonstrated solid skills and I am confident in him and his ability to win. I will never put a guy in the cage just to lose or get experience. It served no benefit IMO.

My advice is not to rush it. Talk to your coach. Set a game plan and work towards it patiently.